Tag: john10:27

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 April – My sheep hear My Voice;

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 16 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – – Ferial Day – 1 Peter 2:21-25; John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My sheep hear My Voice;
I know them and they follow Me.”

John 10:27

“I am like the sick sheep which strays
from the rest of the flock.
Unless the Good Shepherd
takes me on His shoulders
and carries me back to His fold,
my steps will falter
and, in the very effort of rising,
my feet will give way!”

St Jerome (343-420)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Christ said that the shepherd
enters through the gate
and that He is Himself the Gate,
as well as the Shepherd.
Then, it is necessary,
that He enter through Himself.
By so doing, He reveals Himself
and through Himself, He knows the Father.
But we enter through Him
because through Him. we find happiness.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus
Doctor Communis

“It is never really God Who is silent.
He is forever appealing to us to lead good lives.
He is never really far from us
but is always ready to bestow His gifts on us.
Even when we have sinned,
we hear His Voice prompting us to thoughts of remorse.
Even when we stray away from Him,
He follows and asks us to return to Him.
It is we, who must ensure that the noise of the world,
will not prevent us from hearing His Fatherly appeal
and that sinful temptations
will not destroy His influence over us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in "Follow Me", CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, St Francis de Sales, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 March – Gathering up the Words He speaks to us

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 March – Wednesday in Passion Week – Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-19, 25; John 10:22-38 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My sheep hear My Voice;
I know them and they follow Me.”

John 10:27

“For just as from the Heavens,
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there,
until they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to him who sows
and bread to him who eats.”
Isaias 55:11

“So the Word that He shall send through His Christ,
Who is Himself, the Word and the Message,
shall return to Him with great power.
For when He shall come and bring it,
He shall come down like rain and snow
and through Him all that is sown shall spring up
and bear righteous fruit …
And this is the Voice through which
the dead shall live.”

St Aphraates “the Sage” (Died c 345)
Abbot, Father of the Church

“Always (read and) listen to it (the Scriptures)
with attention and reverence;
make good use of it;
do not let it fall to earth
but take it into your heart
like a precious balm.
Do all this after the example
of the most holy Virgin,
for she carefully kept in her heart
all the words spoken in praise of her Child.
Remember that our Lord gathers up
the words we speak to Him in prayer,
in measure with the way
we gather up those He speaks to us
by His preaching.”

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

(Introduction to the Devout Life
Part 2 Chapter 17)

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LENT 2024, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 20 March –Seize Christ with the Hands of Faith

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Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 20 March – Wednesday in Passion Week – Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-19, 25; John 10:22-38 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“O Lord my God, I have cried to Thee
and Thou hast healed me.”
Psalm 29:3

“My sheep hear My Voice.
And I know them
and they follow Me.

”
John 10:27

Seize Christ with the Hands of Faith

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

“If the Law calls them gods to whom the Word of God came and Scripture cannot be set aside, how can you say that the One Whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world, blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? Yes indeed, if God has spoken to us, so that we might be called ‘gods,’ how could the Word of God, the Word which is in God, not be God? If we have been made sharers in His nature and have become gods because God speaks to us, how could this Word, through which this gift comes to us, not be God? … As for you, you approach the Light and receive it and are counted among the children of God but, if you draw back, you become dark and are counted among the children of darkness (cf 1 Thes 5:5). …

“Believe the works, so that you may realise and understand that the Father is in Me and I in the Father.” The Son of God does not say “the Father is in Me and I in the Father” in the same sense as we are able to do. In effect, if our thoughts are good, we are in God; if our lives are holy, God is in us. When we are sharers in His Grace and enlightened by His Light, then we are in Him and He in us. But … recognise what is proper to the Lord and what is a gift made to His servant. What is proper to the Lord is His equality with the Father but the gift granted to His servant is to participate in the Saviour.

“Then they tried to seize Him.” If only they had seized Him! But by faith and intellect, not so as to mock and put Him to death! At this very moment, as I speak to you … all of us, both you and I, are wanting to seize Christ. To ‘seize’ what does that mean? You have ‘seized’ when you have understood. But Christ’s enemies were looking for something different. You have seized in order to possess but they wanted to seize Him in order to get rid of Him! And because this was how they wanted to seize Him, what does Jesus do? “He escaped from their power.” They were unable to seize Him because they did not have the hands of faith. … We truly seize Christ, if our minds grasp the Word!” – (Sermons on the Gospel of John No 48: 9-11).

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 February – ‘ … Let us too build a dwelling in our hearts …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 February – Sexagesima Sunday – 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9, Luke 8:4-15 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And as for that in the good ground
they are those who, hearing the word,
hold it fast in an honest and good heart
and bring forth fruit with patience.”

Luke 8:15

“Those who are My sheep
hear My Voice
and follow Me”

John 10:27

“What a happy day they spent!
What a blessed night!
Who can say what it was they heard
from the Lord’s mouth?
Let us, too, build a dwelling in our hearts,
construct a house
where Christ can come
to teach and converse with us.”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father & Doctor 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 Light,
which is Christ,
no-one can penetrate
the secrets of faith.”

St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Seraphic Doctor

Beloved and Most Holy Word of God
By St James of the Marches (1391-1476)

Beloved and most holy Word of God!
Thou enlighten the hearts of the faithful,
Thou satisfy the hungry,
console the afflicted.
Thou make the souls of all,
productive of good
and cause all virtues to blossom.
Thou snatch souls
from the devil’s jaw.
Thou make the wretched holy
and men of earth,
citizens of Heaven!
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day –23 April – The Good Shepherd

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Quote/s of the Day –23 April –The Second Sunday after Easter – 1 Peter 2:21-25, John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Those who are My sheep
hear My Voice
and follow Me”

John 10:27

“I am like the sick sheep which strays
from the rest of the flock.
Unless the Good Shepherd
takes me on His shoulders
and carries me back to His fold,
my steps will falter
and, in the very effort of rising,
my feet will give way!”

St Jerome (343-420)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“With good reason Christ declares:
I am the Good Shepherd,
I seek out the lost sheep,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal (Ez 34:16).
I have seen the flock of mankind
struck down by sickness;
I have witnessed my lambs
wander about where demons dwell;
I have seen my flock ravaged by wolves.
All this I have seen
and have not witnessed it from on high.
That is why I took hold of the withered hand,
gripped by pain, as if by a wolf;
I have unbound those whom fever had bound;
I taught him to see,
whose eyes had been shut from his mother’s womb;
I brought Lazarus out from the tomb
where he had lain for four days (Mk 3:5; 1:31; Jn 9; 11).
For I am the Good Shepherd
and the good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.”

Basil of Seleucia (Died 448)
Bishop of Seleucia, Writer
Oratio 26

“Christ said that the shepherd
enters through the gate
and that He is Himself the Gate,
as well as the Shepherd.
Then, it is necessary,
that He enter through Himself.
By so doing, He reveals Himself
and through Himself, He knows the Father.
But we enter through Him
because through Him. we find happiness.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus
Doctor Communis

“Those with pride
are not Christ’s sheep
but the devil’s goats!”

St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419)

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 March – Hear and Obey

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 March –Wednesday in Passion Week – Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-19, 25, John 10:22-38 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My sheep hear My Voice;
I know them and they follow Me.”

John 10:27

“Peace in us is the result
of two kinds of necessary obedience,
the obedience to right reason
of the lower faculties
and the obedience of right reason
to God, our Creator.
“This is the peace which God
gives on earth to men of goodwill;
this is the most perfect wisdom,”

St Augustine (356-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“Do all through love,
nothing through constraint.
Love obedience more
than you fear disobedience.”
(Letter to Madame de Chantal)

“To find the Saviour
outside obedience’
is to lose Him altogether!”
(Letters to Persons in Religion, VI, 22)

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 November – Our Beloved Good Shepherd

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 November – St Josaphat Kuncewicz OSBM (1584-1623) Confessor, Archbishop, Martyr – Hebrews
5:1-6, John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I Am the Good Shepherd
and I know mine
and mine know me.”

John 10:14

“Those who are my sheep
hear my voice
and follow me”

John 10:27

“He cries out, saying:
See, I am with you all the days of this age.
He is Himself the shepherd,
the high priest,
the way and the door,
and has become all things at once for us.”

St Athanasius (297-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“The mark of Christ’s sheep
is their willingness to hear and obey,
just as disobedience
is the mark of those who are not His.
We take the word ‘hear’
to imply obedience
to what has been said.”

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“With good reason Christ declares:
I am the Good Shepherd,
I seek out the lost sheep,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal (Ez 34:16).
I have seen the flock of mankind
struck down by sickness;
I have witnessed my lambs
wander about where demons dwell;
I have seen my flock ravaged by wolves.
All this I have seen
and have not witnessed it from on high.
That is why I took hold of the withered hand,
gripped by pain, as if by a wolf;
I have unbound those whom fever had bound;
I taught him to see,
whose eyes had been shut from his mother’s womb;
I brought Lazarus out from the tomb
where he had lain for four days (Mk 3:5; 1:31; Jn 9; 11).
For I am the Good Shepherd
and the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.”

Basil of Seleucia (Died 448)
Bishop of Seleucia, Writer
Oratio 26

O Lord, Show Thy Mercy to Me
By St Jerome (347-419)
Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

O Lord, show Thy mercy to me
and gladden my heart.
I am like the man
on the way to Jericho,
who was overtaken by robbers,
wounded and left for dead.
O Good Samaritan,
come to my aid.
I am like the sheep which went astray.
O Good Shepherd,
seek me out and bring me home,
in accord with Thy will.
Let me dwell in Thy house
all the days of my life
and praise Thee,
forever and ever
with those who are there.
Amen.

“No matter how grave
and how numerous our sins may be,
let us remember that the Mercy of God is Infinite.
Let us remember that He is waiting for us,
as his father waited for the prodigal son and,
that He is following us like a shepherd
who is searching for his lost sheep.
He allowed us to fall,
in order to humble us
and help us to realise
that we are incapable
of doing anything good by ourselves.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 April – ‘Wholly United to Christ’

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 April – 2 Timothy 2:8-10; 3:10-12, John 15:1-7

“I am the vine, you the branches;
whoever remains in me and I in him,
the same bears much fruit;
for without Me
you can do nothing.”

John 15:5

“My sheep hear My Voice;
and I know them
and they follow Me.”

John 10:27

“He [Christ], protects their faith
and gives strength to believers,
in proportion to the TRUST,
that each man,
who receives that strength,
is willing to place in Him.”

St Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258)
Martyr, Father of the Church

“The way to rest is through toil,
the way to life is through death.
Christ has taken on Himself
the whole weakness of our lowly human nature.
If then we are steadfast in our faith in Him
and in our love for Him,
we win the victory that He has won,
we receive what He has promised.”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Place all your trust in God,
let Him be your fear and your love.
He will answer for you,
He will do what is best for you.
You have here no lasting home.
You are a stranger and a pilgrim
wherever you may be
and you shall have no rest,
until you are wholly united with Christ.
Why do you look about here
when this is not the place of your repose?”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

“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)

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 April – Obedience

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 April – Wednesday of Passion Week, the Fifth Week of Lent Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-19, 25, John 10:22-38

“My sheep hear My Voice;
I know them and they follow Me.”

John 10:27

“The mark of Christ’s sheep
is their willingness to hear and obey,
just as disobedience
is the mark of those who are not His.
We take the word ‘hear’
to imply obedience
to what has been said.”

“My sheep follow me,” says Christ.
By a certain God-given grace,
believers follow in the footsteps of Christ.
No longer subject to the shadows of the Law ,
they obey the commands of Christ,
and guided by His words,
rise through grace,
to His own dignity,
for they are called children of God.
When Christ ascends into heaven,
they also follow Him.”

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)

“Chosen soul, how will you bring this about?
What steps will you take to reach the high level
to which God is calling you?
The means of holiness and salvation,
are known to everybody,
since they are found in the Gospel,
the masters of the spiritual life have explained them,
the Saints have practised them…
These means are –
sincere Humility,
unceasing Prayer,
complete Self-denial,
abandonment to Divine Providence
and obedience to the Will of God.”

St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

“Peace in us is the result
of two kinds of necessary obedience,
the obedience to right reason
of the lower faculties
and the obedience of right reason
to God, our Creator.
“This is the peace which God
gives on earth to men of goodwill;
this is the most perfect wisdom,”
St Augustine.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on WISDOM, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 February – Good ground

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 February – Sexagesima Sunday – 2 Cor. 11:19-33; 12:1-9, Luke 8:4-15

“And as for that in the good ground
they are those who, hearing the word,
hold it fast in an honest and good heart
and bring forth fruit with patience.”

Luke 8:15

“Those who are my sheep
hear my voice
and follow me”

John 10:27

“… Scripture, as a whole,
is God’s one perfect and complete instrument,
giving forth, to those who wish to learn …
It is one Saving Music…”

Origen (c 185-253)
Theologian, 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 Light,
which is Christ,
no-one can penetrate
the secrets of faith.”

St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Seraphic Doctor

“Not content with sending His servants,
He came Himself,
He marked out the way we should take,
He came to make known His holy Word.
… Brethren, it is absolutely impossible
to love and please God,
unless we are fed by this divine Word.”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

“Cultivate your vineyard
together with Jesus.
To you the task of removing stones
and pulling up brambles.
To Jesus, that of sowing, planting,
cultivating and watering.
But even in your work,
it is still He who acts.
Because, without Christ,
you could do nothing at all.”

St Pio of Pietrelcina
“Padre Pio” (1887-1968)

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 27 April – ‘This is the glory of man … ‘

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Quote/s of the Day – 27 April – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 11:19-26, Psalm 87:1-7, John 10:22-30

“My sheep hear my voice
and I know them and they follow me.”

John 10:27

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

John 12:26

“Whatever you do, do from the heart,
as for the Lord and not for others,
knowing that you will receive
from the Lord
the due payment of the inheritance;
be slaves of the Lord Christ.”

Colossians 3:23-24

“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

“My sheep follow me,” says Christ.
By a certain God-given grace,
believers follow in the footsteps of Christ.
No longer subject to the shadows of the Law ,
they obey the commands of Christ,
and guided by His words,
rise through grace,
to His own dignity,
for they are called children of God.
When Christ ascends into heaven,
they also follow Him.”

St Cyril of Alexandria (380-444)
Father & Doctor of the Church

I Will Love and Follow You
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)

Oh my Lord,
Let my heart expand in Your love.
Let me learn to know
how sweet it is, to serve You,
how joyful it is, to praise You
and to be absorbed in Your love.
Oh, I am possessed by love
and rise above myself
because of the great fervour I feel,
through Your infinite goodness.
I will sing the canticle of love to You
and I will follow You, my Beloved,
wherever You go
and may my soul never weary of praising you,
rejoicing in Your love.
I will love You more than myself
and myself, only for Your sake.
I will love all others in You
and for you,
as Your law of love commands.
Amen

(Book 3 Ch 5:6)

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 12 July – ‘Cultivate serious study!’

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Quote/s of the Day – 12 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – The Fifteenth Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Isaiah 55:10-11, Psalm 65:10-14, Romans 8:18-23, Matthew 13:1-23

“Not on bread alone
is man to live
but on every utterance
that comes from the mouth of God.”

Matthew 4:4

matthew-4-4- not on bread alone is man to live - 13 july 2017 - mem of st henry

“As for what was sown on good soil,
this is the one who hears the word
and understands it.
He indeed bears fruit and yields,
in one case a hundredfold,
in another sixty and in another thirty.”

Matthew 13:23

matthew 13 23 - as for what was sown on good soil - 12 july 2020

“Those who are my sheep
hear my voice
and follow me”

John 10:27

john 10 27 those who are my sheep hear my voice and follow me 12 july 2020

“For he knows that Scripture, as a whole,
is God’s one perfect and complete instrument,
giving forth, to those who wish to learn,
it’s one saving music…”

Origen (c 185-253)
Theologian, Father of the Church

scripture as a whole is god's one perfect - origen 12 july 2020

“The Church is the Ship
outside which
it is impossible to understand
the Divine Word,
for Jesus spoke from the boat
to the people gathered
on the shore.”

St Hilary of Poitiers
(315-368)
Father & Doctor of the Church

the-church-is-the-ship-outside-of-which-st-hilary-divine-word-13-jan-2020 and 12 july 2020

“We speak to God when we pray,
we listen to Him,
when we read the Scriptures.”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

we speak to god when we pry - st ambrose 12 july 2020

“Ignorance of Scripture
is ignorance of Christ.”

ignorance-of-the-scriptures-is-ignorance-of-christ-st-jerome-30-sep-2018 and 2019

“Let sleep find you holding your Bible
and when your head nods,
let it be resting on the sacred page.”

St Jerome (343-420)
Father and Doctor of the Church

let sleep find you holding your bible - st jerome 12 july 2020

“We truly seize Christ
if our minds grasp the Word.”

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

Sermons on the Gospel of John, no 48, 9-11we truly seize christ if our minds grasp the word st augustine 12 july 2020

“The Holy Bible is like a mirror before our mind’s eye.
In it we see our inner face.
From the Scriptures we can learn
our spiritual deformities and beauties.
And there too we discover the progress we are making
and how far we are from perfection.”

St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)
Father and Doctor of the Church

the holy bible is like a mirror - st gregory he great

“When it comes to obeying the commandments
or enduring adversity,
the words uttered by the Father
should always echo in our ears –
“This is my Son, the beloved,
in whom I am well pleased,
listen to Him.”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
Father and Doctor of the Church

when-it-comes-to-obeying-the-commandments-st-pope-leo-the-great-10-june-2020 and 12 july 2020

“The grain of mustard seed is the Lord,
who by faith is sown spiritually
in the hearts of those who accept Him.
… For it is written,
“The word is very near to you,
in your mouth and in your heart” (Rm 10:8),
that is, the word of faith, Christ,
being Himself, the word that is sought.”

St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662)
Monk and Theologian

Second Century on Theology, nos. 10-11, 35

mark 4 30-31 the grain of mustard seed is the lord - st maximus 31 jan 2020 to what shall I compare

“Always give good heed to the Word of God,
whether you hear or read it in private,
or hearken to it when publicly preached.
Listen with attention and reverence,
seek to profit by it
and do not let the precious words fall unheeded
but receive them into your heart.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor caritatis

always-give-good-heed-to-the-word-of-god-st-francis-de-sales-16-feb-2020 and 12 july 2020

“Cultivate serious study!
Sacred scripture says,
‘Because you have despised wisdom,
I will despise you’.”

St Joseph Freinademetz SVD (1852-1908)

cultivate serious study! St Joseph freinademetz 12 july 2020

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 19 July – ‘You whom my soul loves’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 19 July – Friday of the Fifteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the memorial of St Macrina the Younger – sister of St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–395) Father of the Church

The Full Prayer as paraphrased in our Morning Offering today – This excerpt from St Gregory of Nyssa’s commentary on the Song of Songs (Cap. 2: PG 44, 802), using the imagery of Psalm 23, appeals to the Lord Jesus Christ for the promised green pastures, restful waters and noonday rest that is the final, eternal destination of those who love God and walk in His ways.   It is used in the Roman Catholic Office of readings for Thursday in the 33rd week in ordinary time with the corresponding biblical reading taken from Zechariah 11:4-12:8.

St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–395)

Father of the Church

A Prayer to the Good Shepherd

Where are You pasturing Your flock, O good Shepherd, who carry the whole flock on Your shoulders?   (For the whole of human nature is one sheep and You have lifted it onto Your shoulders).   Show me the place of peace, lead me to the good grass that will nourish me, call me by name so that I, Your sheep, hear Your voice and by Your speech give me eternal life.   Answer me, You whom my soul loves.

I give You the name ‘You whom my soul loves’ because Your name is above every name and above all understanding and there is no rational nature that can utter it or comprehend it.   Therefore, Your name, by which Your goodness is known, is simply the love my soul has for You.   How could I not love You, when You loved me so much, even though I was black, that You laid down Your life for the sheep of Your flock?   A greater love cannot be imagined, than exchanging Your life for my salvation.

Show me then (my soul says) where You pasture your flock, so that I can find that saving pasture too and fill myself, with the food of heaven, without which no-one can come to eternal life and run to the spring and fill myself with the drink of God.   You give it, as from a spring, to those who thirst – water pouring from Your side cut open by the lance, water that, to whoever drinks it, is a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

If You lead me to pasture here, You will make me lie down at noon, sleeping at peace and taking my rest in light unstained by any shade.   For the noon has no shade and the sun stands far above the mountain peaks.   You bring Your flock to lie in this light, when You bring Your children to rest with You in Your bed.   But no-one can be judged worthy of this noonday rest who is not a child of light and a child of the day.   Whoever has separated himself equally from the shadows of evening and morning, from where evil begins and evil ends, at noon he will lie down and the sun of righteousness will shine on him.

Show me, then (my soul says), how I should sleep and how I should graze and where the path is to my noonday rest.   Do not let me fall away from Your flock because of ignorance and find myself one of a flock of sheep that are not Yours.

Thus my soul spoke, when she was anxious about the beauty that God’s care had given her and wanted to know how she could keep this good fortune forever.

Amen

“I give them eternal life”

John 10:27john 10 27 - i give them eternal life - 12 may 2019 good shepherd sunday.jpg

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 May – “I give them eternal life”

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One Minute Reflection – 2 May – The Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year C, Gospel: John 10:27-30 – Good Shepherd/Vocations Sunday

“I give them eternal life”...John 10:27john 10 27 - i give them eternal life - 12 may 2019 good shepherd sunday

REFLECTION – “The Lord says:  “My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me; I give them eternal life”.   A little earlier He said to them: “Anyone who enters by me will be saved, he will go in ou, and will find pasture”. (Jn 10:9)   He will go into faith, he will go out from faith to vision, from belief to contemplation, will find pasture in eternal refreshment.

The Good Shepherd’s sheep will pasture because whoever follows Him with a guileless heart is nourished with a food of eternal freshness.   What are the pastures of these sheep but the eternal joys of an evergreen paradise?   The pasture of the elect, is the face of God always before us.   When we see Him perfectly, our hearts are endlessly satisfied with the food of life…

Let us seek these pastures, dearly beloved!   There we may enjoy the celebration of so many citizens.   Let the festival of those who rejoice attract us…   Let us enkindle our hearts, my friends, let our faith grow warm again for what it believes, let our desire for heavenly things take fire.   To love thus, is to be already on the way.   Let no adversity recall us from the joy of inner festivity, no difficulty on his journey, alters the desire, of a person wanting to go to some particular place.   Let no seductive good fortune lead us astray, he is a foolish traveller who sees pleasant meadows on his journey and forgets where he is going.”…  St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father & Doctor of the Church – Homilies on the Gospel, no15[14]let no seductive good fortune lead us astray - st pope gregory the great 12 may 2019 good shepherd sun

PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, bring us to the joy of Your heavenly city, so that we, Your little flock, may follow where Christ, our Good Shepherd, has gone before us, by the power of His Resurrection.   May the prayers of the Blessed Virgin, guide us, that we may always follow our Shepherd and thus reach our heavenly home, to praise Him forever. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God now and for all eternity, amen.mater dei mother of god pray for us 12 may 2019

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 November

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 14 November

My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me…..John 10:27

REFLECTION – “The higher we go, the more we can hear the voice of Christ.”…Bl Pier Giorgio Frassatithe higher we go - bl pier - 14 nov 2017

PRAYER – Jesus my Lord and God, help me to climb high enough to hear Your voice.   Help me to strive daily to attain knowledge of You with a heart that longs for and loves you.   For it is Your voice and Your embrace I reach for. Amen