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

Blessed Feast Day of Sts Philip and James, Apostles of Jesus Christ

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Blessed Feast Day of Sts Philip and James, Apostles of Jesus Christ

ST PHILIPphilip-670

The Apostle Philip was one of Christ’s first disciples, called soon after his Master’s baptism in the Jordan.    The fourth Gospel gives the following detail:  “The next day Jesus was about to leave for Galilee and He found Philip.    And Jesus said to him:  Follow Me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.    Philip found Nathanael, and said to him:   We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets wrote, Jesus the Son of Joseph of Nazareth.    And Nathanael said to him:  Can anything good come out of Nazareth?    Philip said to him: Come and see” (John 1:43ff). — The Church’s Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patronages:  Hatters; Luxembourg; pastry chefs; Uruguay, 37 cities.   Attributes:  basket; basket and Tau cross or letter Tau; two or three loaves and a cross; patriarchal cross and spear; knotted cross; broken idols; inverted cross; tall column; dragon; carpenter’s square and cross; long staff and spear; tall cross and book.

On Wednesday, 27 July 2011, the Turkish news agency Anadolu reported that archaeologists had unearthed a tomb that the project leader claims to be the Tomb of Saint Philip during excavations in Hierapolis close to the Turkish city Denizli.   The Italian archaeologist, Professor Francesco D’Andria stated that scientists had discovered the tomb within a newly revealed church.    He stated that the design of the Tomb and writings on its walls, definitively prove it belonged to the martyred Apostle of Jesus.

ST JAMES THE LESSER

Also known as:  Jacobus Minor, James the Just, James the Less, James the Younger, James, son of Alphaeus.   James, Son of Alphaeus:  We know nothing of this man except his name and, of course, the fact that Jesus chose him to be one of the 12 pillars of the New Israel, His Church.   He is not the James of Acts, son of Clopas, “brother” of Jesus and later bishop of Jerusalem and the traditional author of the Letter of James.   James, son of Alphaeus, is also known as James the Lesser to avoid confusing him with James the son of Zebedee, also an apostle and known as James the Greater.
Patronage:   dying people, apothecaries, druggists, pharmacists, fullers, hatmakers, hatters, milliners, Uruguay, 8 cities in Italy.   Attributes:   fuller’s club, man holding a book, square rule

Today’s Mass tells us that the example of the Apostles is the most certain and direct path to heaven.    They suffered and were persecuted but they placed their confidence in God and now they rejoice in heaven.   We too must have confidence in God and not be troubled in our adversities.    In our Father’s house there are many mansions and if we follow the way indicated by Him, Christ will come at the end of our life and take us to Himself.

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, SAINT of the DAY

Saints’ Memorials and Feasts – 3 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

St James the Lesser (Feast)
St Philip the Apostle (Feast)
—
St Adalsindis of Bèze
Bl Adam of Cantalupo in Sabina
St Ahmed the Calligrapher
St Aldwine of Peartney
St Pope Alexander I
St Alexander of Constantinople
Bl Alexander of Foigny
St Alexander of Rome
Bl Alexander Vincioli
St Ansfrid of Utrecht
St Antonina of Constantinople
St Diodorus the Deacon
Bl Edoardo Giuseppe Rosaz
St Ethelwin of Lindsey
St Eventius of Rome
St Fumac
St Gabriel Gowdel
St Juvenal of Narni
Bl Maria Leonia Paradis
St Maura of Antinoe
St Peter of Argos
St Philip of Zell
Bl Ramon Oromí Sullà
St Rhodopianus the Deacon
St Scannal of Cell-Coleraine
Bl Sostenaeus
St Stanislas Kazimierczyk
St Theodolus of Rome
St Timothy of Antinoe
Bl Tommaso Acerbis
Bl Uguccio
Bl Zechariah

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

The Athanasian Creed

Posted on by AnaStpaul

The Athanasian Creed, also known as Pseudo-Athanasian Creed or Quicunque Vult (also Quicumque Vult), is a Christian statement of belief focused on Trinitarian doctrine and Christology.    The Latin name of the creed, Quicunque vult, is taken from the opening words, “Whosoever wishes”.    The creed has been used by Christian churches since the sixth century.    It is the first creed in which the equality of the three persons of the Trinity is explicitly stated.    It differs from the Nicene-Constantinopolitan and Apostles’ Creeds in the inclusion of anathemas, or condemnations of those who disagree with the creed (like the original Nicene Creed).

Widely accepted among Western Christians, including the Roman Catholic Church and some Anglican churches, Lutheran churches (it is considered part of Lutheran confessions in the Book of Concord) and ancient, liturgical churches generally, the Athanasian Creed has been used in public worship less and less frequently.

It was designed to distinguish Nicene Christianity from the heresy of Arianism. Liturgically, this Creed was recited at the Sunday Office of Prime in the Western Church; it is not in common use in the Eastern Church.    The creed has never gained acceptance in liturgy among Eastern Christians since it was considered as one of many unorthodox fabrications that contained the Filioque clause.    Today, the Athanasian Creed is rarely used even in the Western Church.    When used, one common practice is to use it once a year on Trinity Sunday.

onetwo

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 2 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 2 May

At certain periods in Church history, it is one man who saves the Church for orthodoxy, one human instrument that Goduses to further His work.   Athanasius suffered many trials while he was bishop of Alexandria.    He was given the grace to remain strong against what probably seemed at times to be insurmountable opposition.    Athanasius lived his office as bishop completely.    He defended the true faith for his flock, regardless of the cost to himself.    In today’s world we are experiencing this same call to remain true to our faith, no matter what.   We should all realise how important we are to the good of others and that, without us, certain people would never hear of God or come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ.   Upon our orthodoxy and fidelity may well depend the growth in faith of many others – what a thought!   Therefore, we need to learn and know the truth as St Athanasius said “You will not see anyone who is really striving after his advancement who is not given to spiritual reading. And as to him who neglects it, the fact will soon be observed by his progress.”

St Athanasius, pray for us!

ST ATHANASIUS PRAY FOR US 2.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 2 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 2 May

“The Word who became all things for us, is close to us, our Lord Jesus Christ who promises to remain with us always.    He cries out, saying:  See, I am with you all the days of this age.    He is himself the shepherd, the high priest, the way and the door and has become all things at once for us.”

THE WORD HAS BECOME-ST ATHANASIUS

“Christians, instead of arming themselves with swords, extend their hands in prayer.”

“Let us remember the poor and not forget kindness to strangers;  above all, let us love God with all our soul and might and strength and our neighbour as ourselves.”

CHRISTIANS, INSTEAD OF - St Athanasius

“But what is also to the point, let us note that the very tradition, teaching and faith of the Catholic Church from the beginning was preached by the Apostles and preserved by the Fathers.    On this the Church was founded – and if anyone departs from this, he neither is, nor any longer ought to be called, a Christian.”

BUR WHAT IS ALSO TO THE POINT-ST ATHANASIUS

St Athanasius  (297-373) Father & Doctor of the Church

 

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 2 May

Christ….will give a new form to this lowly body of ours and remake it according to the pattern of his glorified body…………Phil 3:21

REFLECTION – Our human body has acquired something great through its communication with the Word.    From being mortal it has been made immortal; though it was a living body it has become a spiritual one…………St Athanasius (297-373) Father and Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help me to respect my body and not subject it to sin.   Let me keep it ready to receive the fullness of the new form given by Your Son, in heaven.    St Athanasius, you taught the world the truth of Christ, please pray for us, amen.

PHILIPPIANS 3-21OUR HUMAN BODY-ST ATHANASIUSst athanasius pray for us

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 2 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 2 May

PRAYER TO MARY, MOTHER OF GRACE
By St Athanasius (297-373)

It is becoming for you, O Mary,
to be mindful of us,
as you stand near Him who bestowed upon you all graces,
for you are the Mother of God and our Queen.
Come to our aid for the sake of the King,
the Lord God and Master who was born of you.
For this reason you are called “full of grace.”
Be mindful of us, most holy Virgin and bestow on us gifts
from the riches of your graces, O Virgin full of grace.
Amen

PRAYER TO MARY MOTHER OF GRACE-ST ATHANASIUS

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 2 May – St Athanasius

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 2 May – St Athanasius (c295-373) – Father and Doctor of the Church Bishop, Confessor, known as “Father of Orthodoxy” and Athanasius of Alexandria, Athanasius of Egypt, Athanasius the Great, Champion of Christ’s Divinity, Champion of Orthodoxy, Greek Doctor of the Church, Holy Hierarch, Pillar of the Church – Attributes:  Bishop arguing with a pagan; bishop holding an open book; bishop standing over a defeated heretic.

Athanasius was born of Christian parents in Alexandria, Egypt, about 295. As a young man, he spent four years in prayer and solitude in the desert.    There he met Anthony the hermit, who influenced him.    After he left the desert, Athanasius became a priest and was appointed secretary to Alexander, bishop of Alexandria.

Meanwhile, Arius had begun preaching that Jesus was not truly God.    At a church council at Nicaea in 325, Arius and his ideas were condemned and the bishops composed the Nicene Creed.

Conflict with Arius and Arianism as well as successive Roman emperors shaped Athanasius’ career.    In 325, at the age of 27, Athanasius began his leading role against the Arians as a deacon and assistant to Bishop Alexander of Alexandria during the First Council of Nicaea.    Roman emperor Constantine the Great had convened the council in May–August 325 to address the Arian position that the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, is of a distinct substance from the Father.    Three years after that council, Athanasius succeeded his mentor as archbishop of Alexandria.    In addition to the conflict with the Arians (including powerful and influential Arian churchmen led by Eusebius of Nicomedia), he struggled against the Emperors Constantine, Constantius II, Julian the Apostate and Valens.    He was known as “Athanasius Contra Mundum” (Latin for Athanasius Against the World).

ST ATHANASIUS 4

Nonetheless, within a few years after his death, Gregory of Nazianzus called him the “Pillar of the Church”.    His writings were well regarded by all Church fathers who followed, in both the West and the East, who noted their rich devotion to the Word-become-man, great pastoral concern and profound interest in monasticism.    Athanasius is counted as one of the four great Eastern Doctors of the Church in the Roman Catholic Church – he is labeled as the “Father of Orthodoxy”.

Bl. John Henry Newman described him as a “principal instrument, after the Apostles, by which the sacred truths of Christianity have been conveyed and secured to the world”. [Letters..]

Historian Cornelius Clifford says: “His career almost personifies a crisis in the history of Christianity;  and he may be said rather to have shaped the events in which he took part than to have been shaped by them.” 

The greater majority of Church leaders and the emperors fell into support for Arianism, so much so that Jerome, 340–420, wrote of the period:  “The whole world groaned and was amazed to find itself Arian”.    He, Athanasius, even suffered an unjust excommunication from Pope Liberius (325–366) who was exiled and leant towards the Arians, until he was allowed back to the See of Rome. Athanasius stood virtually alone against the world.

 

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saints – 2 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

St Athanasius of Alexandria (Memorial)
—
St Alpin de Châlons
Bl Bernard of Seville
St Bertinus the Younger
Bl Boleslas Strzelecki
Bl Conrad of Seldenbüren
St Cyriacus of Pamphylia
St Eugenius of Africa
St Exsuperius of Pamphylia
St Felix of Seville
St Fiorenzo of Algeria
St Gennys of Cornwall
St Germanus of Normandy
St Gluvias
St Guistano of Sardinia
St José María Rubio y Peralta
St Joseph Luu
Bl Juan de Verdegallo
St Longinus of Africa
St Neachtain of Cill-Uinche
St Theodulus of Pamphylia
St Ultan of Péronne
St Vindemialis of Africa
St Waldebert of Luxeuil
St Wiborada of Saint Gall
Bl William Tirry
St Zoe of Pamphylia
—
Martyrs of Alexandria – 4 saints: A group of Christians marytred together in the persecutions of Diocletian. We know little more than their names – Celestine, Germanus, Neopolus and Saturninus. 304 in Alexandria, Egypt

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

1 May – The Memorial of St Joseph the Worker

Posted on by AnaStpaul

1 May – The Memorial of St Joseph the Worker

Let us Pray:

Prayer to St Joseph the Worker
By St Pope John XXIII

Saint Joseph, guardian of Jesus and chaste husband of Mary,
you passed your life in loving fulfillment of duty.
You supported the holy family of Nazareth with the work of your hands.
Kindly protect those who trustingly come to you.
You know their aspirations, their hardships, their hopes.
They look to you because they know you will understand and protect them.
You too knew trial, labour and weariness.
But amid the worries of material life,
your soul was full of deep peace and sang out in true joy
through intimacy with God’s Son entrusted to you and with Mary,
His tender Mother.
Assure those you protect that they do not labour alone.
Teach them to find Jesus near them
and to watch over Him faithfully as you have done. Amen

PRAYER TO ST JOSEPH THE WORKER BY ST POPE JOHN XXIIIstjosephtheworker-pray for us 2

 

Posted in CATECHESIS, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 1 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 1 May

The Foreshadowing of Saint Joseph

As the Church of Christ is prefigured in the rites and ceremonies of the Old Law, so the chief personages who centre round Our Lord in the redemption of the world are foreshadowed in the Old Testament.    We trace the outlines of Our Lady’s graces in Esther, Jahel, Bethsabee, Judith.    So, too, Saint Joseph’s place in the new dispensation is anticipated in the place of the patriarch Joseph at the court of Pharao.    Thus it is that God in His love for His chosen ones paves the way for them centuries before.    From the beginning He has prepared their work, and the throne they are to earn in heaven by their labors and sufferings for Him.

In the life of the patriarch Joseph there was throughout a correspondence to the life of the foster-father of Jesus Christ.    The troubles and persecutions of his early life; his long time of servitude and obscurity; his wondrous purity, his time of patient expectation; his glorious exaltation; his omnipotence with the king; his power to save all who came to him – all these were repeated, or rather were fulfilled, in Saint Joseph.    Reflect on each of these, and consider how Saint Joseph is a model to us.

We read of the patriarch, Joseph, that the king of Egypt made him lord of his house.    So God made Saint Joseph lord of that earthly tabernacle of flesh in which He dwelt on earth.    Joseph ruled Our Lord in His sacred humanity.    He made him lord, too, of another house in which He sojourned, of the sacred house that Wisdom built for Himself in the form of His holy Mother.    If Saint Joseph was thus lord of Jesus and Mary, what may we not expect from Him?   In our lives on the ‘narrow road’, on our way home, in our difficulties, in our labour and our toil!?

To capture the devotion to Saint Joseph within the Catholic liturgy, in 1870, Pope Pius IX declared Saint Joseph the patron of the universal Church. In 1955, Pope Pius XII added the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker.    This silent saint, who was given the noble task of caring and watching over the Virgin Mary and Jesus, now cares for and watches over the Church and models for all the dignity of human work.

“What emanates from the figure of Saint Joseph is faith.    Joseph of Nazareth is a “just man” because he totally “lives by faith.”     He is holy because his faith is truly heroic. Sacred Scripture says little of him.    It does not record even one word spoken by Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth.    And yet, even without words, he shows the depth of his faith, his greatness.    Saint Joseph is a man of great spirit.    He is great in faith, not because he speaks his own words but above all because he listens to the words of the Living God.    He listens in silence.    And his heart ceaselessly perseveres in the readiness to accept the Truth contained in the word of the Living God.    We see how the word of the Living God penetrates deeply into the soul of that man, that just man.    And we, do we know how to listen to the word of God?    Do we know how to absorb it into the depths of our human personalities? Do we open our conscience in the presence of this word?”

– Pope John Paul II from Daily Meditations

St Joseph the Worker, Pray for us!ST JOSEPHTHEWORKER - PRAY FOR US

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 1 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 1 May

“He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector
of His greatest treasures, namely:  His divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife.
He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying
‘Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.’

– from a sermon by Saint Bernardine of Siena
Bartolomé Esteban Perez Murillo The Holy Family 1637

he-was-chosen-by-the-eternal-father-st-bernardine

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 1 May

You shall set apart three cities…(where) a homicide may take
refuge …. to save his life when (he) unwittingly kills his neighbour………….Deuteronomy 19:2-4

REFLECTION – “Seek refuge in Mary because she is the city of refuge. We know that Moses set up three cities of refuge for anyone who inadvertently killed his neighbour.
Now the Lord has established a refuge of mercy – Mary – even for those who deliberately commit evil. Mary provides shelter and strength for the sinner.”……St Anthony of Padua

seek refuge in mary - st anthony of padua

PRAYER – Lord Jesus, move me to take refuge in Your holy Mother if I am so unfortunate as to lose Your grace. Help me to flee to my city of refuge, for she will lead me to You. Mary, Mother of God, pray for us! Amen

MARY PRAY FOR US

Posted in MORNING Prayers

The Holy Father’s PRAYER INTENTION for May 2017

Posted on by AnaStpaul

The Holy Father’s PRAYER INTENTION for May 2017

Christians in Africa

That Christians in Africa, in imitation of the Merciful Jesus,
may give prophetic witness to reconciliation, justice and peace.

holy-father-prayer-intentions-may-2017

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

May the Month of Mary

Posted on by AnaStpaul

May the Month of Mary

MAY THE MONTH OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

The month of May is the “month which the piety of the faithful has especially dedicated to Our Blessed Lady” and it is the occasion for a “moving tribute of faith and love which Catholics in every part of the world pay to the Queen of Heaven.       During this month Christians, both in church and in the privacy of the home, offer up to Mary from their hearts an especially fervent and loving homage of prayer and veneration. In this month, too, the benefits of God’s mercy come down to us from her throne in greater abundance” (Paul VI: Encyclical on the Month of May, no. 1).

This Christian custom of dedicating the month of May to the Blessed Virgin arose at the end of the 13th century. In this way, the Church was able to Christianize the secular feasts which were wont to take place at that time. In the 16th century, books appeared and fostered this devotion.

The practice became especially popular among the members of the Jesuit Order — by 1700 it took hold among their students at the Roman College and a bit later it was publicly practiced in the Gesu Church in Rome. From there it spread to the whole Church.

The practice was granted a partial indulgence by Pius VII in 1815 and a plenary indulgence by Pius IX in 1859. With the complete revision of indulgences in 1966 and the decreased emphasis on specific indulgences, it no longer carries an indulgence; however it certainly falls within the category of the First General Grant of Indulgences. (A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, in the performance of their duties and in bearing the trials of life, raise their mind with humble confidence to God, adding — even if only mentally — some pious invocation.

Excerpted from Enchiridion of Indulgences.

The Month of Mary and the Popes

The pious practice of honoring Mary during the month of May has been especially recommended by the Popes. Pius XII made frequent reference to it and in his great Encyclical on the Sacred Liturgy (Mediator Dei) characterized it as one of “other exercises of piety which although not strictly belonging to the Sacred Liturgy, are nevertheless of special import and dignity, and may be considered in a certain way to be an addition to the liturgical cult: they have been approved and praised over and over again by the Apostolic See and by the Bishops” (no. 182).

Paul VI wrote a short encyclical in 1965 using the Month of Mary devotion as a means of obtaining prayers for peace.    He urged the faithful to make use of this practice which is “gladdening and consoling” and by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is honored and the Christian people are enriched with spiritual gifts” (no. 2).

In May of 2002 Pope John Paul II said, “Today we begin the month dedicated to Our Lady a favourite of popular devotion.   In accord with a long-standing tradition of devotion, parishes and families continue to make the month of May a ‘Marian’ month, celebrating it with many devout liturgical, catechetical and pastoral initiatives!”

Devotion to Mary

“The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of the Church and therefore the example, as well as the guide and inspiration, of everyone who, in and through the Church, seeks to be the servant of God and man and the obedient agent of the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit, as Pope Leo XIII reminded us, is the soul of the Church: All the activity and service of the members of the Church, beginning with the supreme participation of the Blessed Mother in the work of the Church, is vivified by the Holy Spirit as the body, in all its activities, is vivified by its soul.    The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, Advocate and Comforter which Christ Himself sent to be our consolation in the sorrowful mysteries of life, our source of moderation in the joyful mysteries of life, our added principle of exaltation in the glorious mysteries of life.

So He was for the Blessed Mother; so also He is for the least of us;   so also He is for the rest of the Church, even for those who are its unconscious but conscientious members.

Wherever there is faith there is the example of Mary, because she lived by faith as the Scriptures remind us….

If, then, piety is the virtue which binds us to the sources of all life, to God, to our parents, to the Church, to Christ, certainly Christian piety binds us, in grateful love, to Mary — or our acceptance of Christ and of the mystery of our kinship with Him is imperfect, partial, and unfulfilled.”

— Cardinal John Wright

hqdefault

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering- 1 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul
Our Morning Offering- 1 May
An Act of Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary
By St John Berchmans
Holy Mary, Mother of God and Virgin,
I choose you this day for my queen, patron and advocate
and firmly resolve and purpose never to abandon you,
never to say or do anything against you,
nor to permit that aught be done by others to dishonour you.
Receive me, then, I beg you,
as thy perpetual servant,
assist me in all my actions
and do not abandon me at the hour of my death. Amen
ACT OF CONSECRATION BY ST JOHN BERCHMANS - ONE OF MY BEST EVER! 1 MAY 2017
Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 1 May – St Joseph the Worker

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 1 May – St Joseph the Worker

christchild12b

Additional Memorials

• 19 March
• 1 May (Joseph the Worker)
• 3rd Wednesday after Easter (patronage of Saint Joseph of the Universal Church)
• 3 January on some local calendars
• 29 October (Armenian)
• 20 July (Coptic)

Patronages –  against doubt, against hesitation, accountants, attornies, barristers, bursars, cabinetmakers, carpenters, cemetery workers, children, civil engineers, confectioners, craftsmen, dying people, educators, emigrants, exiles, expectant mothers, families, fathers, furniture makers, grave diggers, happy death, holy death, house hunters, immigrants, interior souls, joiners, laborers, lawyers, married people, orphans, people in doubt, people who fight Communism, pioneers, pregnant women, social justice, solicitors, teachers, travellers, unborn children, wheelwrights, workers, working people, Catholic Church, Oblates of Saint Joseph, for protection of the Church, Universal Church, Vatican II, Americas, Austria, Belgium, Bohemia, Canada, China, Croatian people, Korea, Mexico, New France, New World, Peru, Philippines, Vatican City, Viet Nam, Canadian Armed Forces, Papal States, 46 dioceses, 26 cities, states and regions.

St. Joseph has two feast days on the liturgical calendar.    The first is March 19—Joseph, the Husband of Mary. The second is May 1—Joseph, the Worker.

“Saint Joseph is a man of great spirit. He is great in faith, not because he speaks his own words but above all because he listens to the words of the Living God.   He listens in silence.  And his heart ceaselessly perseveres in the readiness to accept the Truth contained in the word of the Living God,”   Pope John Paul II had once said.

There is very little about the life of Joseph in Scripture but still, we know that he was the chaste husband of Mary, the foster father of Jesus, a carpenter and  a man who was not wealthy.    We also know that he came from the royal lineage of King David.

We can see from his actions in scripture that Joseph was a compassionate man and obedient to the will of God.    He also loved Mary and Jesus and wanted to protect and provide for them.

Since Joseph does not appear in Jesus’ public life, at his death, or resurrection, many historians believe Joseph had probably died before Jesus entered public ministry.

Joseph is the patron of many things, including the universal Church, fathers, the dying and social justice.

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saints – 1 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

St Joseph the Worker (Optional Memorial)
Madonna of Giubino
—
St Aceolus of Amiens
St Acius of Amiens
St Aldebrandus of Fossombrone
St Amator of Auxerre
St Ambrose of Ferentino
St Andeolus of Smyrna
Bl Arigius of Gap
St Arnold of Hiltensweiler
St Asaph of Llanelwy
St Augustine Schöffler
St Benedict of Szkalka
St Bertha of Avenay
St Bertha of Kent
St Brieuc of Brittany
St Ceallach of Killala
St Cominus of Catania
Evermarus of Rousson
Bl Felim O’Hara
St Grata of Bergamo
St Isidora of Egypt
St Jeremiah the Prophet
St John-Louis Bonnard
Bl Klymentii Sheptytskyi
St Marculf
St Orentius of Auch
St Orentius of Loret
St Patientia of Loret
St Peregrine Laziosi
Bl Petronilla of Moncel
St Richard Pampuri
St Romanus of Baghdad
St Sigismund of Burgundy
St Theodard of Narbonne
St Thorette
St Torquatus of Guadix
Bl Vivald of Gimignano

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering -30 April

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering -30 April

Morning Prayer of St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor of the Church
Doctor zelantissimus (Most Zealous Doctor)

My most sweet Lord,
I offer and consecrate to You this morning
all that I am and have:
my senses,
my thoughts,
my affections,
my desires,
my pleasures,
my inclinations,
my liberty.
In a word,
I place my whole body and soul in Your hands.

2c3412748912bc6144da532e0b3235bc

Posted in MYSTICS, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 30 April – St Marie Guyart of the Incarnation O.S.U.

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 30 April – St Marie Guyart of the Incarnation O.S.U. (1599-1672) – Missionary, Mystic, Widow, Religious Nun, Foundress of the Ursuline Order in Canada. Also known as Marie Guyard, Marie Guyart of the Incarnation, Marie Guyart, Marie de l’Incarnation, Marie of the Ursulines, Mother of New France, Theresa of the New World.
Saint Marie of the Incarnation, the most significant leader to establish the Ursuline Convent in Quebec.


She was born as Marie Guyart in Tours, France in 1599. At about 14 years of age she saw that she could join the convent, but she sensed her mother did not share the same vision. She ended up marrying a silk merchant named Claude Martin and together they had a son.
Unfortunately, when their baby was only six-months-old, Marie became a widow. Called again by God, after much discerning, she got rid of the family business and entrusted her son to her sister and brother-in-law to take the Ursuline veil.
Who was Marie of the Incarnation?
Already very close to God as a young girl, she said she saw the heavens open and Jesus went to her and kissed her asking, “Will you be mine?” To which she replied, “Yes!”
She is considered a mystic of the Church as she had extraordinary encounters with our Lord and our Lady, which directed her in the path to bring the Faith to the peoples of New France.

Among her many accomplishments, Saint Marie learned the languages in her surrounding areas and even developed dictionaries in Algonquin and Iroquois, a sacred history in Algonquin, and a catechism in Iroquois.
She was among the first women missionaries in North America. Her life and her spirituality have inspired many people around the world, spanning from other regions of Quebec, Peru, Japan and the Philippines. In Quebec you can find the Marie of the Incarnation Centre.
In June 22, 1980, Pope John Paul the II declared her Blessed. She was Canonised on 3 April 2014 by Pope Francis (equipollent canonisation)

Note: To read about the equipollent canonisation of St Marie Guyart go here: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/10/11/what_is_equipollent_canonization/1108383

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saints – 30 April

Posted on by AnaStpaul

3rd Sunday in Easter (2017)
St Marie Guyart of the Incarnation (Optional Memorial)
—
St Adjutor of Vernon
St Aimo of Savigny
St Amator of Córdoba
St Aphrodisius of Alexandria
St Cynwl
St Dedë Plani
St Diodoro of Aphrodisias
St Donatus of Euraea
St Erconwald of London
St Eutropius of Saintes
St Forannan
St Genistus of Limoges
St Giuse Tuân
Bl Gualfardus of Augsburg
Bl Hildegard the Empress
St Joseph Benedict Cottolengo
St Lawrence of Novara
St Louis of Córdoba
St Mariano of Acerenza
St Maximus of Ephesus
St Mercurialis of Forlì
St Peter of Córdoba
St Pomponius of Naples
St Quirinus of Rome
St Rodopiano of Aphrodisias
St Sophia of Fermo
St Swithbert the Younger
Bl Ventura of Spello
Bl William Southerne

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, Uncategorized

Novena to St Joseph the Worker – Day Nine – 30 April

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Novena to St Joseph the Worker – Day Nine – 30 April

“It is we, men walking in the street, ordinary Christians immersed in the bloodstream of society, whom Our Lord wants to be saints and apostles, in the very midst of our professional work; that is, sanctifying our job in life, sanctifying ourselves in it and, through it, helping others to sanctify themselves as well. Be convinced that it is there that God awaits you, with all the love of a Father and Friend. Consider too that, by doing your daily work well and responsibly, not only will you be supporting yourselves financially; you will also be contributing in a very direct way to the development of society, you will be relieving the burdens of others and maintaining countless welfare projects, both local and international, on behalf of less privileged individuals and countries.”
St Josemaria Escriva – Friends of God, 120

Let us Pray:

DAY NINE

DAY NINE - NOVENA ST JOSEPHTHEWORKER

Dear Saint Joseph,
you were yourself once faced
with the responsibility of providing
the necessities of life for Jesus and Mary.
Look down with fatherly compassion upon me
in my present need and with this my special intention
(make your intention)
Please help me to fulfil God’s plan for my life
please help me in my anxiety
so that this great burden of concern will be lifted from my heart .
Help me to guard against discouragement,
so that I may emerge from this trail spiritually enriched
and with even greater blessings from God. Amen.

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Quote of the Day – 30 April

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 30 April

“Love is the bond of life,
the mother of the poor
and the teacher of the rich.
It is the nurse of orphans,
the attendant of the elderly,
the treasure of the indigent
and the common port
of all the afflicted.”

St Gregory of Nyssa

ST GREGORY OF NYSSA - LOVE IS THE

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

One Minute Reflection – 30 April

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 30 April

Blest are they who have not seen and yet have believed……….John 20:29

john 20-29

REFLECTION – “This Gospel text certainly applies to us – but only if we confirm our faith by our works!
Those truly believe who carry out in practice what they believe.”………..St Gregory the Great

ST GREGORY THE GREAT - THIS GOSPEL TEXT

PRAYER – Jesus my Lord and my God, help me to believe in You with all my might. And let me translate that belief into practice by obeying Your commands each moment of each day. St Marie Guyart of the Incarnation you were truly a shining example to us all of how to confim our faith by our works! Please pray for us, amen.

ST MARIE GUYART OF THE INCARNATION - PRAY FOR US

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

Novena to St Joseph the Worker – Day Eight – 29 April

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Novena to St Joseph the Worker – 29 April

“In our ordinary behavior we need a power far greater than that of the legendary King Midas, who changed all he touched to gold.
We have to change, through love, the human work of our usual working day into the work of God: something that will last for ever.”
St Josemaria Escriva – The Forge, 742

Let us Pray:

DAY EIGHT

day eight-novena st josephthe worker

Glorious St Joseph,
in your diligent daily labour,
you provided for the household
of the Holy Family.
Patron of all workers,
you model how work is a
participation in God’s own activity.
Our Lord Jesus Christ declared:
“My food is to do the will of him
who sent me and to accomplish his work.”
I pray for the sanctification of all human labour.
Through it, God never ceases to perfect
and govern the immense work of creation.
St Joseph, by your intercession,
protect the rights of all workers.
Enable all to find work that befits their dignity.
Do not let those who are unemployed become
discourage but aid them in obtainng fitting work.
United in your powerful help and intercession,
I offer you my own intentions……
(make your intention)
I pray you, dear St Joseph, through our Lord,
Jesus Christ, your dearly beloved foster Son,
in union with the Holy Spirit.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saints – 29 April

Posted on by AnaStpaul

St Catherine of Siena (Memorial)
Abbots of Cluny: A feast that recognizes the great and saintly early abbots of Cluny Abbey.
• Saint Aymardus of Cluny
• Saint Berno of Cluny
• Saint Hugh of Cluny
• Saint Mayeul
• Saint Odilo of Cluny
• Saint Odo of Cluny
• Saint Peter the Venerable
Madonna del sangue
—
St Antonius Kim Song-u
St Ava of Denain
St Daniel of Gerona
St Dichu
St Endellion of Tregony
St Fiachan of Lismore
St Hugh of Cluny
St Gundebert of Gumber
St Joseph Benedict Cottolengo
St Paulinus of Brescia
St Peter Verona
Bl Robert Gruthuysen
St Senan of Wales
St Severus of Naples
St Theoger
St Torpes of Pisa
St Tychicus
St Wilfrid the Younger
—
Martyrs of Cirta: A group of clergy and laity martyred together in Cirta, Numidia (in modern Tunisia) in the persecutions of Valerian. They were – Agapius, Antonia, Emilian, Secundinus and Tertula, along with a woman and her twin children whose names have not come down to us.

Martyrs of Corfu: A gang of thieves who converted while in prison, brought to the faith by Saint Jason and Saint Sosipater who were had been imprisoned for evangelizing. When the gang announced their new faith, they were martyred together. They were – Euphrasius, Faustianus, Insischolus, Januarius, Mammius, Marsalius and Saturninus. They were boiled in oil and pitch in the 2nd century on the Island of Corcyra (modern Corfu, Greece.
Also known as:
• Martyrs of Corcyra
• Seven Holy Thieves
• Seven Holy Robbers
• Seven Robber Saints

Posted in PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Pope Francis in Egypt – April 28 & 29

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Pope Francis in Egypt – April 28 & 29

In his first international trip of the year, Pope Francis will be traveling to Cairo, Egypt on April 28 and 29, with the itinerary focusing on inter-faith dialogue, especially in hopes of combatting violence and Christian persecution in the area.

The pope arrived in Cairo April 28 for courtesy visits with both political and religious leaders.    While in Cairo, the Holy Father will deliver a speech to an international conference on peace along with the grand imam of al-Azhar University and Eastern Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.    He will celebrate Mass with the Catholic community in Cairo the next day and meet with bishops, clergy, religious and seminarians before returning to Rome on April 29.

The pope’s presence in Egypt comes as a welcome sign of hope as the region grieves from the Palm Sunday attacks on the Orthodox Coptic churches in Tanta and Alexandria.    The first of the attacks, a bomb at a Coptic Christian church in the northern city of Tanta, Egypt killed 27 people and wounded at least 71 more, according to BBC News.    A second blast took place at a Christian church in Alexandria, killing 17 and injuring another 35. ISIS has claimed responsibility for both attacks.     Coptic Christians are the largest religious minority in the Middle East, but are also the most persecuted.

The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis’ trip to Egypt this weekend will go on as planned, despite the Palm Sunday terrorist attacks.    Pope Francis has voiced his closeness to the Coptic community and prayed for those affected during his Palm Sunday Mass. “To my dear brother, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II,” Pope Francis said, “to the Coptic Church and to all the dear Egyptian nation, I express my deep condolences. I pray for the dead and the injured, and I am close in spirit to the family members [of the deceased and injured] and to the entire community.”    Pope Francis went on to pray, “May the Lord convert the hearts of the people who are sowing terror, violence and death and also the hearts of those who make and traffic weapons.”

Prayer for Pope Francis

Please pray for the safety of Pope Francis during his travels to Egypt and for the success of his pastoral mission to foster peace and to help end the violence against Christians in Egypt.

O God, Shepherd and ruler of all the faithful,
Look favourably on Your servant Francis,
whom You have set at the head of Your Church as her shepherd;
grant, we pray, that, by word and example,
he may be of service to those over whom he presides
so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care,
he may come to everlasting life.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen

PRAYER FOR POPE FRANICIS

Pope Francis Schedule in Egypt

Times listed are local, with Central Daylight Time in parentheses.

Friday, April 28 (Rome, Cairo)

— 10:45 a.m. (3:45 a.m.), Departure from Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport for Cairo.

— 2 p.m. (7 a.m.), Arrival at Cairo airport. Official welcoming ceremony at the Heliopolis presidential palace. Courtesy visits with el-Sissi and Sheik el-Tayeb. Speeches by the grand imam and the pope to participants in an international conference on peace.

— 4:40 p.m. (9:40 a.m.), Meeting with local authorities. Speeches by el-Sissi and Pope Francis. Courtesy visit to Pope Tawadros. Speeches by Pope Tawadros and Pope Francis.

Saturday, April 29 (Cairo, Rome)

— 10:00 a.m. (3:00 a.m.), Mass in Cairo. Homily by pope.

— 12:15 p.m. (5:15 a.m.), Lunch with Egypt’s bishops and the papal entourage.

— 3:15 p.m. (8:15 a.m.), Prayer gathering with clergy, men and women religious, and seminarians. Speech by pope. Farewell ceremony.

— 5 p.m. (10 a.m.), Departure from Cairo airport for Rome.

— 8:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m.), Arrival at Rome’s Ciampino airport.

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

Novena to St Joseph the Worker – Day Seven – 28 April

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Novena to St Joseph the Worker – Day Seven – 28 April

“Persevere in the exact fulfillment of the obligations of the moment. That work – humble, monotonous, small – is prayer expressed in action that prepares you to receive the grace of the other work – great and wide and deep – of which you dream.”
St Josemaria Escriva – The Way, 825

Let us Pray:

DAY SEVEN

day seven novena st joseph the worker

Good Saint Joseph,
ever watchful guardian of the Holy Family,
model of all those who are devoted to labour,
obtain for me the grace to work conscientiously,
putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations,
to work with gratitude and joy,
in a spirit of penance for the remission of my sins,
considering it an honour to employ and develop
by means of labour the gifts received from God.
Keep us one and all under your continual protection,
so that by your help and example, we may lead a holy life,
die a happy death and come to possess eternal life in heaven.
Humbly we ask of you dear St Joseph,
to intercede for all workers, in the difficulties
of their daily lives especially for the unemployed,
in their anxieties for tomorrow,
so that through the guidance of God,
the great Architect and Builder, they all
may use their strength and talents
to make visible God’s new creation,
to offer a concrete service to society
and to earn wages worthy of their efforts.
With confidence and trust
we make our intention
(make your intention)
I pray to you, dear St Joseph, through our Lord,
Jesus Christ, your dearly beloved foster Son,
in union with the Father and the Holy ,
one God for ever and ever.
Amen

Posted in MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 28 April

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 28 April

Success or failure is often not completely in our hands and sometimes, we have to face what seems almost certain failure.   But success is not required of us, only fidelity.   St Peter Chanel’s work ended in his own death in the face of what seemed total failure.   Out of that ‘failure’, God brought about the success Peter was seeking AND brought Peter himself to sainthood and eternal joy and sublime success!

St Peter Chanel, pray for us!

ST PETER CHANEL - APRIL 28

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 28 April

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 28 April

“To go to Jesus, we must go to Mary.
She is our Mediatrix of intercession.
To go to God our Father,
we must go to Jesus, for He is our
Mediator of Redemption.”

TO GO TO JESUS-ST LOUIS DE MONTFORT

“The Son of God became man for our salvation
but only in Mary and through Mary.”

the son of god - st louise de montfort

“Take advantage of little sufferings
even more than of great ones.
God considers not so much what we suffer,
as how we suffer. . . Turn everything to profit
as the grocer does in his shop.”

take advantage of little sufferings - st l de montfort

St Louis de Montfort