Our Morning Offering – 31 January – Septuagesima Sunday or The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Bless’d Be the Lord Our God! By Fr James Quinn SJ (1919-2010)
Bless’d be the Lord our God! With joy let heaven ring; Before His presence let all earth Its songs of homage bring! His mighty deeds be told; His majesty be praised; To God, enthrouned in heav’nly light, Let every voice be raised!
All that has life and breath, Give thanks with heartfelt songs! To Him let all creation sing To Whom all praise belongs! Acclaim the Father’s love, Who gave us God, His Son; Praise too the Spirit, giv’n by both, With both for ever one!
In the Divine Office (1974) it is sung with Sunday Evening Prayer I (Week 2)
Sunday Reflection – 14 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Corpus Christi, The Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Readings: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16, Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20, 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, John 6:51-58
Moments with St John XXIII (1881-1963)
Sacrament of Love
When the Christians of the first centuries met around the Table of the Eucharist, they prayed with hearts full of love and longing:
“To You, O Lord, be glory forever! As this Bread we have broken together, was once scattered in ears of corn on the hills and became one, when it was harvested, so let Your Church be gathered from the ends of the earth into Your Kingdom. For Yours is the glory and the power, through Jesus Christ, forever.”
The doctrine of the Mystical Body, has cast gleams of shining light on this question of the union of Christians with Christ and, for their union with each other.
It has resulted in an amazing understanding of the union of the masses of the faithful, through the power of the Body and Blood of Christ, drawn together to scale the heights of Christian perfection.
In the light of this teaching, we find the truest conception of human, and Catholic brotherhood, inspired and renewed by the Holy Eucharist.
O Sacrament of love, may You always remain inviolate at the summit of Catholic doctrine and devotion!
Open our minds to soaring flights of thought and our hearts to the impulses of charity.
Lead us onto the fulfilment of the supreme ideals of justice and social peace.
Amen
ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE “PANGE LINGUA” but still using the tune in the Gregorian Chant, Mode III
Hail Our Saviour’s Glorious Body By St Thomas Aquinas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor angelicus/Doctor communis Translated by Fr James Quinn SJ (1919-2010)
Hail our Saviour’s glorious Body,
which His Virgin Mother bore.
Hail the blood which bled for sinners,
did a broken world restore.
Hail the sacrament most holy,
flesh and blood of Christ adore!
To the Virgin, for our healing,
His own Son, the Father sends.
From the Father’s love proceeding
sower, seed and word descends;
wondrous life of Word Incarnate
with His greatest wonder ends.
On that paschal evening see Him
with the chosen twelve recline,
to the old law still obedient
in its feast of love divine,
love divine, the new law giving,
gives Himself as bread and wine.
By His word the Word Almighty
makes of bread His flesh indeed,
wine becomes His very lifeblood,
faith God’s living Word must heed!
Faith alone might simply guide us
where the senses cannot lead.
When the Procession reaches the place of Benediction, the priest sets the Monstrance down. Then he puts incense in the thurible and, kneeling, incenses the Blessed Sacrament, while Tantum ergo Sacramentum is sung.
Come, adore this wondrous presence,
bow to Christ, the source of grace!
Here is kept the ancient promise
of God’s earthly dwelling place!
Sight is blind before God’s glory,
faith alone may see His face!
Glory be to God the Father,
praise to His co-equal Son,
Adoration to the Spirit,
bond of love, in God-head one!
Blest be God by all creation
joyously while ages run!
(Fr James Quinn SJ (21 April 1919 – 8 April 2010) was a Scottish Jesuit Priest, Theologian and Hymnist.
AnaStpaul 
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