Posted in ADVENT, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The DIVINE INFANT

Thought for the Day – 18 December – The Cradle of the Divine Infant Jesus

Thought for the Day – 18 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

A Christmas Novena III
The Cradle of the Divine Infant Jesus

Perhaps I still preserve a strong attachment to sin and fall badly from time to time.
What is the main motivating power in my life?
Perhaps, I am motivated by self-interest and am attracted by pleasure, ease and worldly glory.
How little I have learned from the example of Our Lord in the manger.

Let us remember, that the man who looks only for worldly success, cannot find Heaven!
He will wind up bitter and disillusioned, whereas the man who seeks Jesus Christ, will eventually enjoy the peace and happiness which God alone can give.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/18/thought-for-the-day-18-december-a-christmas-novena-the-cradle-of-the-divine-infant-jesus/

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, INDULGENCES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for the SOULS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PURGATORY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, St Alphonsus de Liguori,, The HOLY SOULS

Thought for the Day – 9 November – INDULGENCES

Thought for the Day – 9 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

INDULGENCES

Indulgences, therefore, are an aid to repentance for sin, not a substitute for it.
In granting them, the Church is only imitating the merciful spirit of Jesus Christ, Who was always compassionate towards sinners.

Let us do our best to make profitable use of the Church’s generosity on our own behalf and, on behalf of the Faithful Departed.
Let us observe the necessary conditions in order to gain as many Indulgences as possible.

Every morning, we should make the intention of gaining all the indulgences which we can, during the day.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/09/thought-for-the-day-9-november-indulgences/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/09/thought-for-the-day-9-november-indulgences-2/

St Alphonsus’ little Morning Prayer:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/08/02/__trashed-24/

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The GOOD SHEPHERD

Thought for the Day – 7 September – The Mercy of God

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

The Mercy of God

Let us meditate, in particular, on certain passages in the Gospel in which God’s Mercy stands out most vividly and appealingly.
There is the incident of the adulteress who is brought before Our Lord by the hypocritical Pharisees.

According to the law, she should have been stoned to death.
Jesus looks at her accusers, who harbour, in the secrecy of their own hearts, God knows how many abominations but strut about in public with the mien of stern and impeccable judges.
Then He rivets His gaze upon the shamefaced woman, who is looking like a soiled rag thrown away on a dust-heap.
When Jesus addresses her relentless judges, His voice is steady: “Let him who is without sin among you, be the first to cast a stone at her.
When they all drift away with lowered heads, Jesus says pityingly to the woman: “Has no-one condemned thee? … Neither do I condemn thee. Go thy way and from now on, sin no more” (Cf Jn 8:3-11).

Elsewhere, Jesus is called “the Good Shepherd” Who knows His sheep and calls them to Himself one by one.
If a poor sheep is lost, He leaves the other ninety-nine of His flock and searches for it, nor does He rest until it has been found.
When He sees that it has been injured, He carries it back to the fold upon His shoulders.

Who could forget the touching parable of the prodigal son?
He had left the home of his aging father and had gone to a distant country where he had squandered his inheritance in the course of a low and worldly life of pleasure.
When all his money had been spent, he was very much alone and was reduced to such circumstances, that he took a job looking after unclean animals.
One day, when he was weeping over his fare, he made a sudden resolution, “I will get up and go to my father and say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee. I am no longer worthy to be called thy son.
His father had been waiting for him for many years.
He met and embraced him and gave him the kiss of pardon.
Then he held a great feast because his son had repented and come home.
He “was dead and has come to life, he was lost and is found” (Cf Lk 15:11-32).

No matter how great our faults may be, let us trust in the Infinite Mercy of God and when we go to Him repenting and sorrowful, He will grant us forgiveness and peace.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD ALONE!, GOD the FATHER, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on SIN, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The REDEMPTION

Thought for the Day – 29 July – Why God Created Us

Thought for the Day – 29 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Why God Created Us

“We should ask the reason for everything which comes from the Hand of God.
Have you ever seriously considered WHY you are in this world?
It is certainly not for the sake of this passing earthly existence, for the sake of earning your living, or enjoying yourself.
You know well, that the passing pleasures of this life do not satisfy the human heart and cannot be the final goal of life.
Each one of us has a thirst for all that is infinite, eternal and perfect.
God alone can satisfy this thirst.
Just as we are created by God, so we are created for Him.

Just as we came from God, so we are gradually travelling back towards Him, for He is the final goal of our earthly journey.
We should meditate on this great truth which we were first taught in the Catechism, namely, that we were created to know, love and serve God on this earth and to be happy with Him forever in Heaven.
Let us not allow ourselves to be dazzled by earthly beauty.
God alone is the eternal beauty which will satisfy our hearts.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/26/thought-for-the-day-26-march-why-god-created-us/

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

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

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

The Passion of Our Lord

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

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

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

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 13 March – Faith, Humility, Perseverance and Grace

Quote/s of the Day – 13 March – Thursday of the First Week in Lent – Ezechiel 18:1-9, Matthew 15:21-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Then Jesus answering, said to her:
O woman, great is thy faith!
be it done to thee as thou desire
and her daughter was cured from that hour
.”

Matthew 15:28

I implore you to live with me and,
by believing, to run with me;
let us long for our Heavenly Country,
let us sigh for our Heavenly Home,
let us truly feel that here, we are strangers.
What shall we then see?
Let the Gospel tell us:
In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
You will come to the fountain,
with whose dew you have already been sprinkled.
Instead of the ray of Light
which was sent through slanting
and winding ways, into the heart of your darkness,
you will see the Light Itself,
in all its purity and brightness.
It is to see and experience this Light
that you are now being cleansed. …
It has been good for us to share
the common Light,
good to have enjoyed ourselves,
good to have been glad together.
When we part from one another,
let us not depart from Him!

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“When the sister of St Thomas Aquinas
asked him how to become holy,
he replied that it needed only one thing –
a firm act of the will,
for God will certainly supply
the necessary grace.
The grace of God is the principal weapon
upon which we must depend
in order to gain our victory.
We should pray for it humbly and perseveringly.
There will be victors and losers
in the battle for Heaven,
as well as in earthly contests.
We must make sure,
that we are on the winning side!
For this purpose, we should combine
fervent and constant prayer
with generous co-operation
with the grace of God.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, INDULGENCES, MARIAN Aspirations and Ejaculations, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 15 February – Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners, Pray for Us!

Quote/s of the Day – 15 February – Feast of The Immaculate Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners

Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners, Pray for Us!

(Indulgence 300 days)

Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

(1943 Raccolta – Indulgence 300 days)

Mary will certainly save repentant sinners
who have recourse to her
but she cannot pay any attention to hardened sinners, who pray to her with their lips,
while their hearts remain steeped in sin.
We must have complete confidence in her
but, we must also have a sincere intention
of raising ourselves under her protection,
from the slavery of sin,
to the friendship of God.

Mary, my merciful Mother,
you see how wretched I am
and how often I have fallen.
I wish to reform and sanctify myself
but I am not able without your powerful assistance, the weakness of my nature
is an insurmountable obstacle.
Come to my aid, O Mother of mercy.
Obtain for me, forgiveness f
rom your Divine Son.
Obtain for me too, the grace
of a complete change of heart,
so that I may be truly your child
here upon the earth and share
in your glory in Heaven.
Amen.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in ADVENT QUOTES, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CONFESSION, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY COMMUNION, QUOTES on SACRILEGE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, VENIAL SIN

Quote/s of the Day – 11 December – ‘Make ready then the vessel of your soul …’

Quote/s of the Day – 11 December – Advent Preparation and Penance

Make ready then the vessel of your soul
that you may become a son of God
and an heir of God
and joint-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17);
if, indeed, you are preparing yourself
that you may receive;
if you are drawing near in faith
that you may be made faithful;
if of set purpose,
you are putting off the old man
!”

St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387)
Father and Doctor of the Church

If they, must regard themselves
as useless servants, who have done all their duty,
what must I do, who have done
so small a part of what I ought to have done
?”

St Andrew Avellino CR (1521–1608)

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

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

What hope would you entertain
of the recovery of the man, who,
instead of taking the medicine prescribed by his physician, drank a cup of poison instead?
God! What can the Sacrament of Penance be
to those who conceal their sins but a deadly poison
which adds to their guilt, the malice of Sacrilege?
What, then, does the sinner do, when he conceals
his sins in Confession?
He tramples underfoot, the Blood of Jesus Christ.
And should he afterwards receive the Holy Communion
in a state of sin, he is, according to St Chrysostom,
as guilty as if he threw the Consecrated Host into a sink …
Accursed shame! how many poor souls
do you bring to hell?
… Unhappy souls! they think only of the shame
of confessing their sins and do not reflect
that, if they conceal them, they shall be
certainly damned
!”

St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Unfortunately, our only return for God’s
continual favours, has been negligence,
ingratitude and sin!
Since it is an offence against God,
Who is infinitely good and amiable,
even venial sin cannot properly be atoned for
by the merits of all the Angels
and of all the Saints of Heaven.
Therefore, it was necessary for the Son of God,
made Man, to offer Himself
as a Victim of Expiation, on our behalf.
Remembering His Infinite Merits,
we should humbly ask God –
‘forgive us our debts.‘ that is, our many sins
and failings and, whatever punishment is owing to us,
for every sin demands some expiation,
either in this life or in the next!

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in CHARITY - Fr Richard Clarke SJ, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, ON the SAINTS, PRAYERS for the SOULS, Quotes on SALVATION, The HOLY SOULS

Quote/s of the Day – 2 November – The Holy Souls

Quote/s of the Day – 2 November – “The Month and the Feast of the Holy Souls in Purgatory”

The Holy Souls must sometimes think, reproachfully,
how little their friends on earth do
to aid them in their present sufferings.
Among many other methods of aiding them,
I can offer up for them
all the pains of mind and body
which God sends me, asking God
to accept them in alleviation
of the sufferings of the holy souls.
This will help me to be patient
and to suffer willingly and,
when my time comes, I shall find
that patient suffering for others,
will shorten my time of banishment from God,
in the fires of Purgatory.

Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Prayer for the Dead
From My Prayer Book, 1927
By Fr Francis Xavier Lasance (1860-1946)

O God, whose property it is,
ever to have mercy and to spare,
we beseech Thee,
on behalf of the soul of Thy servant,
whom Thou hast called out of this world,
look upon her with pity
and let her be conducted
by the holy Angels to Paradise,
her true country.
Grant that she, who believed in Thee
and hoped in Thee, may not be left
to suffer the pains of the Purgatorial fires
but may be admitted to eternal joy.
Through Jesus Christ Thy Son, our Lord,
Who with the Holy Ghost-
liveth and reigneth,
world without end.
Amen

The example of the Saints should inspire us
to practise great devotion to the Souls in Purgatory.
We should ask them to obtain for us
everything which we need but especially,
the graces necessary for our eternal salvation!

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/11/02/quote-s-of-the-day-2-november-we-must-live-a-dying-life/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HOLY NAME

Quote/s of the Day – 26 October – Abide in Me

Quote/s of the Day – 26 October – Vigil of Saints Simon and Jude (Anticipation) – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14, John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Abide in Me and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
unless it abide in the vine,
so neither can you,
unless you abide in Me.

John 15:4

If, because of your preaching,
men lay aside enmities,
forgive injuries,
avoid occasions of sin
and scandals
and reform their conduct,
you may say that the seed
has fallen on good ground.
But to God alone, give all the glory
and acknowledge yourselves,
ever unprofitable servants.

St Louis Bertrand (1526-1581)

[Jesus] is our only Master, Who must teach us;
our only Lord, on Whom we must depend;
our only Head, to Whom alone we should belong;
our only Model, Whom we should imitate;
our only Physician, Who must heal us;
our only Shepherd, Who must feed us;
our only Way, Who must lead us;
our only Truth, Whom we must believe;
our only Life, Who must be our life
and our sole sufficiency in all things
that, in Him, we may have all in All.
Except the Name of Jesus,
there is no other name given under Heaven,
whereby we must be saved
and apart from Jesus Christ,
God has given us no other foundation of our salvation,
our perfection and our glory!

St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

For the branch,” says St Augustine,
“there can be no half-measures.
Either it remains united with the vine,
or it is thrown into the fire.”
The same holds true for each one of us.
We must choose, either close union with Jesus,
or separation and spiritual death.
We must decide between a life of fervour in Christ,
or a life of tepidity and sin.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, St Alphonsus de Liguori,, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 22 July – Penitance

Quote/s of the Day – 22 July – St Mary Magdalen (1st Century) Penitent – Song 3:2-5; 8:6-7, Luke 7:36-50.

She began to bathe His feet with her tears
and wiped them with the hair of her head
and kissed His feet
and anointed them with ointment.

Luke 7:38

Remember not our former iniquities,
let Thy mercies speedily prevent us,
for we are become exceeding poor.
Help us, O God, our Saviour
and for the glory of Thy Name, O Lord,
deliver us and forgive us our sins,
for Thy Name’s sake.

Psalm 78:8-9

Let us then, my brethren, endure in hope.
Let us devote ourselves, side-by-side with our hoping,
so that the God of all the universe,
as He beholds our intention,
may cleanse us from all sins,
fill us with high hopes from what we have in hand
and grant us the change of heart which saves.
God has called you and you have your calling!

St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Prayer, appeases the anger of God;
He pardons the sinner
when he prays with humility.

St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455)

We must be very sorry for faults
with a repentance which is strong,
constant, tranquil
but not troubled, unquiet or fainthearted.

(Treatise on the Love of God, Book 9, Chapter 7).

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

In conclusion, let us say this prayer of St Alphonsus de Liguori (1696-1787):
My soul, look at this Crucified Man …
see how the arms extend to embrace you,
how the head bows forward
to give you the kiss of peace.
See how His side is open to receive you.
What have you to say?
Such a good and loving God deserves to be loved.
O my Jesus!
Adorable Jesus!
O Love of my soul!
How can I ever forget Thee?
How can I ever love anything
apart from Thee!
O suffering Jesus,
may the memory of Thee ever remain
in my heart
!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, St JOSEPH, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day –10 July – ‘ … Let God steer us where He will.’

Quote/s of the Day –10 July – Proverbs 31:10-31, Matthew 12:46-50 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

For whoever does
the Will of My Father in Heaven,
is My brother and My sister
and My mother.

Matthew 12:50

Unfurl the sails
and let God steer us
where He will.

St Bede the Venerable (673-735)
Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

No-one will have any other desire in Heaven
than what God wills and the desire of one,
will be the desire of all and the desire of all
and of each one, will also be the desire of God.

St Anselm (1033-1109)
Archbishop of Canterbury

Strive to be faithful
to that which God has called you.

St Angelica de Merici (1474-1540) Virgin

It is impossible, that he could be denied
the favours for which he asks
and which we should request him
to obtain for us.
Let us go to him trustingly
but, let us remember,
that the surest way of being heard by him,
is to imitate his wonderful virtues,
especially his humility,
his spirit of prayer,
his purity and his calm desire always,
to do God’s will.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)