Posted in QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 30 October – “We build ourselves houses, in which the flesh may enjoy its lust and the eye its pride.”

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Thought for the Day – 30 October – Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time, Year , Gospel: Luke 13:22–30

And someone said to him,
“Lord, will those who are saved be few?” … Luke 13:23

“Easy circumstances are generally thought a special happiness, it is thought a great point to get rid of annoyance or discomfort of mind and body, it is thought allowable and suitable, to make use of all means available, for making life pleasant.”

“We build ourselves houses, in which the flesh may enjoy its lust

and the eye its pride.”

Saint John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

“Such advice is especially suitable to an age like this, when there is an effort on all hands to multiply comforts and to get rid of the daily inconveniences and distresses of life.
Alas! my brethren, how do you know, if you avail yourselves of the luxuries of this world without restraint but that you are only postponing and increasing by postponing, an inevitable chastisement?
How do you know but that, if you will not satisfy the debt of daily sin now, it will hereafter come upon you with interest?   See whether this is not a thought, which would spoil that enjoyment, which even religious persons are apt to take in this world’s goods, if they would but admit it.
It is said that we ought to enjoy this life as the gift of God.
Easy circumstances are generally thought a special happiness, it is thought a great point, to get rid of annoyance, or discomfort, of mind and body, it is thought allowable and suitable, to make use of all means available, for making life pleasant.   We desire and confess we desire, to make time pass agreeably and to live in the sunshine.   All things harsh and austere are carefully put aside.   We shrink from the rude lap of earth and the embrace of the elements and we build ourselves houses in which the flesh may enjoy its lust and the eye its pride.
We aim at having all things at our will.
Cold and hunger and hard lodging and ill usage and humble offices and mean appearance, are all considered serious evils.

And thus year follows year, tomorrow as today, till we think that this, our artificial life, is our natural state and must and ever will be.”we-desire-and-confess-we-desire-lent-prep-nov-4-march-2019 and 30 october 2019.jpg

 

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRIDE, SPEAKING of ....., The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 30 October – Speaking of: Pride vs Humility

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Quote/s of the Day – 30 October – Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time, Year , Gospel: Luke 13:22–30

Speaking of:  Pride vs Humility

“The proud person is like a grain of wheat
thrown into water – it swells, it gets big.
Expose that grain to the fire – it dries up, it burns.
The humble soul, is like a grain of wheat,
thrown into the earth –
it descends, it hides itself,
it disappears, it dies
but to revive
in heaven.”

St Mary of Jesus Crucified (1846-1878)the-proud-person-st-mary-of-jesus-crucified-26-aug-2019 and 30 oct 2019.jpg

“I sought to hear the voice of God
And climbed the topmost steeple.
But God declared
“Go down again –
I dwell among the people.”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)i-sought-to-hear-the-voice-of-god-bl-john-henry-newman-29-march-2019 and 30 oct 2019.jpg

“The humble man receives praise,
the way a clean window
takes the light of the sun.
The truer and more intense the light is,
the less you see of the glass.”

Thomas Merton OCSO (1915-1968)the-humble-man-receives-praise-thomas-merton-13-march-2019 and 30 oct 2019.jpg

“Strive to enter through the narrow door,
for many, I tell you, will attempt
to enter but will not be able…”…Luke 13:24.

“All, can enter eternal life but for everyone,
the door is narrow.   They are not privileged.
The path to the eternal life is open to all
but it is narrow because it’s demanding,
asks for commitment, abnegation
and the mortification of selfishness.”all-can-enter-eternal-life-but-for-everyone-the-doo-is-narrow-pope-benedict-25-aug-2019 and 30 october 2019

“To pass through the narrow gate, means
we must commit ourselves to being small,
that is humble of heart like Jesus,
like Mary, His and our mother.”

Pope Benedict XVI
Angelus, 26 August 2007to-pass-through-the-narrow-gate-means-we-must-commit-ourselves-to-being-small-humble-pope-benedict-25-aug-2019 and 30 oct 2019

“Truly, I say to you,
unless you turn and become like children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 18:3truly-i-say-to-you-unless-you-turn-and-become-like-little-children-matthew-18-3-1-oct-2018.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC Quotes, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRIDE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 October – ‘Jesus is the door.’

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One Minute Reflection – 30 October – Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time, Year , Gospel: Luke 13:22–30

“Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be able…”…Luke 13:24.

REFLECTION – “Jesus is the door.   It is a narrow door but always wide open to everyone. It is narrow not because it is oppressive but so as to prohibit the entry of pride which bloats us.   To go along this path, one must pass through a door.   But where is the door? What is it like?   Who is the door?   Jesus himself is the door (cf. Jn 10,9).   He himself says it, ‘I am the door’ in John’s Gospel.   He leads us in communion with the Father, where we find love, understanding and protection. …the-whole-of-our-life-must-pass-through-the-narrow-door-pope-francis-25-june-2019-and 30 oct 2019.1.jpg

… The door of God’s mercy is narrow but always wide open, wide open for everyone!   God has no favourites but always welcomes everyone, without distinction.   A door, that is narrow to restrict our pride and our fear.   Open because God welcomes us without distinction.   And the salvation that He gives us is an unceasing flow of mercy…which breaks down every barrier and opens up surprising perspectives of light and peace.   The narrow but always open door…” … Pope Francis 21 August 2016luke 13 24 strive to enter through the narrow door - jesusd is the door - pope francis 30 oct 2019

PRAYER – Shed Your clear light on our hearts, Lord, so that walking continually in the way of Your commandments, we may never be deceived or misled.   Grant that the prayers of the Virgin Mary, merciful Mother, we ask help so that we seize the opportunities that the Lord gives us to cross the threshold of faith.   Through Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.blessed virgin merciful mother pray for us 30 oct 2019

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on MISSION, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 October – ‘It is Christ who grants such great strength to this yeast…’

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One Minute Reflection – 29 October – Tuesday of the Thirtieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 13:18-21

Again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened.” … Luke 13:20luke 13 20 to what shall i compare the kingdom - it is like - leaven 29 oct 2019

REFLECTION – “Our Lord next puts forward the parable of the yeast.   “Just as yeast communicates its invisible force to the whole lump of dough, so will the force of the Gospel transform the whole world, by means of the apostles’ ministry…   Don’t ask me: ‘What can we twelve, miserable sinners do in face of the whole world?’   This is precisely the vast difference between cause and effect, between a handful of men before a crowd, which will demonstrate the stunning effect of your strength.   Isn’t it by mixing the yeast into the dough, by ‘hiding’ it as the Gospel says, that it transforms the whole lump?   In the same way, apostles of mine, it is by being mixed into the great mass of peoples that you will impregnate them with your spirit and win victory over your adversaries.   Even as it disappears into the mass, yeast does not lose its strength.   To the contrary, it changes the whole dough’s nature.   In the same way, your preaching will change all peoples.   Therefore, be full of confidence”…

It is Christ who grants such great strength to this yeast…   So don’t blame Him for the small number of His disciples – it is the strength of the message that is great…   A spark is enough to change a few sticks of dry wood into a blaze that will afterwards set even all the green wood at the edge on fire.” … St John Chrysostom (c 345-407) Father & Doctor of the Churchluke 13 20 - leaven - it is christ who is the leaven - st john chrysostom 29 oct 2019

PRAYER – True light of the world, Lord Jesus Christ, as You enlighten all men for their salvation, give us grace, we pray, to herald Your coming by preparing the ways of justice and of peace.   Help us Lord, that we may sprout and bear fruit, fitting to grow and be a home of comfort to our neighbour. By the prayers of St Narcissus of Jerusalem, who bore the seed of Your Word to many, may we too be heralds of Your Kingdom.   Through Jesus our Lord, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The HOLY GHOST

Our Morning Offering – 30 October – You are the Giver of all Heavenly Gifts

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Our Morning Offering – 30 October – Wednesday of the Thirtieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C

You are the Giver of all Heavenly Gifts
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

You are fire, enkindle in me Your love.
You are light, enlighten my mind
with the knowledge of eternal things.
You are the Dove, give me innocence of life.
You are the gentle Breeze,
disperse the storms of my passions.
You are the Tongue,
teach me how to bless You always.
You are the Cloud,
shelter me under the shadow of Your protection.
And lastly, You are the Giver of all heavenly gifts,
animate me,
I beseech You, with Your grace, sanctify me
with Your charity, enlighten me
with Your wisdom, adopt me by Your goodness as Your child
and save me in Your infinite mercy,
so that I may ever bless You, praise You and love You,
first during this life on earth,
and then in heaven for all eternity.
Amenyou are the give of all heavenly gifts - you are fire - st alphonsus liguori 30 oct 2019.jpg

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 30 October – Blessed Benvenuta Bojani OP (1254-1292)

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Saint of the Day – 30 October – Blessed Benvenuta Bojani OP (1254-1292) professed member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, Mystic, Repentant. miracle-worker – born on 4 May 1254 at Cividale del Friuli, Italy and died on 30 October 1292 at Cividale del Friuli, Italy of natural causes, aged 38.   Blessed Benevenuta dedicated her life to strict austerities as an act of repentance and devotion to God and was known to have visions of angels and demons.bl benvenutaboiani.jpg

Benvenuta was the last of seven daughters.   Her parents, too, must have been amazing people in comparison with so many in our time.   When the silence of the midwife proclaimed that her father had been disappointed once again in his desire for a son, he exclaimed, “She too shall be welcome!”   Remembering this she was christened by her parents, Benvenuta which means“welcome”, although they had asked for a son.   A vain older sister unsuccessfully tried to teach the pious little Benvenuta to dress in rich clothing and use the deceits of society.   Benvenuta hid from such temptations in the church where she developed a tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin.   By the age of 12, Benvenuta was wearing hairshirts and a rope girdle.   As she grew, the rope became embedded in her flesh.   When she realised the rope must be removed, she couldn’t get it off, so she prayed and it fell to her feet.   For this reason she is often pictured in art holding a length of rope in her hands.

Having become a Dominican tertiary at an early age, she added the penances practised by the sisters to those she had appropriated for herself.   All her disciplines, fasting and lack of sleep soon caused her health to fail and she was confined to bed for five years. Thereafter, she was too weak to walk, so a kind older sibling carried her to church once a week for Compline (Night Prayer) in the Dominican church, her favourite liturgy after the Mass.

After evening prayer on the Vigil of the Feast of Saint Dominic, Dominic and Saint Peter Martyr appeared to Benvenuta.   Dominic had a surprise for her.   The prior was absent at the Salve procession but at the beginning of Compline she saw Dominic in the prior’s place.   He passed from brother to brother giving the kiss of peace, then went to his own altar and disappeared.   At the Salve procession, the Blessed Virgin herself came down the aisle, blessing the fathers while holding the Infant Jesus in her arms.

Benvenuta spent her whole life at home in Cividale busy with her domestic duties, praying and working miracles.   She was often attacked by the devil, who sometimes left her close to discouragement and exhaustion.   When someone protested against the death of a promising young child, Benvenuta commented, “It is much better to be young in paradise than to be old in hell.”   The devil often appeared to her in horrifying forms but was banished when Benvenuta called upon the Virgin.

Benvenuta’s companions called her “the sweetest and most spiritual of contemplatives, so lovable in her holiness that her touch and presence inspired gladness and drove away temptations.”   This is amazing, in light of the severe penances that she imposed upon herself–and another sign of blessedness that she didn’t judge others by her standards for herself (Benedictines, Dorcy).

She died on 30 October 1292 and was interred in the church of Saint Dominic in her hometown.

Her Beatification received approval from Pope Clement XIV – on 6 February 1763 – after the pontiff confirmed the longstanding local ‘cultus’ to her.

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, franciscan OFM, SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 30 October

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St Angelo of Acri OFM Cap (1669-1739)
The Story of St Angelo:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/30/saint-of-the-day-30-october-st-angelo-of-acri-ofm-cap/

St Arilda
St Asterius of Amasea
Bl Benvenuta Bojani OP (1254-1292)
St Egelnoth the Good
St Eutropia of North Africa
St Gerard of Potenza
St Germanus of Capua
St Herbert of Tours
Bl Jean-Michel Langevin
Bl John Slade
St Lucanus of Lagny
St Marcellus the Centurion
St Marcian of Syracuse
St Maximus of Cumae
St Nanterius of Saint-Mihiel
Bl Oleksa Zarytsky (1912-1963) Martyr
Bl Raymond of Cardona
St Saturninus of Cagliari
St Serapion of Antioch
St Talarica of Scotland
Bl Terrence Albert O’Brien
St Theonestus of Philippi
St Zenobia of Aegea
St Zenobius of Aegea
—
Martyrs in Africa: A group of 100 to 200 Christians murdered in the early persecutions, and about whom we know nothing except that they died for their faith.

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD is LOVE, HYMNS, MINI SERIES, PAPAL SERMONS, POETRY, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The WORD, VATICAN Resources

Thought for the Day – 29 October – How to speak about God?

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Thought for the Day – 29 October – Tuesday of the Thirtieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 13:18-21

Again he said, …”To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in
with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch of dough was leavened.” Luke 13:20

Excerpt – Part One
Year of Faith – How to speak about God?

Pope Benedict XVI
Paul VI Audience Hall
Wednesday, 28 November 2012

The important question we ask ourselves today is – how can we talk about God in our time?   How can we communicate the Gospel so as to open roads to His saving truth in our contemporaries’ hearts — that are all too often closed — and minds — that are at times distracted by the many dazzling lights of society? Jesus, the Evangelists tell us, asked Himself about this as He proclaimed the kingdom of God – “With what can we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?” (Mk 4:30).

How can we talk about God today?   The first answer is that we can talk about God because He has talked to us, so the first condition for speaking of God is listening to all that God Himself has said.   God has spoken to us!   God is therefore not a distant hypothesis concerning the world’s origin, He is not a mathematical intelligence far from us.   God takes an interest in us, He loves us, He has entered personally into the reality of our history, He has communicated Himself, even to the point of taking flesh.   Thus God is a reality of our life, He is so great that He has time for us too, He takes an interest in us. In Jesus of Nazareth we encounter the face of God, who came down from His heaven to immerse Himself in the human world, in our world, and to teach “the art of living”, the road to happiness, to set us free from sin and make us children of God (cf. Eph 1:5; Rom 8:14).   Jesus came to save us and to show us the good life of the Gospel.

Talking about God means first of all expressing clearly what God we must bring to the men and women of our time, not an abstract God, a hypothesis but a real God, a God who exists, who has entered history and is present in history, the God of Jesus Christ as an answer to the fundamental question of the meaning of life and of how we should live. Consequently speaking of God demands familiarity with Jesus and His Gospel, it implies that we have a real, personal knowledge of God and a strong passion for His plan of salvation without succumbing to the temptation of success but following God’s own method.   God’s method is that of humility — God makes Himself one of us — His method is brought about through the Incarnation in the simple house of Nazareth; through the Grotto of Bethlehem, through the Parable of the Mustard Seed.

We must not fear the humility of taking little steps but trust in the leaven that penetrates the dough and slowly causes it to rise (cf. Mt 13:33).   In talking about God, in the work of evangelisation, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we must recover simplicity, we must return to the essence of the proclamation – the Good News of a God who is real and effective, a God who is concerned about us, a God-Love who makes Himself close to us in Jesus Christ, until the Cross and who, in the Resurrection, gives us hope and opens us to a life that has no end, eternal life, true life. – To be continued/…

Firmly I believe and truly
St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Firmly I believe and truly
God is three and God is On
And I next acknowledge duly
Manhood taken by the Son.
And I trust and hope most fully
In that Manhood crucified
And each thought and deed unruly
Do to death, as He has died.
Simply to His grace and wholly
Light and life and strength belong
And I love, supremely, solely,
Him the holy, Him the strong.

And I hold in veneration,
For the love of Him alone,
Holy Church, as His creation,
And her teachings, as His own.
And I take with joy whatever
Now besets me, pain or fear
And with a strong will I sever
All the ties which bind me here. 
Adoration aye be given,
With and through the angelic host,
To the God of earth and heaven,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.firmly i believe and truly st john henry newman 29 oct 2019.jpg

Posted in QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 29 October – St Gaetano Errico (1791-1860)

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Quote of the Day – 29 October – The Memorial of St Gaetano Errico (1791-1860), Founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

“Let us toil, to the loss of everything,
not excluding life, if necessary,
to make known to all people,
the most ardent love of the Sacred Hearts
and to kindle this holy
and divine love, in the hearts of humanity.”
(From the Rule)

St Gaetano Errico (1791-1860)let us toil to the loss of everything - st gaetano errico 29 oct 2019.jpg

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, The HOLY GHOST

Our Morning Offering – 29 October – O Holy Spirit, Soul of My Soul

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Our Morning Offering – 29 October – Tuesday of the Thirtieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C

Désiré Joseph Cardinal Mercier – (21 November 1851-23 January 1926) was Archbishop of Malines, Belgium from 1906 until his death.   Besides the heroic leadership he demonstrated during World War I, he hosted the famous Catholic-Anglican dialogue known as the ‘Malines Conversations’ and obtained the establishment of the liturgical feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, with its proper Mass and Office.
His spiritual mentor was Blessed Dom Columba Marmion.
Here, in his own words, is the daily practice he recommended:

“I am going to reveal to you the secret of sanctity and happiness.   Every day for five minutes control your imagination and close your eyes to the things of sense and your ears to all the noises of the world, in order to enter into yourself.   Then, in the sanctity of your baptised soul (which is the temple of the Holy Spirit), speak to that Divine Spirit, saying to Him:

O Holy Spirit, Soul of My Soul
By Désiré Joseph Cardinal Mercier (1851-1926)

O Holy Spirit,
Soul of my soul,
I adore You!
Enlighten me,
guide me,
strengthen me,
console me.
Tell me what I should do,
give me Your orders.
I promise to submit myself
to all that You desire of me
and to accept, all
that You permit to happen to me.
Just make me know Your Will.
Amen

If you do this, your life will flow along happily, serenely and full of consolation, even in the midst of trials.   Grace will be proportioned to the trial, giving you strength to carry it and you will arrive at the Gate of Paradise, laden with merit.   This submission to the Holy Spirit is the secret of sanctity.”

Cardinal Mercier was also a noted Thomist scholar and the founder of the higher Institue of Philosophy at Louvain University, as also, the Revue Neoscholastique. … (In Sinu Jesu, Monday 16 March 2009)o holy spirit soul of my soul - cardinal desire joseph mercier in sinu jesu 29 oct 2019.jpg

 

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 29 October – St Narcissus of Jerusalem (c 99-c 215)

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Saint of the Day – 29 October – St Narcissus of Jerusalem (c 99-c 215) Bishop of Jerusalem, miracle-worker – Patronage – of the aged.   St Narcissus is usually depicted with large jars relating to the great miracle of the conversion of water into lamp oil.

St Narcissus was born towards the end of the first century and he was nearly 80 years old when he was named as the 30th bishop of Jerusalem.st narcissus snip.JPG

In 195, he and Theophilus, Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, presided together over a Council of the Bishops of Palestine held at Caesarea around Easter.   There it was decreed, that the feast be kept always on a Sunday and not continually with the Jewish Passover.

The Bishop and historian Eusebius says the following miracle can be attributed to him. One year on Easter-eve the Deacons did not have any oil for the lamps in the church, which was necessary at the solemn divine office on that day.   Narcissus ordered those who had care of the lamps to bring him some water from the neighbouring wells. This being done, he pronounced a devout prayer over the water.   Then he bade them pour it into the lamps which they did.   The water was immediately converted into oil, to the great surprise of all the faithful.   Some of this miraculous oil was kept there as a memorial at the time when Eusebius wrote his history.img-Saint-Narcissus-of-Jerusalem

The veneration of all good men for this holy bishop, however, could not shelter him from the malice of the wicked.   Three incorrigible sinners, fearing his severity in the observance of ecclesiastical discipline, accused him of a terrible act.   The sinners swore that they were right, adding the following to their testimony – one wished that he might perish by fire, another, that he might be struck with a leprosy and the third, that he might lose his sight, if what they alleged was not the truth.   Their accusations were false, however and soon, Divine Retribution called upon them.   The first was burnt in his house along with his whole family by an accidental fire in the night, the second was struck with a universal leprosy and the third, terrified by these examples, confessed the conspiracy and slander and by the abundance of tears which he continually shed for his sins, lost his sight before his death.

Narcissus either could not stand the shock of the bold calumny, or perhaps he made it an excuse for leaving Jerusalem in order to spend some time in solitude, which had long been his wish.   He spent several years undiscovered in his retreat, where he enjoyed all the happiness and advantage which a close conversation with God can bestow.

The neighbouring Bishops appointed a new Priest for his church until Narcissus returned.   Upon his return, the faithful rejoiced and convinced him to once again undertake the administration of the Diocese, which he did.

As he reached extreme old age, he made St Alexander his coadjutor.   St Narcissus continued to serve his flock and even other churches, by his assiduous prayers and his earnest exhortations to unity and concord, as St Alexander testifies in his letter to the Arsinoites in Egypt, where he says that Narcissus was at that time about one hundred and sixteen years old when he died of natural causes.   The Roman Martyrology honours his memory today, 29 October.Narcissus of Jerusalem

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 29 October

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St Abraham Kidunaia
St Abraham of Rostov
St Achahildis of Wendelstein
St Anne of Mount Olympus
St Colman of Kilmacduagh
St Dodone of Wallers-en-Fagne
St Donatus of Corfu
St Ermelinda of Meldaert
St Eusebia of Bergamo
St Felician of Carthage
St Gaetano Errico (1791-1860)
His Story:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/29/saint-of-the-day-29-october-st-gaetano-errico-1791-1860/
St Honoratus of Vercelli
St John of Autun
St Kennera
St Mary of Edessa
St Narcissus of Gerona
St Narcissus of Jerusalem (c 99-c 215)
St Sigolinus of Stavelot
St Stephen of Cajazzo
St Terence of Metz
St Theodore of Vienne
St Zenobius of Sidon
—
Martyrs of Douai – (160 saints and beati): 160 priests, laymen and religious who studied at the English College in Douai, France, then returned to minister to covert Catholics in England during a period of government persecution of the Church, and were murdered for their work.

Martyrs of Lucania – (4 saints): A group of Christians executed together for their faith. Only their names have survived – Felician, Hyacinth, Lucius and Quintus. Their martyrdom occurred in Lucania, southern Italy.

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Arsenio Merino Miguel
• Blessed Benito Paradela Novoa
• Blessed Joaquina Rey Aguirre
• Blessed José Ruiz Bruixola
• Blessed Maurilio Tobar González
• Blessed Ponciano Nieto Asensio
• Blessed Victoria Arregui Guinea

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on MISSION, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Thought for the Day – 28 October – As the Father Sent Me, so I am Sending You

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Thought for the Day – 28 October – Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles and Martyrs, Gospel: Luke 6:12-19

As the Father Sent Me, so I am Sending You

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

An excerpt from his Commentary on the Gospel of John

Our Lord Jesus Christ has appointed certain men to be guides and teachers of the world and stewards of His divine mysteries.   Now He bids them to shine out like lamps and to cast out their light, not only over the land of the Jews but over every country under the sun and over people scattered in all directions and settled in distant lands.   That man has spoken truly who said:  No one takes honour upon himself, except the one who is called by God, for it was our Lord Jesus Christ who called His own disciples before all others to a most glorious apostolate.   These holy men became the pillar and mainstay of the truth and Jesus said that He was sending them just as the Father had sent Him.

By these words, He is making clear, the dignity of the apostolate and the incomparable glory of the power given to them but He is also, it would seem, giving them a hint about the methods they are to adopt, in their apostolic mission.   For if Christ thought it necessary to send out His intimate disciples in this fashion, just as the Father had sent Him, then surely, it was necessary, that they, whose mission was to be patterned on that of Jesus, should see exactly why the Father had sent the Son.   And so Christ interpreted the character of His mission to us in a variety of ways.   Once He said – I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.   And then at another time He said – I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent me.   For God sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him.

Accordingly, in affirming that they are sent by Him just as He was sent by the Father, Christ sums up in a few words the approach they themselves should take to their ministry.   From what He said, they would gather that it was their vocation to call sinners to repentance, to heal those who were sick, whether in body or spirit, to seek in all their dealing, never to do their own will but the will of Him who sent them and, as far as possible, to save the world by their teaching.

Surely it is in all these respects, that we find His holy disciples striving to excel.   To ascertain this is no great labour, a single reading of the Acts of the Apostles or of Saint Paul’s writings is enough.

Sts Simon and Jude, Pray for Us!sts-simon-and-jude-pray-for-us-28-oct-2018 and 2019.jpg

Posted in CATECHESIS, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, PAPAL SERMONS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 28 October – Feast of Saints Simon and Jude

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 October – Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles and Martyrs, Gospel: Luke 6:12-19

“Simon was worlds apart from Matthew, who, on the contrary, had an activity behind him as a tax collector that was frowned upon as entirely impure.   This shows that Jesus called His disciples and collaborators, without exception, from the most varied social and religious backgrounds.

It was people who interested Him, not social classes or labels!   And the best thing is that in the group of His followers, despite their differences, they all lived side by side, overcoming imaginable difficulties, indeed, what bound them together, was Jesus Himself, in whom they all found themselves united with one another.

This is clearly a lesson for us who are often inclined to accentuate differences and even contrasts, forgetting, that in Jesus Christ, we are given the strength to get the better of our continual conflicts.

Let us also bear in mind, that the group of the Twelve, is the prefiguration of the Church, where there must be room for all charisms, peoples and races, all human qualities that find their composition and unity in communion with Jesus.”

Pope Benedict XVI

Catechesis on Saints Simon and Jude
General Audience
Saint Peter’s Square
Wednesday, 11 October 2006let us bear in the mind that the group of the twelve - sts simon and jude - pope benedict 28 oct 2019.jpg

“Woe to them!
They followed the way of Cain …
These are blemishes …
as they carouse fearlessly
and look after themselves.
They are waterless clouds
blown about by winds,
fruitless trees in late autumn,
twice dead and uprooted.
They are like wild waves of the sea,
foaming up their shameless deeds,
wandering stars,
for whom the gloom of darkness
has been reserved forever.”

Jude 1:11a,12 & 13jude 1 11,12,13 woem to them they followed the way of cain 28 oct 2019.jpg

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ON the SAINTS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 October – “The weakness of God is stronger than all men”

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One Minute Reflection – 28 October – Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles and Martyrs, Gospel: Luke 6:12-19

And when it was day, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostle … Luke 6:13luke 6 13 he called his disciples and chose twleve - 28 oct 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “Saint Paul said:  “The weakness of God is stronger than all men” (1Cor 1:25).   It is clear from this too that the gospel is divine.   For whence did it strike twelve unlettered men to attempt such great enterprises, men who were living in marshes, or rivers, in desert places, who had never perhaps gone into a city or the public square? Whence did it strike them to array themselves against the whole world?   That they were cowardly and unmanly, he who has written about them shows, inasmuch as he does not even deprecate nor try to gloss over their failings.   This, in itself, is a powerful proof of the truth.   What then does this man say about them?   That after the innumerable miracles they had seen Christ work, when He was taken prisoner some fled, while the one who remained, although he was head over the rest, denied Him.

Here were men who failed to stand up to the Jews when Christ was alive.   Yet when He died and was buried, they arrayed themselves against the whole world…  Would they not have said to themselves:  “What is this?   He had not strength to save Himself, will He protect us?   He did not defend Himself when He was alive, will He reach out His hand to us, now He is dead?   When He was alive He did not conquer a single nation—shall we convince the whole world by speaking His name?”…   Hence it is clear that, if they had not seen Him risen and received this mighty proof of His power, they would never have risked such a gamble.” … St John Chrysostom (c.345-407) Priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Father & Doctor of the Church – Homily on the 1st letter to the Corinthians 4, 3here were men who failed to stand up to the jews - st john chrysostom feast of simon and jude 28 oct 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Lord God, You taught us to call upon Your name, through the preaching of the Apostles.   Open our eyes each day, grant that we may see Jesus Your Son at our side, open our ears that we may hear His voice, open our mouths, that we may beg forgiveness and proclaim the good news, as we follow the way Your Son carved out for us.   At the intercession of Sts Simon and Jude, may Your Church continue to grow and to hope in Your love.   We make our prayer through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.sts simon and jude pray for us 28 oct 2019

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Our Morning Offering – 28 October – One Joyful Hymn of Praise must Greet

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Our Morning Offering – 28 October – Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles and Martyrs

Come, let us worship the Lord, the King of Apostles.

One Joyful Hymn of Praise must Greet
Morning Hymn
On the Feast of Sts Simon and Jude
From the Breviary
The Benedictines of Saint Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK

One joyful hymn of praise must greet
Apostles whom we always find
Together in the Gospel’s page,
By faithful love and zeal combined.

To follow Christ in early youth
Was surely Simon’s joy and pride,
Before the Zealot would set forth
To preach His Name both far and wide.

Saint Jude, a kinsman of our Lord,
In heart and mind yet closer still,
Your words remain until this day
With hope and love our souls to fill.

As brothers both in life and death,
A martyr’s crown was your reward,
As shining witnesses to truth
And victims worthy of your Lord.

O gleaming stars in heaven’s light
Help us to tread our thorny way,
That with our faith alert and strong
We may attain to glory’s day.

Be praised the Father evermore,
The Holy Spirit and the Son,
May we rejoice before God’s throne
Eternally when life is done.
Amenone joyful hymn of praise must greet hymn for the feast of sts simon and jude 28 oct 2019.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, PATRONAGE - IMPOSSIBLE CAUSES, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles of Christ – 28 October

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Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles of Christ – 28 October

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Sts Simon and Jude whose names occur together in the Canon of the Mass and are also celebrated on the same day.   These two Apostles have been linked in name since the early days of Christianity and some believe that this is because they were relatives of Jesus.

SOD-1028-SaintsSimonandJude-790x480
San Simón | Jusepe de Ribera / Image: Saint Jude Thaddeus | Georges de La Tour

St Simon in the Gospels is called “the Zealot” and this may indicate that he belonged to that military group of Jews called the Zealots, the last of whom committed suicide on Masada rather than surrender to the Roman legions.   Legend has Simon evangelising the area around Edessa in Syria, where later a great school of theology arose. It is also said, that after preaching in Egypt, he joined St Jude in Mesopotamia and that they both went as missionaries to Persia and were martyred there.   Undoubtedly, their names are linked also because of this association.

st simon the zealot apostle.jpg
St Simon

Jude was most certainly a cousin of Jesus and is mentioned in the lists of the “brothers of the Lord.”   In Luke he is called Jude and in Matthew and Mark, ‘Thaddeus’ and is considered to be the brother of James, the first Bishop of Jerusalem and the leader of the early Christian community there – this is James the Lesser, not the brother of St John.   He is the author of the Epistle of Jude in the New Testament, one of those called the ‘Catholic Epistles.’   It is believed that the early translators of the New Testament from Greek into English, sought to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot and subsequently abbreviated his forename.   In iconography, , St Jude is often shown with an image of his cousin, our Lord Jesus and a tongue of fire over his head.st jude with image of jesus.jpg

At the Last Supper, it was Jude who asked the Lord Jesus, why He did not manifest Himself to the rest of the world and Jesus answered that he and the Father would visit all those who loved Him, saying – “We will come to him and make our abode with him.”sts jude and simon

Jude is the patron of ‘hopeless cases’ and devotion to him, as the advocate of impossible causes, is widespread throughout the Church.   So why is St Jude Thaddaeus the patron saint of desperate causes?   The traditional reason is rather simple – When one hears the name Judas (Latin and Greek) or even Jude (English), one immediately thinks of Judas Iscariot who betrayed our Lord.   Therefore, a person had to be desperate to invoke his name.   Being so seldom invoked and reverenced, St Jude is ready and waiting to hear the prayers of those who call upon him.   Ironically, he is probably the Apostle who is invoked the most in prayer and the most memorialised in churches, with statues and stained glass windows or other artworks.

It is a beautiful tradition, associated with prayer to St Jude, for his intercession, to leave a copy of the prayer in a Church, or before his Statue, Picture or Shrine, for someone else in great need, to find.   The prayer is usually prayed as a Novena.

Prayer to St Jude
Patron of Impossible Causes

Most holy Apostle, St Jude,
faithful servant and friend of Jesus,
the Church honours and invokes you universally,
as the patron of hopeless causes,
of things almost despaired of.
Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone.
Help me, I implore you,
by that particular privilege given to you,
to bring visible and speedy help
where help is almost despaired of.
Come to my assistance in this great need,
that I may receive the consolation
and help of Heaven in all my necessities,
tribulation and sufferings,
particularly ………………… (state request)
and that I may praise God with you
and all the elect forever.
I promise, O blessed St Jude,
to be ever mindful of this great favour,
to always honour you as my special and powerful patron
and to gratefully encourage devotion to you.
Amenprayer to st jude - patron of impossible causes - 28 oct 2019.jpg

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Feast of the Apostles, Saints Simon and Jude and Memorials of the Saints – 28 October

Posted on by AnaStpaul

St Jude Thaddeus Apostle (Feast)

St Simon the Apostle/the Zealot (Feast)

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude – Apostles of Christ:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/28/feast-of-the-apostles-sts-simon-and-jude-28-october/

Lord of Miracles/Señor de los Milagros de Nazarenas:   A mid-17th-century painting of the Crucifixion that is venerated in Lima, Peru and its celebration involves one of the largest processions in the world.

It was painted by an unnamed African taken to Peru as a slave from what is now Angola. Above the Cross is the Holy Spirit and God the Father.   Below and to the right of Jesus, is His mother, the Virgin Mary with her heart pierced by a sword of sorrow.   Kneeling and weeping at the foot of the cross is St Mary Magdalene.

The name originated on 13 November 1655 when everything around it was destroyed in an earthquake that left the painting standing and undamaged. Christ is shown enduring the pain of crucifixion.
Every year in October, hundreds of thousands of devotees from all races and economic backgrounds participate in a procession honouring the image through the streets of Lima.   Boulevards are decorated in purple on 18,19 and the final Feast 28 October to celebrate the Lord of Miracles.578px-sec3b1ordelosmilagrosnazarenas crusifixion mary and john at the cross.jpg

St Abdias of Babylon
St Abraham of Ephesus
St Alberic of Stavelot
St Anastasia the Elder
St Anglinus of Stavelot
St Cyril of Rome
St Cyrilla of Rome
St Diomedes the Younger
St Dorbhene of Iona
St Eadsin of Canterbury
St Elius of Lyon
St Faro of Meaux
St Ferrutius
St Fidelis of Como
St Genesius of Thiers
Bl Germain of Talloires
St Gioan Dat
St Godwin of Stavelot
St Maria Ascuncion
St Remigius of Lyons
St Rodrigo Aguilar Aleman
St Salvius of Amiens
—
Martyrs of Avila – 3 saints: Two sisters and a brother who, during a period of persecution, fled Talavera de la Reina, Spain, were caught and executed. Martyrs: Christeta, Sabina and Vincent. 303 in Avila, Spain.

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Claudio Julían García San Román
• Blessed Maria Asuncion

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY

Thought for the Day – 27 October – ‘In the first place, be in the last…’

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Thought for the Day – 27 October – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 18:9–14

Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916)

Always descend, always humble yourself.

Hermit and Missionary in the Sahara

Retreat, Holy Land, Lent 1898in-the-first-place-be-spiritually-in-the-last-bl-charles-foucauld-1-sept-2019 and 27 oct 2019.jpg

“[Christ:]   See [My] devotion to men and consider what your own should be.   See that humility for man’s good and learn to humble yourself to do good… to make yourself small to win others, not to fear to go lower or lose your rights when it is a matter of doing good, not to believe that in descending you make yourself powerless to do good.  To the contrary, by descending you imitate Me, by descending you make use of the same means, for the love of humankind, that I Myself employed, by descending you walk in My way and, therefore, in the truth and you are in the best place to lay hold of life and give it to others…  By my incarnation I place Myself on a level with creatures, by My baptism …on that of sinners, descent, humility…  Always descend, always humble yourself.

Let those who are first always stand in the last place, through humility and in disposition of spirit, with an attitude of descent and service.   Love of men, humility, the last place, in the last place, so long as the divine will does not call you to another, since then you must obey.   Obedience before all else, conformity to God’s will.   In the first place, be spiritually in the last, through humility, occupy it in the spirit of service, telling yourself, that you are only there, to serve others and lead them to salvation.”

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,

have mercy on me a sinner!lord jesus christ son of god have mercy on me a sinner the jesus prayer - 27 oct 2019.jpg

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 27 October – Not as a son but as a hired servant

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Quote/s of the Day – 27 October – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 18:9–14

“For everyone who exalts himself
will be humbled
and he who humbles himself
will be exalted.”

Luke 14:11for-everyone-who-exalts-himself-luke-14-11-1-sept-2019 27 oct 2019.jpg

‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

Luke 18:13god be merciful to me a sinner luke 18 13 27 oct 2019.jpg

“If you wish to reach high, then begin at the lowest level.
If you are trying to construct some mighty edifice in height,
you will begin with the lowest foundation.
This is humility.
However great the mass of the building you may wish to design or erect,
the taller the building is to be, the deeper you will dig the foundation.
The building in the course of its erection, rises up high
but he who digs its foundation, must first go down very low.
So then, you see even a building is low before it is high
and the tower is raised, only after humiliation.”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father & Doctor (Sermon 69)if-you-wish-to-reach-high-then-begin-at-the-lowest-level-st-augustine-18-july-2019 27 oct 2019.jpg

“The three most important virtues are:
humility,
humility
and humility.”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Doctor of the Churchthe-three-most-important-virtues-st-bernard-20-aug-2018-and-2019 and 27 oct 2019.jpg

“For it is well known, that,
on the spiritual road, not to go on,
overcoming self,
is to go backwards
and not to increase our gain,
is to lose.”

St John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Doctor of the Churchon-the-spiritual-road-not-to-go-on-overcoming-self-st-john-of-the-cross-23-july-2019-27 oct 2019.jpg

“We are ever but beginning,
the most perfect Christian,
is to himself but a beginner,
a penitent prodigal
who has squandered God’s gifts
and comes to Him,
to be tried over again,
not as a son
but as a hired servant.”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)we-are-ever-but-beginning-bl-john-henry-newman-16-aug-2019 and 27 oct 2019.jpg

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Sunday Reflection – 27 October – Mary Receives Him

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Sunday Reflection – 27 October – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 18:9–14

Mary Receives Him

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

I see thee after the Ascension.
This is a time of bereavement but still of consolation.
It was still a twilight time but not a time of grief.
The Lord was absent but He was not on earth, He was not in suffering.
Death had no power over Him.
And He came to her, day-by-day in the Blessed Sacrifice.
I see the Blessed Mary at Mass and Saint John celebrating.
She is waiting for the moment of her Son’s Presence – now she converses with Him in the Sacred rite and what shall I say now? She receives Him, to whom once she gave birth …..
O Holy Mother, stand by me now at mass time, when Christ comes to me, as thou did minister to thy infant Lord – as thou did hang upon His words when He grew up, as thou was found under His Cross.
Stand by me, Holy Mother, that I may gain somewhat of thy purity, thy innocence, thy faith and He may be the one object of my love and my adoration, as He was of thine.    Amen

and he came to her day by day int he blessed sacrament - st john henry newman 27 oct 2019

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 October – ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

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One Minute Reflection – 27 October – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 18:9–14

‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ … Luke 18:13

REFLECTION – “The Gospel of the two men praying in the temple, the Pharisee and the tax collector, reveals to what kind of prayer penetrates to God.
We notice a difference even in their respective postures.   The one stands “with unbowed head” as if the temple belongs to him, while the other “keeps his distance,” as if he has crossed the threshold of a house in which he really does not belong.
The first one prays “to himself,” really, not even praying to God but reviewing for himself the list of his virtues assuming that, when God Himself notices them, He will respect them and marvel at them.   Moreover, this man catalogues his virtues as a means of setting himself off from “other men,” none of whom have attained his level of perfection. He is travelling the road of “self-discovery,” which is precisely the path of “loss of God.” The other man can only discover sin in himself, can only find himself devoid of God, which, as he pleads, “be merciful to me,” turns into an empty place for God to occupy.  No-one, whose ultimate goal is his own perfection, will ever find God.
Anyone who has the humility to permit God’s perfection to take effect in his emptiness – not by being passive but by working with the talent He gives him – will be considered a “justified” person in the sight of God.” … Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988)luke 18 13 be merciful to me a sinner pharisee and tax collector - the first one prays to himself hans urs von blathasar 27 oct 2019 

PRAYER – Lord God, deepen our faith, strengthen our hope, enkindle our love and so that we may obtain what You promise, make us love what You command.   Mary, holy Mother, teach us complete humility and trust, help us to be a total fiat as you are.   We make our prayer, through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen.blessed virgin mother mary pray for us - 27 oct 2019.jpg

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 27 October – Adoro te Devote, latens Deitas!

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Our Morning Offering – 27 October – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Adoro te Devote, latens Deitas!
I Devoutly Adore You, hidden Deity
By St John Paul II (1920-2005)

We adore You, O wonderful Sacrament
of the presence of the One
who loved His own “to the end.”
We thank You, O Lord,
who edifies,
gathers together
and gives life to the Church.
O divine Eucharist, flame of Christ’s love
that burns on the altar of the world,
make the Church, comforted by You,
evermore caring, in wiping away,
the tears of the suffering
and in sustaining the efforts
of all who yearn for justice and peace.
And you, Mary, “Eucharistic” Woman
who offered your virginal womb
for the incarnation of the Word of God,
help us to live the Eucharistic Mystery
in the spirit of the “Magnificat.”
May our lives be a never-ending praise
of the Almighty who concealed Himself
beneath the humility of the Eucharistic signs.

Adoro te devote, latens Deitas. ..
Adoro te… adiuva me!

I Devoutly Adore You, hidden Deity
I Adore You, help me!adoro te devote latens deitas st john paul 27 oct 2019.jpg

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 27 October – Blessed Bartholomew of Vicenza OP (c 1200–1271)

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Saint of the Day – 27 October – Blessed Bartholomew OP (c 1200–1271) Bishop, Confessor, Dominican Friar, renowned Preacher, Defender of the Faith, Writer, Theologian, diplomatic peacemaker – also known as Bartholomew of Braganza – born in c 1200 in Vicenza, Italy and died there in 1271.bl bartholomew of vicenza

Bartholomew was born in the city of Vicenza to the noble family of di Braganca.   He studied at Padua, receiving there the habit of the recently founded Order from the hands of St Dominic himself, at about the age of twenty.   Immediately after his ordination, he was sent to Lombardy to preach against the heretics who were leading others away from the true faith.   As a young priest he founded a military order whose purpose was to keep civil peace in towns throughout Italy.

He was so effective in this, that the Holy Father, Pope Gregory IX called him to Rome and appointed him Master of the Sacred Palace (the Papal Theologian), which is an office traditionally held by Dominicans.   Because of the differing needs of the Church, the following Pope, Innocent IV, appointed him to become a bishop on the Island of Cyprus. For most men, such an appointment is an honour and a tribute to their holiness and their demonstrated leadership skills.   But for Bartholomew, it was a form of exile that had been urged by an antipapal group that was only too happy to see him leave for Cyprus.Blessed-Bath-e1424638919213-400x406

Already having become a friend of St Louis the King of France, Bl Bartholomew renewed this friendship as St Louis went through Cyprus on his way to Egypt during the Seventh Crusade (1248).   In 1254, he was sent as legate to the courts of England and France and as Henry III of England was, at that time, in his realm in the Aquitaine, Bartholomew travelled there towards the close of that year, then accompanied the English king and queen to Paris.   He was, on this occasion, presented by the King of France with a relic of the true Cross and a thorn from Jesus’ Crown of Thorns, worn at His Crucifixion.   These he afterwards placed in the beautiful Dominican Church built by him at Vicenza which is known as the Church of the Crown.

Two years later, in order to ensure the presence of so distinguished a prelate at his own court, Pope Alexander IV made him Bishop of Vicenza, his native city.   During his tenure of that see, Bartholomew was subject to the hostility of the local ruler Ezzelino III, a Ghibelline who was noted for the brutality of his rule and who was a strong opponent of Papal power.   But in Vicenza, he not only continued to preach the truths of the faith and free the local Church from the errors of the Manicheans but he also established such a sense of peace that the people asked him to become their temporal ruler as well.   He rightfully declined but this shows the great virtue that he not only had but also, that he instilled in his people.bl bartholomew

He was venerated by the people and, according to the Bollandists, has always been honoured with the title of “Blessed”.   In recognition of this, he was formally Beatified in 1793.   He wrote commentaries on Scripture, was the reputed author of a commentary on the “Hierarchy” of St Dionysius the Areopagite, of two volumes of sermons and some smaller works.

O God, who made Blessed Bartholomew, Your Confessor and Bishop, wonderful in leading the enemies of the faith from the darkness of error to the light of truth and in bringing back multitudes to peace and concord, grant, through his intercession, that Your peace, which passes all understanding, may keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns with You forever and ever.img-Blessed-Bartholomew-of-Vicenza

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, SAINT of the DAY

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C +2019 & Memorials of the Saints – 27 October

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Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C +2019

St Abban of Magh-Armuidhe
St Abraham the Poor
Bl Bartholomew OP (c 1200–1271)

St Capitolina
St Colman of Senboth-Fola
St Colman of Templeshambo
St Desiderius of Auxerre
St Elesbaan of Ethiopia
St Emilina of Boulancourt
St Erotheides
St Florentius of Trois-Châteaux
St Frumentius (Died c 383) Apostle to Ethiopia
St Frumentius’ Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/27/saint-of-the-day-27-october-st-frumentius-died-c-383-apostle-to-ethiopia/
St Gaudiosus of Naples
Bl Goswin of Clairvaux
St Namatius of Clermont
St Odrian of Waterford
Bl Salvador Mollar Ventura
St Thraseas of Eumenia
St Uni

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DEVOTIO, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MINI SERIES, SPEAKING of ....., The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The FIVE FIRST Saturdays, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Thought for the Day – 26 October – Speaking of:   Saturday Devotions in Honour of Our Lady – Part Three

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 26 October – Saturday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Marian Saturdays

Speaking of:   Saturday Devotions in Honour of Our Lady

Part Three

By Sr M Jean Frisk SSM

The Sorrowful Heart of Mary Saturdays

and the Five First Saturdayssaturday devotions in honour of our lady part three the sorrowful heart and the five first saturdays 26 oct 2019.jpg

In the message of Fatima, especially in the apparitions of 13 June and 13 July 1917, Mary drew attention to the custom of devoting Saturdays to her and praying the Rosary in reparation.   Lucia, the eldest of the three children heard the following on 13 June:

“My child, behold my heart surrounded with thorns which ungrateful men place therein at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude.   You, at least, try to console me and tell them that I promise to help, at the hour of death, with the graces needed for salvation, whoever, on the First Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess and receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary with the intention of making reparation to me.”

On 13 July, the children were again admonished to say the rosary.   At this time, the Blessed Mother asked for the Consecration of the world to her Immaculate Heart and for communion of reparation on the first Saturday of each month.   These messages were accompanied by an appeal and a promise – an appeal for prayer and reparation by the people for their transgressions against the divine law; a promise of peace and love in this life and eternal happiness in the next on the twofold condition of prayer and amendment.

In 1925, Lucia vouched for this message, saying that Mary would assist us at the hour of death if the first Saturdays of five consecutive months were sanctified with Confession, Holy Communion, praying the Rosary and meditation.

This practice refreshed the custom known as the Rosary Saturdays, popular since the seventeenth century and continued to the present at places of pilgrimage.   Both Pope Pius IX and Pope Leo XIII fostered this custom.   St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort also fostered the Rosary in connection with his missions, which often encompassed Saturdays.

To be continued/…

Find Part One and Two by searching:
Saturday devotions

Mary, Faithful Mother, Pray for Us,

Now and at the Hour of our Death, amen!faithful mother pray for us now and at the hour of our death amen 26 oct 2019 no 2

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYER WARRIORS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on the FAMILY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE, To JESUS through MARY

Quote of the Day – 26 October – A Saint’s Prayer Corner – St John Henry Newman

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 26 October – Saturday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Marian Saturdays

As we draw to the end of the Month of the Holy Rosary, let us listen to our newest Saint on the Rosary.and the special virtue of the rosary lies - st john henry newman 26 october 2019.jpg

A Saint’s Prayer Corner

“Now the great power of the Rosary lies in this, that it makes the Creed into a prayer – of course, the Creed is, in some sense, a prayer and a great act of homage to God but the Rosary gives us, the great truths of His life and death, to meditate upon and brings them nearer to our hearts.

And so we contemplate all the great mysteries of His life and His birth in the manger and so too the mysteries of His suffering and His glorified life.   But even Christians, with all their knowledge of God, have usually more awe than love of Him and the special virtue of the Rosary lies in the special way in which it looks at these mysteries, for with all our thoughts of Him are mingled thoughts of His Mother and in the relations between Mother and Son, we have set before us the Holy Family, the home in which God lived.

Now the family is, even humanly considered, a sacred thing, how much more the family bound together by supernatural ties and, above all, that in which God dwelt with His Blessed Mother.”

Below is part of Newman’s cell in the Birmingham Oratory.   One sees clearly the Rosary beads hanging on the wall, in a prayer corner with devotional images and items.

May he pray for us!st john henry's rosary and prayer corner - office deovotional images.JPG

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 October – The fruitless tree

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One Minute Reflection – 26 October – Saturday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel:  Luke 13:1-9 and the Memorial of Blessed Bonaventura of Potenza OFM Conv (1651-1711)

And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none. Cut it down, why should it use up the ground?’…Luke 13:7

REFLECTION – “The Lord also has something very fitting to say about a fruitless tree, “Look, it is now three years that I have been coming to it.   Finding no fruit on it, I will cut it down, to stop it blocking up my field.”   The gardener intercedes.   This tree is the human race.   The Lord visited this tree in the time of the patriarchs, as if for the first year.   He visited it in the time of the law and the prophets, as if for the second year.   Here we are now, with the gospel the third year has dawned.   Now it is as though it should have been cut down but the Merciful One intercedes with the Merciful One.   He wanted to show how merciful He was and so He stood up to Himself with a plea for mercy.   “Let us leave it,” he says, “this year too.   Let us dig a ditch around it.”   Manure is a sign of humility. “Let us apply a load of manure, perhaps it may bear fruit.”   Since it does bear fruit in one part and in another part does not bear fruit, its Lord will come and divide it.   What does that mean, “divide it”?   There are good people and bad people now in one company, as though constituting one body.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor (Sermon 254)luke-13-7-and-he-said-to-the-vinedresser-ST AUGUASTINE - 26 OCT 2019 THE LORD ALSO .jpg

PRAYER – Come to help us in our weakness, God of mercy, forgive the sins of Your people and as nothing we can do is worthy in Your sight, save us through the intercession of the Mother of our Lord, Jesus Christ.   May the prayers of all your saints and we entreat Your servant, Blessed Bonaventura of Potenza to add his prayers on our behalf.   We make our prayer through Jesus with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.bl bonaventura of potenza pray for us 26 oct 2019

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, Hail MARY!, HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 26 October – Ave Maria, Amen

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Our Morning Offering – 26 October – Saturday of the Twenty-ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and a Marian Saturday

Ave Maria, Amen
Traditional Catholic Hymn/Poem
Unknown Author

A song ascends from vale to heights,
from town to town a hundred times,
Ave Maria, Amen.

In every place the earth around,
at every bells resound,
Ave Maria, Amen.

All creatures, be they low or high,
send joyous songs up to the sky,
Ave Maria, Amen.

Stars near each other in their rays
and greet each other on their ways,
Ave Maria, Amen.

The angels at the throne of God
with harps and flutes the Highest land,
Ave Maria, Amen.

And all the blest in paradise
to joyous, happy praise give rise,
Ave Maria, Amen.

Thus praises sound through space and time
in everlasting, glorious rhyme,
Ave Maria, Amenave maria amen - trad catholic hymn poem - 26 oct 2019.jpg

Posted in franciscan OFM, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 26 October – Blessed Bonaventura of Potenza OFM Conv (1651-1711)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 26 October – Blessed Bonaventura of Potenza OFM Conv (1651-1711) Priest and Religious of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, Miracle-worker, blessed with the gift of prophecy – born on 4 January 1651 of Potenza, Naples, Italy as born Carlo Antonio Gerardo Lavanga and died on 26 October 1711 in Ravello, Italy of gangrene while singing a psalm during a religious ecstasy.BL BONAVENTURE OF POTENZA

Bonaventura was born of poor but virtuous parents in Potenza in the kingdom of Naples. A pious priest gave the boy instructions in Latin.   At the age of 15, Bonaventura received the Franciscan habit among the Conventuals.   After his profession, he resumed his studies with great ardour but his zeal for perfection was less ardent.

His superiors sent him to Amalfi, where he lived eight years under the guidance of an eminent director of sauls.   This spiritual director trained his pupil above all in humility, self-abnegation and obedience and Bonaventura achieved a high degree of perfection in these virtues.

One day Bonaventure told his master that the key to the sacristy was lost.   “Well,” said his master with a smile, “then you will have to look for it in the well, get a rod and fish it out.”   Promptly Bonaventura went to the well and with rod and line fished for the key.   It was not long before he actually drew it out.   God rewarded him in a miraculous manner for his blind obedience.Blessed-Bonaventure-of-Potenza-Conventual-Franciscan

As a priest he laboured with remarkable success.   His words, conduct, prayer and mortification combined to produce blessed results.   His simple sermons made a deep impression on all hearts.   At times, a single word of hi,s was enough to move the most hardened sinner to contrition.

At various times he was appointed guardian of a convent but his humble pleas were always successful in changing the mind of his superiors.   Obedience at length compelled him to accept the position of novice master.   In this office he sought to inculcate in his pupils, above all, the practice of humility and obedience.

When an epidemic broke out among the townsfolk, Bonaventura at once sacrificed himself.   Fearless of contracting the disease, he hastened from end-to-end of the town, rendering every possible service to the stricken, even the lowliest and administering the sacraments to them.   He cured many miraculously, he multiplied their insufficient provisions by his blessing and he foretold future events.bonaventura-de-potenza-45-01.2.jpg

After Bonaventura had been a shining model of virtue among his brethren for 45 years, he felt that his last hour was at hand.   While the community gathered about his bed during the administration of the last sacraments, the dying man in touching words begged pardon of his superior and the community for his many faults and infractions of the rule, as he called them.

Deeply moved, the superior handed him the crucifix and amid abundant tears, the servant of God kissed the feet of the Saviour and then died peacefully on 26 October 1711.   Pope Pius VI Beatified him in 1775.

Bishop Orazio Soricelli, Archbishop of Amalfi-Cava de ‘Tirreni , called a special jubilee year dedicated to the Blessed Bonaventura da Potenza in his archdiocese.   The jubilee year opened on 26 October 2011, the third centenary of the death of the Blessed.Bonaventura_da_Potenza