Tag: god

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Our Morning Offering – 30 June – Consecration to the Sacred Heart By Pope Leo XIII

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Our Morning Offering – 30 June – “The Last day of the Month of the Sacred Heart” – Tuesday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time

Consecration to the Sacred Heart
By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)
Pope from 1878-1903

Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race,
look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thine altar.
We are Thine and Thine we wish to be but, to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us, freely consecrates himself today to Thy most Sacred Heart.

Many indeed have never known Thee,
many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee.
Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart. Be Thou King, O Lord, not only of the faithful, who have never forsaken Thee but also of the prodigal children, who have abandoned Thee,
grant that they may quickly return to Thy Father’s house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.

Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof and call them back to the harbour of truth and unity of faith, so that there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.
Be Thou, King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism and refuse not to draw them into the light and kingdom of God.
Turn Thine eyes of mercy towards the children of the race, once Thy chosen people – of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Saviour;
may it now descend upon them, a laver of redemption and of life.

Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church, assurance of freedom and immunity from harm;
give peace and order to all nations and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: “Praise be to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to It be glory and honour forever.”
Amen

The above prayer, composed by Pope Leo XIII was included in the 1899 encyclical Annum Sacrum issued by Leo XIII as he Consecrated the entire world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The consecration was influenced by two letters written to the Holy Father by Blessed Sister Mary of the Divine Heart, who stated that in visions of Jesus Christ, she had been told to request the Consecration.

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One Minute Reflection – 30 June – “Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?” 

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One Minute Reflection – 30 June – “The Last day of the Month of the Sacred Heart”

He said to them, “Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?”   Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea and there was great calm. … Matthew 8:26

REFLECTION – “God is not at all displeased when, on occasion, you quietly complain to him.   Don’t be afraid of saying to him:  “Lord, why do you stand afar off? (cf. Ps 9:22 LXX)   You know well that I love You and only long for Your love.   Graciously come to my aid and do not abandon me.”

If your desolation continues and your anguish is unbearable, unite your voice to that Jesus, Jesus dying in affliction on the cross – say, as you beg the divine pity:  “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Mt 27:46)   But profit from this trial, firstly, so as to humble yourself even more, while reminding yourself, that we are not worthy of any consolations when we have offended God and then, so as to revive your confidence even more by reminding yourself that, whatever He may do or permit, God only has your well-being in mind and that, in this way, “all things work together for the good” (cf. Rm 8:28) of your soul.   The more that trouble and discouragement besiege you, the more you should arm yourself with courage and cry out:  “The Lord is my light and my help, who should I fear?” (Ps 26:1).   Yes, Lord, it is You who enlighten me, You who will save me, in You I entrust myself, “in you I place my hope, I shall never be confounded” (Ps 30:2 LXX).

In this way, stand firm in peace, certain that “no-one has hoped in the Lord and been confounded” (Sir 2:11 Vg.), none have been lost after having placed their trust in God.” … St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) – Bishop and Doctor of the Church – What should we talk about with God? (from: ‘How to Converse Continually and Familiarly with God’).

PRAYER – Lord, You are the beginning and the end of all that we do, all that we are and all that we say.   Lead us by the light of Your grace in complete trust and confidence and complete us with Your all-powerful help.   Let Your light penetrate the hidden fears of our hearts and may our trust be complete.  And may we always understand that our Mother, loves us and cares for us in all our needs.    We worship You in Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.

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Quote/s of the Day – 30 June – ‘I put all my trust in Thee …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 30 June – “The Last day of the Month of the Sacred Heart” 

And they went and woke him, saying,
“Save us, Lord, we are perishing.”

Matthew 8:25

“It is I, be not afraid”

John 6:20

“Let not your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid.”

John 14:27

“The waters have risen
and severe storms are upon us
but we do not fear drowning,
for we stand firmly upon a rock.
Let the sea rage, it cannot break the rock.
Let the waves rise,
they cannot sink the boat of Jesus.”

“Let the world be in upheaval.
I hold to His promise and read His message,
that is my protecting wall and garrison.
What message?
‘Know that I am with you always,
until the end of the world!’”

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

“It is not a calm sky, beloved
but the storm which tests a pilot’s skill.
When the breeze is mild,
even the poorest sailor,
can manage the ship.
But in the crosswinds of a tempest,
we want the best pilot with all His skill.”

St Peter Chrysologus (c 406 – c 450)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Whoever has become a servant of the Lord,
fears only his Master.
But whoever is without the fear of God,
is often afraid of his own shadow.
Fearfulness is the daughter of unbelief.
A proud soul is the slave of fear,
hoping in itself,
it comes to such a state,
that it is startled by a small noise
and is afraid of the dark.”

St John Climacus (579-649)
Father of the Church

“O Heart of love,
I put all my trust in Thee,
for I fear all things,
from my own weakness,
but I hope for all things,
from Thy Goodness.”

St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)

“…Therefore, never allow yourself to start brooding again
but always be brave and trust.
Serve your good Master with an open heart full of joy.
The right way is to see all events and all obstacles
in the spirit of faith as being in the hands of Our Lord
and to hear Him say to you, on every occasion,
as He did to the disciples
‘It is I.   Do not fear.   Have faith.’”

St Michael Garicoïts (1797-1863)

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Thought for the Day – 29 June – St Peter, Prince of the Apostles / St Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles

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

St Peter, Prince of the Apostles
St Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles

“It is good to admire the fidelity of St Peter and the designs of Divine Providence in making him the visible Head of the Church but, it is far better, to follow his example. His love for Jesus, led him to leave his family and his fisherman’s trade, in order to follow Our Lord.

It led him to undertake long voyages, to endure imprisonment and to face martyrdom.

What can we do for the love of Jesus?
Remember that, if love is to be sincere, it must be generous and effective.

Secondly let us meditate on and imitate, the ardent and fearless faith of St Peter. He was not afraid to preach the teaching of Christ before the Sanhedrin. He was not afraid of Herod, who cast him into prison.

He was not afraid of the Roman Emperor, who caused him to be crucified.
Our faith should be steadfast and lively, like his!

Finally, let us imitate Peter in his repentance. Although he loved Jesus very much and had such great faith in Him, in a moment of weakness and of imprudence, he denied Him three times. All his life, however, be wept bitterly for this sin. Whenever he heard a cock crowing, it was as if an arrow had pierced his heart.

He was not satisfied, until he was hanging upon the cross like his Divine Master and could prove his love for Jesus by a Martyr’s death.”

St Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles

We can learn many other virtues from St Paul, besides his zealous love for God and for his fellowmen.
We can also learn from him, the virtues of humility and of apostolic fervour.
The Apostle of the Gentiles reached such heights of sanctity, as to feel himself transformed into Christ Himself and to deserve to be taken up into the third Heaven, where he enjoyed a foretaste of eternal happiness.

Nevertheless, he considered himself unworthy to be called an Apostle and he realised, that all his gifts came to him from God.

“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to think anything as from ourselves but our sufficiency, is from God” (2 Cor 3:5).

Whenever we succeed in any project, we should think on the same lines because, it is only when we are humble and depend on the grace of God, that the success of our actions will redound to the glory of our Creator. If the cancer of ambition or of self-love, should corrupt our purity of intention, our work would not be blessed by God and would not make us worthy of everlasting life.

Let us repeat often: “All for You, with You and in You, my God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/29/thought-for-the-day-29-june-st-peter-prince-of-the-apostles-st-paul-the-apostle-to-the-gentiles-2/

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One Minute Reflection – 29 June –Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth … Matthew 16:19

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One Minute Reflection – 29 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles – Acts 12:1-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven.” – Matthew 16:19

REFLECTION – “Bridegroom and Bride, that is Christ and the Church, are as one, be it in receiving confession or in bestowing absolution. All this makes clear why Christ had to tell each of us: “Go, show yourself to the priest” (Mt 8,4)… It follows that apart from Christ, the Church cannot grant forgiveness and that Christ has no will to forgive, apart from the Church. The Church’s authority to forgive extends only to the repentant, to those, that is, whom Christ has already touched; Christ, on His part, has no intention of regarding as forgiven, one who despises the Church.

Doubtless, Christ need accept no restraints to His power of Baptising, Consecrating the Eucharist, Ordaining Priests, forgiving sins and the like but, the humble and faithful Bridegroom, prefers to confer such blessings, with the co-operation of His Bride. “What God,” then, “has joined, let no man put asunder” (Mt 19,6). “I say this is a great mystery and refers to Christ and the Church” (Eph 5,32)… To remove the Head from the Body (Col 1,18) were to ruin the whole Christ, irreparably. Christ, apart from the Church, is no more the whole Christ, than the Church is complete, if separated from Christ. Head and Body go to make the whole and entire Christ.” – Bl Isaac of Stella (c 1100 – c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher (Sermon 11, §11-814).

PRAYER – O God, Who made this day holy by the Martyrdom of Thy Apostles Peter and Paul, grant Thy Church to follow in all things the teaching of those from whom she first received the faith. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

ALL PRAISE, honour and glory to the Divine Heart of JESUS. Indulgenced– 50 Days, once a day. 168 Pope Leo XIII, 14 June 1901.

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29 June – Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

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“There are the gates of our true country,
the two lights of the immense world.
There Paul’s voice is heard like thunder;
there Peter withholds or hurls the bolt .
The former opens the hearts of men,
the latter opens Heaven.
Peter is the Foundation-stone,
Paul the Architect of the temple
where stands the Altar
by which God is propitiated.
Both together form a single Fountain,
which pours out its healing
and refreshing waters.”

St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609)
“The Troubadour of Christ”

“Yes, the Apostle chosen
to be His co-worker,
merited to share,
the same Name as Christ.
They built the same Building together –
Peter does the planting,
the Lord gives the increase
and it is the Lord, too,
Who sends those,
who will do the watering (cf 1 Cor 3:6f).”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“These falls were both very great
but there was this differ­ence.
One acknowledged his guilt; the other despaired.
Yet, our Saviour had inspired in the heart of both,
the same Peccavi [admission of guilt] (“I have sinned”)
… From this time on, St Peter never ceased weeping,
principally when he heard the cock crow
at night and morning, for he remembered
this crowing as the signal for his conversion.
… Why then was Judas not converted?
… Alas, did not this unhappy man know
that Our Lord alone could give it to him,
that He was the Saviour and held Redemption in His hands?
… Certainly, he knew it but he did not wish,
nor dare to ask pardon. ”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“He grieved for his three sins,
not only on that sad night but throughout his life.
St Clement (c35-c101 the third succeeding Pope
after St Peter) writes that he wept so often
that his tears wore two deep furrows in his cheeks
and that, whenever he heard the cock crowing,
the cry pierced his heart.
He loved Jesus sincerely and passionately.
If we really love Jesus as Peter did
and are prepared to face death for His sake,
as Peter was, then we may be sure
that we shall never offend God again.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“I have appeared to you for this purpose,
to appoint you as a servant and witness,
of what you have seen
and what you will be shown.
I shall deliver you from this people
and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,
to open their eyes, that they may turn
from darkness to light
and from the power of Satan to God,
so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins
and an inheritance among those,
who have been consecrated by faith in Me.”

Acts 26:16-18

“Yet I live, no longer I
but Christ lives in me;
insofar as I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God,
Who has loved me
and given himself up for me.”

Galatians 2:20

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Sincerest Thanks and Moving Forward

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Dear faithful readers and friends of Anastpaul,

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Ann Stenvert. She died yesterday, fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church and wearing the Brown Scapular of Our Lady. And we know that the Blessed Virgin Mary is faithful to her promises!

Please also pray for Ann’s grieving family and friends who are coping with her sudden loss. But the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ transforms suffering and sorrow into many profound opportunities for Grace and salvation, if only we allow God to do so on His Holy Terms.

Eternal Rest grant unto her, O Lord. And let Perpetual Light shine upon her. May her soul and all of the souls of the faithfully departed, through the Mercy of God, Rest in Peace. Amen.

I was greatly blessed to be Ann’s pastor this past year. She bore the Light of Christ to countless souls that she touched through her prayers and steadfastness in the Truth of Christ and His One True Catholic Church, without any compromise with the popular errors against the Faith taught by so many wolves in shepherds’ clothing who are deceiving and leading so many souls into doctrinal and moral corruption. Lord have Mercy! But let us continue making sacrifices and praying for the conversion of heretics and sinners so that the Truth will set them free. The love of God and seeking the salvation of souls is what drove Ann on in the battle as a soldier for Christ. And so, let us always continue heeding the pleadings of Our Lady and her little devoted daughter and servant Ann, by praying the Rosary every single day.

Funeral arrangements for Ann are still pending. And if anyone would like to donate to help cover the costs for the Funeral and other bills that have taken the financially struggling Stenvert family by surprise, I encourage you to donate by contacting the Stenverts directly via a new PayPal account:

https://www.paypal.me/MattStenvert

Every donation large or small will be most appreciated, including every big or little prayer.

And I have personally pledged to offer Masses for the repose of Ann’s soul. And I also pledge to remember all donors to the Stenverts in my private intentions at Mass. And I will offer a monthly Mass for all who donate monthly to the Stenverts, who promise to continue Ann’s holy work on the website.

+May God bless and reward you all.
In JMJ,
Fr David

+
Brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle.

-2 Thess. 2:14

Teach nothing new, but implant in the hearts of everyone those things which the Fathers of venerable memory taught with a uniform preaching. Whence, we preach nothing except what we have received from our forefathers. In all things, therefore, both in the rule of Faith and in the observance of discipline, let the pattern of antiquity be observed.

-Pope St Leo the Great

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 January – Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona …

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 January – Feast of the Chair of the Apostle, St Peter at Rome – 1 Peter 1:1-7, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona
because flesh and blood
hath not revealed it to thee
but My Father Who is in Heaven.”

Matthew 16:17

“We recognise a tree by its fruit
and we ought to be able to recognise
a Christian by his action.
The fruit of faith
should be evident in our lives,
for being a Christian,
is more than making
sound professions of faith.
It should reveal itself
in practical and visible ways.
Indeed, it is better to keep quiet
about our beliefs
and live them out,
than to talk eloquently
about what we believe
but fail, to live by it.”

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35-c 108)
Father of the Church

“Do you desire security?
Here you have it.
The Lord says to you,
“I will never abandon you,
I will always be with you.”
If a good man made you such a promise,
you would trust him.
God makes it and do you doubt?
Do you seek a support, more sure
than the Word of God, which is infallible?
Surely, He has made the promise,
He has written it,
He has pledged His Word for it,
it is most certain!”

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

“What determines that the gifts of God dwells in us,
is the measure of each one’s faith.
Because, it is to the extent that we believe
that the enthusiasm to act is given us.
And so, those who act,
reveal the measure of their faith
proportionate to their action,
they receive their measure of grace
according to what they have believed. …”

St Maximus the Confessor (c580-662)
Father of the Church

“For God, …
does not work in those
who refuse to place all their confidence
and hope in Him alone.
But He does impart
the fullness of His love
upon those who possess
a deep faith and hope;
for them He does great things!”

St Jerome Emiliani (1486–1537)