Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEDIOCRITY, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 7 April – The Passion of Our Lord

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Thought for the Day – 7 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Passion of Our Lord

“Meditation on the Passion of Jesus” writes St Albert the Great, “is more profitable than fasting on bread and water or than scourging ourselves.”

This is because, when we meditate with love and gratitude on the Passion of our Redeemer, we have the experience of being transformed and set aglow with charity.
We realise the truth of St Paul’s words, “The sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that will be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18)).

Let us cast ourselves, therefore, into the merciful arms of God and be prepared to suffer everything, even death, for the love of Jesus.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/01/thought-for-the-day-1-april-the-passion-of-our-lord/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/27/thought-for-the-day-27-march-the-passion-of-our-lord/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, OUR Cross, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, STATIONS of the CROSS, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HOLY CROSS, The SIGN of the CROSS, The STATIONS of the CROSS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 April – ‘ … By the Cross, we put on Christ …;

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 April – Monday in Passion Week

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

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

“He who findeth his life, shall lose it
and he, who shall lose his life for Me,
shall find it. ”
Matthew 10:39

“My dear child, accept this cross from God and bear it –
it will turn into a truly lovable cross,
if you would hand these trials over to God,
accept them from Him with true abandonment
and thank God for them:
“My soul magnifies the Lord”
in everything (cf Lk 1:46).
Whether God takes or gives, the Son of Man
must be raised up on the Cross …
Dear child, leave all that behind;
rather, give your attention to true abandonment …
and think about accepting to bear
the cross of temptation, rather than going
in search of spiritual sweetness …
Our Lord has said: “If anyone wishes to come after Me,
let him take up his cross and follow Me” (Lk 9:23).”

Fr JohannesTauler OP (c1300-1361)
Dominican Priest and Friar,
renowned Preacher and Theologian

Posted in LENT- 2025, STATIONS of the CROSS, The PASSION, The SACRED PASSION - Meditations for LENT

Lenten Meditations – 7 April – Via Dolorosa

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Lenten Meditations – 7 April – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ”
“Short Meditations for Lent”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Monday after the Fifth Sunday in Lent
Via Dolorosa

Read St Luke xxiii:27-31

[27] And there followed Him, a great multitude of people and of women, who bewailed and lamented for Him. [28] But Jesus, turning to them, said: Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over me but weep for yourselves,and for your children. [29] For behold, the days shall come, wherein they will say: Blessed are the barren and the wombs which have not borne and the breats which have not given suck. [30] Then shall they begin to say to the mountains: Fall upon us and to the hills: Cover us.
[31] For if, in the green wood, they do these things, what shall be done in the dry? [Luke 23:27-31]

+I. Torn and bleeding, scarcely able to sustain the heavy burden of the Cross, with His long garment entangling His feet, dragged on by the brutal soldiers, Jesus treads the Sacred Way of the Cross.
After going a few steps, He stumbles and falls; rising with difficulty, He staggers on a short distance farther and falls again.
O my Lord and my God, I beseech Thee by these Thy most painful falls, grant that I may never again fall into deliberate sin.

+2. On the way, some women express their grief and compassion for Jesus.
His appearance is so pitiable, they cannot restrain their tears. Jesus turns to them, tells them to weep, not for Him but for themselves and for their children.
If sin has wrought such a work of destruction in the Son of God, in Whom evil had nothing to lay hold of, in Whom the green wood could be blackened externally but_not consumed by the flame, what would be its effects on sinners, in whom the fire of sin rages, as in the dry tinder. How ought I to fear the least spark of sin which may kindle the fire of passion in me and destroy me utterly!

+3. One of those holy women, named Veronica, wipes from His face the Blood and sweat, with a handkerchief. On looking at the cloth she sees the impression of His Sacred Ccountenance stamped upon it.
So upon the hearts of all,who do acts of kindness for Christ’s Sake, there is imprinted His Likeness.
Each ,deed of charity tends to produce in our soul, that
Likeness to Him in Whom all holiness consists.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, Quotes on SALVATION, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

One Minute Reflection – 7 April – ‘ … It is yours if you want it, if your choice is set upon God. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 7 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Monday in Passion Week – Ferial Day – Jonas 3:1-10 – John 7:32-39 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And God saw, by their actions, how they turned from their evil ways and the Lord, our God, had mercy upon His people.” – Jonas 3:10

REFLECTION – “Let us therefore repent, and pass from ignorance to true knowledge, from foolishness to wisdom, from unrighteousness to righteousness, from godlessness to God. The enjoyment of many other good things comes from this, to which God Himself alludes, speaking by Isaiah: “There is an inheritance for those who serve the Lord” (54:17). Not gold and silver, nor that which moth destroys and thieves steal (Mt 6:19) but the inestimable treasure of salvation … This is the inheritance with which God’s eternal covenant invests us, assuring us of His gifts and thus, our tenderly loving Father ceases not to exhort, to train, to love and to save us. “Become righteous” says the Lord. “All you who are thirsty, come to the water and you who have no money, come buy without money and drink” (Is 55:1). He invites us to the purifying bath, to salvation, to illumination … The Saints of the Lord shall inherit the glory of God and His power, a glory which “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, and which has not entered the human heart” (1Cor 2,9)…

You have this Divine Promise of grace; you have heard, on the other hand, of the threats of punishment – by these two ways the Lord saves … Why do we delay? Why do we not receive the free gift? Why do we not choose the better part? … “Behold,” He says, “I have set before you death and life” (Dt 30:15). The Lord tries to make you choose life. He counsels you like a father …

To whom shall the Lord say, “Yours is the Kingdom of Heaven”? (Mt 5:3) It is yours if you want it, if your choice is set upon God. It is yours, if you will only believe and follow the essence of the message, just as the Ninevites obeyed the message of the Prophet and obtained a gracious salvation thanks to their sincere repentance, instead of the destruction which threatened them!” – St Clement of Alexandria (c150-c215) Father, Theologian and Philosopher, Professor who taught at the Catechetical School of Alexandria. Among his pupils were Origen and Alexander of Jerusalem. (Against the Heathen Ch 10 ).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who have celebrated the Paschal Feast, may, by Thy bounty, retain its fruits in our daily habits and behaviour. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, OUR Cross, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRAYERS on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 7 April – A Prayer to Seek the Consolation of the Cross

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Our Morning Offering – 7 April – Monday in Passion Week

This is My Joy, To Follow My Saviour
A Prayer to Seek the Consolation of the Cross
By St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

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

Posted in DYING / LAST WORDS, JESUIT SJ, QUOTES on DEATH, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 7 April – Blessed Ralph Ashley (Died 1607) SJ Lay Brother, Martyr.

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Saint of the Day – 7 April – Blessed Ralph Ashley (Died 1607) SJ Lay Brother, Martyr. Unknown birth date or place but in England and died on 7 April 1607 by being hung, drawn and quartered in Worcester, Worcestershire, England. He was Beatified on 15 December 1929by Pope Pius XI. Also known as – Ralph Sherington, George Chambers.

Ralph Ashley is first recorded working as a cook at the College in Douai in France. On 28 April 1590, he left for the English College, Valladolid, in Spain and became a Jesuit Lay-brother.

In 1598, Ralph returned to England to serve Blessed Father Edward Oldcorne SJ. Eight years later in the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot, he and Fr Oldcorne were arrested at Hindlip Hall near Worcester and committed to the Tower of London.

Ralph patiently and constantly endured all the tortures inflicted on him without revealing any person or place of his master’s acquaintances. They were both remanded and tried for treasonin Worcester, condemned and executed on 7 April 1606 at Red Hill, Worcester.

When Ashley came to die he prayed and asked for forgiveness and noted that like Oldcorne, he was dying for his religion and not for being a traitor.

Prior to his execution, his last words were:
“What a happy man am I, to follow the steps of my Father unto death.”
Ralph Ashley was Beatified in 1929 with Fr Oldcorne..

Posted in franciscan OFM, INCORRUPTIBLES, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Monday in Passion Week – FAST; Santa Maria El Puig / Our Lady of Puig, Spain and the Saints for 7 April

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Monday in Passion Week – Ferial Day FAST

Santa Maria El Puig / Our Lady of Puig, Valencia, Spain, Patron of Valencia and the Spanish Army – 7 April:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/07/easter-wednesday-our-lady-of-puig-valencia-spain-and-memorials-of-the-saints-7-april/

St Albert of Tournai
Bl Alexander Rawlins
St Brenach of Carn-Engyle
St Calliopus of Pompeiopolis
Bl Cristoforo Amerio
St Cyriaca of Nicomedia
St Donatus of North Africa

Blessed Edward Oldcorne SJ (1561-1607) Priest Martyr. Edward Oldcorne was Beatified on 15 December 1929 by Pope Pius XI.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/07/saint-of-the-day-7-april-blessed-edward-oldcorne-sj-1561-1607-priest-martyr/

St Epiphanius the Martyr
St Finian of Kinnitty
St George the Younger
St Gibardus of Luxeuil
St Goran
St Guainerth

St Hegesippus (c110-c180) Ancient Christian Writer. The Roman Martyrology reads: “St Hegesippus, who lived near the time of the Apostles, He came to Rome whilst Anicetus was the Sovereign Pontiff and remained until the accession of Eleutherius. He wrote the history of the Church in a simple style, from the Passion of our Lord, to his own time and, delineated, in his narrative, the character of those whose lives he imitated.”
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/07/saint-of-the-day-7-april-saint-hegesippus-c110-c180-lay-ancient-christian-writer/

St Henry Walpole SJ (1558–1595) Martyr, Priest of the Society of Jesus, Confessor, Poet, Lawyer.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/04/07/saint-of-the-day-7-april-saint-henry-walpole-sj-1558-1595-martyr/

Saint Hermann Joseph O.Praem (c1150-1241) Priest, Friar of the Order of of Canons Regular of Prémontré (the Norbertines or White Canons), Mystic, a prolific writer on spiritual subjects and the Sacred Scriptures, known as “The Boy who Played with Angels.”
Patronages – watch and clockmakers, children and young students, Altar boys, Acolytes, Sextons and Sacristans, expectant mothers and safe childbirth.
This beautiful painting below by Sir Antony van Dyck, shows Mother Mary receiving an apple from Hermann, to give to Baby Jesus.
His Holy Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/07/saint-of-the-day-7-april-saint-hermann-joseph-o-praem-c1150-1241-priest/

Sir Antony van Dyck – The Vision of St Hermann Joseph

Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta (1878-1905) Virgin, Italian professed Religious who served as a member of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, Missionary to China. Patronages – Missionaries, against typhus. Blessed Maria Assunta was Beatified on 7 November 1954 by Pope Pius XII.
Her body is incorrupt.
About Bl Maria Assunta:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/04/07/saint-of-the-day-7-april-blessed-maria-assunta-pallotta-1878-1905/

St Peleusius of Alexandria
Blessed Ralph Ashley (Died 1607) SJ Lay Brother, Martyr
St Rufinus the Martyr
St Saturninus of Verona Bishop and Confessor
Bl Ursuline of Parma

Martyrs of Pentapolis – 4 Saints: A Bishop, Deacon and two Lectors at Pentapolis, Lydia who for their faith were tortured, had their tongues cut out, and were left for dead. They survived and each died years later of natural causes; however, because they were willing to die and because there were attempts to kill them, they are considered martyrs. We know little else except their names – Ammonius, Irenaeus, Serapion and Theodore c 310 at Pentapolis, Lybia.

Martyrs of Sinope – 200 Saints: 200 Christian soldiers Martyred together for their faith. We don’t even have their names. They were martyred in Sinope, Pontus, Asia Minor (in modern Turkey).

Posted in LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OUR Cross, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 6 April – THE CRUCIFIX

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Thought for the Day – 6 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

THE CRUCIFIX

“Let us weep for our sins and increase in love for our Divine Redeemer.
When we are oppressed by the weight of our own cross, we shall look at the Crucifix and find comfort.
When we are tempted, we shall grasp the Crucifix and turn away with horror from thoughts of sin and ingratitude.

The Crucifix will teach us, as it taught the Saints, the lesson of charity towards God and towards our neighbour.
It will teach us to hate sin and to love virtue.
If we cherish it during life, it will be our consolation to kiss the Crucifix at the moment of death.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/04/thought-for-the-day-4-august-the-crucifix/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/09/25/thought-for-the-day-25-september-the-crucifix/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TIME, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, St Francis de Sales

Quote/s of the Day – 6 April – How to escape death …

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 April – Passion Sunday – Hebrews 9:11-15, John 8:46-59 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Amen, amen, I say to you,
if anyone keep My word,
he will never see death.”

John 8:51

“Your purity of life, your devotion,
deserve and call for a reward
because you are acceptable
and pleasing to God.
Your purity of life must be made purer still,
by frequent buffetings,
until you attain perfect sincerity of heart.
If, from time to time, you feel the sword
falling upon you with double or treble force,
this also should be seen as sheer joy
and the mark of love!”

St Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275)

“We must live a dying life
and we must die a living death
in the life of our Lord.”
(The Spirit of St. François de Sales, XV, 6 )

“Unhappy is death,
without the love of Christ;
unhappy is love,
without the Death of Christ!”

(Treatise on the Love of God,
Book 12, Chapter 13)

“We are dying,
little by little;
so, we are to make
our imperfections die
with us, day by day. ”

(Letters to Persons in the World I:5)

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“Consider the shortness of time,
the length of eternity
and reflect, how everything here below
comes to an end and passes by.
Of what use is it then, to lean upon that
which cannot give support?”

St Gerard Majella (1726-1755)

Posted in OUR Cross, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The SACRED PASSION - Meditations for LENT

Lenten Meditations – 6 April – Jesus on the Way to Calvary

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Lenten Meditations – 6 April – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ”
“Short Meditations for Lent”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Passion Sunday – The Fifth Sunday in Lent
Jesus on the Way to Calvary

Read St Matthew xxvii:31

[31] And after they had mocked Him, they took the cloak off Him and gave His own garments and led Him away to crucify Him. [Matthew 27:31]

+1. It was not really Pilate who condemned Jesus to death, says St Bernard, it was His love for us.
He had been longing all His life through for that moment when He was to carry out His Father’s Will and redeem the world by dying for us.
He knew that the divine mandate meant that without the shedding of blood, there would be no remission of sin. Pilate’s voice, sentencing Him to death, was but the expression of His own love for sinners and of His joyful acceptance of the Cross for their sake.
O Jesus, may I love Thee in return, for such love for me!

+2. The Cross has been prepared beforehand and, as soon as the sentence has been passed, they bring it forward to be laid upon the shoulders of their Victim. Jesus takes the Cross and kisses the instrument of His Agony, as a welcome friend.
He did this, not merely because He loved us and, therefore, loved the Cross but, to teach us to love our crosses, to accept them as gifts from God to be welcomed, not to be feared and rejected, or regarded with aversior and dislike.
How can we dislike them when they make us like unto Jesus and must be borne after Him, if we are ever to share His joy in Heaven?

+3. On Jesus’ Shoulder, there was already, a large, open wound, scarcely covered by the garments thrown upon Him. The weight of the Cross rested on this wound, causing Him the most excruciating agony. It was by this agony, He was earning patience for us, under our bodily sufferings. However severe, they are nothing compared, to that which, the Son of God endured on His Road to Calvary.
Jesus, I implore, grant me patience in my sufferings!

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on WATCHING, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 April – Abraham rejoiced to see My day

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One Minute Reflection – 6 April – Passion Sunday – Hebrews 9:11-15 – John 8:46-59 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, he saw it and was glad.” – John 8:56

REFLECTION – “Since Abraham was a Prophet he saw the day of the Lord’s coming in the Spirit, as also the designs of His Passion, through which, both he and all those like him, who believed in God, would be saved. And he was seized with great joy. Thus, the Lord was not unknown to Abraham, since he longed to see His day… He longed to see His day, so that he, too, might clasp Christ to himself and having seen Him, prophetically in the Spirit, he rejoiced.

That is why Simeon, who was of his descendants, fulfilled the Patriarch’s joy and said: “Now, Master, Thou may let Thy servant go in peace, according to Thy Word, for my eyes have seen Thy salvation which Thou prepared in sight of all peoples”… And Elizabeth said : “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”  Abraham’s rejoicing descended, as it were, on those who were watching and who saw Christ and believed in Him. And this rejoicing returned to Abraham through his children.

So it was altogether fitting that our Lord bore witness to him when He said: “Your father, Abraham rejoiced to see My day,. he saw it and was glad.” Nor was it only with regard to Abraham that He said this but of all those who, from the beginning, had come to know God and prophesied of Christ’s coming. For they had received this revelation from the Son Himself that Son, Who, in these, the last days, became visible and palpable and talked with men, so that He might raise up sons from Abraham out of stones and make his posterity to be like the stars of the heaven.” – St Irenaeus (c130-c202) Martyr, Father of the Church, Bishop of Lyons, Theologian (Against the heresies IV, 5-7).

PRAYER – Look graciously upon Thy household, Almighty God, we beseech Thee that by Thy grace, we may be governed in body and by Thy protection, safeguarded in mind. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.Amen (Collect).

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, St Francis de Sales, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 6 April – Hail, Sweet Jesus!

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Our Morning Offering – 6 April – Passion Sunday

Hail, Sweet Jesus!
Prayer to Christ
in His Passion and Death
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

Hail, sweet Jesus!
Praise, honour and glory be to Thee, O Christ,
Who, of Thou own accord, embraced death,
and recommending Thyself to Thy heavenly Father,
bowing down Thy venerable Head,
did yield up Thy Spirit.
Truly thus giving up Thy life for Thy sheep,
Thou hast shown Thyself, to be the Good Shepherd.
Thou died, O Only-begotten Son of God.
Thou died, O my beloved Saviour,
that I might live forever.
O how great hope,
how great confidence have
I reposed in Thy Death and Thy Blood!
I glorify and praise Thy Holy Name,
acknowledging my infinite obligations to Thee.
O good Jesus,
by Thy bitter Death and Passion,
give me grace and pardon.
Give unto the faithful departed,
rest and life everlasting.
Amen.

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 6 April – Saint Vinebaud (Died c623) Priest, Abbot, Confessor

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Saint of the Day – 6 April – Saint Vinebaud (Died c623) Priest, Abbot, Confessor, Hermit, Miracle-worker. Born in Nogent-sur-Seine, towards the middle of the 6th Century and died in c623 at his Monastery of Saint-Loup in Troyes. Also known as Vinebaudo, Winebaud.

Unknown Abbot

Born into a noble family, after his studies, Vinebaud decided to become a Priest to Consecrate himself to the Lord.

Having become a Hermit, very austere with himself, he spent the night in prayer as the reliable life that has come down to us states: “in prayer and fasting and singing of psalms and watchings.” It is thought that the place of his hermitage was near the oratory of Saint-Pierre de Bossenay, near Nogent-sur-Seine.

Gifted with the ability to perform miracles, his fame reached the Bishop of Troyes, who asked him to cure one of his Lectors. Once the miracle was performed, the miracle recipient remained with Saint Vinebald and together, they entered the Monastery of Saint-Loup in Troyes.

Upon the death of Abbot Auderic, Vinebaud was elected to succeed him. Even in the position of Abbot, he continued his austere and ascetic life.

Vinebald went to the Court of Kind Clotaire II to plead the cause of St Lupus, the Bishop of Sens, who had been exiled because of some slanders. Vinebaud pleaded that he might be returned to his Diocese. The King granted his plea, allowing St Lupus, the Bishop return to his post. All the prisoners were also released, and Vinebaud, himself took care of them.

It is said that he died on 6 April which occurred in the years 620-623. He was buried in the Abbey of Saint Lupus. In 891, for fear of the Normans, his body and that of Saint Lupus were hidden and transported to a safe place.

In the mid-13th Century, those Relics were able to return to their original location in Saint Lupus.
Subsequently, in 1443, in 1609 and in 1718, several translations of his Relics were made.

Saint Vinebaud is the Patron Saint of the parishes of Bernon, Magnicourt and Maison-les-Soulaines in the Diocese of Troyes and of many Churches in the Diocese of Langres. In the Saint-Vinebaud Church in Avrecourt (Val-de-Meuse) there are murals depicting the life of Saint-Vinebaud, presented as the illuminations of a manuscript.

The Church of St-Loup
Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

PASSION SUNDAY, Notre-Dame de la Conception / Our Lady of the Conception, Flanders (1553), Saint Juliana of Cornillon (c1192-1258) Virgin and the Saints for 6 April

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PASSION SUNDAY

Notre-Dame de la Conception / Our Lady of the Conception, Flanders (1553) – 6 April:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/06/easter-tuesday-our-lady-of-the-conception-flanders-1553-and-memorials-of-the-saints-6-april/

Saint Juliana of Cornillon (c1192-1258) Virgin, Nun, Mystic “Apostle of the Blessed Sacrament,” she contributed to the institution of one of the most important solemn Liturgies of the year, namely the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.
Lovely St Juliana Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/06/saint-of-the-day-6-april-saint-juliana-of-cornillon-c-1192-1258-apostle-of-the-blessed-sacrament/

St Agrarius the Martyr
St Amand of Grisalba
St Berthanc of Kirkwall
St Brychan of Brycheiniog

Blessed Catharine of Pallanza (c1437-1478) Virgin, Hermit, Ascetic, Mystic, Prioress, Spiritual Advisor graced with the charism of prophecy. Born in c1437 in Pallanza, Italy as Catarina Morigi and died on 6 April 1478 at Sacra Monte sopra Varese Monastery, Varese, Italy of natural causes aged 51 years.
Her Holy Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/06/saint-of-the-day-6-april-blessed-catherine-of-pallanza-c1437-1478-virgin/

St Celsus (1080-1129) Bisho, Reformer. He was responsible for the change from lay control of the Church in Ireland, to a Clerical-Episcopal model. Himself a hereditary lay administrator, he decided to seek Priestly Ordination and be embraced celibacy in order that the reform introduced by Pope St Gregory VIII on the Continent, could take effect also in Ireland. The Roman Martyrology reads today: “In Irelandy, the holy Bishop, Celsus, who preceded blessed Malachy in the Episcopate.”
His Feastday is 6 April but it was moved in 1969 to 1 April:
Holy St Celsus:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/01/saint-of-the-day-1-april-saint-celsus-of-armagh-c1080-1129-archbishop/


St Diogenes of Philippi
St Elstan of Abingdon
St Galla of Rome
St Gennard
St Irenaeus of Sirmium
St Marcellinus the Martyr

Blessed Notker Balbulus OSB (c 840-912) Benedictine Monk. Priest. Poet. Musician. Teacher. Writer. Historian. Hagiographer; wrote a martyrology, a collection of legends and a metrical biography of Saint Gall. He was Beatified in 1512 by Pope Julius II.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/06/saint-of-the-day-6-april-blessed-notker-balbulus/

St Philaret of Calabria
St Platonides of Ashkelon
St Prudentius of Troyes
St Pope Sixtus I
St Timothy of Philippi
St Ulched
St Urban of Peñalba

St William of Eskilsoe (1125-1203) Priest, Abbpt, Reformer – be it by his fervour, mortification, charity to the poor and uprightness of life.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/06/saint-of-the-day-6-april-st-william-of-eskilsoe-1125-1203-priest-abbot/

St Vinebaud (Died c623) Abbot, Confessor

A Hundred and Twenty Martyrs of Hadiab, or Hadiabena, in Persia. These one hundred and twenty Martyrs suffered at Seleucia, in the year of Christ 345.
Their Story:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/04/06/saints-of-the-day-6-april-a-hundred-and-twenty-martyrs-of-hadiab-died-345/

Martyrs of Sirmium : 7 Saints: A group of fourth century Martyrs at Sirmium, Pannonia (modern Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia). We know little more than seven of their names – Florentius, Geminianus, Moderata, Romana, Rufina, Saturus and Secundus.

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on WATCHING, The IMITATION of CHRIST, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 5 April – TEMPTATION

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Thought for the Day – 5 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

TEMPTATION

“Still we must watch,” The Imitation of Christ continues, “especially in the beginning of temptation, for then the enemy is more easily overcome, if he be not suffered to enter the door of the mind but, is withstood upon the threshold, the very moment that he knocks. Whence a certain one has said: ‘Resist beginning; all too late the cure, when ills have gathered strength, by long delay’ (Ovid. Remedia Amoris 5:91). For first there comes into the mind a simple thought, then a strong imagination afterward delights and the evil notion [gains power] and [then come] consent” (Bk 1 c 13).

It is worth meditating on this vivid description of the psychology of temptation and of the simplest remedy, by which it can be combated.
Every temptation is first presented to the mind as a simple thought.
If a man is determined enough, it is quite easy to reject it immediately.
If there is any delay, however, the concept is clothed by the imagination and projected in vivid colours until it arouses the evil inclinations of the senses.
In this way, the idea takes possession of the mind, so that it is almost impossible to set it free.

We must be ready to face such an idea before it takes possession of us.
We should treat it as we would a serpent, not pausing to examine it but, taking to flight at once!
If we are resolute, the grace of God will ensure our safety!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/31/thought-for-the-day-31-march-temptation/

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on VANITY, QUOTES on VICE

Quote/s of the Day – 5 April – St Vincent Ferrer

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 April – St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419) Confessor, called “The Angel of the Apocalypse” and of “The Last Judgement” and the “Mouthpiece of God.”

“Christ, the Master of humility,
manifests His Truth only to the humble
and hides Himself from the proud.”

“Charity is certainly greater than any Rule.
Moreover, all Rules, must lead to charity.”

“Once humility is acquired,
charity will come to life;
a burning flame devouring
the corruption of vice
and filling the heart so full,
there is no place for vanity.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/05/quote-s-of-the-day-5-april-st-vincent-ferrer-3/

St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419)

Posted in QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on COWARDICE, The PASSION, The SACRED PASSION - Meditations for LENT

Lenten Meditations – 5 April – The Final Condemnation to Death

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Lenten Meditations – 5 April – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ”
“Short Meditations for Lent”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Saturday after the Fourth Sunday in Lent
The Final Condemnation to Death

Read St Matthew xxvii: 24-26

[24] And Pilate, seeing that he prevailed nothing but rather, a tumult was made; taking water washed his hands before the people, saying: I am innocent of the Blood of this just Man; look you to it. [25] And the whole people answering, said: His Blood be upon us and our children.
[26] Then, he released to them Barabbas and having scourged Jesus, delivered Him unto them to be crucified. [Matthew 27:24-26]

+1. Pilate tries first one plan, then another, to avoid passing a sentence which he knew to be unjust. One plan after another fails and now, he is brought face-to-face with a choice on which the salvation of his soul may well depend. It was the turning-point in his life: the grace of God urging him on one side and, on the other, fear of man. .
So, in the life of each, there is some turning-point, some occasion, when the choice made, will decide his future, both in life and in eternity.
Unhappy those who, in such a moment, choose as Pilate chose!

+2. The motive which led Pilate to condemn Jesus, was the fear of man. He did not dare to face the consequences of doing his duty. He trembled before the opinion of others and the dread of losing his worldly position and honour
To how many has the same motive been a cause of eternal loss! Is it not one before which I have sometimes quailed, loving honour from men and failing in what I knew was the Will of God, from a desire to please others?

+3. Pilate ordered the sentence to be written, condemning Jesus to death and then, deliberately signed it. But first, he washed his hands before the people, declaring himself guiltless of the Blood of the just Man whom he condemned to a horrific death!
O fruitless ceremony! He could not wash from his soul the black stain of cowardice and of treachery to his conscience. It is no use doing ill and saying we did not mean it!
Such an evasion like Pilate’s protest, rather increases, than diminishes, the sin!

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The SIGN of the CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 April –Three Names, One Essence

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One Minute Reflection – 5 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419) Confessor – 1 Peter 3:18-22 – Matthew 28:16-20 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Go, therefore, teach all nations, baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” – Matthew 28:19

REFLECTION – “The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, are of One substance and inseparably equal. Their Unity is in their Essence, their plurality in the Persons. The Lord openly showed the Unity of the Divine Essence and the Trinity of Persons, when He said: “Baptise them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” He did not say “in the NAMES” but “in the Name” by which He showed the Unity of Essence. But, He then used Three Names in order to show that there are Three Persons.

In this Trinity can be found, the supreme origin of all things, perfect beauty, very blessed joy. As Saint Augustine said in his book on true religion, the supreme origin is God the Father, from Whom all things come, from Whom proceed the Son and the Holy Ghost. The very perfect Beauty is the Son, the Truth of the Father, Who is not dissimilar to Him in anything, Whom we venerate with the Father and in the Father, Who is the model for all things because, everything was made through Him and everything relates to Him. The very blessed Joy, the sovereign goodness is the Holy Ghost Who is the Gift of the Father and of the Son and we must believe and hold that this Gift is exactly like the Father and the Son.

When we look at creation, we finish with the Trinity which is of One single substance. We understand One single God – the Father from Whom we are, the Son by Whom we are, the Holy Ghost in Whom we are – the Origin to Whom we run; the Model Whom we follow; the Grace which reconciles us!” – St Anthony of Padua OFM (c1195-1231) Franciscan, Evangelical Doctor of the Church (Sermons for Sundays and the Feasts of the Saints).

PRAYER – O God, Who graciously enlightened Thy Church by the virtues and preaching of blessed Vincent, Thy Confessor, grant that we, Thy servants, may, be taught by his example and delivered from all harm by his intercession.Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of PETITION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING

Our Morning Offering – 5 April – St Vincent Ferrer’s Prayer of Petition, Grant Me, O My God

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Our Morning Offering – 5 April – St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419) Confessor, called the “Angel of the Apocalypse/The Last Judgement” and the “Mouthpiece of God”

Grant me, O my God
By St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419)

Good Jesus,
let me be penetrated with love
to the very marrow of my bones,
with fear and respect toward Thee.
Let me burn with zeal for Thy honour,
so that I may deeply resent,
all the outrages committed against Thee,
especially those of which,
I myself have been guilty.
Grant further, O my God,
that I may humbly adore
and acknowledge Thee,
as my Creator and penetrated with gratitude
for all Thy benefits,
I may never cease to render Thee thanksgiving.
Grant that I may bless Thee in all things,
praise and glorify Thee,
with a heart full of joy and gladness
and obeying Thee with docility
in every respect, I may one day,
despite my ingratitude and unworthiness,
be seated at Thine table
together with Thine Holy Angels and Apostles,
to enjoy ineffable delights for all eternity!
Amen

Posted in franciscan OFM, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 5 April – Blessed Conrad of Saxony OFM (Died c1288) Franciscan Friar, Missionary Preacher Martyr

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Saint of the Day – 5 April – Blessed Conrad of Saxony OFM (Died c1288) Friar, Missionary Preacher Martyr of the Order of Friars Minor. Born in Saxony (in modern Germany) and died by being strangled to death c1288 in the regions of modern Kurdistan.

A Franciscan Missionary

The life and death of Conrad takes us to the time of the Crusades and the missionary ardour which animated the Franciscan Order. Conrad, driven by a deep desire to spread the Gospel, ventured into a distant and dangerous land, Hyrcania, located in modern Kurdistan.

The region of Hyrcania, although it had received th preaching of the Gospel since the first centuries of Christianity (4th-6th Century) had been partly influenced by the Eastern Schism and Muslim sympathies.

Conrad and his co-Franciscan Missiomary, Stephen, animated by a strong apostolic zeal, courageously dedicated themselves to preaching the Faith, facing the challenges of a complex religious and cultural atmosphere.

While they were going to the place where they usually held their sermons, the two Friars were attacked by a crowd of fanatics, who accused them of apostasy and condemned them to death. Their Martyrdom, by strangulation, occurred around 1288.

The Church has recognised these two Franciscans, Conrad and Stephen, as Blessed. Their liturgical memory is celebrated today, 5 April.

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, INCORRUPTIBLES, SAINT of the DAY

Saturday in the Fourth Week in Lent – FAST, First Saturday, Santuario Madonna della Divina Provvidenza / Our Lady of Divine Providence, Italy (1521), St Vincent Ferrer and the Saints for 5 April

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Saturday in the Fourth Week in Lent – FAST

First Saturday

Santuario Madonna della Divina Provvidenza / Our Lady of Divine Providence, Cussanio, Italy (1521) – 5 April:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/05/easter-monday-our-lady-of-divine-providence-cussanio-italy-1521-and-memorials-of-the-saints-5-april/

St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419) Confessor, called the “Angel of the Apocalypse/The Last Judgement” and the “Mouthpiece of God.”- Dominican Priest, Missionary, Master of Sacred Theology, Philosopher, Teacher, Preacher, Logician, Apostle of Charity.
Wonderful St Vincent!:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/05/saint-of-the-day-5-april-st-vincent-ferrer-o-p-1350-1419/

St Albert of Pietramontecorvino (c1031-1127) Bishop, a visionary and Miracle-worker.
Beloved St Albert:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/05/saint-of-the-day-5-april-st-albert-of-pietramontecorvino-c1031-1127-bishop/

Bl Antonius Fuster
St Becan
Bl Blasius of Auvergne

St Catherine of Palma OSA (1533–1574) Nun of the Order of the Canonesses of St Augustine, Mystic, gifted with the charism of prophecy, visions and ecstasy. She was Canonised on 22 June 1930 by Pope Pius XI. Her body is incorrupt.
Miraculous St Catherine:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/05/saint-of-the-day-5-april-saint-catherine-of-palma-osa-1533-1574/

St Claudius of Mesopotamia

Blessed Conrad of Saxony OFM (Died c1288) Missionary Preacher, Martyr

St Derferl Gadarn (c566-660) Welsh Prince, Solodier, Monk, Abbot, Missionary, Local legend holds, that he was a warrior of King Arthur.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/04/05/saint-of-the-day-5-april-saint-derferl-gadarn-c-566-660/

St Gerald of Sauve-Majeure (c1025-1095) Priest, Abbot, , Reformer, Founder of the great Monastery of Sauve-Majeure, also known as Grande-Sauve.
Holy St Gerald:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/05/saint-of-the-day-5-april-saint-gerald-of-sauve-majeure-osb-c1025-1095-priest-abbot/

St Irene of Thessalonica
St Maria Crescentia Hoss
St Pausilippus
Bl Peter Cerdan
St Theodore the Martyr

Martyrs of Lesbos: 5 Saints: Five young Christian women Martyred together for their faith. We don’t even know their names. island of Lesbos, Greece.

Martyrs of North-West Africa: Large group of Christians murdered while celebrating Easter Mass during the persecutions of Genseric, the Arian king of the Vandals. They were Martyred in 459 at Arbal (in modern Algeria).

Martyrs of Seleucia: 120 Saints :One-hundred and eleven (111) men and nine (9) women who, because they were Christians, were dragged to Seleucia and Martyred for refusing to worship the sun or fire or other pagan idols during the persecutions of King Shapur II. They were burned alive in 344 in Seleucia, Persia.

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Thought for the Day – 4 April – The Love of God

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Thought for the Day – 4 April– Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Love of God

“God’s law is founded on love.
We read in the Gospel how the Pharisees asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment of the Law.
Jesus replied:  “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like it.   Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.   On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (Mt 22:37-40).

If a man wants to know if he is living a good Christian life, therefore, all he has to do is ask himself if he loves God above everything and his neighbour as himself.
If he lacks this love, he is not a true Christian – everything else is insignificant, if not useless.
“Love God,” says St Augustine “and do what you will.”
Why so?
Because, if anyone loves God sincerely, he does not offend Him.
Moreover, he serves Him diligently and promotes His honour and glory by every means in his power.
Nor does he find it very difficult to do this.
Love gives wings to his feet and pours enthusiasm and fervour into his heart.
“He who loves does not feel tired,” says St Augustine.
“Where there is love,” adds St Bernard, “there is no weariness but a gentle pleasure instead.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacc

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The HOLY NAME of MARY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – St Isidore of Seville

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – St Isidore of Seville (c 560-636) Bishop, Confessor, Father & Doctor of the Church

“Mary signifies “Light-Giver”
or “Star of the Sea”
for she gave birth
to the Light of the World.
In the Syriac tongue, however,
Mary means “Lady” and beautifully so,
since she gave birth to the Lord.”

“If a man wishes to be always in God’s company,
he must pray regularly and read regularly.
When we pray, we talk to God;
when we read, God talks to us.”

“The suffering of adversity
does not degrade you but exalts you.
Human tribulation teaches you;
it does not destroy you.
The more we are afflicted in this world,
the greater is our assurance of the next.
The more we sorrow in the present,
the greater will be our joy in the future.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/04/quote-s-of-the-day-4-april-st-isidore-of-seville-3/

St Isidore of Seville (c560-636)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Posted in HUMILITY-Fr Richard Clarke, QUOTES on SIN, The PASSION, The SACRED PASSION - Meditations for LENT

Lenten Meditations – 4 April – Ecce Homo

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Lenten Meditations – 4 April – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ”
“Short Meditations for Lent”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Friday after the Fourth Sunday in Lent
Ecce Homo

Read St John xix:4-6

[4] Pilate, therefore, went forth again and saith to them: Behold, I bring Him forth unto you, that you may know, I find no cause in Him. [5] (Jesus, therefore, came forth, bearing the Crown of Thorns and the purple garment). And Pilate saith to them: Behold the Man.
[6] When the chief priests, therefore and the servants, had seen Him, they cried out, saying: Crucify Him, crucify Him. Pilate saith to them: Take Him you and crucify Him, for I find no cause in Him. [John 19:4-6]

+1. The Scourging and Crowning with Thorns, have brought the Son of God to a condition pitiable to contemplate. We have seen Him and there is no beauty in Him that we should desire Him. Pity, contempt, horror, disgust, disdain, are mingled in the hearts of those who behold Him . He is indeed, a worm and not a man. He, the fairest among ten thousand! He, the sinless Lamb of God!
Oh, how frightful must sin be, if it can work such havoc, even in the Sacred Person of the Son of God!

+2. The sin which did this work, moreover, was the sin of others, not His own. It was something external to Him. He indeed, took it upon Himself, He was made sin for our redemption but sin was never His own, as it is ours! If it could so disfigure and degrade the sinless Lamb of God, when laid upon Him from without, what must be the disfigurement and degradation which sin works in us, springing up as it does, out of ourselves, being a part of our sinful nature, producing its
natural fruits?

+3. But was the Son of God really degraded by all these consequences of sin?
On the contrary, His Sacred Humanity had never been so glorious or so worthy of honour, as it was then.
If He was unsightly before men, in the Eyes of His Eternal Father, He was crowned with honour and glory. There is nothing as pleasing to God as voluntary self- abasement and humiliation, nothing which brings so rich a recompense.
How foolish then am I, when I seek to avoid humiliation and hate to be made like the Son of God by suffering contempt and reproach from others!

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The RESURRECTION, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection –4 April – The least in the Kingdom of Heaven – Matthew 5:19

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One Minute Reflection –4 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Isidore of Seville (c560-636) Bishop, Confessor, Father & Doctor of the Church – 2 Tim 4:1-8 – Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so, will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments, will be called greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” – Matthew 5:19

REFLECTION – “For what reason then does He call some of these commandments “least,” although they are so magnificent and lofty? Jesus spoke this way because, He was about to introduce His own teaching, as a new law . As He humbles Himself and speaks of Himself with great modesty, so He refers to His own teaching in the same manner. In this way, Jesus teaches us to practice humility in everything. And besides, since some suspected His teaching to be a new departure, He temporarily taught it in a more reserved way.

But when you hear “least in the Kingdom of Heaven,” you are to think of nothing but hell and punishment. For it was His practice to speak, not only of the joy the Kingdom brings but also, of the time of the resurrection and the fearful event of the Second Coming.

Think of one who calls a brother a fool. That one, transgresses only one commandment, maybe even the slightest one and falls into hell. Compare that one with another, who breaks all the commandments and instigates others to break them too. Do both have the same relationship to the Kingdom? This is not the argument Jesus is making. Rather, He means, that one who transgresses only one of the commands will, on the final day, be the least — that is, cast out — and last and will fall into hell!” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Homily 16).

PRAYER – O God, Who granted to Thy people blessed Isidore as ashepherd of salvation, grant, we beseech Thee that we who cherished him on earth as a teacher of life may be found worthy to have him as an intercessor in Heaven.
T hrough Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in INDULGENCES, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PARTIAL Indulgence, PLENARY Indulgences, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, The SEVEN PASSION Feasts

Our Morning Offering – 4 April – Indulgenced Act of Oblation to Our Father

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Our Morning Offering – 4 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament”– The Feast of the Most Precious Blood for the Friday after Laetare Sunday

By the Merits of the
Precious Blood of Jesus
By Servant of God Pope Pius VII (1742-1823)
Papacy from 1800 to 1823
Indulgenced Act of Oblation to Our Father

Eternal Father!
I offer Thee the merits
of the Precious Blood of Jesus,
Thy well-beloved Son,
my Saviour and my God,
for all my wants,
spiritual and temporal,
in aid of the Holy Souls in Purgatory
and chiefly for those
who most loved this Precious Blood,
the price of our redemption
and who were most devout
to the sorrows and pains
of most Holy Mary,
our dear Mother.

Glory be to the Blood of Jesus,
now and forever
and throughout all ages.
Amen.

Indulgence of 300 days, each time this prayed is offered,
22 September 1817 with a Plenary Indulgence, once a month,
under the usual conditions.

Note of Interest: On 15 August 1811 – the Feast of the Assumption – it is recorded that the Pope celebrated Mass and was said to have entered a trance and began to levitate in a manner that drew him to the Altar. This particular episode aroused great wonder and awe among attendants, which included the French soldiers guarding him, who were awestruck at what had occurred and left records of it.

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 4 April – Saint Guerir (8th Century) Hermit

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Saint of the Day – 4 April – Saint Guerir (8th Century) Monk and Hermit in Liskeard, Cornwall, England, known for his ascetic life of prayer and mortifications. His sanctity drew great admiration. Upon his death, the King of England, St Alfred the Great, when visiting his grave was miraculously cured of a serious illness, leading to the cult of veneration. Also known as – Guier, Gwerir, … of Liskeard.

An unknown Hermit

Our Saint today emerges from the pages of history thanks to the testimony of Saint Neot (Died 877), a Monk of Glastonbury and a distant relative of King Alfred the Great. Guerir’s life, dedicated to solitude and prayer, is intertwined with that of Saint Neot, giving life to an edifying tale of sanctity and miracles.

Guerir chose the path of solitude, settling in a cell near Liskeard, in Cornwall. His ascetic existence, marked by frugality and mortification, soon earned him a reputation for sanctity among the local people. His reputation as an irreproachable holy man of profound ssanctityy, attracted the attention of Saint Neot, who, while seeking a place suitable to accommodate him in a life of solitude, decided to visit him.

The meeting between the two holy Monks marked a turning point in their lives. Neot, in admiration of Guerir’s sanctity, was deeply impressed by his humility and religious fervour.

When Guerir died in the second half of the 9th Century, Neot decided to occupy his cell, perpetuating the tradition of the eremetical in that place.

Guerir’s fame for sanctity did not die with his death. On the contrary, it increased when King Alfred the Great, visiting Saint Neot, wanted to pay homage to the holy Hermit Guerir, by praying at his Tomb. Afflicted by a serious illness, Alfred devoutly asked for a cure through Guerir’s intercession. His prayers were answered and the King obtained the miraculous cure.

In recognition of the miracle, King Alfred built a Collegiate Church on the site of the cells of the two holy Hermits. Their remains were venerated together and Saint Guerir became the object of popular devotion, especially in the region of Cornwall. His memory is celebrated on 4 April every year.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, Uncategorized

First Friday, Friday in the 4th Week in Lent – Fast & Abstinence, Notre-Dame de Grace, Honfleur/ Our Lady of Grace, Normandy, France, St Isidore of Seville and the Saints for 4 April

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Friday in the Fourth Week of Lent – Fast & Abstinence

First Friday of the Month

Notre-Dame de Grace, Honfleur, Normandie / Our Lady of Grace, Normandy, France – 4 April:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/04/easter-sunday-2021-the-resurrection-of-the-lord-solemnity-of-solemnities-our-lady-of-grace-normandy-and-memorials-of-the-saints/

St Isidore of Seville (c560-636) Bishop, Confessor, Father & Doctor of the Church, Writer, Teacher, Reformer and Evangelist. Sometimes called – “The Last Scholar of the Ancient World.”
Brilliant St Isidore’s life:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/04/saint-of-the-day-4-april-st-isidore-of-seville-father-and-doctor-of-the-church/

St Benedict of Palermo OFM (1526-1589) Friar Minor of the Observance, Confessor.
Celebrated yesterday 3 April and today on some calendars.
About St Benedict:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/04/saint-of-the-day-4-april-st-benedict-of-sicily-o-f-m-1526-1589/

St Aleth of Dijon (1064-1106) Laywoman, Mother of 7, 4 of whom are Saints including the Doctor of Light, St Bernard (of Clairvaux), The other 3 Saints are St Humbeline of Jully (c1091-c1136) a Benedictine Nun, St Gerard of Clairvaux (Died 1138) Bernard older brother, Blessed Nivard of Clairvaux (c1100-c1150) Bernard’s youngest brother.
Lovely St Aleth:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/04/saint-of-the-day-4-april-saint-aleth-of-dijon-1064-1106-laywoman/

St Guerir (8th Century) Monk and Hermit
St Henry of Gheest
St Hildebert of Ghent
St Peter of Poitiers (c1130-1215) Bishop

St Plato (c734-813) Monk, Confessor, Defender of sacred images and of the Sacraments of Marriage and Holy Orders.
St Plato’s Courageous Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/04/saint-of-the-day-4-april-saint-plato-c-734-813/

St Theodulus of Thessalonica
St Theonas of Egypt
St Tigernach of Clogher

St Zosimus of Palestine (Died c560) Priest, Monk, Hermit.
As already reported in the legendary life of St Mary of Egypt, St Zosimus, a Monk and Hermit, is the one who discovers St Mary in the desert and gave her Holy Communion shortly before her death.
The Roman Martyrology reports: “In Palestine, the Anchorite, St Zosimus, who buried the remains of St Mary of Egypt.”
His Holy Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/04/saint-of-the-day-4-april-st-zosimus-of-palestine-c-460-c-560-priest-hermit/

Martyred in Cairo
François de la Terre de Labour
Nicolas of Montecorpino

Martyrs of Thessalonica – 14 Saints: Fourteen Christians who were Martyred together, date unknown. No other information, except the names of 12 of them, has survived – Ingenuus, Julianus, Julius, Matutinus, Orbanus, Palatinus, Paulus, Publius, Quinilianus, Saturninus, Successus, Victor and two whose names have not come down to us.
Agathopus the Deacon, Theodulus the Lector.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on FREEDOM, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The IMITATION of CHRIST, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 3 April – Self-Denial

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 3 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Self-Denial

“This denial of ourselves to the extent of identifying our will with the Will of God, produces in us, a profound peace.
The Saints scaled this height and found there that tranquility of spirit which led them to rejoice in martyrdom and dishonour.

It was this peace of soul which made the dying St Aloysius Gonzaga smile and say: “I am happy to be going.”
It was this which enabled the saintly, Cardinal Fisher, when he was going to the scaffold, to behold a light which does not fail and say: “Commit to the Lord your way … He will make justice dawn for you like the light (Ps 36:5-6).
This too, is why, the Imitation of Christ tells us that nobody is as free, as he, who knows how to deny himself!””

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/22/thought-for-the-day-22-january-self-denial/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/01/21/thought-for-the-day-21-january-self-denial/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 3 April – Awaken and Arise!

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 3 April –Thursday of the Fourth Week in Lent – Ferial Day – 4 Kings 4:25-38 – Luke 7:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Young man,
I say to thee,
arise!”

Luke 7:14

“I shall arise and shall go to my Father”

Luke 15:18

“Thy sins are forgiven thee …
Arise and walk.”

Luke 5:23

“Awake, O Sleeper and Rise from the Dead”

Ephesians 5:14

“As the prodigal son,
I will return to my Father’s house
and I will be welcomed back home.
I shall do the same, as he did –
will the Father not grant my prayer too?
O forgiving Father, here I am at Thy door
and I knock, open to me, let me enter,
so that I may not ruin myself, go away and die!
Thou made me Thy heir
and I neglected my inheritance
and squandered my goods –
from now on, may I be as a mercenary
and as a servant to Thee.”

St Jacob of Sarug (c451-521)
Bishop, Theologian, Poet, Writer, Father

“The medicine of God,
is Jesus Christ,
Crucified and Risen,
the measure of all things.”

St John Leonardi (1541-1609)
Confessor, Priest, Founder

“What better penance
can a heart do
which commits faults,
than to submit
to a continual abnegation
of self-will?”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church