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Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 21 March – FOLLOW ME!

Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 21 March – Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Lent – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6, Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

He asked life of Thee
and Thou hast given him
length of days forever and ever.

Psalm 20:5

And everyone who has left house,
or brethren, or sisters, or father,
or mother, or wife, or children, or lands,
for My Name’s sake, shall receive
a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.

Matthew 19:29

FOLLOW ME!
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

WE MUST POSSESS a continual and imperturbable equanimity, amid the great variety of human occurrences and although, all things change around us, remain immovable, with our eyes fixed on God alone.
And although, all things, I will not merely say around us but even within us, should turn topsy-turvy; whether our souls be joyful or sorrowful, in peace or in trouble, in light or in darkness, in temptation or in repose, in happiness or in disgust, although the sun scorch, or the dew refresh – we should always keep our will fixed on the good pleasure of God, as its sole and supreme object.

It is true that we require great confidence to abandon ourselves, without any reserve, to Divine Providence but, when we do abandon all, Our Lord takes care of all and disposes of all.
But, if we reserve anything which we are unwilling to confide to Him, He leaves us, as if He would say: “You think yourselves sufficiently wise to manage that affair without Me – you can do so and see what will come of it!
” ( Consoling Thoughts on God and Providence).

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 May – “I am Thine and born for Thee, What wilt Thou do with me?”

Quote/s of the Day – 22 May – “Mary’s Month” – Readings: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31, Psalm 11:4-5, 7, John 21:20-25

“Lord, what about him?”
Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours? You follow me.”

John 21:21-22

“I am Thine and born for Thee,
What wilt Thou do with me?

Sovereign Lord, upon Thy throne,
Endless Wisdom, One and whole,
Goodness that dost feed my soul,
Good and great, One God alone,
As I sing my love for Thee.
What wilt Thou do with me?

Thine I am, for Thou didst make me;
Thine, for Thou alone didst save me;
Thine – Thou couldst endure to have me;
For Thine own, didst deign to take me.
Never once, didst Thou forsake me.
Ruined were I, if not for Thee:
What wilt Thou do with me?

What, O good and loving Lord,
What wilt Thou have this creature do?
This Thy slave, a sinner too,
Waiting till she hears Thy word?
With Thy will in close accord,
Sweetest Love, I come to Thee:
What wilt Thou do with me?

Take, O Lord, my loving heart:
See, I yield it to Thee whole,
With my body, life and soul
And my nature’s every part.
Sweetest Spouse, my life Thou art;
I have given myself to Thee:
What wilt Thou do with me?

Let me live or let me die;
Give me sickness, give me health;
Give me poverty or wealth;
Let me strive or peaceful lie.
Weakness give or strength supply –
I accept it all of Thee:
What wilt Thou do with me?…

I am Thine and born for Thee,
What wilt Thou do with me?”

Poem – I am Yours, for You I was born – “Vuestra Soy, para Vos nací ”
(trans. E.Allison Peers)

St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Doctor of Prayer of the Church

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Quote/s of the Day – – 28 March – “Never before, has anyone spoken, like this one” Luke 7:46

Quote/s of the Day – – 28 March – Saturday of the Fourth week of Lent, Readings: Jeremiah 11:18-20, Psalm 7:2-3, 9-12, John 7:40-53

“Never before,
has anyone spoken,
like this one”

John 7:46

“Follow me.”

Luke 5:27

“Come along then, every human family,
full of sin as you are
and receive the forgiveness of your sins.
For I Myself, am your Forgiveness,
I am the Passover of salvation,
the Lamb slain for your sakes,
your redemption, life and resurrection;
I am your Light, your Salvation and your King.
It is I, who lead you to the heights of heaven,
I, who will raise you up;
it is I, who will bring you to see the Father
who is from all eternity;
it is I, who will raise you up
by My all-powerful Hand.”

St Melito of Sardis (Died c 180)
Bishop, Apologist

“Christ is the artist,
tenderly wiping away
all the grime of sin
that disfigures the human face
and restoring God’s image
to its full beauty.”

St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–C 395)
Father of the Church

“He is the origin of all wisdom.
The Word of God in the heights,
is the source of wisdom.
Christ is the source of all true knowledge,
for He is “the way, the truth and the life.” (Jn 14:6). …
As way, Christ is the teacher
and origin of knowledge …
Without this Ligh,
which is Christ,
no-one can penetrate
the secrets of faith.”

St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Seraphic Doctor

“… Make use of Our Lord
as an armour which covers [us] all about,
by means of which [we] shall resist
every device of [our] enemies.
You shall then be my Strength, O my God!
You shall be my Guide,
my Director,
my Counsellor,
my Patience,
my Knowledge,
my Peace,
my Justice
and my Prudence.”

St Claude de la Colombiere (1641-1682)
“Apostle of the Sacred Heart”

“Where, then, is true freedom?
It is in the heart of one who loves
nothing more than God.
It is in the heart of one who is attached
neither to spirit nor to matter
but only to God.
It is in that soul which is not subject
to the “I” of egoism,
which soars above its own thoughts,
feelings, suffering and enjoyment.
Freedom resides in the soul
whose one reason for existence is God,
whose life is God
and nothing else but God.”

St Raphael Arnaiz Baron (1911-1938)
Spanish Trappist Monk

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 February – “Follow me.” Luke 5:27 ‘This is the glory of man …’

Quote/s of the Day – 20 February – Saturday after Ash Wednesday, Readings: Isaiah 58: 9-14, Psalms 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, Luke 5:27-32

“Follow me.”

Luke 5:27

“This is the glory of man –
to persevere and remain
in the service of God.
For this reason,
the Lord told His disciples:
‘You did not choose Me but I chose you.’
He meant that His disciples
did not glorify Him by following Him
but, in following the Son of God,
they were glorified by Him.
As He said:
‘I wish that where I am
they also may be,
that they may see My glory.’”

St Irenaeus (130-202)
Father of the Church and Martyr

From his Against Heresies (Book 4)

“Christ is the artist,
tenderly wiping away
all the grime of sin
that disfigures the human face
and restoring God’s image
to its full beauty.”

St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–C 395)
Father of the Church

“To welcome the Word of God
into the interior depths of one’s heart
is to be revived by food in plenty
and the eternal spring.
It is to hunger and thirst no more (Jn 6,35).”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Bishop of Milan
Father & Doctor of the Church

Commentary on Saint Luke’s gospel, 5, 16 ; SC 45

“Where, then, is true freedom?
It is in the heart of one who loves
nothing more than God.
It is in the heart of one who is attached
neither to spirit nor to matter
but only to God.
It is in that soul which is not subject
to the “I” of egoism,
which soars above its own thoughts,
feelings, suffering and enjoyment.
Freedom resides in the soul
whose one reason for existence is God,
whose life is God
and nothing else but God.”

Saint Raphael Arnaiz Baron (1911-1938)
Spanish Trappist Monk

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FRANCISCAN OFM, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 January – “Follow me!” Mark 1:17-18

One Minute Reflection – 24 January – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Readins: Jonah 3: 1-5, 10, Psalms 25:4-5, 6-7,8-9, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, Mark 1: 14-20 and the Memorial of St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church: Doctor caritatis (Doctor of Charity)

And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him…Mark 1:17-18

REFLECTION “Follow me!” Jesus says these words … to every Christian. Follow me, naked as I am naked, free from every hindrance as I myself am. Jeremiah said: “You will call me ‘My Father’ and never turn away from me” (Jer 3:19). So follow Me and put down the burdens you are bearing. For, laden as you are, you cannot follow Me who am running ahead. “I ran in thirst” says the psalmist about me (Ps 61:5 LXX), the thirst to save humanity. And where is He running? To the Cross. You too, run after Him. As He bore His Cross for you, take up your own for your good. From whence these words of Saint Luke’s gospel: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself” by renouncing his own will, “take up his cross” by mortifying his passions, “daily,” that is all the time, “and follow me.” (Lk 9:23) …

Jesus speaks to us like a mother who, wanting to teach her child to walk, shows him apiece of bread or an apple and says to him: “Come with me and I’ll give it to you.” And when the child is so close that he can almost catch hold of it, she draws away a little, showing the thing to him and repeating: “Follow me if you want it.” Some kinds of birds lead their little ones out of their nest and, by flying, teach them to fly and to follow them. Jesus does the same. He shows Himself as an example and promises us His reward in the kingdom so that we might follow Him.

So “follow me” for I know the right way and will guide you. We read in the book of Proverbs: “I will show you the way of wisdom; I will lead you by the ways of equity. When you have entered, your steps will not be constrained and when you run you shall not meet a stumbling block” (cf. Prv 4:11-12 LXX). … Therefore, “follow me”.” … St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Franciscan, Doctor of the Church – Sermon for the feast of Saint John the Evangelist

PRAYER – Grant Lord, that in the service of our fellowmen, we may always reflect Your own gentleness and love and so imitate St Francis de Sales, whom You made all things to all men, for the saving of souls. Grant that his prayers on our behalf may assist us in our daily struggles in traversing our pilgrim way. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 August – ‘Follow Me’

Quote/s of the Day – 10 August – Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr, Readings: Second Corinthians 9:6-10Psalms 112:1-25-67-89John 12:24-26

“If anyone serves me,
he must follow me
and where I am,
there will my servant be also.”

John 12:26

john 12 26 if anyone serves me he must follow me and where i am - 10 aug 2020 st lawrence

“The Lord is near
do not be anxious
about anything.”

the lord is near do not be anxious about anything - st augustine 13 july 2020

“Let us listen to the Lord:
“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14:6).
If you are looking for the Truth,
follow the Way which is also the Truth.
This is where you are going and it is how you go.
It is not by another thing that you go to something;
it is not by anything else that you come to Christ;
it is through Christ that you come to Christ.
How to Christ through Christ?
To Christ God through Christ man;
through the Word made flesh,
to the Word who was with God, from the beginning;
through what we have eaten to what the angels eat daily.
In fact it is what is written:
“He gave them bread from heaven; man ate the bread of angels” (Ps 77[78]:24-25).
What is the bread of angels?
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was in God and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1-3). How has man eaten the bread of angels?
“And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”

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

let-us-listen-to-the-lord-i-am-the-way-and-the-truth-st-augustine-10-may-2020 and 10 aug 2020 st lawrence

“Day by day follow God’s path,
keeping Him closely attached to you by His promise.
In fact, He Himself said, through the mediation of His apostles,
to all those who seek His will and His testimonies
(Ps 118[119]:31 LXX), that He would be with them until the end of the world (Mt 28:20)
where paths and footsteps will be unknown (cf, Ps 76:20),
as the divine David said in his songs.
Yet, in an invisible way,
He is present to the eyes of the mind,
making Himself seen by those who have a pure heart
and conversing with them.
So pursue your path …. “

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)
Monk and Theologian at Constantinople

Catechesis 11

day by day follow god's path - st theodore the studite - 10 aug 2020 st lawrence

“Jesus is happy to come with us,
as Truth is happy to be spoken,
as Life to be lived,
as Light to be lit,
as Love is to be loved,
as Joy to be given,
as Peace to be spread.”

St Francis of Assisi (1181/2–1226)

jesus-is-happy-to-come-with-us-st-francis-of-assisi-4-oct-2018-and-17-july-2020 and 10 aug 2020 st lawrence

“Someone who truly follows the Lord
wants everyone to follow Him,
which is why He turns to his neighbour
with kind attentions, prayers
and proclamation of the Gospel.
Peter’s turning around, signifies all those things.
… Christ, through interior inspiration and the Church,
by preaching, says: “Come!”
And whoever hears these words
says to his neighbour: “Come!”
which is to say: “Follow Jesus!”
Then Peter, turning round,
saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following after.
Jesus loves the one who follows Him.”

St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Evangelical Doctor

someone who truly follows the lord - st anthony of padua 10 aug 2020 st lawrence

“Do not be afraid!
God will show you,
to the hour and moment,
what you should say
and what you should do.”

St Léonie Françoise De Sales Aviat
(1844-1914)

do-not-be-afraid-god-will-show-you-st-leonie-aviat-10-jan-2020 and 10 aug 2020 st lawrence

“The way of the Cross
is the only road that leads to Heaven.
Consequently, a man who refuses
to take this road cannot reach Heaven.
… We must ascend our own Calvary,
if we wish to imitate and follow Jesus.
… Let the Passion of Christ be our rule of life.
Let us be glad, when we seem
to be more like Him and sorrowful,
whenever we seem to be departing
from the example which He set us.
Suffering should be a source of consolation for us,
for it makes us more like Jesus,
as long as we endure it
with resignation and with love.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

the-royal-road-of-the-cross-bacci-22-july-2020 and 10 aug 2020 st lawrence

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One Minute Reflection – 21 September – “Follow me”

One Minute Reflection – 21 September – The Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist- Today’s Gospel: Matthew 9:9–13

“Follow me”.. Matthew 9:9matthew 9 9 the calling of matthew follow me 21 sept 2019

REFLECTIONS“Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office and he said to him: “Follow me.”   He looked at him not with the eyes of the body but rather with the eye of interior pity.   He saw a tax collector, and since He looked at him in pity and choosing him as a disciple, He said: “Follow me.” ‘Follow’ meant ‘imitate’ – not by the movement of his feet but rather by a change of life.   For whoever says he is following Christ “ought himself to walk as Christ walked” (cf 1Jn ).

“Matthew rose and followed him.”   It is not to be wondered at that the tax collector should leave the earthly gains he was looking after at the first command of the Lord and that, abandoning riches, he should join the company of Him who, he saw, had no wealth. For the Lord, who outwardly called him with words, through a hidden instinct secretly taught him to follow Him.   By the gift of divine grace the Lord enlightened his mind to understand that He who on earth called him away from temporal interests, could in heaven give incorruptible treasures (cf Mt 6,20).

“And as Jesus sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.”   The conversion of one tax collector provided an example of penance and forgiveness to many tax collectors and sinners.   In a wonderful and true sign of the future, he who was to become the apostle and teacher of the gentiles, brought with him to salvation, a multitude of sinners in the first moments of his conversion!” ... Saint Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father & Doctor of the Church – Homilies on the gospels I, 21 ; CCL 122, 149st bede - in a wonderful and true sign of the future - the calling os st matthew 21 sept 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Lord, You showed Your great mercy to Matthew the tax-gatherer by calling him to become Your Apostle.   Supported by his prayer and example, may we always answer Your call and live in close union with You.   We make our prayer, in union with God our Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.  St Matthew, Apostle of Christ, pray for us, amen.st matthew pray for us - 21 sept 2018.jpg