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MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 5 January – St Charles of Mount Argus’s Prayer to Mary

Posted on January 5, 2019January 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 5 January – Christmas Saturday and the Memorial of St Charles of Mount Argus C.P. (1821-1893)

Most Holy Virgin Mary Oh, my Mother!
By St Charles of Mount Argus

Most Holy Virgin Mary Oh, my Mother!
How sweet it is to come to thy feet,
imploring thy perpetual help!
If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children,
how can thou, the most loving of all mothers, forget me?
Grant then, to me, I implore thee,
thy perpetual help in all my necessities,
in every sorrow and especially in all my temptations.
As we are all thy children,
I ask for thy unceasing help for all who are now suffering.
Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners
and console all earthly mothers
who are now weeping over their children.
Open the gates of heaven to those we loved upon earth
and who are now suffering in purgatory.
Obtain for us, dear Mother,
that having earnestly invoked thee on earth,
we may see thee, love thee
and eternally thank thee, hereafter in heaven.
Amen most holy virgin mary oh my mother by st charles of mount argus 2 -5 jan 2019

SAINT of the DAY, VATICAN Resources

Saint of the Day – 5 January – St Charles of Mount Argus C.P. (1821-1893)

Posted on January 5, 2019January 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 5 January – St Charles of Mount Argus C.P. (1821-1893) – Religious Passionist Priest, Apostle of Charity, Spiritual guide, Miracle-worker – born Joannes Andreas Houben on 11 December 1821 in the village of Munstergeleen in the Province of Limburg in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and died on 5 January 1893 at Mount Argus, Ireland from an infected leg wound received in a carriage accident. saint_charles_argus

Fr Charles of St Andrew, known in secular life as John Andrew Houben, was born on 11 December 1821 in Munstergeleen, in the diocese of Ruremond (Holland), the fourth of eleven children. He was baptised the same day with the name John Andrew. He received his First Communion on 26 April 1835 and the sacrament of Confirmation on 28 June in the same year. He began his formal education in Sittard and then in Broeksittard. In 1840 he had to interrupt his studies to enter the military. It was during this latter period that he first heard about the Congregation of the Passion. At the end of his military service he completed his studies and requested to be admitted to the Congregation. He was received by Blessed Dominic Barberi (1792-1849), Passionist and he entered the novitiate in the Belgium city of Ere, near Tournai on 5 November 1845. In December of that same year he was vested with the Passionist religious Habit and was given the name of Charles of St Andrew. Having completed the canonical year of novitiate he professed First Vows on 10 December 1850. At the conclusion of his studies he was ordained a priest by Bishop Labis, the ordinary of Tournai. houben

Immediately he was sent to England where the Passionists had founded three monasteries and it was here that, for a period of time, he undertook the ministry of vice-master of novices in the monastery of Broadway. He also did parochial ministry in the parish of St Wilfred and neighbouring areas until 1856 when he was transferred to the newly established monastery of Mount Argus, on the outskirts of Dublin.

Blessed Charles Houben lived almost the remainder of his life in this retreat and was greatly loved by the Irish people to point that they referred to him, a native of Holland, as Father Charles of Mount Argus. He was a particularly pious priest. He was outstanding in exercising obedience, in the practice of poverty, humility and simplicity and to an even greater degree, to devotion to the Passion of the Lord.

Due to his poor mastery of the English language, he was never a formal preacher and he never preached missions. Rather, he very successfully dedicated himself to spiritual direction, especially through the sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession).

The fame of his virtue was such that great crowds of people would gather at the monastery to seek his blessing. There are also numerous testimonies to the outstanding miraculous cures that he worked to the extent, that even during his lifetime, he was known as a miracle worker.

Precisely because of this fame that extended throughout all of Great Britain as well as in America and Australia that in 1866, in order to afford him some rest, he was transferred to England where he lived for a time in the communities at Broadway, Sutton and London. There he ministered as usual and there too, inside and outside the monastery, he was sought by the faithful, both Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

He returned to Dublin in 1874 where he remained until his death that took place at dawn on 5 January 1893.

During his very solemn funeral that was attended by people from all of Ireland there was definite proof of the popular devotion that had surrounded him throughout his life. In a newspaper of the time we read: “Never before has the memory of any man sparked an explosion of religious sentiment and profound veneration as that which we observed in the presence of the mortal remains of Father Charles.” The Superior of the monastery wrote to his family: “The people have already declared him a saint.”

The cause of his Beatification and Canonisation was introduced on 13 November 1935, and on 16 October 1988, His Holiness John Paul II proceeded with the Beatification of the one whom everyone called the saint of Mount Argus.

The miracle that led to his Canonisation was obtained through his intercession on behalf of Mr Adolf Dormans of Munstergeleen, the birthplace of the Blessed. The diocesan inquiry super miro was also undertaken in the diocese of Roermond (Holland) from 6 November 2002 until 19 February 2003 at which time the validity of the miracle was recognised by a Decree from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on 7 November 2003.

The medical consulta was convoked on 24 November 2005 and following the investigation of the matter, the members unanimously expressed that the cure of Mr. Dormans of “perforated, gangrenous appendicitis with generalised peritonitis that was multi-organically compromising and included extenuating and prolonged agony” was “not scientifically explainable”.

The theologian consultors, in the particular Congress of 21 February 2006 and the Ordinary Congregation of Cardinals and Bishops of 12 December 2006 also gave their unanimous approval of the supernatural aspect of the said healing. The Decree concerning the miracle was given in the presence of the Holy Father, Benedict XVI on 21 December 2006…and he was Canonised on 3 June 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy…Vatican.va

During the last years of his life he had many trials. He was also in failing health, was anxious about death. His family in Holland were dying. Old injuries returned to plague him. Towards the end of 1892, it was obvious that the life of Fr Charles was coming to an end. He said his last Mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception 1892. Word of his illness spread through the city, crowds gathered to enquire about him. Just after Christmas he couldn’t eat, lost his sight and was like a living skeleton. At 5.30 in the morning of the 5th January 1893 he passed peacefully to his Maker.

His body was brought to the Church and lay in state for five days. Despite heavy snow, thousands filed past his coffin with the police keeping order. His funeral was said to have been bigger than Parnell’s two years before. Finally his remains were laid to rest in the cemetery beside Mount Argus Church. His grave became a place of pilgrimage where people came daily to pray. When in 1949 his remains were moved inside the Church the Shrine became the place of prayer. Today people come twice each day to be blest with the Relic of Blessed Charles.

canonisation st charles of mount argus st charles passionists-argus

SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 5 January

Posted on January 5, 2019January 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

St John Nepomucene Neumann CSsR (1811-1860) (Memorial)
St John: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/01/05/saint-of-the-day-5-january-st-john-nepomucene-neumann-cssr-1811-1860/

Bl Alacrinus of Casamari
St Apollinaris Syncletica
St Cera of Kilkeary
St Charles of Mount Argus C.P. (1821-1893)

Bl Convoyon of Redon
St Deogratias of Carthage
St Dorotheus the Younger
Bl François Peltier
St Gaudentius of Gnesen
St Genoveva Torres Morales
St Gerlac of Valkenburg
Bl Jacques Ledoyen
Bl Joan Grau Bullich
St Kiara
St Lomer of Corbion
Bl Marcelina Darowska
Bl Maria Repetto
Bl Paula of Tuscany
Nl Pierre Tessier
Bl Pietro Bonilli
St Simeon Stylites
St Syncletica
St Talida of Antinoë
—
Martyrs of Africa – 14 saints: A group of Christians martyred together in Africa, date unknown, exact location unknown. We know nothing more than their names – Acutus, Anastasia, Candidus, Coelifloria, Felix, Honorius, Januaria, Jucundus, Lucianus, Marcus, Petrus, Secundus, Severus and Telesphorus.

Martyrs of Sais: A group of Christians martyred for their faith, but about whom no details have survived. They were martyred by drowning near Sais, Egypt.

Martyrs of Upper Egypt: There were many martyrs who suffered in the persecutions of Diocletian in the Thebaid region. Though we know these atrocities occurred, to the point that witnesses claim the torturers and executioners were exhausted by the work, we do not know the names of the saints and we honour them as a group. Many were beheaded and or burned alive in 303 in Upper Egypt.

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Thought for the Day – 4 January on the Memorial of St Manuel Gonzalez Garcia (1877–1940) the “Apostle of the Abandoned Tabernacles”

Posted on January 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 4 January on the Memorial of St Manuel Gonzalez Garcia (1877–1940) the “Apostle of the Abandoned Tabernacles”

Excerpt from an interview with Cardinal Mauro Piacenza who was the Relator of the Cause of St Manuel.

Eminence, I understand that there are three committees present that must analyse an alleged miracle – the Medical Commission of theologians and Cardinals and bishops. What is the Mission of this Commission, of Cardinals and bishops, in the process of approval of a miracle? Which elements should you take into account to give your vote?

Examining the alleged miracles, the Congregation for the causes of Saints comes with a lot of seriousness. The study involves a series of steps, including the medical part is especially important. Finally, the Commission of Cardinals and bishops members of the Congregation examines the case. They receive, along with the letter … full documentation of the case and a booklet with a summary, that highlights the most relevant areas of the analysis, as well as possible difficulties.

You have been the Relator of the cause of Blessed Manuel González García at the regular meeting of cardinals and bishops. Can you explain the role of the Relator?

A cardinal is designated or a Bishop from among the members of the Congregation, and is called the ‘speaker’. He is responsible for presenting the case and expresses his own outlook. After this takes place, interventions of all those present, that is to adhere to or not to the conclusions of the Relator and then they present their own views.

The Relator presents the essential features of the biographical profile of Blessed, ie, describes the fundamentals of the case being examined, presents the evidence, the medical report (diagnosis of healing, prognosis, therapy, healing) and theological evaluation. Finally, it formulates its conclusion, issues its own vote also asking the agreement of the other members and then presentation of all the results is proposed to the Holy Father.

BL Manuel González García devoted many of his energies to the clergy and to the formation of the same, as well as seminarians. How can his message assist the current profile of the priest?

You ask me what particular message of Bl Manuel, can assist the priests and bishops of our time, in the whirlwind of their commitments.

Priests yesterday, today’s priests, priests of about-to-be: Yes, it is right to pay attention to time and to the diverse situations and circumstances but I would like to talk about what transcends time.

Being priests is to be Christ and Christ is the one who atones for others, He is the one who begs for everyone. He is the One at the top of the pedestal; on the other hand, the priest is under the pedestal and carries its weight. The priest elevates that weight to God with prayer. And this is what is called in the Eucharist: the offering of Christ and of the whole Church. In the instant that God raises His Son, raised, with the Son, also, is all mankind who, through the priest, must be saved. Yes, also by the means of his Ministry, which closely associates it with Christ the Saviour. This is the prayer of the priest. It is true that the only saviour of the world is God but this prayer brings God’s salvation.

Blessed Manuel Gonzalez with his example preached and believed that too much human activity, too, in a disproportionate manner, ends in a sort of Pelagianism. The activity of man is worth something if it is presented and united to God in prayer and it is imbued in this charity. From this it also follows, that the priest cannot be a victim because it is Christ, who has united in His person the priesthood and the victim. In pagan sacrifices, the priest sacrifices to someone else – in Christianity Christ Himself is sacrificed.

That is the great warning of our blessed [Manuel] – there is no possibility of priesthood if not through self-sacrifice [and the] immolation that the priest lives in the continuing gift of his own being.

The one thing made very clear from the whole of the writings of St Manuel, is how much we leave Christ alone in the tabernacle of our hearts and our lives, how much we are cheating ourselves of Christ’s presence and gaze. Saint Manuel González García’s writings are a means of discovering Who we adore, as well as reminding us constantly, why we ought to seek to always be adoring.

St Manuel Gonzalez Garcia (1877–1940)
“Apostle of the Abandoned Tabernacles”
Pray for Us!

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 4 January – Eucharistic Adoration

Posted on January 4, 2019January 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 4 January – The Memorial of St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821) and St Manuel Gonzalez Garcia (1877–1940) the “Apostle of the Abandoned Tabernacles”

“God is everywhere, in the very air I breathe,
yes everywhere
but in His Sacrament of the Altar
He is as present actually and really
as my soul within my body;
in His Sacrifice daily offered
as really as once offered on the Cross!”

“Our Lord Himself I saw in this venerable Sacrament . . .
I felt as if my chains fell, as those of St Peter,
at the touch of the Divine messenger.”

“How sweet, the presence of Jesus
to the longing, harassed soul!
It is instant peace and balm to every wound.”

St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)

“My faith was looking at Jesus
through the door of that tabernacle,
so silent, so patient, so good, gazing right back at me…
His gaze was telling me much and asking me for more.
It was a gaze in which all the sadness of the Gospels was reflected;
the sadness of ‘no room in the Inn”;
the sadness of those words, “Do you also want to leave me?”;
the sadness of poor Lazarus begging for crumbs from the rich man’s table;
the sadness of the betrayal of Judas,
the denial of Peter,
of the soldier’s slap,
of the spittle of the Praetorium
and the abandonment of all.”

“The Heart of Jesus in the tabernacle looks at me.
He looks at me always.
He looks at me everywhere.
He looks at me as if He doesn’t have
anyone else to look at but me.”

St Manuel Gonzalez Garcia (1877–1940)
“Apostle of the Abandoned Tabernacles”

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 January – Christmas Weekday – Today’s Gospel: John 1:35–42

Posted on January 4, 2019January 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 4 January – Christmas Weekday – Today’s Gospel: John 1:35–42

“….he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this and they followed Jesus.”...John 1: 36-37 behold the lamb of god - john 1 36-37 4 jan 2019

REFLECTION – “He is the Way, because He leads us through Himself; Door, as letting us in; Shepherd, as making us dwell in green pastures and bringing us up to the waters of rest, leading us there and protecting us from wild beasts, restoring the erring and bringing back the lost sheep. He binds the wounded, guards the strong and thanks to His words of pastoral knowledge He gathers them together into the Fold on high.”…St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Father & Doctor

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, thank You for making me a child of eternity. Help me to live each day in such a way that I may deserve to be a child of Yours forever. Grant that by the prayers of St Elizabeth Ann Seton and St Manuel Gonzalez Garcia, we may strive always to keep our eyes fixed on Your Son, our entry to You, our Shepherd and our Saviour who will lead us to our eternal home. May we never waiver from Your commandments. Amen. st-e-a-seton-pray-for-us-4-jan-2018

st manuel gonzalez garcia pray for us 4 jan 2019

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, Our MORNING Offering, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering on the Memorial of St Manuel Gonzalez Garcia (1877–1940) the “Apostle of the Abandoned Tabernacles” – 4 January

Posted on January 4, 2019January 3, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering on the Memorial of St Manuel Gonzalez Garcia (1877–1940) the “Apostle of the Abandoned Tabernacles” – 4 January

St Manuel has written much, 3 volumes full and many prayers and devotions related to Eucharistic Adoration and the Holy Eucharist but thus far, only 1% of his works have been translated from the original Spanish. So today we pray via St John Paul, another great advocate of Eucharist Adoration and the Holy Eucharist.

Prayer for the Spread of Perpetual Adoration
By St Pope John Paul (1920-2005)

Heavenly Father,
increase our faith in the Real Presence of Your Son,
Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
We are obliged to adore Him,
to give Him thanks
and to make reparation for sins.
We need Your peace in our hearts
and among nations.
We need conversion from our sins
and the mercy of Your forgiveness.
May we obtain this through prayer
and our union with the Eucharistic Lord.
Please send down the Holy Spirit upon all peoples
to give them the love, courage, strength and willingness,
to respond to the invitation to Eucharistic Adoration.
We beseech You to spread Perpetual Adoration
of the Most Blessed Sacrament in parishes around the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Amen prayer for the spread of eucharistic adoration by st pope john paul 4 jan 2019

Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Help us to spread the glory of Your Son
through Perpetual Adoration.

On 2 December 1981 St Pope John Paul II inaugurated Perpetual
Adoration in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of St Peter’s Basilica with a Mass.
At the end of the Mass following exposition of the Blessed Sacrament he prayed,
in part: (see above) (L’Osservatore Romano, Dec. 14, 1981))

Stay with Us
By St Pope John Paul (1920-2005)

Stay with us today
and stay from now on, everyday,
according to the desire of my heart,
which accepts the appeal of so many hearts
from various parts, sometimes far away…
Stay that we may meet You in
prayers of adoration and thanksgiving,
in prayers of expiation and petition
to which all those who visit this Basilica are invited…
May the unworthy successor of Peter
and all those who take part in the
adoration of Your Eucharistic Presence
attest with every visit and make
ring out again the truth contained in the Apostle’s words:
‘Lord, you know everything.
You know that I love you.’
Amen

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Saint of the Day – 4 January – St Manuel Gonzalez Garcia (1877–1940) “Apostle of the Abandoned Tabernacles”

Posted on January 4, 2019January 3, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 4 January – St Manuel Gonzalez Garcia (1877–1940) “Apostle of the Abandoned Tabernacles” – Bishop, Founder of the Eucharistic Missionaries of Nazareth and established both the Disciples of Saint John and the Children of Reparation, Apostle of the Holy Eucharist and of Charity, Marian devotee – born on 25 February 1877 at Seville, Spain and died on 4 January 1940 in Madrid, Spain of natural causes. Patronages – Diocese of Palencia, the Children of Reparation, the Disciples of Saint John and the Eucharistic Missionaries of Nazareth. st manuel garcia

St Manuel was born in Seville on 25 February 1877. He entered the Minor Seminary of Seville on September of 1889 where he wrote: “If I would be born a thousand times; a thousand times I would be a priest.”

He was ordained by Blessed Cardinal Spínola, the founder of the newspaper “El Correo de Andalucía”, where he worked when he was still a seminarian. On 29 September 1901, he celebrated his first Mass at the Church of the Holy Trinity and entrusted himself to the intercession of Mary, Help of Christians.

Blessed Manuel was sent by the Archbishop of Seville to Palomares del Río, a beautiful and secluded village of Aljarafe but upon his arrival no one came out to meet him. he church was abandoned, filled with dust and dirt, cobwebs inside the tabernacle and torn altar cloths. Upon seeing this situation, he knelt before the altar and thought about the many abandoned tabernacles in the world. This prompted him to start the Children of Reparation.

At the age of 28, he was sent to Huelva where he was saddened to find many children living on the streets. He devoted his attention mainly to assisting these children and founded schools, homes and established classes to catechise them with the help of his parishioners.

On 6 December 1915, Pope Benedict XV appointed Blessed Manuel as auxiliary bishop of Málaga. He celebrated his appointment with a banquet to which he invited, not the authorities but the poorest children of the area. Three thousand children attended the banquet and accompanied him to the Episcopal Palace. He remained there until the night of the 11 May 1931, the proclamation of the Republic, where a revolt expelled him and the Palace was burnt, destroying everything. st manuelgonzalezobispo

On 5 August 1935 he was appointed bishop of Palencia by Pope Pius XI. During a visit to Zaragoza in 1939 he fell seriously ill and had to be transferred to Madrid where he died on the 4 January 1940. Before he died he asked to be buried at the foot of the tabernacle. Fulfilling his wish, he was buried beside the Tabernacle at the main altar of the Cathedral of Palencia. st manuel garcia bishop

His heroic virtues were recognised on the 6 April 1998 and he was Beatified by St Pope John Paul II on 29 April 2001. The Beatification miracle involved the healing of Sara Ruiz Ortega, then 18 years old, of tuberculosis peritonitis which had left her paralysed. He was Canonised on 16 October 2016 by Pope Francis. The Canonisation miracle involved the healing of a Galician woman who suffered from aggressive lymphoma. st manuel canonisation

SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 4 January

Posted on January 4, 2019January 3, 2019 by AnaStpaul

St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821) (Memorial, United States)
Biography: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/01/04/saint-of-the-day-st-elizabeth-ann-seton-1774-1821/

St Aedh Dubh
St Aggaeus the Martyr
St Angela of Foligno
St Celsus of Trier
Bl Chiara de Ugarte
St Chroman
St Dafrosa of Acquapendente
St Ferreolus of Uzès
St Gaius of Moesia
St Gregory of Langres
St Hermes of Moesia
St Libentius of Hamburg
Bl Louis de Halles
St Manuel Gonzalez Garcia (1877–1940)
St Mavilus of Adrumetum
St Neophytos
St Neopista of Rome
St St St Oringa of the Cross
Bl Palumbus of Subiaco
St Pharaildis of Ghent
St Rigobert of Rheims
Bl Roger of Ellant
St Stephen du Bourg
St Theoctistus
Bl Thomas Plumtree
—
Martyrs of Africa – 7 saints: A group of Christians martyred together in the persecutions of the Arian Vandal king Hunneric. Saint Bede wrote about them. – Aquilinus, Eugene, Geminus, Marcian, Quintus, Theodotus and Tryphon. In 484 in North Africa.

Martyrs of Rome – 3 saints: Three Christians martyred together in the persecutions of Julian the Apostate for refusing to renounce Christianity as ordered. – Benedicta, Priscillianus and Priscus. In 362 in Rome, Italy.

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL MESSAGES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The HOLY NAME, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Thought for the Day – 3 January – The Name, the Heart and the Blood

Posted on January 3, 2019January 3, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 3 January – The Name, the Heart and the Blood

A name represents that person, his or her identity. According to Matthew 1:21, Joseph was directed by an angel to call Mary’s son “Jesus,” a name that means “God saves.” This is Jesus’ identity. He is the Saviour of the world. As such His Name is “above every name” and is the name at which “every knee should bend” (Philippians 2:9-10). Moreover, according to a speech that St Peter gave in front of the Sanhedrin, “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved” (Acts: 4:12). The Name of Jesus says it all and is all-powerful. It’s a prayer in itself.

As Jesus can be represented by His Name, so He is also represented by His Heart. The heart is the centre of a person, that person’s deepest interior or identity. Thus devotion to the Name of Jesus goes with devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesus fulfilled the Name given to Him when He suffered and died on the cross, when His Heart was pierced so that Blood and Water, the sacramental life of the Church, would flow forth and save the world.

Devotion to Jesus’ Name and Heart includes devotion to His Precious Blood. These three go together: the Name, the Heart, and the Blood. In fact, Saint John XXIII wrote about this in a 30 June 1960 letter entitled “On Promoting Devotion to the Most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He wrote:

“We judge it most timely to call our beloved children’s attention to the unbreakable bond which must exist between the devotions to the Most Holy Name and Most Sacred Heart of Jesus — already so widespread among Christians — and devotion to the incarnate Word’s Most Precious Blood, ‘shed for many, to the remission of sins.’
“Suffice it to recall the spiritual favours that our predecessors from the sixteenth century on have attached to practising devotion to the Most Holy Name of Jesus, which in the previous century St Bernardine of Siena untiringly spread throughout Italy. No less striking, are the benefits the popes have attached to practicing devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, whose rise and spread owe so much to the revelations of the Sacred Heart to St Margaret Mary Alacoque. So highly have all the popes regarded this devotion that again and again in their official acts they have expounded its nature, defended its validity, promoted its practice.

“Likewise the devotion to the Most Precious Blood, which owes its marvelous diffusion to the 19th-century Roman priest, St Gaspar del Bufalo, has rightly merited the approval and backing of this Apostolic See.

“Amid today’s most serious and pressing spiritual needs, may this latest exercise of that ‘care for all the churches’ proper to our sovereign office awaken in Christian hearts a firm conviction about the supreme abiding effectiveness of these three devotions.”

Jesus—the Name, the Heart, and the Blood that flowed from it to save the world—all represent the Person. May the Name of Jesus be reverenced and honoured at all times and places world without end. Amen

Apostles of Prayer – Fr James Kubicki SJ

LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD, HAVE MERCY ON ME A SINNER

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME, Thomas a Kempis, Uncategorized

Quote/s of the Day – 3 January – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

Posted on January 3, 2019January 1, 2023 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 3 January – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

“The sweet Name of Jesus
produces in us holy thoughts,
fills the soul with noble sentiments,
strengthens virtue,
begets good works
and nourishes pure affection.
All spiritual food leaves the soul dry,
if it contain not,
that penetrating oil,
the Name Jesus.”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 1153) Doctor of the Church

“The name of Jesus, is in fact,
the great foundation of the faith
that turns people into children of God.
The Catholic Faith indeed,
consists in the news of Jesus Christ,
as light of the soul,
gate of life
and foundation
of eternal salvation.”

“The Name of Jesus is the glory of preachers
because the shining splendour of that Name
causes His word to be proclaimed and heard.
And how do you think such an immense,
sudden and dazzling light of faith came into the world,
if not because Jesus was preached?
Was it not through the brilliance
and sweet savour of this Name
that God called us into His marvelous light?”

St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

“Oh that you were worthy
to suffer something for the
Name of Jesus!
What great glory would await you,
what great rejoicing among all the Saints
and, moreover, what great edification
to your neighbour!”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

(Imitation Book 2- Chapter 12)

…There is one Christian name in the world
which casts a spell over eye or ear
when we see it written on the page of a book,
or overhear it mentioned in conversation.
We are thrilled by the mere encounter of it.
…It produces in us a sudden lightening of the heart,
because we are in love!”

Monsignor Ronald Knox (1888-1957)

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 January – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus & The celebration of the Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus

Posted on January 3, 2019January 3, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 3 January – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus & The celebration of the Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus…Luke 2:21 at the end of 8 days he was called jesus 3 jan 2019

REFLECTION – “In the autumn of 1537, on his way to Rome with a group of his first companions, Ignatius wondered, ‘if people ask who we are, how should we answer?’ The answer came spontaneously: ‘we shall say that we are the “Society of Jesus.” This demanding name intends to suggest a relationship of very close friendship and of total affection for Jesus, in whose footsteps they wanted to follow. Why have I told you about this event? Because St Ignatius and his companions had realised that Jesus was teaching them how to live well, how to live a life that had profound meaning, that imparted enthusiasm, joy and hope. They had understood that Jesus is a great teacher of life and model of life and that He was not only teaching them but also inviting them to follow Him on this path….like Jesus, we exist for the Father; that, like Jesus, we live to serve, not to be served. …For the life of a Jesuit, the Passover of the Lord is sufficient.”...Pope Francis

PRAYER – We pray, to the eternal Lord of the universe, through the help of Your glorious Mother, we may live to empty ourselves for the sake of the glory of Your Kingdom and our own eternal happiness with You. Mary, Mother of God, help us to be messengers of your Son. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, in union with God our Father, one God forever and ever. All you holy Jesuit Saints in heaven, pray for us! Amen. jesuits-saints-pray-for-us-3-jan-2016

titular-feast-jesuit-3-jan-2018-no-2 (1)

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 3 January – Jesu, Dulcis Memoria

Posted on January 3, 2019December 28, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 3 January – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

Jesu, Dulcis Memoria is a celebrated 12th century hymn by St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), Doctor Mellifluous. The entire hymn has some 42 to 53 stanzas depending upon the manuscript. Parts of this hymn are used for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus.

Hymn or Prayer
Jesu, Dulcis Memoria
By St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.
No voice can sing,
no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus’ Name,
The Saviour of mankind.
O hope of every contrite heart!
0 joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!
But what to those who find?
Ah! this Nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.
Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shall be;
In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity.
Amen jesu, dulcis memoria st bernard of clairvaux hymn or prayer

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus – 3 January

Posted on January 3, 2019January 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus – 3 January

Holy Mother Church reveals to us the greatness of His name. It was on the occasion of the rite of Circumcision that a name was given to children among Jews, eight days after birth. So the Church uses the same Gospel as that of the Feast of the Circumcision and dwells on the second part which tells us that “the Child was called Jesus” (Gospel), “as God had bid that He should be called” (Collect). This name means Saviour, for “there is no other name given to men whereby we must be saved” (Epistle). holy_name_pic

The name Jesus comes from the Greek Iesous which was derived from the Aramaic, Yeshu. It means “Yaweh is salvation.” The name was not unique, even in biblical times, and today it is common in Arabic-speaking East and in Spanish-speaking countries. From apostolic times the name has been treated with the greatest respect, as honour is due the name which represents Our Lord, Himself.

Our Lord Himself solemnly promises that whatever we ask the Father in His Name, we shall receive. God never fails to keep His word. When, therefore, we say, “Jesus,” let us ask God for all we need with absolute confidence of being heard. For this reason, the Church ends her prayer with the words, “through Jesus Christ,” which gives the prayer a new and Divine efficacy. But the Holy Name is something still greater. john-14-13-14-10-jan-2018

Each time we say, “Jesus,” we give God infinite joy and glory, for we offer Him all the infinite merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ. St Paul tells us, that Jesus merited the Name Jesus by His Passion and Death. “The Holy Name of Jesus is, first of all, an all-powerful prayer. Our Lord Himself solemnly promises, that whatever we ask the Father in His Name, we shall receive. God never fails to keep His word. Each time we say “Jesus,” it is an act of perfect love, for, we offer to God, the infinite love of Jesus”…St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church

The Holy Name of Jesus saves us from innumerable evils and delivers us especially from the power of the devil, who is constantly seeking to do us harm. The Holy Name of Jesus gradually fills our souls with a peace and joy we never had before. The Holy Name of Jesus gives us strength that our sufferings become light and easy to bear.

Anyone who is finding it hard to pray, or experiencing the ”desert” in their lives, can benefit from simply praying the Holy Name of Jesus. The loving invocation of the Holy Name can also be an effective way to make reparation to Our Blessed Lord for the atmosphere of blasphemy and irreligion which prevails generally today and remember, that although now fallen into obscurity in many countries, Catholics always bow their heads at the name of Jesus!

IHS panel

The origin of this feast is traced to the sixteenth century, when it was celebrated by the Franciscan Order. The devotion developed through the construction of special altars dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. St Bernadine of Siena OFM (1380-1444) painted a wooden tablet with the Monogram of the Holy Name of Jesus – IHS – surrounded by the rays of the sun to help spread the devotion far and wide.

The holy name and -saint-bernardino-of-siena

In 1721 the Church, under the rule of Pope Innocent XIII, made the keeping of this solemnity universal. It is the central feast of all the mysteries of Christ the Redeemer, it unites all the other feasts of the Lord, as a burning glass focuses the rays of the sun in one point, to show what Jesus is to us, what He has done, is doing and will do for mankind. Such joy Catholics are given, with this feast celebrated for an entire month – thus enabling constant reinforcement and reminders of our devotion.

The Office and the Mass composed by Bernardine dei Busti (died 1500) were approved by Sixtus IV. The feast was officially granted to the Franciscans on 25 February 1530 and spread over a great part of the Church. The Office used at present is nearly identical with the Office of Bernardine dei Busti. The hymns “Jesu dulcis memoria,” “Jesu Rex admirabilis,” “Jesu decus angelicum,” are ascribed to St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), Doctor of the Church.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us

”The invocation of the Holy Name of Jesus is the simplest way of praying always. When the Holy Name is repeated often by a humbly attentive heart, the prayer is not lost by heaping up empty praises but holds fast to the Word and ”brings forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15). This prayer is possible at all times because it is not one occupation among others but the only occupation – that of loving God which animates and transfigures every action in Christ Jesus” (CCC 2668).

Last year I posted the little booklet “The Wonders of the Holy Name by Fr Paul O’Sullican. You open the category “The Holy Name” and the posts will be there. I think there were 14 posts in total, so it will take you a few days to go through them.

Last year’s post for this Feast Day is here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/3-january-feast-of-the-most-holy-name-of-jesus/

FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME

Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and Memorials of the Saints – 3 January

Posted on January 3, 2019January 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Optional Memorial) – moved to 3 January
The Holy Name of Jesus: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/3-january-feast-of-the-most-holy-name-of-jesus/

The Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus

St Pope Antherus
Bl Arnold Wala
St Athanasius of Cilicia
St Bertilia of Mareuil
St Bertille of Thuringia
St Blitmund of Bobbio
St Constant of Gap
St Cyrinus of Cyzicus
St Daniel Himmerod the Younger
Bl Daniel of Padua
St Eustadius
St Finlugh
St Fintan of Doon
St Florentius of Vienne
St Florentius of Vienne the Martyr
St Genevieve
Bl Gerard Cagnoli
St Gordius of Cappadocia
St Imbenia
St Kuriakose Elias Chavara
St Lucian of Lentini
St Melorius
St Peter of Palestine
St Primus of Cyzicus
St Salvator of Belluno
St Theogenes of Cyzicus
St Theonas
St Theopemptus of Nicomedia
St Wenog
Bl Bl William Vives
St Zosimus of Cilicia
—
Martyrs of Africa – 12 saints: A group of Christians martyred together in Africa, date unknown, exact location unknown. We know nothing more than their names – Acuta, Candidus, Constantius, Eugenia, Firmus, Hilarinus, Lucida, Martial, Poenica, Possessor, Rogatianus and Statutianus.

Martyrs of Tomi – 7 saints: A group of Christians martyred together, date unknown. We know nothing more than their names – Claudon, Diogenius, Eugene, Eugentus, Pinna, Rhodes and Rhodo. They were martyred at Tomi, Exinius Pontus, Moesia (modern Constanta, Romania).

ON the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 2 January – Sts Basil & Gregory

Posted on January 2, 2019January 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 2 January – The Memorial of St Basil the Great and St Gregory of Nazianzen

“It often happens, that men of very dissimilar talents, tastes, are attracted together by their very dissimilitude …. Gregory the affectionate, the tender-hearted, the man of quick feelings, the accomplished, the eloquent preacher – and Basil, the man of firm resolve and hard deeds, the high-minded ruler of Christ’s flock, the diligent labourer in the field of ecclesiastical politics.
Thus they differed, yet not as if they had not much in common still – both had the blessing and the discomfort of a sensitive mind; both were devoted to an ascetic life; both were men of classical tastes’ both were special champions of the Catholic creed; both were skilled in argument and successful in their use of it; both were in highest place in the Church, the one Exarch of Caesarea, the other Patriarch of Constantinople.”…Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Historial Sketches

“Different men have different names, which they owe to their parents or to themselves, that is, to their own pursuits and achievements. But our great pursuit, the great name we wanted, was to be Christians, to be called Christians.”…St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) (from his writings on his friendship with St Basil).

It may be small comfort, but post-Vatican II turmoil in the Church is a mild storm compared to the devastation caused by the Arian heresy, a trauma the Church has never forgotten. Christ did not promise the kind of peace we would love to have—no problems, no opposition, no pain.

In one way or another, holiness is always the way of the cross.

Sts Basil and Gregory, Pray for Us!

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ABORTION, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 2 January – St Basil & St Gregory

Posted on January 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 2 January – The Memorial of St Basil the Great and St Gregory of Nazianzen

Two are better than one:
they get a good wage for their toil.
If the one falls, the other will help the fallen one.
But woe to the solitary person!
If that one should fall, there is no other to help…

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

“Let us raise ourselves from our fall
and not give up hope, as long as we are free from sin.
Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners.
‘Come, let us adore and prostrate ourselves and weep before him’ (Psalm 95:6).
The Word calls us to repentance, crying out:
‘Come to me, all you who labour and are heavily burdened and I will refresh you’ (Matthew 11:28).
There is, then, a way to salvation
if we are willing to follow it”
(from a letter by Saint Basil the Great)

“A tree is known by its fruit;
a man by his deeds.
A good deed is never lost,
he who sows courtesy, reaps friendship
and he who plants kindness, gathers love.”

“The bread which you use
is the bread of the hungry;
the garment hanging in your wardrobe
is the garment of him who is naked;
the shoes you do NOT wear,
are the shoes of the one who is barefoot;
the acts of charity that you do NOT perform,
are so many INJUSTICES that you commit.”

“The hairsplitting difference between
formed and unformed makes no difference to us.
Whoever deliberately commits abortion
is subject to the penalty for homicide.”

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

“Give something, however small,
to the one in need.
For it is not small to one who has nothing.
Neither is it small to God,
if we have given what we could.”

“If anyone does not believe
that Holy Mary
is the Mother of God,
such a one is a stranger
to the Godhead.”

“Let us not esteem worldly prosperity,
or adversity, as things real or of any moment
but let us live elsewhere
and raise all our attention to Heaven,
esteeming sin as the only true evil
and nothing truly good
but virtue, which unites us to God.”

St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Father & Doctor of the Church

CHRISTMASTIDE!, SAINT of the DAY, The CHRIST CHILD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 January – Christmas Weekday Today’s Gospel: John 1:19–28

Posted on January 2, 2019January 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 2 January – Christmas Weekday Today’s Gospel: John 1:19–28

He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”…John 1:23

REFLECTION – “It is a voice which cries out where it seems that no one can hear it — for who can listen in the desert? — and which cries out in the disorientation caused by a crisis of faith. We cannot deny that the world today is in a crisis of faith. One says: “I believe in God, I am a Christian” — “I belong to this religion…”. But your life is far from being Christian – it is far removed from God! Religion, faith is but an expression: “Do I believe?” — “Yes!”. This means returning to God, converting the heart to God and going on this path to find Him. He is waiting for us. This is John the Baptist’s preaching: prepare. Prepare for the encounter with this Child who will give our smile back to us.”…Pope Francis – General Audience, 7 December 2016 john 1 23 - i am the voice crying in the wilderness - it is a voice - pope francis 2 jan 2019

PRAYER – Look with favour on our morning prayer, Lord and in Your saving love, let Your light penetrate the wilderness in our hearts. May no sordid desires darken our minds, renewed and enlightened as we are, by Your heavenly grace. God our Father, You enriched Your Church and gave examples for us to follow in the life and teachings of Sts Basil and Gregory. Grant that, learning Your truth with humility, we may practise it in faith and love. Sts Basil and Gregory, pray for our beloved Church, pray for all Catholic Christians, through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen. sts-basil-and-gregory-pray-for-us-2-jan-2018

DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 2 January – Prayer of St Basil the Great

Posted on January 2, 2019January 1, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 2 January – The Memorial of St Basil the Great and St Gregory of Nazianzen

O Christ, our Master and God
By St Basil the Great (329-379)

O Christ, our Master and God,
King of the ages and Creator of all,
I thank You for all the good things
that You have given to me
and for the reception
of your most pure and life-giving mysteries.
I pray You, therefore,
O good Lover of humankind,
keep me under Your protection
in the shadow of Your wings.
Grant that with a pure conscience,
until my last breath,
I may worthily partake of Your Holy Things,
for the forgiveness of sins
and for life everlasting.
For You are the Bread of Life,
the Fountain of Holiness
and the Bestower of Blessings
and to You we give glory together
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever and ever, amen. o christ our master and god - 2 jan 2019 st basil the great.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Of HOSPITALS, NURSES, NURSING ASSOCIATIONS, Of MONKS, OF RELIGIOUS ORDERS, SAINT of the DAY

Saint/s of the Day – 2 January – St Basil the Great (329-379) and St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) “Two Bodies one Spirit”

Posted on January 2, 2019June 13, 2023 by AnaStpaul

Saint/s of the Day – 2 January – St Basil the Great (329-379) and St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Fathers and Doctors of the Church “Two Bodies one Spirit” basil-and-gregory

On 2 January, the Roman Church honours the memory of two friends from an area of what is now Turkey that was called Cappadocia. These men began their friendship while away at school and later became bishops who were the backbone of Catholic Orthodoxy during a period of doctrinal struggle and confusion. Gregory presided over the 2nd ecumenical council, held at Constantinople, whose great achievement was the completion of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed that the Catholic Church recites each Sunday and the definition of the divinity of the Holy Spirit. These Cappadocian Fathers, both Doctors of the Church, proved to be some of the most influential Christian teachers of all time, honoured by both East and West, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic.

Basil was on his way to becoming a famous teacher when he decided to begin a religious life of gospel poverty. After studying various modes of religious life, he founded what was probably the first monastery in Asia Minor. He is to monks of the East what Saint Benedict is to the West and Basil’s principles influence Eastern monasticism today.

He was Ordained a Priest, assisted the Archbishop of Caesarea—now southeastern Turkey—and ultimately became Archbishop himself, in spite of opposition from some of the Bishops under him, probably because they foresaw coming reforms.

Arianism, one of the most damaging heresies in the history of the Church which denied the divinity of Christ, was at its height. Emperor Valens persecuted orthodox believers and put great pressure on Basil to remain silent and admit the heretics to communion. Basil remained firm, and Valens backed down. But trouble remained. When the great Saint Athanasius died, the mantle of defender of the faith against Arianism fell upon Basil. He strove mightily to unite and rally his fellow Catholics who were crushed by tyranny and torn by internal dissension. He was misunderstood, misrepresented, accused of heresy and ambition. Even appeals to the pope brought no response. “For my sins I seem to be unsuccessful in everything.”

Basil was tireless in pastoral care. He preached twice a day to huge crowds, built a hospital that was called a wonder of the world—as a youth he had organised famine relief and worked in a soup kitchen himself—and fought the prostitution business. Hence Basil is now the Patron of Hospitals and the Administrators thereof, of Cappadocia, Monks, Reformers, Cessaniti in Italy, Russia.

Basil was best known as an orator. Though not recognised greatly in his lifetime, his writings rightly place him among the great teachers of the Church. Seventy two years after his death, the Council of Chalcedon described him as “the great Basil, minister of grace who has expounded the truth to the whole earth.”

After his baptism at 30, Gregory gladly accepted his friend Basil’s invitation to join him in a newly founded monastery. The solitude was broken when Gregory’s father, a bishop, needed help in his diocese and estate. It seems that Gregory was ordained a priest practically by force and only reluctantly accepted the responsibility. He skilfully avoided a schism that threatened when his own father made compromises with Arianism. At 41, Gregory was chosen suffragan bishop of Caesarea and at once came into conflict with Valens, the emperor, who supported the Arians.

An unfortunate by-product of the battle was the cooling of the friendship of two saints. Basil, his archbishop, sent him to a miserable and unhealthy town on the border of unjustly created divisions in his diocese. Basil reproached Gregory for not going to his see.

When protection for Arianism ended with the death of Valens, Gregory was called to rebuild the faith in the great see of Constantinople, which had been under Arian teachers for three decades. Retiring and sensitive, he dreaded being drawn into the whirlpool of corruption and violence. He first stayed at a friend’s home, which became the only orthodox church in the city. In such surroundings, he began giving the great sermons on the Trinity for which he is famous. In time, Gregory did rebuild the faith in the city but at the cost of great suffering, slander, insults and even personal violence. An interloper even tried to take over his bishopric.

His last days were spent in solitude and austerity. He wrote religious poetry, some of it autobiographical, of great depth and beauty. He was acclaimed simply as “the Theologian.”

SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 2 January

Posted on January 2, 2019January 1, 2019 by AnaStpaul

St Basil the Great (Memorial) (329-379) Father & Doctor of the Church
St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Father & Doctor of the Church (Memorial)
About these 2 great fathers:

https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/01/02/saint-s-of-the-day-st-basil-the-great-329-379-and-st-gregory-of-nazianzen-330-390-fathers-and-doctors-of-the-church/

St Adelard of Corbie
Bl Airaldus of Maurienne
St Asclepius of Limoges
St Aspasius of Auch
St Blidulf of Bobbio
Bl Guillaume Répin
St Hortulana of Assisi
St Isidore of Antioch
St Isidore of Nitria
St Laurent Bâtard
St Macarius the Younger
St Maximus of Vienne
Bl Odino of Rot
St Paracodius of Vienne
St Seraphim of Sarov
St Seiriol
Bl Stephana de Quinzanis
St Telesphorus, Pope
St Theodota
St Theopistus
St Vincentian of Tulle
—
Many Martyrs Who Suffered in Rome: There were many martyrs who suffered in the persecutions of Diocletian for refusing to surrender the holy books. Though we know these atrocities occured, we do not know the names of the saints and we honour them as a group. c 303 in Rome, Italy.

Martyrs of Antioch – 5 saints: A group of Christian soldiers martyred together for their faith. We know the names of five – Albanus, Macarius, Possessor, Starus and Stratonicus. They were born in Greece and were martyred in Antioch (modern Antakya, Turkey).

Many Martyrs of Britain: The Christians of Britain appear to have escaped unharmed in the earlier persecutions which afflicted the Church but the cruel edicts of Diocletian were enforced in every corner of the empire and the faithful inhabitants of this land, whether native Britons or Roman colonists, were called upon to furnish their full number of holy Martyrs and Confessors. The names of few are on record but the British historian, Saint Gildas, after relating the martyrdom of Saint Alban, tells us that many others were seized, some put to the most unheard-of tortures and others immediately executed, while not a few hid themselves in forests and deserts and the caves of the earth, where they endured a prolonged death until God called them to their reward. The same writer attributes it to the subsequent invasion of the English, then a pagan people, that the recollection of the places, sanctified by these martyrdoms, has been lost and so little honour paid to their memory . It may be added that, according to one tradition, a thousand of these Christians were overtaken in their flight near Lichfield and cruelly massacred and that the name of Lichfield, or Field of the Dead, is derived from them.

Martyrs of Ethiopia – 3 saints: A group of Christians martyred together for their faith. We know the names of three – Auriga, Claudia and Rutile.

Martyrs of Jerusalem – 2 saints: A group of Christians martyred together for their faith. We know the names of two – Stephen and Vitalis.

Martyrs of Lichfield: Many Christians suffered at Lichfield (aka Lyke-field, meaning field of dead bodies), England in the persecutions of Diocletian. Though we know these atrocities occured, we do not know the names of the saints, and we honour them as a group. Their martyrdom occurred in 304 at Lichfield, England.

Martyrs of Piacenza: A group of Christians who died together for their faith in the persecutions of Diocletian. No details about them have survived. They were martyred on the site of church of Madonna di Campagna, Piacenza, Italy.

Martyrs of Puy – 4 saints: Missionaries, sent by Saint Fronto of Périgueux to the area of Puy, France. Tortured and martyred by local pagans. We know the names – Frontasius, Severinus, Severian and Silanus. They were beheaded in Puy (modern Puy-en-Velay), France and buried together in the church of Notre Dame, Puy-en-Velay by Saint Fronto, their bodies laid out to form a cross.

Martyrs of Syrmium – 7 saints: Group of Christians martyred together, date unknown. We know the names of seven – Acutus, Artaxus, Eugenda, Maximianus, Timothy, Tobias and Vitus – but very little else. This occurred in the 3rd or 4th century at Syrmium, Pannonia (modern Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia).

Martyrs of Tomi – 3 saints: Three brothers, all Christians, all soldiers in the imperial Roman army, and all three martyred in the persecutions of emperor Licinius Licinianus. We know their names – Argeus, Marcellinus and Narcissus – but little else.
They were martyred in 320 at Tomi, Exinius Pontus, Moesia (modern Constanta, Romania).

NOTES to Followers

Second Thought for the Day – 1 January – New Year with a special patron Saint

Posted on January 1, 2019January 1, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Second Thought for the Day – 1 January – New Year with a special patron Saint.

A great idea for the New Year is to chose a special Saint to become your guide, your teacher and spiritual adviser.

Perhaps you could use Jennifer Fulwiler’s Saint Generator to pick a patron saint. I usually chose one from the above link and another who I have grown closer to during the year.

May God bless you all during 2019!

CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

The Holy Father’s Prayer Intention for January 2019

Posted on January 1, 2019December 31, 2018 by AnaStpaul

The Holy Father’s Prayer Intention
for January 2019

Evangelisation:

Young People and the Example of Mary

That young people, especially in Latin America,
follow the example of Mary
and respond to the call of the Lord,
to communicate the joy of the Gospel,
to the world.

holy father's prayer intention jan 2018 no 2

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The HOLY NAME, Uncategorized

JANUARY is the Month of THE MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS

Posted on January 1, 2019December 31, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Monthly Catholic Devotions:

JANUARY is the Month of THE MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS

The month of January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. “In the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth and under the earth” (Phil 2:10). Christ’s name is chosen in heaven and the Angel Gabriel announces it when he informs the Blessed Virgin of the incarnation: “Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus”. It is a name that has marvellous implications, for it means “saviour.” The very name bespeaks the magnitude of His mission, His infinite love, a love that will cause Him to offer Himself up for us. 1-january-2018-the-most-holy-name

The name of Jesus is the sweetest of all names and He who bears it is most worthy of all love. He who calls Jesus his friend can be assured that this friend is the most devoted and unselfish of all friends.

Jesus is our all. In His name we may pray to the Father with assurance of being heard. In His name the Church administers all her sacraments. In His name she offers all her prayers and blesses homes, the fields and the sick. In the name of Jesus she casts out evil spirits and at the hour of our death bids us, “Go forth, Christian soul.” She assures us that whoever shall call upon this name will be saved. When our soul has departed this life to seek its eternal home, the Church asks in the name of Jesus, “Eternal rest give unto him, O Lord.”…Dom Benedict Baur O.S.B. (1877-1963)

The very Angels in Heaven bow at the name of Jesus. And even the demons in Hell. Let us do likewise, this old Catholic practice still in use in many countries should be a standard, like the Sign of the Cross.

This month, why not take a few minutes to memorise the Jesus Prayer and pray it during those moments of the day when you are between activities, or travelling, or simply taking a rest? Keeping Christ’s Name always on our lips is a good way to ensure that we draw ever nearer to Him.

THE JESUS PRAYER
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner

DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES for the NEW YEAR, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 1 January – New Year’s Day 2019

Posted on January 1, 2019January 1, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 1 January – New Year’s Day 2019

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
the new creation has come.
The old has gone, the new is here!”

2 Corinthians 5:17

“Brothers, . . . I can only say,
that forgetting all that lies behind me
and straining forward to what lies in front of me
and I am racing towards the finishing-point,
to win the prize of God’s heavenly call
in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:13

May he give you what you desire
and make all your plans succeed.
Then we will shout for joy over your victory
and celebrate your triumph by praising our God.
May the LORD answer all your requests.

Psalm 20:4-5

“The bread you store up belongs to the hungry,
the cloak that lies in your chest belongs to the naked,
the gold you have hidden in the ground,
belongs to the poor.”

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

“Love God,
serve God;
everything is in that.”

St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

“Teach us to give and not to count the cost.”

“All for the greater glory of God.”

St Ignatius de Loyola (1491-1556)

“You must ask God to give you power
to fight against the sin of pride
which is your greatest enemy –
the root of all that is evil
and the failure of all that is good.
For God resists the proud.”

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

“Let us go forward in peace,
our eyes upon heaven,
the only one goal of our labours.”

St Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873-1897)- Doctor of the Church

“During this new year,
I resolve to begin a new life.
I do not know,
what will happen to me, during this year.
But I abandon myself entirely to You, my God.
And my aspirations and all my affections,
will be for You.
I feel so weak, dear Jesus
but with Your help,
I hope and resolve,
to live a different life,
that is, a life closer to You.”

“Father, do You know,
the latest idea that has come into my head?
It is to become a saint at all costs.
I made this resolution yesterday evening.
During my meditation I was thinking,
that one lives only once
and it is certain,
that one is going to die,
then one will have to answer to God.”

“Every time the clock strikes,
I will repeat three times –
‘My Jesus, mercy!”

St Gemma Galgani (1878-1903)

AND here are Quotes for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/01/01/quote-s-of-the-day-1-january-2018-the-solemnity-of-mary-mother-of-god-and-the-octave-day-of-the-nativity-of-our-lord/

FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, Uncategorized

Thought for the Day – 1 January ” Mother of God” Blessed J H Newman

Posted on January 1, 2019January 1, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 1 January – The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and the Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord

The Blessed Virgin is Theotocus, Deipara, or Mother of God….God is her Son, as truly as anyone of us is the son of his own mother….What dignity can be too great to attribute to her who is as closely bound up, as intimately one, with the Eternal Word, as a mother is with a son? What outfit of sanctity, what fullness and redundance of grace, what exuberance of merits must have been hers, when once we admit the supposition …. that her Maker really did regard those merits and take them into account, when He condescended “not to abhor the Virgin’s womb”?
Is it surprising then, that on the one hand she should be immaculate in her Conception? or on the other that she should be honoured with an Assumption and exalted as a queen with a crown of twelve stars, with the rules of day and night to do her service?

Men sometimes wonder that we call her Mother of life, of mercy, of salvation – what are all these titles compared to that one name, Mother of God? (Certain Difficulties felt by Anglicans in Catholic Teaching, ii, 3)

Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Immaculate Queen, Mary, Mother of God, Pray for Us!

CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, PAPAL MESSAGES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PEACE, The WORD, Uncategorized, VATICAN Resources

The 52nd World Day of Prayer for Peace – 1 January 2019

Posted on January 1, 2019December 31, 2018 by AnaStpaul

The 52nd World Day of Prayer for Peace – 1 January 2019

Excerpt from St Pope Paul VI’s First Message to the World on 1 January 1968 for the First World Day of Prayer for Peace

“We address Ourself to all men of good will to exhort them to celebrate “The Day of Peace”, throughout the world, on the first day of the year, 1 January 1968. It is Our desire that then, every year, this commemoration be repeated as a hope and as a promise, at the beginning of the calendar which measures and outlines the path of human life in time, that Peace with its just and beneficent equilibrium may dominate the development of events to come.

We think that this proposal interprets the aspirations of peoples, of their governments, of international organisms which strive to preserve Peace in the world, of those religious institutions so interested in the promotion of Peace, of cultural, political and social movements which make Peace their ideal; of youth, whose perspicacity regarding the new paths of civilisation, dutifully oriented toward its peaceful developments is more lively; of wise men who see how much, today, Peace is both necessary and threatened. The proposal to dedicate to Peace the first day of the new year is not intended, therefore, as exclusively ours, religious, that is, Catholic. It would hope to have the adherence of all the true friends of Peace, as if it were their own initiative, to be expressed in a free manner, congenial to the particular character of those who are aware of how beautiful and how important is the harmony of all voices in the world for the exaltation of this primary good, which is Peace, in the varied concert of modern humanity.

The Catholic Church, with the intention of service and of example, simply wishes to “launch the idea”, in the hope that it may not only receive the widest consent of the civilised world but that such an idea may find everywhere numerous promoters, able and capable of impressing on the “Day of Peace”, to be celebrated on the first day of every new year, that sincere and strong character of conscious humanity, redeemed from its sad and fatal bellicose conflicts, which will give to the history of the world a more happy, ordered and civilised development.”

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE
FRANCIS
FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE
52nd WORLD DAY OF PEACE

1 JANUARY 2019

Good politics is at the service of peace

1. “Peace be to this house!”

In sending his disciples forth on mission, Jesus told them: “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him but if not, it shall return to you” (Lk 10:5-6).

Bringing peace is central to the mission of Christ’s disciples. That peace is offered to all those men and women who long for peace amid the tragedies and violence that mark human history. The “house” of which Jesus speaks is every family, community, country and continent, in all their diversity and history. It is first and foremost each individual person, without distinction or discrimination. But it is also our “common home”: the world in which God has placed us and which we are called to care for and cultivate.

So let this be my greeting at the beginning of the New Year: “Peace be to this house!”

2. The challenge of good politics

Peace is like the hope which the poet Charles Péguy celebrated. It is like a delicate flower struggling to blossom on the stony ground of violence. We know that the thirst for power at any price leads to abuses and injustice. Politics is an essential means of building human community and institutions, but when political life is not seen as a form of service to society as a whole, it can become a means of oppression, marginalisation and even destruction.

Jesus tells us that, “if anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mk 9:35). In the words of Pope Paul VI, “to take politics seriously at its different levels – local, regional, national and worldwide – is to affirm the duty of each individual to acknowledge the reality and value of the freedom offered him to work at one and the same time for the good of the city, the nation and all mankind”.

Political office and political responsibility thus constantly challenge those called to the service of their country to make every effort to protect those who live there and to create the conditions for a worthy and just future. If exercised with basic respect for the life, freedom and dignity of persons, political life can indeed become an outstanding form of charity.

3. Charity and human virtues: the basis of politics at the service of human rights and peace

Pope Benedict XVI noted that “every Christian is called to practise charity in a manner corresponding to his vocation and according to the degree of influence he wields in the pólis… When animated by charity, commitment to the common good has greater worth than a merely secular and political stand would have… Man’s earthly activity, when inspired and sustained by charity, contributes to the building of the universal city of God, which is the goal of the history of the human family”. This is a programme on which all politicians, whatever their culture or religion, can agree, if they wish to work together for the good of the human family and to practise those human virtues that sustain all sound political activity: justice, equality, mutual respect, sincerity, honesty, fidelity.

In this regard, it may be helpful to recall the “Beatitudes of the Politician”, proposed by Vietnamese Cardinal François-Xavier Nguyễn Vãn Thuận, a faithful witness to the Gospel who died in 2002:

Blessed be the politician with a lofty sense and deep understanding of his role.

Blessed be the politician who personally exemplifies credibility.

Blessed be the politician who works for the common good and not his or her own interest.

Blessed be the politician who remains consistent.

Blessed be the politician who works for unity.

Blessed be the politician who works to accomplish radical change.

Blessed be the politician who is capable of listening.

Blessed be the politician who is without fear.

Every election and re-election, and every stage of public life, is an opportunity to return to the original points of reference that inspire justice and law. One thing is certain: good politics is at the service of peace. It respects and promotes fundamental human rights, which are at the same time mutual obligations, enabling a bond of trust and gratitude to be forged between present and future generations.

4. Political vices

Sadly, together with its virtues, politics also has its share of vices, whether due to personal incompetence or to flaws in the system and its institutions. Clearly, these vices detract from the credibility of political life overall, as well as the authority, decisions and actions of those engaged in it. These vices, which undermine the ideal of an authentic democracy, bring disgrace to public life and threaten social harmony. We think of corruption in its varied forms: the misappropriation of public resources, the exploitation of individuals, the denial of rights, the flouting of community rules, dishonest gain, the justification of power by force or the arbitrary appeal to raison d’état and the refusal to relinquish power. To which we can add xenophobia, racism, lack of concern for the natural environment, the plundering of natural resources for the sake of quick profit and contempt for those forced into exile.

5. Good politics promotes the participation of the young and trust in others

When the exercise of political power aims only at protecting the interests of a few privileged individuals, the future is compromised and young people can be tempted to lose confidence, since they are relegated to the margins of society without the possibility of helping to build the future. But when politics concretely fosters the talents of young people and their aspirations, peace grows in their outlook and on their faces. It becomes a confident assurance that says, “I trust you and with you I believe” that we can all work together for the common good. Politics is at the service of peace if it finds expression in the recognition of the gifts and abilities of each individual. “What could be more beautiful than an outstretched hand? It was meant by God to offer and to receive. God did not want it to kill (cf. Gen 4:1ff) or to inflict suffering, but to offer care and help in life. Together with our heart and our intelligence, our hands too can become a means of dialogue”.

Everyone can contribute his or her stone to help build the common home. Authentic political life, grounded in law and in frank and fair relations between individuals, experiences renewal whenever we are convinced that every woman, man and generation brings the promise of new relational, intellectual, cultural and spiritual energies. That kind of trust is never easy to achieve, because human relations are complex, especially in our own times, marked by a climate of mistrust rooted in the fear of others or of strangers, or anxiety about one’s personal security. Sadly, it is also seen at the political level, in attitudes of rejection or forms of nationalism that call into question the fraternity of which our globalised world has such great need. Today more than ever, our societies need “artisans of peace” who can be messengers and authentic witnesses of God the Father, who wills the good and the happiness of the human family.

6. No to war and to the strategy of fear

A hundred years after the end of the First World War, as we remember the young people killed in those battles and the civilian populations torn apart, we are more conscious than ever of the terrible lesson taught by fratricidal wars: peace can never be reduced solely to a balance between power and fear. To threaten others is to lower them to the status of objects and to deny their dignity. This is why we state once more that an escalation of intimidation, and the uncontrolled proliferation of arms, is contrary to morality and the search for true peace. Terror exerted over those who are most vulnerable contributes to the exile of entire populations who seek a place of peace. Political addresses that tend to blame every evil on migrants and to deprive the poor of hope are unacceptable. Rather, there is a need to reaffirm that peace is based on respect for each person, whatever his or her background, on respect for the law and the common good, on respect for the environment entrusted to our care and for the richness of the moral tradition inherited from past generations.

Our thoughts turn in a particular way to all those children currently living in areas of conflict, and to all those who work to protect their lives and defend their rights. One out of every six children in our world is affected by the violence of war or its effects, even when they are not enrolled as child soldiers or held hostage by armed groups. The witness given by those who work to defend them and their dignity is most precious for the future of humanity.

7. A great project of peace

In these days, we celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in the wake of the Second World War. In this context, let us also remember the observation of Pope John XXIII: “Man’s awareness of his rights must inevitably lead him to the recognition of his duties. The possession of rights involves the duty of implementing those rights, for they are the expression of a man’s personal dignity. And the possession of rights also involves their recognition and respect by others”.

Peace, in effect, is the fruit of a great political project grounded in the mutual responsibility and interdependence of human beings. But it is also a challenge that demands to be taken up ever anew. It entails a conversion of heart and soul; it is both interior and communal; and it has three inseparable aspects:

– peace with oneself, rejecting inflexibility, anger and impatience; in the words of Saint Francis de Sales, showing “a bit of sweetness towards oneself” in order to offer “a bit of sweetness to others”;

– peace with others: family members, friends, strangers, the poor and the suffering, being unafraid to encounter them and listen to what they have to say;

– peace with all creation, rediscovering the grandeur of God’s gift and our individual and shared responsibility as inhabitants of this world, citizens and builders of the future.

The politics of peace, conscious of and deeply concerned for every situation of human vulnerability, can always draw inspiration from the Magnificat, the hymn that Mary, the Mother of Christ the Saviour and Queen of Peace, sang in the name of all mankind: “He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm; he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly; …for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever” (Lk 1:50-55).

From the Vatican, 8 December 2018

Francis

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) – 1 January

Posted on January 1, 2019January 1, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)

1 January- The Octave Day of Christmas and the First Day of the Month of the Holy Name

The name of Jesus is holy

“Consider that the name of Jesus is a name of gladness, a name of hope and a name of love.
A name of gladness, because if the memory of past sins afflicts us, this name comforts us, reminding us that the Son of God became human for this purpose, to make Himself our Redeemer.
The name of Jesus, is a name of hope, because the person that prays to the eternal Father in the name of Jesus, may hope for every grace.
The name of Jesus is a name of love, because it is a sing that represents top us how much God has done for our love.
The name of Jesus, helps us to remember all the sufferings that He endured for us in His life and in His death. As a devout writer says of the Holy Name, ‘my Jesus, how much has it cost You to be Jesus – that is to say, my Redeemer!'”

Scripture

“At the name of Jesus,
every knee should bow,
of those that are in heaven,
on earth and under the earth”
Philippians 2:10

Prayer (St Alphonsus)

My beloved Jesus,
write Your Name on my poor heart
and on my tongue,
in order that when I am tempted to sin,
I may resist all sin
by invoking Your Holy Name.
If I am tempted to despair,
Your Name will help me to trust.
If I feel myself becoming tepid
in my love for You,
Your Name will inflame my heart.
Help me always to call upon
Your Holy Name.
Amen. christmas with st alphonsus -my beloved jesus write your name - 1 jan 2018.jpg

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Our Morning Offering 1 January – Prayer of St Ephrem to the Mother of God

Posted on January 1, 2019December 31, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering 1 January – The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and the Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord

O Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God
By St Ephrem (306-373) Father & Doctor of the Church

O Immaculate and wholly-pure Virgin Mary,
Mother of God,
Queen of the world,
hope of those who are in despair,
you are the joy of the saints,
you are the peacemaker
between sinners and God,
you are the advocate of the abandoned,
the secure haven
of those who are on the sea of the world,
you are the consolation of the world,
the ransom of slaves,
the comfortress of the afflicted….
O great Queen, we take refuge in your protection.
After God, you are all my hope.
We bear the name of your servants,
allow not the enemy to drag us to hell.
I salute you, O great mediatress of peace
between men and God,
Mother of Jesus our Lord,
who is the love of all men and of God,
to whom be honour and benediction
with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Amen o immac virgin mary mother of god - st ephrem 1 jan 2018

CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

1 January – The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and the Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord

Posted on January 1, 2019December 31, 2018 by AnaStpaul

1 January – The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and the Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord octave-day-mary-mother-of-god-2016jpg

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, our Lady’s greatest title. This feast is the octave of Christmas. In the modern Roman Calendar only Christmas and Easter enjoy the privilege of an octave. One of the earliest titles given by Christians to the Blessed Virgin was Theotokos—“God-bearer.” We celebrate her as the Mother of God because, in bearing Christ, she bore the fullness of the Godhead within her.

In fact, the Church regards the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, as so important that it is a Holy Day of Obligation in most countries. On this day, we are reminded of the role that the Blessed Virgin played in the plan of our salvation. Christ’s Birth was made possible by Mary’s fiat: “Be it done unto me according to Thy word.”

“Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. For the first time in the plan of salvation and because His Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the dwelling place where His Son and His Spirit could dwell among men. In this sense the Church’s Tradition has often read the most beautiful texts on wisdom in relation to Mary. Mary is acclaimed and represented in the liturgy as the “Seat of Wisdom.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church 721

As we begin another year, we draw inspiration from the selfless love of the Theotokos, who never hesitated to do the will of God. And we trust in her prayers to God for us, that we might, as the years pass, become more like her.

Post on 1 January 2018: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/01/01/1-january-2018-the-solemnity-of-mary-the-mother-of-god/

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St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)

St Manuel Gonzalez Garcia (1877–1940) “Apostle of the Abandoned Tabernacles”

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St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 1153) Doctor of the Church

St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Monsignor Ronald Knox (1888-1957)

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Sts Basil and Gregory, Pray for Us!

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Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

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

St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Father & Doctor of the Church

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May God bless you all during 2019!

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Evangelisation:

Young People and the Example of Mary

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2 Corinthians 5:17

Philippians 3:13

Psalm 20:4-5

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

St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

St Ignatius de Loyola (1491-1556)

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

St Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873-1897)- Doctor of the Church

St Gemma Galgani (1878-1903)

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Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Immaculate Queen, Mary, Mother of God, Pray for Us!

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Excerpt from St Pope Paul VI’s First Message to the World on 1 January 1968 for the First World Day of Prayer for Peace

Good politics is at the service of peace

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O Mary, Mother of God, Pray for Us!

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St Manuel Gonzalez Garcia (1877–1940)
“Apostle of the Abandoned Tabernacles”