Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort’s Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary – Day Five – 21 October
Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort’s Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary –
Day Five – 21 October
Readings and Prayers
12 Day Preparation
Day 5 of 33
Imitation of Christ, by Thomas á Kempis: Book 3, Chapter 40
Wherefore but I did know well, how to cast from me all human comfort, either for the sake of devotion, or through the necessity by which I am compelled to seek You, because there is no man that can comfort me. Then might I deservedly hope in Your favour and rejoice in the gift of a new consolation. Thanks be to You from Whom all things proceed, as often as it happens to me. I, indeed, am but vanity and nothing in Your sight , an inconstant and weak man. Where, therefore, can I glory, or for what do I desire to be thought of highly?
Because of my very nothingness and this is most vain. Truly pride is an evil plague, because it draws away from true glory and robs us of heavenly grace. For, while a man takes complacency in himself, he displeases You, while he wants for human applause, he is deprived of true virtues. But true, glory and holy exultation is to glory in You and not in one’s self; to rejoice in Your Name but not in one’s own strength. To find pleasure in no creature, save only for Your sake. Let Your Name be praised, not mine, let Your work be magnified, not mine, let Your Holy Name be blessed but let nothing be attributed to me of the praise of men. You are my glory; You are the exultation of my heart; in You, will I glory and rejoice all the day; but for myself, I will glory in nothing but in my infirmities.
Recite: Veni Creator, Ave Maris Stella, Magnificat, and Glory Be (See See HERE: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/10/17/saint-louis-marie-de-montforts-total-consecration-to-jesus-through-mary-day-one-17-october/ )
NOVENA to St John Paul the Great: DAY NINE – 21 OCTOBER
NOVENA to St John Paul the Great: DAY NINE – 21 OCTOBER
Little Known Fact #9: While visiting the United States in 1976, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla spent a few days in Pomfret, Vermont with philosopher Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka and her family. His main purpose was to work on the English translation of Osobo I Czyn (The Acting Person) but he also used it as a time to relax and enjoy nature. For example, he was often late for lunch because he had been swimming in the neighbour’s pond. Additionally, he didn’t want to be treated like a guest but instead insisted that he cut the grass and help bale hay. He was truly in his element in Vermont and remarked that it reminded him of the Tatras in Poland. Wojtyla spent most of his time outdoors, working on the English translation while sitting on the trunk of a tree that had fallen.
REFLECTION: “This was his message: man is the way of the Church and Christ is the way of man. With this message, which is the great legacy of the Second Vatican Council and of its “helmsman”, the Servant of God Pope Paul VI, John Paul II led the People of God across the threshold of the Third Millennium, which thanks to Christ he was able to call “the threshold of hope”. Throughout the long journey of preparation for the great Jubilee he directed Christianity once again to the future, the future of God, which transcends history while nonetheless directly affecting it. He rightly reclaimed for Christianity that impulse of hope which had in some sense faltered before Marxism and the ideology of progress. He restored to Christianity its true face as a religion of hope, to be lived in history in an “Advent” spirit, in a personal and communitarian existence directed to Christ, the fullness of humanity and the fulfillment of all our longings for justice and peace.” Pope Benedict XVI at the Beatification Ceremony
Let us Pray:
O Holy Trinity, we thank You for having given to the Church Pope John Paul II and for having made him shine with Your fatherly tenderness, the glory of the Cross of Christand the splendour of the Spirit of love.
He, trusting completely in Your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, has shown himself in the likeness of Jesus the Good Shepherd and has pointed out to us the way of holiness as the path to reach eternal communion with You Grant us, through his intercession, according to Your will, the grace that we implore,
………………….. [state your intention here].
Continue, beloved St John Paul, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God’s people. We praise and thank You Father that St John Paul has been numbered among Your saints and make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever.
Totus Tuus, Amen.
Quote Day 9: “Two thousand years have gone by but sinners in need of mercy — and who is not? — still experience the consolation of that “today” of salvation which on the Cross opened the gates of the Kingdom of God to the repentant thief: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Lk 23:43).” St John Paul
Sunday Reflection – 21 October – Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Sunday Reflection – 21 October – Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
“The secret for arriving quickly at a life centred in the Eucharist is, during a certain period of time, to make Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament the habitual object of the exercise of the presence of God, the dominant motive of our intentions, the meditation of our spirit, the affection of our heart, the object of all our virtues.
And if the soul is generous enough, one will come at length to this unity of action, to familiarity with the adorable Sacrament, to think of it with as much and even greater ease than of any other object.
Easily and gently one’s heart will produce the most tender affections. In a word, the Most Holy Sacrament will become the magnet of devotion in one’s life and the centre of perfection of one’s love.
Eight days would be enough for a simple and fervent soul to acquire this Eucharistic spirit and even if one should have to put weeks and months to acquire it, can this ever be compared with the peace and the happiness which this soul will enjoy in the Divine Eucharist?”
St Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868)
Thought for the Day – 21 October – The Memorial of Blessed Karl of Austria (1887 – 1922)
Thought for the Day – 21 October – The Memorial of Blessed Karl of Austria (1887 – 1922)
“Practising Catholic – How to become a Saint”
From a young age and throughout his life, Karl of Austria demonstrated an awareness of God’s presence and Christian duty. As a child, he loved praying at daily mass with his mother, Archduchess Maria Josefa, and was known for his charitable acts. He knew all the prayers a typical Catholic youth would learn and loved praying them, particularly the rosary. As a youth and later as an adult, he loved making pilgrimages to Marian shrines.
As a young child, he was concerned about the poor and needy, so he did odd jobs around his home in order to earn money to give to them. There are records from when he was 18 years old recording his almsgiving and even as Emperor he continued his private charitable giving. There is testimony from one of his aides who was in charge of distributing the Emperor’s alms from his personal household. The aide informed him there was no more money left and Karl said:
“The need is so great, find the money from somewhere else and distribute that.”
Blessed Karl loved to pray throughout his life. He received Holy Communion daily and at the end of mass prayed “Veni Creator.” He prayed Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and the rosary daily. He frequently prayed the Litanies of the Sacred Heart, the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph; he was a member of Our Lady’s Confraternity and wore the scapular.
Karl was devoted to adoring the Blessed Sacrament and could happily spend hours in adoration. He was routinely found praying wherever he was, at home, in the office and on the battlefield. He encouraged all of his soldiers to pray and frequently asked those around him to join him in prayer to begin a meeting or some action. Furthermore, the Emperor had a devotion to the angels, especially Saint Michael the Archangel, whom he made patron saint of the imperial army.
Karl of Austria was obedient to the Holy Father, acknowledging him to be the Vicar of Christ and he treated bishops and priests with respect. He was known as a loyal, kind, generous and jovial comrade, who lived and practised his faith without artifice. From the testimony of those who knew him well, it is clear, that Blessed Karl took his faith seriously and fostered his relationship with God, devoutly following the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
Blessed Karl of Austria, Pray for Us!
Quote/s of the Day – 21 October – The Memorial of Blessed Karl of Austria (1887 – 1922)
Quote/s of the Day – 21 October
The Memorial of Blessed Karl of Austria (1887 – 1922)
“Now, we must help
each other
to get to Heaven.”
“I strive always,
in all things,
to understand,
as clearly as possible
and follow,
the will of God
and this,
in the most perfect way.”
“Thy Holy Will be done.
Jesus, Jesus, come!
Yes—yes.
My Jesus as Thou willst it—Jesus.”
(The last words of Bl Karl – 1 April 1922)
Blessed Karl of Austria (1887 – 1922)
One Minute Reflection – 21 October – Today’s Gospel: Mark 10:35-45
One Minute Reflection – 21 October – Today’s Gospel: Mark 10:35-45 – Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, the Memorial of Blessed Karl of Austria (1887 – 1922)
“For the Son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”…Mark 10:45
REFLECTION – “In the biblical tradition, the Son of Man is the one who receives from God “dominion, glory and kingship”. Jesus fills this image with new meaning. He shows us that He enjoys dominion because He is a servant, glory because He is capable of abasement, kingship because He is fully prepared to lay down His life. By His passion and death, He takes the lowest place, attains the heights of grandeur in service and bestows this upon His Church”…Pope Francis – Canonisation Mass, 18 October 2015
PRAYER – Holy Father, grant me an operative faith, a faith that will move mountains. Enlighten my soul with Your Light, Goodness, Power and Wisdom. Let my faith be an image of You by lively deeds and love and by conforming myself to Your Will in all things. Blessed Karl of Austria, amidst the fineries of your earthly kingship, you longed only to serve the God of all and searched for complete closeness and abandonment to Him, teach us by your prayer, to serve God alone with upright hearts and thus manifest a true faith, through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 21 October – Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Our Morning Offering – 21 October – Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Prayer before Holy Communion
By St Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868)
Oh Yes, Lord Jesus,
come and reign!
Let my body be Your temple,
my heart Your throne,
my will Your devoted servant;
let me be Yours forever,
living only in You and for You!
Amen
Saint of the Day – 21 October – Blessed Karl of Austria (1887 – 1922) Emperor & King
Saint of the Day – 21 October – Blessed Karl/Charles of Austria (1887 – 1922) Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia and Croatia, Layman, devotee of the Sacred Heart and of the Holy Eucharist, Peacemaker, Social Reformer – born Karl Franz Joseph Ludwig Hubert Georg Otto Maria on 17 August 1887 in Persenbeug Castle, Melk, Lower Austria and died on 1 April 1922 at Funchal, Madeira, Portugal of pneumonia. Patronages – Marriage, Married couples, Family life, “League of Prayer of the Emperor Charles for the peace of the peoples”. His body is incorrupt. Blessed Karl’s wife Zita, is recognised by the Church as a Servant of God.
Blessed Karl of Austria was born 0n 17 August 1887, in the Castle of Persenbeug in the region of Lower Austria. His parents were the Archduke Otto and Princess Maria Josephine of Saxony, daughter of the last King of Saxony. Emperor Francis Joseph I was Karl’s Great Uncle.
Karl was given an expressly Catholic education and the prayers of a group of persons accompanied him from childhood, since a stigmatic nun prophesied that he would undergo great suffering and attacks would be made against him. That is how the “League of Prayer of the Emperor Charles for the peace of the peoples” originated after his death. In 1963 it became a prayer community ecclesiastically recognised.
A deep devotion to the Holy Eucharist and to the Sacred Heart of Jesus began to grow in Karl. He turned to prayer before making any important decisions.
On 21 October,1911, he married Princess Zita of Bourbon and Parma. Addressing Empress Zita on 22 October 1911, the day after their wedding, Blessed Karl said “Now, we must help each other to get to Heaven.” The couple was blessed with eight children during the ten years of their happy and exemplary married life. Karl still declared to Zita on his deathbed: “I’ll love you forever.”
He became heir to the throne of the Austro‑Hungarian Empire on 28 June 1914, following the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand.
World War I was underway and with the death of the Emperor Francis Joseph, on 21 November 1916 Karl became Emperor of Austria. On 30 December he was crowned apostolic King of Hungary.
Karl envisaged this office also as a way to follow Christ – in the love and care of the peoples entrusted to him and in dedicating his life to them.
He placed the most sacred duty of a king – a commitment to peace – at the centre of his preoccupations during the course of the terrible war. He was the only one among political leaders to support Benedict XV’s peace efforts.
As far as domestic politics are concerned, despite the extremely difficult times he initiated wide and exemplary social legislation, inspired by social Christian teaching.
Thanks to his conduct, the transition to a new order at the end of the conflict was made possible without a civil war. He was, however, banished from his country.
The Pope feared the rise of communist power in central Europe and expressed the wish that Karlre‑establish the authority of his government in Hungary. But two attempts failed, since above all Karl wished to avoid the outbreak of a civil war.
He was exiled to the island of Madeira. Since he considered his duty as a mandate from God, he could not abdicate his office.
Reduced to poverty, he lived with his family in a very humble house. He then fell fatally ill and accepted this as a sacrifice for the peace and unity of his peoples.
Karl endured his suffering without complaining. He forgave all those who conspired against him and died on 11Apri 1922 with his eyes turned toward the Holy Sacrament. On his deathbed he repeated the motto of his life: “I strive always in all things to understand as clearly as possible and follow the will of God and this in the most perfect way”.
His remains except for his heart are still on the island, resting in state in a chapel devoted to the Emperor in the Church of Our Lady of Monte in spite of several attempts to move them to the Habsburg Crypt in Vienna. His heart and the heart of his wife are entombed in Muri Abbey, Switzerland.
From the beginning, Emperor Charles conceived of his office as a holy service to his people. His chief concern was to follow the Christian vocation to holiness also in his political actions. For this reason, his thoughts turned to social assistance.
The cause or campaign for his canonisation began in 1949, when the testimony of his holiness was collected in the Archdiocese of Vienna. In 1954, the cause was opened and he was declared “servant of God”, the first step in the process. At the beginning of the cause for canonisation in 1972 his tomb was opened and his body was discovered to be incorrupt.
On 3 October 2004, he was Beatified by St Pope John Paul II. The Pope also declared 21 October, the date of Charles’ marriage in 1911 to Princess Zita, as Charles’ feast day.
The League of Prayers (join here: http://www.emperorcharles.org/welcome) established for the promotion of his cause has set up a website and Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna has sponsored the cause.
“The decisive task of Christians consists in seeking, recognising and following God’s will in all things. The Christian statesman, Karl of Austria, confronted this challenge every day. To his eyes, war appeared as “something appalling”. Amid the tumult of the First World War, he strove to promote the peace initiative of my Predecessor, Benedict XV.
From the beginning, the Emperor Charles conceived of his office as a holy service to his people. His chief concern was to follow the Christian vocation to holiness also in his political actions. For this reason, his thoughts turned to social assistance. May he be an example for all of us, especially for those who have political responsibilities in Europe today!”
Saint Pope John Paul II
Audience with the members of the Emperor Karl League for Prayers for Peace Among Nations , 14.10.2017
Address of the Holy Father
Excellencies, Highnesses,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear brothers and sisters,
With affection I greet you and all the members of the Emperor Karl League for Prayers for Peace Among Nations. I thank the president, Msgr Fernand Franck, for his words. Your annual assembly in Rome takes place in the context of the centenary of the initiative for peace undertaken by Pope Benedict XV and, among political leaders, supported only by Blessed Emperor Karl, with the strong desire to bring an end to the slaughter of the First World War.
The three aims of the League for Prayers underlined by your president – to seek and observe God’s will, to be committed to promoting peace and justice, to atone for the injustice of history – were, so to say, the recurrent motif of the life of Blessed Karl as a statesman, as a husband and father, and as a son of the Church. Delivering himself to God’s will, he accepted suffering and offered his own life as a sacrifice for peace, always sustained by the love and faithfulness of his wife, Servant of God Zita.
The challenges of our time require the collaboration of all men of good will and, in particular, prayer and sacrifice. I invite you, therefore, to keep your promise to take part, with prayer and personal commitment, in the many efforts of the Pope in favour of peace. Without the support of the prayer of the faithful, Peter’s Successor cannot fulfil his mission in the world. I count on you to. I entrust you to the maternal protection of Mary Most Holy and to the intercession of Blessed Emperor Karl, and heartily impart my apostolic blessing to you and your loved ones.
Memorials of the Saints – 21 October
St Agatho the Hermit
St Asterius of Périgord
St Asterius of Rome
St Berthold of Parma
St Celina of Meaux
Bl Karl of Austria (1887 – 1922) King & Emperor
St Cilinia
St Condedus
St Domnolus of Pouilly
St Finian Munnu
St Gebizo
Bl Giuseppe Puglisi
Bl Gundisalvus of Lagos
St Hilarion of Gaza (c 291-371)
Biography here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/10/21/saint-of-the-day-21-october-st-hilarion-of-gaza-c-291-371/
Bl Hilarion of Moglena
St Hugh of Ambronay
Bl Imana of Loss
Bl Iulianus Nakaura
St John of Bridlington
St Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena
St Letizia
St Maurontus of Marseilles
St Malchus of Syria
Bl Peter of Città di Castello
St Petrus Yu Tae-Ch’ol
St Pontius de Clariana
St Raymond of Granada
Bl Sancho of Aragon
Bl Severinus of Bordeaux
Bl Tuda of Lindisfarne
Bl Viator of Lyons
St Wendelin
St William of Granada
St William of Montreal
St Zaira
St Zoticus of Nicomedia
—
Martyrs of Nicaea – 279 saints:
Martyrs of Nicomedia – 3 saints:
Caius of Nicomedia
Dasius of Nicomedia
Zoticus of Nicomedia
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Genaro Fueyo Castañon
• Blessed Isidro Fernández Cordero
• Blessed Segundo Alonso González
Saint Ursula and Companions: (238) Legendary princess, the daughter of a Christian British king and Saint Daria. She travelled Europe in company of either 11 or 11,000 fellow maidens; the 11,000 number probably resulted from a misreading of the term “11M” which indicated 11 Martyrs, but which a copyist took for a Roman numeral. Ursula and her company were tortured to death to get them to renounce their faith, and old paintings of them show many of the women being killed in various painful ways. Namesake for the Ursuline Order, founded for the education of young Catholic girls and women.
There are other saints closely associated with Ursula and her story –
travelling companions who were martyred with her
Antonia of Cologne
Cesarius of Cologne
Cyriacus of Cologne
Daria
Fiolanus of Lucca
Ignatius of Cologne
James of Antioch
Mauritius of Cologne
Pontius of Cologne
Sulpitius of Ravenna
Vincent of Cologne
Travelling companion, but escaped the massacre:
• Cunera
led by a dove to the lost tomb of Ursula:
• Cunibert of Cologne
Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort’s Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary – Day Four – 20 October
Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort’s Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary – Day Four – 20 October
Readings and Prayers
12 Day Preparation
Day 4 of 33
Imitation of Christ, by Thomas á Kempis: Book 3, Chapters 7, 40
That man has no good of himself and that he cannot glory in anything Lord, what is man, that Thou art mindful of him; or the son of man, that Thou visit him? What has man deserved that Thou should give him grace? Lord, what cause have I to complain, if Thou forsake me, or what can I justly allege, if what I petition Thou shalt not grant?
This most assuredly, I may truly think and say – Lord I am nothing, I can do nothing of myself, that is good but I am in all things defective and ever tend to nothing. And unless I am assisted and interiorly instructed by Thee, I become wholly tepid and relaxed but Thou, O Lord, are always the same and endure unto eternity, ever good, just and holy, doing all things well, justly and holy and disposing them in wisdom.
But I who am more inclined to go back, than to go forward, continue not always in one state, for I am changed, seven different times. But it quickly becomes better when it pleases Thee and Thou stretch out Thy helping hand, for Thou alone, without man’s aid can assist me and so strengthen me, that my countenance shall be more diversely changed but my heart be converted and find its rest in Thee alone.
He who would be too secure in time of peace will often be found too much dejected in time of war. If you could always continue to be humble and little in your own eyes and keep your spirit in due order and subjection, you would not fall so easily into danger and offence. It is good counsel that, when you have conceived the spirit of fervour, you should meditate how it will be when that light shall be withdrawn.
Recite: Veni Creator, Ave Maris Stella, Magnificat, and Glory Be ( See HERE: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/10/17/saint-louis-marie-de-montforts-total-consecration-to-jesus-through-mary-day-one-17-october/ )
Thought for the Day – 20 October – The Memorial of St Maria Bertilla Boscardin (1888 – 1922)
Thought for the Day – 20 October – The Memorial of St Maria Bertilla Boscardin (1888 – 1922)
“The humble nun of Brendola is the confirmation of a tradition that makes a fervent parish the first school of how to live a life of goodness and of holiness. Saint Bertilla is now on the altars above those people called the wise and the prudent of this century. She did not attend an extensive training in the schools but was able to carry out with good grace each task entrusted to her. Her book, kept jealously among her most treasured possessions was the Catechism, given to her by her parish priest. From it, she drew inspiration and comfort as a child, retiring with it alone in solitude, after having finished the housework, to read and re-read it all the time and to teach it with fervour to her contemporaries.
Here we have a simple soul who from the first unfolding of her vocation is pleased to throw herself into it entirely and without reservation, helped on by the respect the consent and encouragement of her parents. She was happy to do even the most humble service, because she does not ask for anything for herself, nor was she diverted by fancies of curiosity or by personal preferences.
Someone – that is, the Lord – was always with her to direct and enlighten her….”…St Pope John XXIII at the Canonisation of St Maria
And ‘they’ called her “the Goose” but she is a Saint, high above all of ‘them’! The simple peasant woman who was once called “the Goose” had taken flight and soared all the way up to Heaven.
St Maria Bertilla Boscardin, Pray for us!
Quote/s of the Day – 20 October – The Memorial of St Maria Bertilla Boscardin (1888 – 1922)
Quote/s of the Day – 20 October – The Memorial of St Maria Bertilla Boscardin (1888 – 1922)
“Here I am, Lord, to do Your will, whatever comes.”
Saint Maria Bertilla Boscardin (1888 – 1922)
(from her diary)
Take, Lord and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To You, Lord, I return it.
Everything is Yours,
do with it what You will.
Give me only Your love
and Your grace,
that is enough for me.
St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
One Minute Reflection – 20 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 12:8-12
One Minute Reflection – 20 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 12:8-12 = – Saturday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time, Year B – The Memorial of The Memorial of Blesseds Okelo & Irwa & (1918) St Maria Bertilla Boscardin
(1888 – 1922)
“…do not be anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”…Luke 12:11-12
REFLECTION – “The Christian should not fear or be distressed in difficult circumstances and thus be distracted from trust in God. He should take courage as if the Lord were at hand directing his affairs and strengthening him against all his adversaries. It is as if the Holy Spirit were instructing him, even as to the very replies he should make to his enemies.”… St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church (The Morals, 63)”
PRAYER – All-powerful, eternal God, grant us the grace of Your Spirit and fill us with the light of understanding and love. Grant that by the prayers of your Saints we may be strengthened and depend only on You. Blessed Okelo and Irwa and St Maria Bertilla, pray for us. We make our prayer through Jesus, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 20 October – Saturday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time, Year B
Our Morning Offering – 20 October – Saturday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time, Year B
Prayer for the Church
to Mary, Mother of Mercy
By St John Neumann CSsR (1811-1860)
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy!
Guard the kingdom of thy Vicar on earth,
our chief bishop.
Pray for the people,
intercede for the clergy,
protect the consecrated virgins.
Give us strength against our enemies and thine.
Give courage to the fearful,
joy to those that mourn,
peace to the contrite of heart,
perseverance to the just.
Let all experience, thy protection,
Virgin and Mother.
Through thee the nations are brought to repentance,
the demons are put to flight.
They that sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death
are filled with the knowledge
and love of Thy Son.
Amen
Saint of the Day – 20 October – St Maria Bertilla Boscardin (1888 – 1922)
Saint of the Day – 20 October – St Maria Bertilla Boscardin (1888 – 1922) – Religious nursing Sister of the Teachers of Saint Dorothy, Daughters of the Sacred Heart – born on 6 October 1888 at Brendola, Italy as Anna Francesca Boscardin and died on 20 October 1922 of cancer at Treviso, Italy.
St Maria (1888–1922) was an Italian nun and nurse who displayed a pronounced devotion to duty in working with sick children and victims of the air raids of World War I. She was born into a peasant family and was known as Annette in her family and hometown. Her father, Angelo Boscardin, would testify during her beatification process that he was jealous, violent and frequently drunk. As a child she could only attend school irregularly, as she was needed to help at home and in the fields. When she did attend school, she also worked as a servant in a nearby home. ,,She did not display any particular talents, was thought to be not particularly intelligent and was often the target of insulting jokes. ,,These included being referred to as a “goose” for her slowness by a local clergyman.
She was allowed to make her First Holy Communion at eight and a half years old, when the authorised age in those years was eleven. At twelve years old, she was accepted into the parish association of the “Children of Mary” apostalate. The parish priest gave her a catechism as a gift. They found it in the pocket of her habit, when she died, at 34 years old.
After being rejected for admission to one order because of her slowness, she was accepted as a member of the Teachers of Saint Dorothy, Daughters of the Sacred Heart at Vicenza in 1904, taking the name “Maria Bertilla”. She herself internalised some of her earlier criticism, telling the novice-mistress of the order, “I can’t do anything. I’m a poor thing, a goose. Teach me. I want to be a saint.” She worked there as a kitchen maid and laundress for three years.
She was then sent to Treviso to learn nursing at the municipal hospital there, which was under the direction of her order. During her training period, she was once placed to work in the kitchen. However, upon completing her training, she was promoted to working with victims of diphtheria in the hospital’s children’s ward. During the air raids of Treviso following the disastrous Battle of Caporetto, the hospital fell under the control of the military. Sister Bertilla was noted for her unwavering care of her patients, particularly those who were too ill to be moved to safety.
This devotion to duty, attracted the attention of the authorities of a local military hospital. However, her Sister Supervisor did not appreciate Sister Bertilla’s work and reassigned her to work in the laundry, a position she remained in for four months until being reassigned by a higher superior, who put Sister Bertilla in charge of the children’s isolation ward at the hospital. Shortly thereafter, Sister Bertilla’s already poor health got worse. A painful tumour which she had had for several years had progressed to the point of requiring an operation, which she did not survive. She died in 1922.
Her reputation for simplicity and devoted, caring hard work had left a deep impression on those who knew her. A memorial plaque placed on her tomb refers to her as “a chosen soul of heroic goodness … an angelic alliviator of human suffering in this place.” Crowds flocked to her first grave at Treviso. After a tomb was erected for her at Vicenza, it became a pilgrimage site where several miracles of healing took place.
In 1961, 39 years after her death, she was Canonised as a saint by St Pope John XXIII. The crowd in attendance included members of her family as well as some of her patients.
Memorials of the Saints – 20 October
St Acca of Hexham
St Adelina
St Aderald
St Aidan of Mayo
St Andrew of Crete
St Artemius Megalomartyr
St Barsabias
St Bernard of Bagnorea
St Bradan
St Caprasius of Agen
Bl Daudi Okello (c 1902 -1918) & Jildo Irwa (c 1906.-1918) – Martyrs
Biography here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/10/20/saints-of-the-day-20-october-blessed-daudi-okelo-1902-ca-1918-and-jildo-irwa-1906-ca-1918/
Bl Gundisalvus of Silos
St Irene
St Leopardo of Osimo
St Lucas Alonso Gorda
St Maria Bertilla Boscardin (1888 – 1922)
St Martha of Cologne
St Maximus of Aquila
St Orora
St Saula of Cologne
St Sindulphus of Rheims
Blessed Tiburcio Arnáiz Muñoz S.J. (1865-1926) (Beatified today in the Cathedral of Malaga, Spain) His feast day will be 20 October
St Usthazanes
St Vitalis of Salzburg
Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort’s Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary – Day Three – 19 October
Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort’s Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary – Day Three – 19 October
Readings and Prayers
12 Day Preparation
Day 3 of 33
Matthew 7:1-14
Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye?
You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.
Do not give what is holy to dogs,* or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.g
Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread,*
or a snake when he asks for a fish?
If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.
Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.
Recite: Veni Creator, Ave Maris Stella, Magnificat and Glory Be
(See See HERE: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/10/17/saint-louis-marie-de-montforts-total-consecration-to-jesus-through-mary-day-one-17-october/ )
NOVENA to St John Paul the Great: DAY SEVEN – 19 OCTOBER
NOVENA to St John Paul the Great: DAY SEVEN – 19 OCTOBER
Little Known Fact #7: While he was Bishop of Kraków, Karol Wojtyla visited many of sick people in his archdiocese during the Lenten season. Additionally, whenever he visited parishes he always visited the parishioners who were most gravely ill in their homes. This also extended to every convent he visited, whereby he would always visit the sisters in the infirmary. He did all of this not only to minister to their needs but also to ask for their prayers. He told one group of sisters:
“Although I am young and strong, although I fly in airplanes, climb mountains, ski, I still turn to the weakest, so that by the riches of their suffering they may bring down the strength and power of the Holy Spirit and the blessing of God upon my work in the Archdiocese.”
REFLECTION: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe” (Jn 20:29). In today’s Gospel Jesus proclaims this beatitude: the beatitude of faith. For us, it is particularly striking because we are gathered to celebrate a beatification but even more so because today the one proclaimed blessed is a Pope, a Successor of Peter, one who was called to confirm his brethren in the faith. John Paul II is blessed because of his faith, a strong, generous and apostolic faith. We think at once of another beatitude: “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven” (Mt 16:17). What did our heavenly Father reveal to Simon? That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Because of this faith, Simon becomes Peter, the rock on which Jesus can build his Church. The eternal beatitude of John Paul II, which today the Church rejoices to proclaim, is wholly contained in these sayings of Jesus: “Blessed are you, Simon” and “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe!” It is the beatitude of faith, which John Paul II also received as a gift from God the Father for the building up of Christ’s Church.” ….. Pope Benedict XVI on the Beatification of St John Paul.
Let us Pray:
O Holy Trinity, we thank You for having given to the Church Pope John Paul II and for having made him shine with Your fatherly tenderness, the glory of the Cross of Christand the splendour of the Spirit of love.
He, trusting completely in Your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, has shown himself in the likeness of Jesus the Good Shepherd and has pointed out to us the way of holiness as the path to reach eternal communion with You Grant us, through his intercession, according to Your will, the grace that we implore,
………………….. [state your intention here].
Continue, beloved St John Paul, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God’s people. We praise and thank You Father that St John Paul has been numbered among Your saints and make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever.
Totus Tuus, Amen.
Quote Day Seven: “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth- in a word, to know Himself- so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.” ― John Paul II, Fides et Ratio: On the Relationship Between Faith and Reason
Thought for the Day – 19 October – The Memorial of St Peter of Alcantara OFM (1499-1562)
Thought for the Day – 19 October – The Memorial of St Peter of Alcantara OFM (1499-1562)
Everywhere he could do so, he planted crosses, for the Passion of Our Lord was engraved in his heart.
Wherever they were to be placed, even on mountains and however heavy they might be, he went to the destined sites carrying them on his shoulders. From these heights he would then preach the mysteries of the Cross, afterwards remaining in prayer there. Shepherds saw him several times in the air, at the height of the highest trees of the forests.
Never did he go anywhere except on foot, even in his old age. He was often seen prostrated before a large crucifix, shedding torrents of tears and he was found in ecstasy once at the height of the traverse of a crucifix.
The goal was following Christ in ever greater purity of heart. Whatever obstructed that path could be eliminated with no real loss. If men do not go about barefoot now, nor undergo sharp penances as Saint Peter did, there remain many ways of trampling on the spirit of the world and Our Lord teaches them, when He finds in souls the necessary courage.
St Peter of Alcantara, Pray for Us!
Quote of the Day – 19 October
Quote of the Day – 19 October – The Memorial of St Peter of Alcantara OFM (1499-1562), St Isaac Jogues SJ (1607-1646) The North American Martyrs) & Bl Jerzy Popiełuszko (1947-1984)
“He does much
in the sight of God
who does his best,
be it ever so little.”
“No tongue can express
the greatness of the love
which Jesus Christ
bears to our souls.
He did not wish,
that between Him
and His servants,
there should be any other pledge
than Himself…
St Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)
“My confidence is placed in God,
who does not need our help
for accomplishing His designs.
Our single endeavour,
should be to give ourselves to the work
and to be faithful to Him.”
St Isaac Jogues SJ (1607-1646) Martyr
”To live in Truth is the basic minimum of human dignity,
even if the price to defend the Truth could be costly.
You need to always remain faithful to the Truth.
Truth can never be betrayed.”
“Truth, like Justice,
is connected to Love
and Love has a Price.”
Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko (1947-1984) Martyr
One Minute Reflection – 19 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 12:1–7 and the Memorial of St Peter of Alcantara OFM (1499-1562)
One Minute Reflection – 19 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 12:1–7 – Friday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Memorial of St Peter of Alcantara OFM (1499-1562)
“Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear not, you are of more value than many sparrows.”...Luke 12:7
REFLECTION – “Strain not after tears, strive not for sentiments of devotion, do not force your heart. Rest rather in interior solitude. Dwell therein quietly, waiting until God’s will be accomplished in you. When it shall please Him to send you tears, oh, how sweet will those tears be, for is not your impatience that has secured them: they are the fruits of humility and of peace. On your part, then, you must receive them with the deepest self-effacement, allowing God to work in you. Note well, that if ever you fancy this desire or the securing of these affections to be in any measure due to yourself, you will infallibly expose yourself to the losing of them.”…St Peter of Alcantara – Treatise on Prayer and Meditation’
PRAYER – My Lord and patient God, help me to practice patience in doing good. No matter what may occur, allow me to face each day with quiet courage and without complaint, knowing You are always at my side and that all is part of Your divine plan. I pray for total abandonment to Your Will. Grant that by the intercession of St Peter of Alcantara, we may grow in trust, leaving all in our Father’s hands. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 19 October – The Memorial of St Peter of Alcantara OFM (1499-1562)
Our Morning Offering – 19 October – The Memorial of St Peter of Alcantara OFM (1499-1562)
The Absorbeat
St Francis of Assisi (1181/82-1226)
May the power of Your love, Lord Christ,
fiery and sweet as honey,
so absorb our hearts
as to withdraw them
from all that is under heaven.
Grant that we may be ready
to die for love of Your love,
as You died for love of our love.
Amen
Saint of the Day – 19 October – St Peter of Alcantara OFM (1499-1562)
Saint of the Day – 19 October – St Peter of Alcantara OFM (1499-1562) – Franciscan Friar and Priest, Mystic, Ecstatic, Writer, Preacher, Reformer, Hermit, Apostle of Prayer, Eucharistic Adoration, the Passion and Charity, Miracle-worker – born in 1499 at Alcantara, Estremadura, Spain and died on 18 October 1562 at Estremadura, Spain of natural causes. Patronages – Nocturnal Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Brazil (named by Pope Blessed Pius IX in 1862), Estremadura Spain (named in 1962), night watchmen, watchmen.
His father, Peter Garavita, was the governor of Alcantara and his mother was of the noble family of Sanabia. After a course of grammar and philosophy in his native town, he was sent, at the age of fourteen, to the University of Salamanca. Returning home, he became a Franciscan in the convent of the Stricter Observance at Manxaretes in 1515. At the age of twenty-two he was sent to found a new community of the Stricter Observance at Badajoz. He was ordained priest in 1524 and the following year made guardian of the convent of St Mary of the Angels at Robredillo. A few years later he began preaching with much success. He preferred to preach to the poor and his sermons, taken largely from the Prophets and Sapiential Books, breathe the tenderest human sympathy.
Having been elected minister of St Gabriel’s province in 1538, Peter set to work at once. At the chapter of Plasencia in 1540 he drew up the Constitutions of the Stricter Observants but his severe ideas met with such opposition that he renounced the office of provincial and retired with St John of Avila into the mountains of Arabida, Portugal, where he joined Father Martin a Santa Maria in his life of eremitical solitude. Soon, however, other friars came to join him and several little communities were established. Peter being chosen guardian and master of novices at the convent of Pallais. In 1560 these communities were erected into the Province of Arabida. Returning to Spain in 1553 he spent two more years in solitude and then journeyed barefoot to Rome and obtained permission of Pope Julius III to found some poor convents in Spain under the jurisdiction of the general of the Conventuals. Convents were established at Pedrosa, Plasencia, and elsewhere; in 1556 they were made a commissariat, with Peter as superior, and in 1561, a province under the title of St Joseph. The reform spread rapidly into other provinces of Spain and Portugal.
In 1562 the province of St Joseph was put under the jurisdiction of the general of the Observants and two new custodies were formed. Besides the above-named associates of Peter may be mentioned St Francis Borgia SJ, St John of Avila (Doctor of the Church) and Blessed Louis of Granada O.P. In St Teresa of Avila OCD (Doctor of the Church), Peter perceived a soul chosen of God for a great work and her success in the reform of Carmel was in great measure due to his counsel, encouragement and defence. It was a letter from St Peter (14 April 1562) that encouraged her to found her first monastery at Avila. St Teresa’s autobiography is the source of much of our information regarding Peter’s life, work and gifts of miracles and prophecy. According to St Teresa of Ávila, it was a very common thing for him to take food only once in three days and that sometimes he would go a week without eating.
Perhaps the most remarkable of Peter’s graces were his gift of contemplation and the virtue of penance. Hardly less remarkable was his love of God, which was at times so ardent as to cause him, as it did St Philip Neri, sensible pain and frequently rapt him into ecstasy. The poverty he practised and enforced was as cheerful as it was real and often let the want of even the necessaries of life be felt. In confirmation of his virtues and mission of reformation God worked numerous miracles through his intercession and by his very presence. Besides the Constitutions of the Stricter Observants and many letters on spiritual subjects, especially to St Teresa, he composed a short treatise on prayer, which has been translated into all the languages of Europe.
Download the book here: http://catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/A%20Golden%20Treastise%20of%20Mental%20Prayer.html
He was a man of remarkable austerity and poverty who travelled throughout Spain preaching the Gospel to the poor. He wrote a Treatise on Prayer and Meditation, which was considered a masterpiece by St Teresa, St Francis de Sales (Doctor of the Church) and Louis of Granada.
While in prayer and contemplation, he was often seen in ecstasies and levitation. On his deathbed, he was offered a glass of water which he refused, saying that “Even my Lord Jesus Christ thirsted on the Cross…” He died while on his knees in prayer on 18 October 1562 in a monastery at Arenas.
He was Beatified on 18 April 1622 by Pope Gregory XV and Canonised on 28 April 1669 by Pope Clement IX.
Memorials of the Saints – 19 October
St Paul of the Cross CP (1604-1775) (Optional Memorial)
About St Paul here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/10/19/saint-of-the-day-st-paul-of-the-cross-1604-1775/
North American Martyrs (Optional Memorial) – 8 saints: Two priests and six lay-brothers, all Jesuits, who were sent as missionaries to the area of modern Canada and New York and who were murdered by the locals for their work.
• Saint Antoine Daniel
• Saint Charles Garnier
• Saint Gabriel Lalemant
• Saint Isaac Jogues
• Saint Jean de Brébeuf
• Saint Jean de la Lande
• Saint Noel Chabanel
• Saint Rene Goupil
Canonised – 29 June 1930 by Pope Pius XI
Bl Agnes of Jesus
St Altinus
St Aquilinus of Evreux
St Asterius of Ostia
St Beronicus of Antioch
St Desiderius of Longoret
St Ednoth
St Ethbin
St Eusterius of Salerno
St Frideswide
Bl Jerzy Popieluszko
St Laura of Cordoba
St Lucius of Rome
St Luke Alonso Gorda
St Lupus of Soissons
St Matthaeus Kohyoe
St Pelagia of Antioch
St Peter of Alcantara OFM (1499-1562)
St Philip Howard
St Potenzianus of Sens
St Ptolemy of Rome
St Sabiniano of Sens
St Theofrid
St Varus of Kemet
St Verano of Cavaillon
—
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: 18 Beati
• Blessed Antonio Elizalde Garvisu
• Blessed Constantino Miguel Moncalvillo
• Blessed Dionisio Arizaleta Salvador
• Blessed Emiliano Pascual Abad
• Blessed Eusebio de Las Heras Izquierdo
• Blessed Ferran Castán Messeguer
• Blessed Francesc Solá Peix
• Blessed Francisco Marco Martínez
• Blessed Francisco Milagro Mesa
• Blessed Francisco Simón Pérez
• Blessed Josep Ferrer Escolà
• Blessed Josep Ribé Coma
• Blessed Julio Leache Labiano
• Blessed Juan Senosiaín Zugasti
• Blessed Manuel Font y Font
• Blessed Narcís Simón Sala
• Blessed Nicolas Campo Giménez
• Blessed Pere Vives Coll
Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort’s Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary – Day Two 18 October
Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort’s Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary
– Day Two 18 October
Readings and Prayers
12 Day Preparation
Day 2 of 33
Matthew 5:48, 6:1-15
Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect…Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them, otherwise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven. Therefore, when you give an almsdeed, sound not a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honoured by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing. That your alms may be in secret and your Father who sees in secret will repay you. And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, that love to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. But you when you shall pray, enter into your chamber and having shut the door, pray to your Father in secret and your Father who sees in secret will repay you. And when you are praying, speak not much, as the heathens. For they think that in their much speaking they may be heard. Be not you, therefore, like to them, for your Father knows what is needful for you, before you ask him. Thus, therefore, shall you pray:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Amen.
For if you will forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will forgive you also your offences. But if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your
offences.
Recite: Veni Creator, Ave Maris Stella, Magnificat and Glory Be
(See HERE: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/10/17/saint-louis-marie-de-montforts-total-consecration-to-jesus-through-mary-day-one-17-october/ )
NOVENA to St John Paul the Great: DAY SIX – 18 OCTOBER
NOVENA to St John Paul the Great: DAY SIX – 18 OCTOBER
Little Known Fact #6: In 1954, Father Karol Wojtyla was awarded a “Bronze Badge for Hiking Tourism.” Wojtyla won this badge for hiking on foot on multiple occasions during that year, totalling 166 km (103 miles). More than half of these excursions were completed during the winter (November 1 – March 31). Needless to say, Father Wojtyla enjoyed hiking.
REFLECTION: “Divine Mercy: the Holy Father found the purest reflection of God’s mercy in the Mother of God. He, who at an early age had lost his own mother, loved his divine mother all the more. He heard the words of the crucified Lord as addressed personally to him: “Behold your Mother.” And so he did as the beloved disciple did: he took her into his own home” (eis ta idia: Jn 19:27) – Totus tuus. And from the mother he learned to conform himself to Christ.” – Pope Benedict
Let us Pray:
O Holy Trinity, we thank You for having given to the Church Pope John Paul II and for having made him shine with Your fatherly tenderness, the glory of the Cross of Christand the splendour of the Spirit of love.
He, trusting completely in Your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, has shown himself in the likeness of Jesus the Good Shepherd and has pointed out to us the way of holiness as the path to reach eternal communion with You Grant us, through his intercession, according to Your will, the grace that we implore,
………………….. [state your intention here].
Continue, beloved St John Paul, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God’s people. We praise and thank You Father that St John Paul has been numbered among Your saints and make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever.
Totus Tuus, Amen.
Quote Day Six: “Mary, who was present on the day of Pentecost, at the beginning of the life of the Church, with the Apostles, disciples and pious women, always remains present in the Church, she, the first woman missionary, is Mother and support, of all those who proclaim the Gospel!” (Rome, 12 Oct 1979)
Thought for the Day – 18 October – The Feast of St Luke the Evangelist – St Luke the Painter and the Painter in Words.
Thought for the Day – 18 October – The Feast of St Luke the Evangelist – St Luke the Painter and the Painter in Words.
“According to a pious tradition, Luke is thought to have painted the image of Mary, the Virgin Mother. But the real portrait that Luke draws of Jesus’ Mother is the one that emerges from the pages of his work – in scenes that have become familiar to the People of God, he draws an eloquent image of the Virgin. The Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Presentation in the Temple, life in the home of Nazareth, Jesus’ discussion with the doctors and His being lost and Pentecost have provided abundant material down the centuries for the ever new creations of painters, sculptors, poets and musicians.
What is most important however is to discover that, through pictures of Marian life, Luke introduces us to Mary’s interior life, helping us at the same time to understand her unique role in salvation history.
Mary is the one who says fiat, a personal and total “yes” to God’s invitation, calling herself the “handmaid of the Lord” (Lk 1: 38). This attitude of total assent to God and unconditional acceptance of His Word represents the highest model of faith, the anticipation of the Church as the community of believers.
The life of faith grows and develops in Mary through sapiential meditation on the words and events of Christ’s life (cf. Lk 2: 19, 51). She “ponders in her heart” to understand the deep meaning of His words, in order to assimilate it and share it with others.
The Magnificat hymn (cf. Lk 1: 46-55) shows another important aspect of Mary’s “spirituality”: she embodies the figure of the poor person, capable of putting all her trust in God, who casts down the mighty from their thrones and raises up the lowly.
Luke also describes the figure of Mary in the early Church, showing that she is present in the Upper Room as they await the Holy Spirit – “All these [the 11 Apostles] with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren” (Acts 1: 14).
The group gathered in the Upper Room forms the original nucleus of the Church. Within it Mary carries out a double role: on the one hand, she intercedes for the birth of the Church through the Holy Spirit; on the other, she shares her experience of Jesus with the newborn Church.
Luke’s work thus offers the Church … a powerful stimulus to make the most of the “Marian dimension” of Christian life as she follows the way of Christ.” …St Pope John Paul 15 October 2000
Mary Immaculate, Pray for Us!
St Luke, Pray for Us!
Quote of the Day – 18 October – The Feast of St Luke the Evangelist
Quote of the Day – – 18 October – The Feast of St Luke the Evangelist
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness,
henceforth, all generations will call me blessed.”
Luke 1:46-48
One Minute Reflection – 18 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 10:1–9 – The Feast of St Luke the Evangelist
One Minute Reflection – 18 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 10:1–9 – The Feast of St Luke the Evangelist
“Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.”…Luke 10:3
REFLECTION – “We must abandon ourselves to the power of the Spirit, who is able to infuse light and especially love for Christ; we must open ourselves to the inner fascination that Jesus works in the hearts of those who aspire to authenticity, while fleeing from half measures. This is certainly difficult for human beings but it becomes possible with the grace of God (cf. Lk 18: 27). On the other hand, if following Christ means carrying the Cross each day, the latter in turn is the tree of life leading to the resurrection. Luke, who emphasises the radical requirements for following Christ, is also the Evangelist who describes the joy of those who become Christ’s disciples.”…St Pope John Paul (1920-2005) 15 October 2000
PRAYER – Lord God, You chose St Luke to reveal the mystery of Your love in his preaching and his writings. Grant, we pray, that we may grow in love for the Holy Face of Christ, His words and His directions, revealed to us in the Gospels, in the example of your saints. Today, on his feast, we especially look to St Luke, to guide, teach and pray for us. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You, forever and ever, amen.
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.