Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 October – ‘… We closed Paradise for ourselves but you made open the way of the Tree of Life. …’

One Minute Reflection – 25 October – “The Month of The Most Holy Rosary and The Holy Angels” Saints Chrysanthus and Daria (Died c 282) Martyrs, Married Couple – Saturday of the Blessed Virgin (Salve Sancta Parens) – Ecclesiasticus 24:14-16 – Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed is the womb that bore Thee ” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “Once indeed, God ejected the mortals and first parents of the human race from the Paradise of Eden, when they had drunk deeply from the wine of disobedience and had become so affected by the hangover of sin, through the intoxication of that transgression which led to the sleepiness of the mind’s eye. …

Then Adam and Eve, the founders of our race, exclaimed with a loud voice in great rejoicing: “Blessed are you, O daughter, who bore for us the penalties of the commands that had been broken. When you had gained a mortal body from us, you gave birth to a covering of immortality for us. You repaid us ,so that it might be well with us, since you received birth from our loins. From beyond the grave, you have called us back to our ancient seat: we closed Paradise for ourselves but you made open the way of the Tree of Life. Through our actions, sadness came forth from happiness; through you, even more joyful things have returned, from sorrow. In what possible way could you be acceptable to death, O Immaculate one? You are the bridge of life and the ladder to Heaven: you are a boat over the sea of death, reaching to immortality.”

But the woman herself, as she did not shrink from the truth, said: “Into Your hands, my Son, I commend my spirit. Receive this soul which is dear to You, which You have preserved free from any sin. I hand over my body, not to the earth but to You. Take me to Yourself, that where You are, You, the Child of my womb, so there I also may be Your companion. I am hastening to You, Who have often come to me on this side of that long distance.”

When she had said this, she heard in reply: “Come to My rest, My blessed Mother: arise, come, My Beloved, most blessed among all women. Behold, the winter is ended. You are all fair, My Beloved and there is no spot of stain found in you: the odour of your ointments are more precious than all other aromas.” – St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Homily 9: On the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

PRAYER – May the prayer of Your blessed Martyrs, Chrysanthus and Daria, defend us, O Lord, that we may ever enjoy the loving help of those whom we honour by this celebration.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).

Posted in BAPTISM, CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN Aspirations and Ejaculations, MARIAN Saturdays, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 September– “Blessed is the womb that bore you ’” – Luke 11:27

One Minute Reflection – 6 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – Our Lady’s Saturday – Ecclesiasticus 24:14-16 – Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here:

Blessed is the womb that bore you ’” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “By the Spirit, from the womb of the Virgin, was born our Head, the Son of Man and, by the same Spirit, in the waters of Baptism, we are reborn as His Body and as sons of God. And just as He was born without any sin, so we are reborn in the forgiveness of all our sins. As on the Cross, He bore the sum total of the whole Body’s sins in His own physical Body, so He gave His members the grace of rebirth, in order that no sin might be imputed to His Mystical Body. It is written: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no sin. The blessed man of this text is undoubtedly Christ, Who forgives sins, insofar as God, is His Head. Insofar as this Man is the Head of the Body, no sin is forgiven Him. But, insofar as the Body that belongs to this Head, consists of many members, sin is not imputed to it.

Just as in Himself, it is He Who justifies Himself. He alone is both Saviour and saved. In His own Body on the Cross, He bore what He had washed from His Body by the waters of Baptism. Bringing salvation through wood and through water, He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world which He took upon Himself. Himself a Priest, He offers Himself as Sacrifice to God and He Himself, is God. Thus, through His own Self, the Son is reconciled to Himself as God, as well as to the Father and to the Holy Ghost.” – Blessed Isaac of Stella O.Cist. (c 1100 – c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher (An excerpt from his Sermon 42),

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants, that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness, both of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of thine eternal gladness.Through the same 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).

Posted in CATHOLIC Quotes, CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MARIAN QUOTES, Quotes on SALVATION, The HOLY NAME of MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 5 August – Holy Mother Mary, ‘the most responsive chord in the Sacred Heart of Christ … ‘

Quote/s of the Day – 5 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Dedication of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Snows – Sirach 24:14-16: Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here:

Blessed is the womb which bore thee

Luke 11:27

No matter how sinful
one may have been,
if he has devotion to Mary,
it is impossible that he be lost.

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

Mary signifies “Light-Giver”
or “Star of the Sea”
for she gave birth
to the Light of the World.
In the Syriac tongue, however,
Mary means “Lady” and beautifully so,
since she gave birth to the Lord.

St Isidore of Seville (c560-636)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Being thy servant, O Mary,
is a surety of salvation
which God grants solely,
to those He will save
!”

St Andrew of Crete (660-740)
Bishop, Father of the Church

When we appeal to the throne of grace,
we do so through Mary,
honouring God by honouring His Mother,
imitating Him, by exalting her,
touching the most responsive chord
in the Sacred Heart of Christ,
with the sweet name of Mary
!”

St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, MOTHER of GOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, The ANNUNCIATION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The INCARNATION, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 March – “Truly, “thou art blessed among women”

One Minute Reflection – 1 March – “The Month of Saint Joseph” – St David (c 542-c 601) Bishop, Confessor – Saturdaty of the Blessed Virgin (Salve Sancta Parens) – Ecclesiasticus 24:14-16; – Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Blessed is the womb which bore Thee ” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “Hail, O favoured one, the Lord is with thee” (Lk 1:28). Could anything transcend the joy which is thine, O Virgin Mary? Could anything surpass this grace?… Truly, thou art “blessed among women” (Lk 1:42), for thou hast changed the condemnation of Eve into a blessing. Because of thee and through thee, Adam, who was hitherto cast down and condemned, received a blessing.

Truly, “thou art blessed among women” for through thee, the blessing of the Father came to mankind and reprieved them from the age-old sentence.
Truly, “thou art blessed among women” because through thee, thy ancestors found salvation. Thou were to give birth to the Saviour, Who would win for them, God’s salvation.

Truly, “thou art blessed among women” for without the seed of man thou bore the Fruit Who gives a blessing to the whole earth and frees it from being condemned to produce only thorns.

Truly, “thou art blessed among women” for although thou art a woman like any other woman, thou will, in actual fact, become the Mother of God. If the One to be born of thee is, in truth God Incarnate, thou rightly deserve to be called ‘she who gave birth to God’ inasmuch as thou truly do give birth to God.” – St Sophronius of Jerusalem (c560-638) Bishop, Father of the Church (Sermon for the Annunciation 2).

PRAYER – We beseech Thee, O Lord, look graciously upon the fervour of Thy people, who mortify themselves in the flesh through abstinence that they may be refreshed in spirit, by the fruit of these good works and the intercession of Thy blessed Confessor, David. 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).

Posted in CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, Hail MARY!, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, The ANNUNCIATION, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 November – ‘This woman will be the Mother of God, the door to Light, source of Life … ‘

One Minute Reflection – 21 November – The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Sir ach24:14-1, Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Blessed is the womb that bore you” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “This woman will be the Mother of God, the door to Light, source of Life; she will reduce to oblivion the judgement that weighed on Eve. “The rich among the people seek the face” of this woman, “the kings of the nations shall pay her homage” they shall “ offer gifts”…, yet the glory of the Mother of God is an interior glory: the fruit of her womb.

O woman, so worthy of love, thrice happy, “blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Daughter of David the king and Mother of God, King of the universe, masterpiece in whom the Creator rejoices… you are to be nature’s full achievement. For you, life is not yours; you were not born for yourself alone but your life is to be God’s. You came into the world for Him, you will serve for the salvation of all people, fulfilling God’s design established from the beginning: the Incarnation of the Word and our own divinisation. Your whole desire is to feed on the words of God, to be strengthened by their sap, like “a green olive tree in the house of God,” “like a tree planted by running water,” you are the “tree of life” who “yielded its fruit in due season”…

He Who is Infinite, Limitless, came to dwell in your womb; God, the Child Jesus, was nourished by your milk. You are the ever virginal Doorway of God; your hands hold your God; your lap is a throne raised up above the Cherubim… You are the wedding chamber of the Spirit, the “city of the living God, gladdened by the runlets of the stream”, that is to say, the waves of the Spirit’s gifts. You are “all fair, the Beloved” of God.” – St John Damascene (675-749) Monk, Theologian, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homily on the Nativity of the Virgin # 9).

PRAYER – O God, by Whose will the blessed Mary, ever Virgin, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, was on this day presented in the temple, grant, we beseech Thee, that by her intercession, we may be found worthy to be brought into the temple of Thy glory. 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).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SIN, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 September – “ … You made open the way of the Tree of Life. ,,, ”

One Minute Reflection – 24 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – Our Lady of Ransom – Ecclesiasticus 24:14-16; Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Blessed is the womb that bore Thee ” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “Once indeed, God ejected the mortals and first parents of the human race from the paradise of Eden, when they had drunk deeply from the wine of disobedience and had become so affected by the hangover of sin, through the intoxication of that transgression which led to the sleepiness of the mind’s eye. …

Then Adam and Eve, the founders of our race, exclaimed with a loud voice in great rejoicing: “Blessed are you, O daughter, who bore for us the penalties of the commands that had been broken. When you had gained a mortal body from us, you gave birth to a covering of immortality for us. You repaid us ,so that it might be well with us, since you received birth from our loins. From beyond the grave, you have called us back to our ancient seat: we closed paradise for ourselves but you made open the way of the Tree of Life. Through our actions, sadness came forth from happiness; through you, even more joyful things have returned, from sorrow. In what possible way could you be acceptable to death, O Immaculate one? You are the bridge of life and the ladder to Heaven; you are a boat over the sea of death, reaching to immortality.”

But the woman herself, as she did not shrink from the truth, said: “Into Your hands, my Son, I commend my spirit. Receive this soul which is dear to You, which You have preserved free from any sin. I hand over my body, not to the earth but to You. Take me to Yourself, that where You are, You, the Child of my womb, so there I also may be Your companion. I am hastening to You, Who have often come to me on this side of that long distance.”

When she had said this, she heard in reply: “Come to My rest, My blessed Mother: arise, come, My Beloved, most blessed among all women. Behold, the winter is ended. You are all fair, My Beloved and there is no spot of stain found in you: the odour of your ointments are more precious than all other aromas.” – St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Homily 9: On the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

PRAYER – O God, Who for the deliverance of Christians from the power of the pagans, graciously willed to enrich Thy Church by a new religious offspring through the most glorious Mother of Thy Son; grant, we beseech Thee, that by the merits and intercession of her, whom we piously venerate, as the founder of so great a work, we may be delivered from all our sins and from the captivity of the devil. 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).

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Posted in FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, THE ASSUMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – “Blessed is the womb which bore Thee ” – Luke 11:27

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Vigil of the Assumption – Ecclesiasticus 24:23-31; Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Blessed is the womb which bore Thee ” – Luke 11:27”

REFLECTION – “Hail, O favoured one, the Lord is with thee” (Lk 1:28). Could anything transcend the joy which is thine, O Virgin Mary? Could anything surpass this grace?… Truly, thou art “blessed among women” (Lk 1:42), for thou hast changed the condemnation of Eve into a blessing. Because of thee and through thee, Adam, who was hitherto cast down and condemned, received a blessing.

Truly, “thou art blessed among women” for through thee, the blessing of the Father came to mankind and reprieved them from the age-old sentence.
Truly, “thou art blessed among women” because through thee, thy ancestors found salvation. Thou were to give birth to the Saviour, Who would win for them, God’s salvation.

Truly, “thou art blessed among women” for without the seed of man thou bore the Fruit Who gives a blessing to the whole earth and frees it from being condemned to produce only thorns.

Truly, “thou art blessed among women” for although thou art a woman like any other woman, thou will, in actual fact, become the Mother of God. If the One to be born of thee is, in truth God Incarnate, thou rightly deserve to be called ‘she who gave birth to God’ inasmuch as thou truly do give birth to God.” – St Sophronius of Jerusalem (c560-638) Bishop, Father of the Church (Sermon for the Annunciation 2).

PRAYER – O God, Who chose for Thy dwelling the virginal womb of the blessed Mary, grant, we beseech Thee that, with the help of her protection, we may with joy, take part in her festival.Through the same 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).

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 August – ‘ … You are the bridge of life and the ladder to Heaven: you are a boat over the sea of death, reaching to immortality. …’

One Minute Reflection – 5 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Dedication of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Snows – Sirach 24:14-16: Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed is the womb that bore Thee ” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “Once indeed, God ejected the mortals and first parents of the human race from the paradise of Eden, when they had drunk deeply from the wine of disobedience and had become so affected by the hangover of sin, through the intoxication of that transgression which led to the sleepiness of the mind’s eye. …

Then Adam and Eve, the founders of our race, exclaimed with a loud voice in great rejoicing: “Blessed are you, O daughter, who bore for us the penalties of the commands that had been broken. When you had gained a mortal body from us, you gave birth to a covering of immortality for us. You repaid us so that it might be well with us, since you received birth from our loins. From beyond the grave, you have called us back to our ancient seat: we closed paradise for ourselves but you made open the way of the Tree of Life. Through our actions, sadness came forth from happiness; through you, even more joyful things have returned, from sorrow. In what possible way could you be acceptable to death, O Immaculate one? You are the bridge of life and the ladder to Heaven: you are a boat over the sea of death, reaching to immortality.”

But the woman herself, as she did not shrink from the truth, said: “Into Your hands, my Son, I commend my spirit. Receive this soul which is dear to You, which You have preserved free from any sin. I hand over my body, not to the earth but to You. Take me to Yourself, that where You are, You, the Child of my womb, so there I also may be Your companion. I am hastening to You, Who have often come to me on this side of that long distance.”

When she had said this, she heard in reply: “Come to My rest, My blessed Mother: arise, come, My Beloved, most blessed among all women. Behold, the winter is ended. You are all fair, My Beloved and there is no spot of stain found in you: the odour of your ointments are more precious than all other aromas.” – St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Homily 9: On the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

PRAYER – Grant us, Thy servants, O Lord God, we beseech Thee, to enjoy lasting health of mind and body and by the intercession of glorious and Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may be delivered from present sorrow and partake of the fullness of eternal happiness. Through the same 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).

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRISTMAS Quotes, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN QUOTES, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES for CHRIST, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The INCARNATION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 July – ‘O Mother blest! And chosen Shrine ….’

Quote/s of the Day – 16 July – The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Ecclesiasticus Sirach 24:23; Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Blessed is the womb
which bore Thee

Luke 11:27

O Mother blest!
And chosen Shrine
wherein the Architect Divine,
Whose Hand contains the earth and sky
vouchsafed in hidden guise to lie;
Blest in the message Gabriel brought;
blest in the work, the Spirit wrought;
Most blest, to bring to human birth,
the long desired of all the earth!

St Venantius Fortunatus (c530–c609)

Taking up the newborn Emmanuel,
Mary beheld a Light incomparably fairer
than the sun and saw a Fire,
which water cannot quench.
She received, in the covering of Flesh
Whom she had borne,
the Light, Who enlightens all things
and she was worthy,,
to carry in her arms,
the Word, Who carries the universe!

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)
Bishop, Cistercian Monk

The Blessed Virgin was chosen
to be the Mother of God
and, therefore, it is not to be doubted,
but that God fitted her for it
by His graces.

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

It is through the most Blessed Virgin Mary
that Jesus Christ came into the world
and, it is also through her
that He will reign in the world.

St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

Posted in BAPTISM, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MARIAN Aspirations and Ejaculations, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, The HOLY GHOST, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 June – “Blessed is the womb that bore you ’” – Luke 11:27

One Minute Reflection – 15 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Our Lady’s Saturday – Ecclesiasticus 24:14-16; Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Blessed is the womb that bore you ’” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “By the Spirit, from the womb of the Virgin, was born our Head, the Son of Man and, by the same Spirit, in the waters of Baptism, we are reborn as His Body and as sons of God. And just as He was born without any sin, so we are reborn in the forgiveness of all our sins. As on the Cross, He bore the sum total of the whole Body’s sins in His own physical Body, so He gave His members the grace of rebirth, in order that no sin might be imputed to His Mystical Body. It is written: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no sin. The blessed man of this text is undoubtedly Christ, Who forgives sins, insofar as God, is His Head. Insofar as this Man is the Head of the Body, no sin is forgiven Him. But, insofar as the Body that belongs to this Head, consists of many members, sin is not imputed to it.

Just as in Himself, it is He Who justifies Himself. He alone is both Saviour and saved. In His own Body on the Cross, He bore what He had washed from His Body by the waters of Baptism. Bringing salvation through wood and through water, He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world which He took upon Himself. Himself a Priest, He offers Himself as Sacrifice to God and He Himself, is God. Thus, through His own Self, the Son is reconciled to Himself as God, as well as to the Father and to the Holy Ghost.” – Blessed Isaac of Stella O.Cist. (c 1100 – c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher (An excerpt from his Sermon 42),

PRAYER – Grant us, Thy servants, O Lord God, we beseech Thee, to enjoy lasting health of mind and body and by the intercession of glorious and blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake to the full of eternal appiness.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).

OUR Lady of the Sacred Heart, Pray for Us! Indulgence 100 Days. Everytime – Raccolta 174 St Pius X, 9 July 1904.

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the JUDGE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN Saturdays, MOTHER of GOD, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Quotes on SALVATION, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 3 February –The ‘… Mother of God is our Mother! …’

Quote/s of the Day – 3 February – Saturday of the Blessed Virgin (Salve Sancta Parens) – Sirach 24:14-16; Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Blessed is the womb
which bore Thee

Luke 11:27

Mary, having merited to give flesh
to the Divine Word
and thus, supply the price
of our redemption
that we might be delivered
from eternal death, therefore,
she is more powerful
than all others,
to help us gain eternal life.

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

The very fact
that God has elected her,
proves, that none was ever
holier than Mary;
if any stain had disfigured her soul,
if any other virgin
had been purer and holier,
God would have selected her
and rejected Mary.

St Jacob of Sarug (c 451-521)

This woman will be the Mother of God,
the door to light, source of life.
She will reduce to oblivion the judgement
that weighed on Eve.
Daughter of David the king and Mother of God,
King of the universe, masterpiece
in whom the Creator rejoices…
thou art to be nature’s full achievement.
For thou life is not thine,
thou were not born for thyself alone
but thou life is to be God’s.
thou came into the world for Him,
thou will serve for the salvation of all people,
fulfilling God’s design, established from the beginning …

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

For whoever does the will of my Father in Heaven,
he is my brother and sister and mother.”
“These words were directed at us, not at Our Lady.
Not only was she the Immaculate Mother of Jesus Christ
but, she performed lovingly, on all occasions,
the Will of the heavenly Father.
She did His Will, in poverty and obedience,
in exile and on Mount Calvary.
Therefore, she was God’s Mother in the spiritual,
as well as, in the physical sense of the word,
insofar, as she was constantly united to Him
by a bond of love and of conformity with His desires.
Christ’s words indicate, that Mary’s perfect
and continuous acceptance of God’s Will,
was even more pleasing to God,
than the dignity of the divine Motherhood.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mother of Salvation,
Blessed Lady
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Magnificent Doctor
Marian Doctor

Mother of Salvation,
Blessed Lady,
you are the Mother of Justification
and those who are justified;
the Mother of Reconciliation
and those who are reconciled;
the Mother of Salvation
and those who are saved.
What a blessed trust
and what a secure refuge!
The Mother of God is our Mother.
The Mother of the One
in Whom alone, we hope
and Whom alone, we fear,
is our Mother! …
The One Who partook of our nature
and by restoring us to life,
made us children of His Mother,
invites us by this grace, to proclaim
that we are His brothers and sisters.
Therefore, our Judge, is also our Brother.
The Saviour of the world, is our Brother.
Our God has become –
through Mary – our Brother!
Anen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SIN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 February – “Blessed is the womb that bore Thee ” – Luke 11:27

One Minute Reflection – 3 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity” – Saturday of the Blessed Virgin (Salve sancta parens) – Sirach 24:14-16; Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed is the womb that bore Thee ” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “Once indeed, God ejected the mortals and first parents of the human race from the paradise of Eden, when they had drunk deeply from the wine of disobedience and had become so affected by the hangover of sin, through the intoxication of that transgression which led to the sleepiness of the mind’s eye. …

Then Adam and Eve, the founders of our race, exclaimed with a loud voice in great rejoicing: “Blessed are you, O daughter, who bore for us the penalties of the commands that had been broken. When you had gained a mortal body from us, you gave birth to a covering of immortality for us. You repaid us ,so that it might be well with us, since you received birth from our loins. From beyond the grave, you have called us back to our ancient seat: we closed paradise for ourselves but you made open the way of the Tree of Life. Through our actions, sadness came forth from happiness; through you, even more joyful things have returned, from sorrow. In what possible way could you be acceptable to death, O Immaculate one? You are the bridge of life and the ladder to Heaven: you are a boat over the sea of death, reaching to immortality.”

But the woman herself, as she did not shrink from the truth, said: “Into Your hands, my Son, I commend my spirit. Receive this soul which is dear to You, which You have preserved free from any sin. I hand over my body, not to the earth but to You. Take me to Yourself, that where You are, You, the Child of my womb, so there I also may be Your companion. I am hastening to You, Who have often come to me on this side of that long distance.”

When she had said this, she heard in reply: “Come to My rest, My blessed Mother: arise, come, My Beloved, most blessed among all women. Behold, the winter is ended. You are all fair, My Beloved and there is no spot of stain found in you: the odour of your ointments are more precious than all other aromas.” – St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Homily 9: On the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

PRAYER – Grant us, Thy servants, O Lord God, we beseech Thee, to enjoy lasting health of mind and body and, by the intercession of glorious and blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake, to the full, of eternal happiness.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).

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The ANNUNCIATION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 November – ‘This woman will be the Mother of God, the door to Light, source of Life … ‘

One Minute Reflection – 21 November – The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Sir ach24:14-1, Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Blessed is the womb that bore you” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “This woman will be the Mother of God, the door to Light, source of Life; she will reduce to oblivion the judgement that weighed on Eve. “The rich among the people seek the face” of this woman, “the kings of the nations shall pay her homage” they shall “ offer gifts”…, yet the glory of the Mother of God is an interior glory: the fruit of her womb.

O woman, so worthy of love, thrice happy, “blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Daughter of David the king and Mother of God, King of the universe, masterpiece in whom the Creator rejoices…: you are to be nature’s full achievement. For you, life is not yours; you were not born for yourself alone but your life is to be God’s. You came into the world for Him, you will serve for the salvation of all people, fulfilling God’s design established from the beginning: the Incarnation of the Word and our own divinisation. Your whole desire is to feed on the words of God, to be strengthened by their sap, like “a green olive tree in the house of God,” “like a tree planted by running water,” you are the “tree of life” who “yielded its fruit in due season”…

He Who is Infinite, Limitless, came to dwell in your womb; God, the Child Jesus, was nourished by your milk. You are the ever virginal Doorway of God; your hands hold your God; your lap is a throne raised up above the Cherubim… You are the wedding chamber of the Spirit, the “city of the living God, gladdened by the runlets of the stream”, that is to say, the waves of the Spirit’s gifts. You are “all fair, the Beloved” of God.” – St John Damascene (675-749) Monk, Theologian, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homily on the Nativity of the Virgin, # 9 ; SC 80) [ ( Biblical references : Ps 44[45],13; 71[72],11.10; Mt 2,11; Lk 1,42; Is 62,5; Ps 51[52],10; 1,3; cf Gn 2,9, Rv 22,2; cf Ez 44,2; Ps 79[80],2; cf Sg 1,4; Ps 45[46],5; Sg 4,7]. Link to searchable Sacred Scripture here: https://www.drbo.org/

PRAYER – O God, by Whose will the blessed Mary, ever Virgin, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, was on this day presented in the temple, grant, we beseech Thee, that by her intercession, we may be found worthy to be brought into the temple of Thy glory. 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).

Posted in BAPTISM, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The HOLY GHOST, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 October – ‘ … We are reborn as His Body and as sons of God. … ‘

One Minute Reflection – 29 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” and Mary’s Saturday (Salve sancta parens) – Ecclesiasticus 24:14-16, Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Blessed is the womb that bore you ’” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “By the Spirit, from the womb of the Virgin, was born our Head, the Son of Man and, by the same Spirit, in the waters of Baptism, we are reborn as His Body and as sons of God. And just as He was born without any sin, so we are reborn in the forgiveness of all our sins. As on the Cross, He bore the sum total of the whole Body’s sins in His own physical Body, so He gave His members the grace of rebirth, in order that no sin might be imputed to His Mystical Body. It is written: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no sin. The blessed man of this text is undoubtedly Christ, Who forgives sins, insofar as God, is His Head. Insofar as this Man is the Head of the Body, no sin is forgiven Him. But, insofar as the Body that belongs to this Head, consists of many members, sin is not imputed to it.

Just as in Himself, it is He Who justifies Himself. He alone is both Saviour and saved. In His own Body on the Cross, He bore what He had washed from His Body by the waters of Baptism. Bringing salvation through wood and through water, He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world which He took upon Himself. Himself a Priest, He offers Himself as sacrifice to God and He Himself, is God. Thus, through His own self, the Son is reconciled to Himself as God, as well as to the Father and to the Holy Spirit.” – Blessed Isaac of Stella O.Cist. (c 1100 – c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher (An excerpt from his Sermon 42),

PRAYER – Grant us, Thy servants, O Lord God, we beseech Thee, to enjoy lasting health of mind and body and by the intercession of glorious and blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake to the full of eternal appiness.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).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN Saturdays, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 22 October – Mary, Mother of Grace

Quote/s of the Day – 22 October – Mary’s Day – Luke 11:27-28

Blessed is the womb that bore You …”

Luke 11:27

Mary, Mother of Grace
St Athanasius (297-373)

Father & Doctor of the Church

It becomes you to be mindful of us,
as you stand near Him who granted you all graces,
for you are the Mother of God and our Queen.
Help us for the sake of the King,
the Lord God and Master, Who was born of you.
For this reason,
you are called full of grace.
Remember us, most holy Virgin,
and bestow on us gifts
from the riches of your graces,
Virgin full of graces.
Amen

No matter how sinful
one may have been,
if he has devotion to Mary,
it is impossible that he be lost.

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

Mary was placed by God
in the centre of history
and we can say
that everything was made
through her
and with her
and in her.

O great, O gentle, O most lovable Mary,
thy Holy Name cannot be spoken
without inflaming the heart.
To those who love thee,
it is unspeakable consolation
and joy even to think of thee;
thou art a sweet memory
to those who honour thee.

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

Mary is the divine Page
on which God the Father
wrote the Word of God, His Son.
Let us draw near to her and read her!

St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

No-one who shall invoke
this Mother of Grace,
with devotion and perseverance,
can possibly perish forever.

St John Eudes (1601-1680)
“The Apostle of Two Hearts”

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 October – “Blessed is the womb that bore Thee ” – Luke 11:27

One Minute Reflection – 1 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary” and Mary’s Day – Ecclesiasticus 24:14-16, Luke 11:27-28 Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Blessed is the womb that bore Thee ” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “Once indeed, God ejected the mortals and first parents of the human race from the paradise of Eden, when they had drunk deeply from the wine of disobedience and had become so affected by the hangover of sin, through the intoxication of that transgression, which led to the sleepiness of the mind’s eye. …

Then Adam and Eve, the founders of our race, exclaimed with a loud voice in great rejoicing: “Blessed are you, O daughter, who bore for us the penalties of the commands that had been broken. When you had gained a mortal body from us, you gave birth to a covering of immortality for us. You repaid us ,so that it might be well with us, since you received birth from our loins. From beyond the grave, you have called us back to our ancient seat: we closed paradise for ourselves but you made open the way of the Tree of Life. Through our actions, sadness came forth from happiness; through you, even more joyful things have returned, from sorrow. In what possible way could you be acceptable to death, O Immaculate one? You are the bridge of life and the ladder to Heaven: you are a boat over the sea of death, reaching to immortality.

But the woman herself, as she did not shrink from the truth, said: “Into Your hands, my Son, I commend my spirit. Receive this soul which is dear to You, which You have preserved free from any sin. I hand over my body, not to the earth but to You. Take me to Yourself, that where You are, You, the Child of my womb, so there I also may be Your companion. I am hastening to You, Who have often come to me on this side of that long distance.

When she had said this, she heard in reply: “Come to My rest, My blessed Mother: arise, come, My Beloved, most blessed among all women. Behold, the winter is ended. You are all fair, My Beloved and there is no spot of stain found in you: the odour of your ointments are more precious than all other aromas.” – St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Homily 9: On the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

PRAYER – Grant us, Thy servants, O Lord God, we beseech Thee, to enjoy lasting health of mind and body and ,by the intercession of glorious and blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake in the full of eternal happiness. 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).

Posted in BAPTISM, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, THE ASSUMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 August – Firstborn of many brothers ….

One Minute Reflection – 13 August – Anticipated Vigil of the Assumption and the Feast of Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners – Ecclesiasticus 24:23-31, Luke 11:27-28

Blessed is the womb that bore you ’” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION –By the Spirit, from the womb of the Virgin, was born our Head, the Son of Man and, by the same Spirit, in the waters of Baptism, we are reborn as His Body and as sons of God. And just as He was born without any sin, so we are reborn in the forgiveness of all our sins. As on the Cross, He bore the sum total of the whole Body’s sins in His own physical Body, so He gave His members the grace of rebirth, in order that no sin might be imputed to His Mystical Body. It is written: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no sin. The blessed man of this text is undoubtedly Christ, Who forgives sins, insofar as God, is His Head. Insofar as this Man is the Head of the Body, no sin is forgiven Him. But, insofar as the Body that belongs to this Head, consists of many members, sin is not imputed to it.

Just as in Himself, it is He Who justifies Himself. He alone is both Saviour and saved. In His own Body on the Cross, He bore what He had washed from His Body by the waters of Baptism. Bringing salvation through wood and through water, He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world which He took upon Himself. Himself a Priest, He offers Himself as sacrifice to God and He Himself, is God. Thus, through His own self, the Son is reconciled to Himself as God, as well as to the Father and to the Holy Spirit.” – Blessed Isaac of Stella O.Cist. (c 1100 – c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher (An excerpt from his Sermon 42),

PRAYER – O God, Who chose for Thy dwelling the virginal womb of the blessed Mary, grant, we beseech Thee, that, with the help of her protection, we may with joym take part in her festival. Through the same 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).

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The INCARNATION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 July – Blessed is the womb that bore You … Luke 11:27

Quote/s of the Day – 16 July – Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Ecclesiasticu, Sirach 24:23-31, Luke 11:27-28

Blessed is the womb that bore You …

Luke 11:27

That anyone could doubt the right
of the holy Virgin
to be called the Mother of God,
fills me with astonishment.
Surely she must be the Mother of God,
if our Lord Jesus Christ is God
and she gave birth to Him!
?

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God
By St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin and Mother!
Morning Star, perfect vessel.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Holy Temple in which God Himself was conceived.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Chaste and pure dove.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
who enclosed the One Who cannot be encompassed
in your sacred womb.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
From you flowed the true light, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you the Conqueror
and triumphant Vanquisher of hell, came to us.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you, the glory of the Resurrection blossoms.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
You have saved every faithful Christian.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)

Wherefore, in the same holy bosom
of His most chaste Mother,
Christ took to Himself flesh
and united to Himself,
the spiritual Body formed
by those who were to believe in Him.
Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour
within her, may be said,
to have also carried, all those.
whose life was contained
in the life of the Saviour.
Therefore, all we who are united to Christ
and, as the Apostle says,
are members of His body,
of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30),
have issued from the womb of Mary,
like a body united to it’s head.”

St Pius X (1835-1914)
Pope from 1903 to 1914

Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 July – “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.”

One Minute Reflection – 9 July – Our Holy Mother’s Saturday and the Feast of Our Lady Queen of Peace – Ecclesiasticus 24:14-16, Luke 11:27-28

While he was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.’” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “Mary was more blessed in accepting the faith of Christ than in conceiving the flesh of Christ. To someone who said, “Blessed is the womb that bore you,” he replied, “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.”

Finally, for his brothers, his relatives according to the flesh who did not believe in Him, of what advantage was that relationship? Even her maternal relationship would have done Mary no good, unless she had borne Christ more happily in her heart, than in her flesh.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of Grace (Holy Virginity 3).

PRAYER – Grant us, Thy servants, O Lord God, we beseech Thee to enjoy lasting health of mind and body and, by the intercession of glorious and Blessed Mary, ever virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake to the full of eternal happiness. 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).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, MOTHER of GOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HEART

One Minute Reflection – 19 February – “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” – Luke 11:28

One Minute Reflection – 19 February – Hail Holy Mother! – Sirach 24:14-16, Luke 11:27-28

While he was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.’” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “Mary was more blessed in accepting the faith of Christ than in conceiving the flesh of Christ. To someone who said, “Blessed is the womb that bore you,” he replied, “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.”

Finally, for his brothers, his relatives according to the flesh who did not believe in him, of what advantage was that relationship? Even her maternal relationship would have done Mary no good, unless she had borne Christ more happily in her heart, than in her flesh.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of Grace (Holy Virginity 3).

PRAYER – Grant us, Your servants, O Lord God, we beseech You, to enjoy lasting health of mind and body and by the intercession of THE glorious and blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake in the fullness of eternal happiness. 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).

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PAPAL SERMONS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 11:27–28

One Minute Reflection – 13 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 11:27–28 – Saturday of the Twenty seventh week in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Memorial of St Edward, King and Confessor  (c 1003-1066)

Blessed is the womb that bore you...Luke 11:27blessed is the womb that bore you luke 11 27 - 13 oct 2018

REFLECTION – “What a grace it is when a Christian truly becomes a “cristo-foro”, which means “bearer of Jesus” in the world!   Above all for those who are experiencing situations of grief, of despair, of darkness and of hate.   This can be understood from many fine details – from the light that a Christian conserves in his eyes, from the foundation of peace which is not undermined even on the most complicated of days, from the wish to begin to love again even when we have experienced many disappointments.

In the future, when the story of our days is written, what will it say about us?   That we were capable of hope, or that we put our light under a bushel?   If we are true to our Baptism, we will spread the light of the hope — Baptism is the beginning of hope, that hope — of God and we will be able to pass on to future generations the meaning of life”…Pope Francis – General audience, 2 August 2017what a grace it is when a christian truly becomes cristo-foro-bearer of jesus - pope francis 13 oct 2018

PRAYER– Almighty Father, let Your light so penetrate our minds, that walking by Your commandments, we may always follow You, our leader and our Guide in the path of Him who suffered and died for our love.   May Our Lady and Blessed Mother, keep us ever in her care and may the prayers of St Edward, King and Confessor, who consecrated himself and gave up his riches to the poor to follow the way of the Lord, please pray for us.   Through Jesus Christ, our Lord in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever,amen.our lady of fatima pray for us - 13 oct 2018st edward king and confessor - pray for us - 13 october 2018