Quote/s of the Day – 21 September –The Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, Martyr – Ezekiel 1:10-14; Matthew 9:9-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.”
Matthew 9:9
“It is not the healthy who need a physician but they who are sick.”
Matthew 9:12-
“By their fruits you will know them. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?“
Matthew 7:16
“So it will be at the end of the world. The Angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the just.”
Matthew 13:40
“But the things which proceed out of the mouth, come from the heart and it is they which defile a man.”
Matthew 15:18
“His Lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant because thou has been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many thing. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
Matthew 25:23
“Amen I say to you, as long as you did NOT do it for one of these least ones, you did NOT do it for Me.”
Quote/s of the Day – 27 July – St Pantaleon (Died c305) Martyr, Lay Physician, one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers –Pentecost VII – Romans 6,19-23 – Matthew 7:15-21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“By their fruits you will know them. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?”
Matthew 7:16
“And he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more.”
Matthew 25:16
“Just as it is impossible for the grass to grow on the sand, so it is impossible for one who seeks pleasure and superficial conversation, to produce the heavenly fruit. For the Lord says: No-one can serve two masters (Mt 6:24).”
St Syncletica (c320-c400)
“He who abides in Me and I in Him, the same bears much fruit” John 5:5
“We are preserved in being, if we grow onto Him and cling fast to the holy commandment, which has been handed down to us and, if we are eager to keep the blessing of nobility, that is to say, if we never consent, in any way, to “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Eph 4:30), Who has come to dwell in us and, through Whom, we believe, God has made His home in us. … For just as the vine-stock supplies and distributes, the virtue of its own inherent natural, quality to the shoots, so, too, the Only-Begotten Word of God, implants, in His people, a sort of affinity with His own nature and that of the Father. By the gift of the Spirit, they are united with Him by every kind of holiness. He nourishes them, so that they become devout and He moves them to knowledge of all virtue and good works.”
St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father & Doctor of the Church
“As our Saviour says: “A good tree is not able to produce bad fruit.” He says: A good tree, that is, a good heart and a soul on fire with charity, can do nothing but good and holy works. For this reason Saint Augustine said: “Love and do what you will,” namely, possess love and charity and then do what you will. It is as if he had said: Charity is not able to sin.”
One Minute Reflection – 27 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – St Pantaleon (Died c305) Martyr, Lay Physician, one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers –Pentecost VII – Romans 6:19-23 – Matthew 7:15-21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“By their fruits you shall know them.”- Matthew 7:16
REFLECTION – “Do you believe in Christ? Do the works of Christ, so that your faith may live; love will animate your faith, deed will reveal it … If you say you abide in Christ, you ought to walk as He walked. But if you seek your own glory, envy the successful, slander the absent, take revenge on those who injure you, this Christ did not do. You profess to know God, yet reject Him by your deeds! … “Such a one honours Me with his lips but his heart is far from Me” (Is 29:13; Mt 15:8)…
You see then that right faith, will not make a man righteous, unless it is enlivened by love. Someone, who has no love, has no means of loving the Bride, Christ’s Church. But, on the other hand, deeds, however righteous, cannot make the heart righteous, without faith. Who would call a person righteous, who does not please God? But “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb 11:6). And God, cannot please the one, who is not pleasing to Him; for if God is pleasing to someone that person cannot displease God . Furthermore, if God is not pleasing to that person, neither is His Bride, the Church. How then can he be righteous, who loves neither God nor God’s Church, to whom is said: “The righteous love you”? (Sg 1,3 Vg.).
If, therefore, neither faith without good works, nor good works without faith, suffice for a man’s righteousness, we, my brothers, who believe in Christ, should strive to ensure that our behaviour and desires are righteous. Let us raise up both our hearts and hands, to God that our whole being maybe righteous, our righteous faith being revealed in our righteous actions. So, we shall be lovers of the Bride, the Church and loved by the Bridegroom Jesus Christ our Lord, who is God, blessed forever!” – St Bernard (1091-1153) Cistercian, Father and Ddoctor of the Church (24th sermon on the Song of Songs).
PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that through the intercession of Thy blessed Martyr Pantaleon, we may be delivered from all afflictions of the body and cleansed from all evil thoughts of the mind. 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).
One Minute Reflection – 9 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Romans 6:19-23; Matthew 7:15-21– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? ” – Matthew 7:16
REFLECTION – “Let us love God, my brothers, let us love God but let it be at the expense of our arms and the sweat of our brow. For only too often, so many of our acts of love for God, kindness, favour and other similar feelings and interior practices of the gentle heart, however good and desirable they are, are nevertheless, to be held in suspicion, when they do not at all bring us to practice actual love. Our Lord said: “My Father is glorified by this – that you bear much fruit” (Jn 15:8).
Now this is something about which we need to be very careful because, there are many who, so as to be exteriorly well-ordered and interiorly full of great feelings for God, stop at that. And when it comes to the point and they find themselves in a situation for action, they stop short. They pride themselves on their inflated imaginations; they are satisfied with the sweet exchanges they have with God in prayer; they even talk about it like Angels. But when they come away, is there any question of working for God, of suffering, practicing mortification, teaching the poor, searching for the lost sheep (Lk 15:4), being pleased when they lack something, accepting sickness or some other misfortune? Alas, then, there is no-one to be seen, courage fails them! No, let us not deceive ourselves – our whole task consists in progressing towards acts!” – St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) Priest, Founder (Spiritual conferences to the Missionaries, Fragment 171).
PRAYER – From all perils of soul and body defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee,and by the intercession of blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and of blessed Martyrs St John Fisher, St Thomas More, St Maria Goretti and all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace that all adversities and errors being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom.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).
One Minute Reflection – 7 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Saint Cyril (827-869) and Saint Methodius (826-885) “Apostles to the Slavs,” Sibling Brother Bishops, Confessors – Romans 6:19-23; Matthew 7:15-21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“By their fruits you shall know them.”- Matthew 7:16
REFLECTION – “Do you believe in Christ? Do the works of Christ, so that your faith may live; love will animate your faith, deed will reveal it … If you say you abide in Christ, you ought to walk as He walked. But if you seek your own glory, envy the successful, slander the absent, take revenge on those who injure you, this Christ did not do. You profess to know God, yet reject Him by your deeds! … “Such a one honours Me with his lips but his heart is far from Me” (Is 29:13; Mt 15:8)…
You see then that right faith, will not make a man righteous, unless it is enlivened by love. Someone, who has no love, has no means of loving the Bride, Christ’s Church. But, on the other hand, deeds, however righteous, cannot make the heart righteous, without faith. Who would call a person righteous, who does not please God? But “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb 11:6). And God, cannot please the one, who is not pleasing to Him; for if God is pleasing to someone that person cannot displease God. Furthermore, if God is not pleasing to that person, neither is His Bride, the Church. How then can he be righteous, who loves neither God nor God’s Church, to whom is said: “The righteous love you”? (Sg 1,3 Vg.).
If, therefore, neither faith without good works, nor good works without faith, suffice for a man’s righteousness, we, my brothers, who believe in Christ, should strive to ensure that our behaviour and desires are righteous. Let us raise up both our hearts and hands, to God that our whole being maybe righteous, our righteous faith being revealed in our righteous actions. So, we shall be lovers of the Bride, the Church and loved by the Bridegroom Jesus Christ our Lord, who is God, blessed forever!” – St Bernard (1091-1153) Cistercian, Father and Ddoctor of the Church (24th sermon on the Song of Songs).
PRAYER – Look forgivingly on Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in Thy constant protection, by the intercession of the blessed brothers, Cyril and Methodius, who, by the power of the Holy Ghost were moved to bring the light of the Gospel to a hostile and divided people. 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).
One Minute Reflection – 16 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Pentecost VII – Romans 6:19-23, Matthew 7:15-21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“By their fruits you will know them. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?”- Matthew 7:16
REFLECTION – “It does not seem to me that “false prophets” here refers to the heretics but rather to persons who live morally corrupt lives, while wearing a mask of virtue. They are usually called ‘frauds’ by most people. For this reason, Jesus continued by saying, “By their fruits you will know them.” For it is possible to find some virtuous persons, living among heretics. But among the corrupted of whom I speak, it is in not possible. “So what difference does it make,” Jesus says in effect, “if even among these false prophets some do put on a hypocritical show of virtue? Certainly, they will soon be detected.”
The nature of this road upon which He commanded us to walk, is toilsome and hard. The hypocrite would seldom choose to toil but would prefer only to make a show. For this very reason, the hypocrite is easily detected. When Jesus notes that “there are few who find it,” He distinguishes these, from those who do not find the way, yet pretend to find it. So do not look to the mask but to the behavioural fruits, of those who pursue the narrow way.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (The Gospel of Matthew Homily 23).
PRAYER – O God, Who honoured the Order of Carmel with the special title of the most blessed Mary, ever Virgin, Thy Mother, graciously grant, that we, who this day honour her commemoration with solemn rites, defended by her care, may be found worthy to attain everlasting happiness.Through the same Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
One Minute Reflection – 24 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood” – St Christina of Bolsena (3rd Century) Virgin Martyr – Romans 6:19-23, Matthew 7:15-21
“By their fruits you will know them. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?”- Matthew 7:16
REFLECTION – ““It does not seem to me that “false prophets” here refers to the heretics but rather to persons who live morally corrupt lives, while wearing a mask of virtue. They are usually called ‘frauds’ by most people. For this reason, Jesus continued by saying, “By their fruits you will know them.” For it is possible to find some virtuous persons, living among heretics. But among the corrupted of whom I speak, it is in not possible. “So what difference does it make,” Jesus says in effect, “if even among these false prophets some do put on a hypocritical show of virtue? Certainly, they will soon be detected.”
The nature of this road upon which He commanded us to walk, is toilsome and hard. The hypocrite would seldom choose to toil but would prefer only to make a show. For this very reason, the hypocrite is easily detected. When Jesus notes that “there are few who find it,” He distinguishes these, from those who do not find the way, yet pretend to find it. So do not look to the mask but to the behavioural fruits, of those who pursue the narrow way.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (The Gospel of Matthew Homily 23).
PRAYER – O God, Who among the other miracles of Thy power have bestowed the victory of martyrdom even upon the weaker sex, graciously grant that we, who commemorate the anniversary of the death of blessed Christina, Your Virgin and Martyr, may come to Thee by the path of her example.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).
AnaStpaul 
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