Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOMINICAN OP, LENT 2024, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LUST, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PRAYER, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

Quote/s of the Day – 15 February – Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving

Quote/s of the Day – 15 February – Ash Thursday

“… Now is the time in this life of suffering,
when we journey apart from Him.
… So let us fast and pray now
because, we are in the days of childbirth!

Fasting cleanses the soul,
raises the mind,
subjects one’s flesh to the spirit,
renders the heart contrite and humble,
scatters the clouds of concupiscence,
quenches the fire of lust
and kindles the true light of chastity.
Enter again into yourself!”

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

Arm yourself with prayer
instead of a sword;
be clothed with humility
instead of fine raiment
.”

St Dominic OP (1170-1221)

What great profit you gain from God
when you are generous!
You give a coin
and receive a Kingdom;
you give bread from wheat
and receive the Bread of Life;
you give a transitory good
and receive an everlasting one.
You will receive it back,
a hundred times more
than you offered.

St Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555)

The soul which is quick to turn
to speaking and conversing,
is slow to turn to God.

St John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Doctor of the Church

All evangelical perfection is attained,
by the continual exercise of prayer.

St Aloysius Gonzaga SJ (1568-1591)

As well as the corporal works,
there are the spiritual works of mercy.
Everyone is not obliged to undertake the former,
that would be impossible, for instance,
for the desitute, the sick, the aged.
But, everyone is OBLIGED to undertake the latter.
Sometimes a kind word
is more valuable than money!”
… Remember, however, that the practice
of the spiritual works of mercy,
does not excuse us from the exercise
of material works of charity,
wherever that is possible for us
(Cf Js 2:16).

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in "Follow Me", MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on MERCY, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SPIRITUAL WORKS of MERCY, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the POOR, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 December – What dost thou have that thou hast not received? – 1 Corinthians 4:7

Quote/s of the Day – 6 December – Hebrews 13:7-17; Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

To one He gave five talents;
to another, two; to a third, one—
to each according to his ability. …

Matthew 25:15

What dost thou have that thou hast not received?

1 Corinthians 4:7

Are we going to neglect our own salvation?
Let us show great compassion
towards the poor
so as to be made worthy of possessing
good things to come for all eternity!

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor of the Church

For the devil may tempt the good
but he cannot find rest in them;
for he is shaken violently
and upset and driven out –
now by their prayers,
now by their tears of repentance
and now. by their almsgiving
and similar good works.

St Bruno (c1030-1101)

What great profit you gain from God
when you are generous!
You give a coin
and receive a Kingdom;
you give bread from wheat
and receive the Bread of Life;
you give a transitory good
and receive an everlasting one.
You will receive it back,
a hundred times more
than you offered.

St Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555)

As well as the corporal works,
there are the spiritual works of mercy.
Everyone is not obliged to undertake the former,
that would be impossible, for instance,
for the desitute, the sick, the aged.
But, everyone is OBLIGED to undertake the latter.
Sometimes a kind word
is more valuable than money!”
… Remember, however, that the practice
of the spiritual works of mercy,
does not excuse us from the exercise
of material works of charity,
wherever that is possible for us
(Cf Js 2:16).

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on SPIRITUAL WORKS of MERCY

Thought for the Day – 18 March – Charitable Works

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

Charitable Works

As well as the corporal works, there are the spiritual works of mercy.
Everyone is not obliged to undertake the former, that would be impossible, for instance, for the desitute, the sick, the aged.
But, everyone is OBLIGED to undertake the latter.
Sometimes a kind word is more valuable than money!

There are many ways in which we can carry out the spiritual works of mercy.
There is the well-timed and understanding advice we can give to others, the visit to a sick man who is alone in his suffering, the friendly and encouraging visit to an unfortunate prisoner, the tactful and patient instruction we can give to those who have gone astray through ignorance, rather than through malice and at times, the rebuke we can administer to a hardened sinner, in such a way, as to make it quite clear that our only motive is to win him back to the real happiness, which only goodness can give.

Remember, however, that the practice of the spiritual works of mercy, does not excuse us from the exercise of material works of charity, wherever that is possible for us (Cf Js 2:16).

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/21/thought-for-the-day-21-march-charitable-works/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/20/thought-for-the-day-20-march-charitable-works/

Posted in LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Thought for the Day – 20 March – Charitable Works

Thought for the Day – 20 March – Meditations with
Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Charitable Works

“When Jesus was asked, what was the first commandment, He replied: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than this” (Mk 12:30-31).
As St Augustine says, the love of God and the love of neighbour are two branches of the same tree, the tree of charity.
“If anyone says, ‘I love God’ and hates his brother,” St John warns us, “he is a liar” (1 Jn 4:20).

We must prove our love for God by showing charity towards our neighbour.
All men are our brothers in Jesus Christ, Who has redeemed us by His Precious Blood.
Our Lord has said that He will regard as done for Himself, anything which we do for the least of our brethren (Mt 25:10).

Like the Saints, we should see Jesus Himself living in the poor and the suffering.
The Saints gave Him everything they had, not only their possessions but also their toil and their love.

Think how much those missionaries do who leave everything in order to go to foreign lands and win souls for Christ.
Think of the charitable work of the sisters and nurses in the hospitals, asylums and orphanages.
What are we doing?”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/21/thought-for-the-day-21-march-charitable-works/

Posted in "Follow Me", LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Thought for the Day – 21 March – Charitable Works

Thought for the Day – 21 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Charitable Works

“When Jesus was asked, what was the first commandment, He replied: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than this” (Mk 12:30-31).
As St Augustine says, the love of God and the love of neighbour are two branches of the same tree, the tree of charity.
“If anyone says, ‘I love God’ and hates his brother,” St John warns us, “he is a liar” (1 Jn 4:20).

We must prove our love for God by showing charity towards our neighbour.
All men are our brothers in Jesus Christ, Who has redeemed us by His Precious Blood.
Our Lord has said that He will regard as done for Himself, anything which we do for the least of our brethren (Mt 25:10).

Like the Saints, we should see Jesus Himself living in the poor and the suffering.
The Saints gave Him everything they had, not only their possessions but also their toil and their love.

Think how much those missionaries do who leave everything in order to go to foreign lands and win souls for Christ.
Think of the charitable work of the sisters and nurses in the hospitals, asylums and orphanages.
What are we doing?”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/21/thought-for-the-day-21-march-charitable-works/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE

Thought for the Day – 21 March – Charitable Works

Thought for the Day – 21 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Charitable Works

Christianity is the religion of love.
This is not to say that charity is sufficient, without justice, for there can be no real charity without justice.
But justice cannot always bring us very far.
There are many complex and tragic problems, which justice alone is powerless to solve.
Only Christian love can comfort the human heart and heal some of the deeper wounds of poor suffering humanity.
There is a sense, in which it is true to say, that Christianity is charity.
This is what Jesus meant when He said: “This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12). “God is love and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him” (1 Jn 4:16).
Anyone who is without charity is not really a Christian.
Egoism is the absolute negation of Christianity.
The egoist is deaf to human sorrows and loves only himself.
A Christian should love God above all things and his neighbour as himself
.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci