Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, HOLY WEEK, LENT 2024, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, St Francis de Sales, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 24 March – Palm Sunday –

Quote/s of the Day – 24 March – Palm Sunday – Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:36-75; 27:1-60 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Behold the hour is at hand
and the Son of man shall be betrayed
into the hands of sinners
.”

Matthew 26:45

Yesterday, Christ raised Lazarus from the dead;
today, He is going to His own death.
Yesterday, He tore off the strips of cloth which bound Lazarus;
today, He is stretching out His Hand,
to those who want to bind Him.
Yesterday, He tore that man away from darkness;
today, for humankind,
He is going down into darkness
and the shadow of death.
And the Church is celebrating.
She is beginning the feast of Feasts,
for she is receiving her King as a Spouse,
for her King is in her midst.

St Ephrem (306-373) (Attri)
Father ad Doctor of the Church

Oh! how blessed are they
whom our Divine Master chooses to carry Him,
who are covered with the Apostles’ cloaks,
that is, clothed with apostolic virtues,
which render them worthy of bearing our dear Saviour
and of being led by Him.
Blessed are they who conduct themselves
here in lowliness and humility.
They will be exalted in Heaven
[Matt. 18:4; 23:12; Lk. 14:11; 18:14].
Their patience will win for them perpetual peace and tranquility;
for their obedience they shall receive a crown of glory
[Tab. 3:21; James 1:12];
finally, they shall be covered with the hundredfold of blessings
in this life and shall bless the Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
eternally in the next.
May God give us this grace. Amen.

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

(Spiritual Conferences, XVII)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, LENT 2024, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 24 March – Palm Sunday – Behold the Lamb of God

Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 24 March – Palm Sunday – Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:36-75; 2 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

St Bede the Venerable (673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Towards the Lamb of God arise ,the Hosannas of the people, all those pressing round Him in the crowd, praise Him with one and the same confession of faith: “Hosanna to the son of David!” (Mt 21:9). This praise already echoes the choir of Saints, singing: “Salvation comes from our God, Who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb!” (Apoc 7:10). He goes up to where, day-by-day, He will give His last teaching (Lk 20:47). It is there He will accomplish the sacrament of the Jewish Passover, faithfully observed hitherto. He Himself, will bestow a new Pasch on His own, when, having left for the Mount of Olives, He will be put to the test by His enemies and, the following day, set on the Cross. Of such is the Paschal Lamb, see Him draw near today to the place of His Passion and fulfil the prophecy of Isaias: “Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers” (53:7).

He desires to enter His City five days before His Passion; by this He proves that He is indeed the Lamb without blemish Who comes to take away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29). He is indeed the Paschal Lamb, Who, when sacrificed, will set the new Israel free from its slavery in Egypt (Ex 12). It is truly five days before His Passion when His enemies irrevocably agree on His death. Today He shows us by this that He is going to redeem us all by His Blood (Apoc 5:9). As from today, He enters God’s Temple amongst the joyful jubilation of those who surround him (Mt 21:12). The “Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus” (1Tm 2:5) will suffer for humankind’s salvation – that indeed is why He came down to earth from Heaven – and today, He wills to draw near to the place of His Passion. Thus it will be clear to all that He bears His Passion of His own free will and by no means by force.” (Sermon No 23).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, HOLY WEEK, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 March – ‘Behold the hour is at hand …’ Matthew 26:45

One Minute Reflection – 24 March – Palm Sunday – Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:36-75; 27:1-60. – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Behold the hour is at hand and the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners.” – Matthew 26:45

REFLECTION – By St Nerses Chnorhali (1102-1173) Armenian Bishop (Jesus, Only Son of the Father 708-724)

Because of sin, O innocent One,
You were set before the criminal’s judgement seat;
When You return in the Father’s glory
Do not judge me together with him.

You were put to scorn with sacrilegious spittle
On account of the first created man’s shame;
Wipe away the dishonour of the impudent man’s sins,
With which my Face is covered…

You have put on crimson,
Set the scarlet cloak over You
As a dishonour and an affront,
As Pontius Pilate’s soldiers thought it to be (Mt 27:28).

Remove sin’s shirt of hair from Me,
Crimson red, colour of blood,
Re-clothe me in the garment of joy
With which You clothed the first man.

Kneeling, they made sport,
Acting ridicule, they mocked;
When they saw it, Heaven’s armies
Worshipped in fear.

This You underwent that You might remove
The shame, of being sin’s accomplice, from Adam’s nature in us
That, from my soul and my conscience,
You might suppress my sorrowing shame…

Following the judge’s verdict,
You received the terrible blows of flagellation
Over Your whole body
And on Your limbs’ every part.

As for me who, from foot to head
Suffer unbearable pain:
Be pleased to heal me once again
As through the grace of Baptism’s fount.

In exchange for the thorns of sin
That the curse caused to grow up for us (Gn 3,18)
A Crown of Thorns was set on Your Head
By the labourers in Jerusalem’s vineyard (Mt 21,33f.).

Pull out the thorns of sin from me,
Which my enemy planted within me,
And heal in me the bite of the wound
That the marks of sin might be erased.”

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who, to provide mankind an example of humility for it to imitate, willed that the Saviour should assume our flesh and suffer death upon the Cross, mercifully grant that we may be found worthy of the lesson of His endurance and the fellowship of His Resurrection. 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 WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, HOLY WEEK, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSOLATION

Our Morning Offering – 24 March – To Thee, O Jesus, Hosanna!

Our Morning Offering – 24 March – Palm Sunday

To Thee, O Jesus, Hosanna!
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)

Seraphic Doctor of the Church

To Thee, O Jesus,
do I turn, as my true and last end.
Thou art the River of Life
which alone can satisfy my thirst.
Without Thee, all else is barren and void.
Without all else, Thou alone art enough for me.
Thou art the Redeemer of those that are lost,
the sweet Consoler of the sorrowful,
the Crown of Glory of the victors,
the recompense of the Blessed.
One day I hope to receive of Thy Fullness
and to sing the song of praise, in my true home.
Give me only on earth, some few drops of consolation
and I will patiently await Thy Coming,
when I hope to enter into the joy of my Lord.
Hosanna!

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Palm Sunday, The Archangel Saint Gabriel, Notre-Dame de L’épine Fleurie / Our Lady of the Flowering Thorn, France and Memorials of the Saints for 24 March

The Archangel Saint Gabriel
The Feast of Saint Gabriel was included by Pope Benedict XV in the General Roman Calendar in 1921, for celebration on 24 March.
The Archangel Saint Gabriel’s name means “the Power of God” He appeared to the Prophet Daniel (Dan 8:16; 9:21), to the priest Zachary to announce the forthcoming birth of Saint John the Baptist (Luke 1:11, 19) and, most importantly, to the Blessed Virgin Mary to announce the birth of Our Saviour (Luke 1:26).
St Gabriel!

https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/24/saint-of-the-day-24-march-the-archangel-saint-gabriel/

St Bernulf of Mondov
Bl Bertha de’Alberti of Cavriglia
Blessed Bertrada of Laon (c726-783) Married to King Pepin the Short. Queen of the Franks. Mother of Blessed Charlemagne.
St Caimin of Lough Derg
St Cairlon of Cashel

St Domangard of Maghera
St Epicharis of Rome
St Epigmenius of Rome
St Hildelith of Barking

St Latinus of Brescia
St Macartan of Clogher
St Mark of Rome
St Pigmenius of Rome
St Romulus of North Africa
St Secundus of North Africa
St Seleucus of Syria
St Severo of Catania
St Timothy of Rome

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Thought for the Day – 2 April –The Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem

Thought for the Day – 2 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem

“The evening before Our Lord was arrested and put to death, Judas was negotiating His betrayal for a handful of money.
Peter was about to deny Him in public and the Apostles would abandon Him in the hour of trial.
Jesus knew all this.
He saw, moreover, how men would be forgetful of Him throughout the ages and how they would insult Him and hate Him.
Nevertheless, He resolved to remain amongst us forever, under the Eucharistic species.

I have greatly desired to eat this passover with you, before I suffer” (Lk 22:15).
Why did He say this?
Because, He was about to work the most amazing miracle of His Infinite Love, the institution of the Blessed Eucharist!

He took bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to His Apostles, saving: “This is My Body, which is being given for you.
Then He took the cup of wine, gave thanks to His Heavenly Father and said: “This is the chalice of My Blood, the mystery of faith, which shall be shed for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.
There was nothing left for the Infinite Power and Goodness of Jesus to give.
He had given Himself, not only to His Apostles but, to all men throughout the ages.

If we meditate deeply on this mystery of Infinite Love, we should certainly love Jesus very much.
We should joyfully accept the nourishment of His Immaculate Body and should live with the supernatural life which comes from Him.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/04/10/thought-for-the-day-10-april-the-entry-of-jesus-into-jerusalem/

Posted in "Follow Me", CATECHESIS, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LENT 2023, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The WILL of GOD

Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 2 April – Palm Sunday, Humility

Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 2 April – Palm Sunday – Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:36-75; 2 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Thou hast held me by my right hand
and by Thy will, Thou hast conducted me
and in Thy glory, Thou hast received me.

Psalm 72:24

Behold the hour is at hand
and the Son of man shall be betrayed
into the hands of sinners.

Matthew 26:45

PALM SUNDAY – HUMILITY
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“THE APOSTLES LED the ass and colt to Our Lord. …
This ass and colt had only the Apostles’ cloaks laid on them, then Our Lord mounted … and in this abjection and humility, He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
In this He confounded the world which overthrows all the maxims of the Gospel, relishing neither humility nor abjection.
It never ceases to say: “Unfortunate are the poor and suffering. But how happy that wealthy one is!
Why do you find him happy?
Because his barn is full of grain and his cellar is full of wine.
This girl is also happy because she too is rich, well dressed and covered with jewels.

Others are considered happy because their hair is well curled or daintily braided, or they have a fancy gown.
How childish all this is! Nevertheless, these are the kinds of people the world considers happy and fortunate!

Our Lord turns all such ideas upside down today by His entrance into Jerusalem. He in no way acts like princes of the world, who, when entering a City, do it with much pomp, show and expense. He chooses no other mount but an ass covered with the worthless and poor cloaks of His Apostles.

Oh! how blessed are they whom our Divine Master chooses to carry Him, who are covered with the Apostles’ cloaks, that is, clothed with apostolic virtues, which render them worthy of bearing our dear Saviour and of being led by Him.
Blessed are they who conduct themselves here in lowliness and humility. They will be exalted in Heaven [Matt. 18:4; 23:12; Lk. 14:11; 18:14].
Their patience will win for them perpetual peace and tranquility; for their obedience they shall receive a crown of glory [Tab. 3:21; James 1:12]; finally, they shall be covered with the hundredfold of blessings in this life and shall bless the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, eternally in the next.
May God give us this grace. Amen.
” – (Spiritual Conferences, XVII – St Francis de Sales).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 April – ‘Behold the hour is at hand …’ Matthew 26:45

One Minute Reflection – 2 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Palm Sunday – Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:36-75; 27:1-60. – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Behold the hour is at hand and the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners.” – Matthew 26:45

REFLECTION – By St Nerses Chnorhali (1102-1173) Armenian Bishop (Jesus, Only Son of the Father, § 708-724)

Because of sin, O innocent One,
You were set before the criminal’s judgement seat;
When You return in the Father’s glory
Do not judge me together with him.

You were put to scorn with sacrilegious spittle
On account of the first created man’s shame;
Wipe away the dishonour of the impudent man’s sins,
With which my face is covered…

You have put on crimson,
Set the scarlet cloak over You
As a dishonour and an affront,
As Pontius Pilate’s soldiers thought it to be (Mt 27:28).

Remove sin’s shirt of hair from me,
Crimson red, colour of blood,
Reclothe me in the garment of joy
With which You clothed the first man.

Kneeling, they made sport,
Acting ridicule, they mocked;
When they saw it, Heaven’s armies
Worshipped in fear.

This You underwent that You might remove
The shame, of being sin’s accomplice, from Adam’s nature in us
That, from my soul and my conscience,
You might suppress my sorrowing shame…

Following the judge’s verdict,
You received the terrible blows of flagellation
Over Your whole body
And on Your limbs’ every part.

As for me who, from foot to head
Suffer unbearable pain:
Be pleased to heal me once again
As through the grace of Baptism’s fount.

In exchange for the thorns of sin
That the curse caused to grow up for us (Gn 3,18)
A Crown of Thorns was set on Your Head
By the labourers in Jerusalem’s vineyard (Mt 21,33f.).

Pull out the thorns of sin from me,
Which my enemy planted within me,
And heal in me the bite of the wound
That the marks of sin might be erased.”

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who, to provide mankind an example of humility for it to imitate, willed that the Saviour should assume our flesh and suffer death upon the Cross, mercifully grant that we may be found worthy of the lesson of His endurance and the fellowship of His Resurrection. 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, franciscan OFM, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, The LAST THINGS, The SECOND COMING

Our Morning Offering – 2 April – To Thee, O Jesus, Hosanna!

Our Morning Offering – 2 April – Palm Sunday

To Thee, O Jesus, Hosanna!
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)

Seraphic Doctor of the Church

To Thee, O Jesus,
do I turn, as my true and last end.
Thou art the River of Life
which alone can satisfy my thirst.
Without Thee, all else is barren and void.
Without all else, Thou alone art enough for me.
Thou art the Redeemer of those that are lost,
the sweet Consoler of the sorrowful,
the Crown of Glory of the victors,
the recompense of the Blessed.
One day I hope to receive of Thy Fullness
and to sing the song of praise, in my true home.
Give me only on earth, some few drops of consolation
and I will patiently await Thy Coming,
when I hope to enter into the joy of my Lord.
Hosanna!

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, OUR Cross, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 April – “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” – John 12:21

One Minute Reflection – 1 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Saturday in Passion Week – Jeremias18:18-23, John 12:10-36 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” – John 12:21

REFLECTION – “At Jerusalem the crowd cried out: “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord, the King of Israel” (cf Mk 11:10). The phrase “He Who comes.” is well said because He is always coming, He never fails us – “The Lord is close to those who call upon Him in truth. Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord” (Ps 144:18; 117:26). The gentle King of peace stands at our door… Soldiers here below, Angels in Heaven, mortals and immortals… cry aloud: “Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord, the King of Israel.” The Pharisees, however, stand aloof (Jn 12:19) and the priests are incensed by it. But the voices which sing God’s praises ring out without ceasing – creation is full of joy…

That is why, on this very day, some Greeks, prompted by this tremendous acclamation to worship God with devotion, approached one of the Apostles, named Philip and said to him: “We would like to see Jesus.” Note well, it is the whole crowd who carries out the task of herald and prompts these Greeks to be converted. Straightaway, these latter address Christ’s disciples – “We would like to see Jesus.” Those gentiles are imitating Zachaeus, not that they climb a sycamore tree [to see Jesus] but, they make haste to rise up in their knowledge of God (Lk 19:3). “We should like to see Jesus” not so much to behold His Face but, to bear His Cross. For Jesus, Who could see their desire, had unambiguously declared to those who were standing by: “Now the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” calling “glory” the conversion of the gentiles.

And He gave the name “glory” to the Cross. For, from that day to this, the Cross is glorified. Indeed, it is the Cross which still today, Consecrates Kings, adorns Priests, protects virgins, gives constancy to hermits, reinforces the marriage bond and strengthens widows. It is the Cross which makes the Church fruitful, brings light to the peoples, guards the desert, opens paradise.” – St Proclus of Constantinople (Died c446) Archbishop of Constantinople, Confessor, Defender of the Church and of the Blessed Virgin, Writer, renowned Preacher, Father of the C hurch (Sermon for Palm Sunday).

PRAYER – O Lord, may the people dedicated to Thee desire to serve Thee more and more that, taught by these sacred rites, they may be enriched by more precious gift,s as they grow in favour with Thy majesty. 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 MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Passion Sunday and Memorials of the Saints – 26 March

Passion Sunday

Notre-Dame de Soissons / Our Lady of Soissons, France (1128) In the Abbey, one of Our Lady’s slippers is kept – 26 March:
HERE:

https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/26/our-lady-of-soissons-france-1128-and-memorials-of-the-saints-26-march/

St Barontius of Pistoia (Died c725) Monk, Hermit

St Basil the Younger (Died c952) Confessor, Hermit, Mystic, Miracle-worker.
His Life:

https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/26/saint-of-the-day-26-march-saint-basil-the-younger-died-c-952/


St Bathus
St Bercharius

St Braulio (590-651) Bishop of Saragossa, Spain, Monk, Confessor, Reformer, Scholar, Advisor, Writer, eloquent Preacher, Apostle of Charity. Saint Braulio was friend and disciple to Saint Isidore of Seville (560-636) Doctor of the Church ) and a prolific writer of letters, hymns, martyrologies, hagiographies and history. He fought against heresy and provided both strength and encouragement in the faith to his congregation.
Biography:

https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/03/26/saint-of-the-day-26-march-braulio-590-651/

St Castulus of Rome (Died c 288) Martyr, Layman, married to Saint Irene of Rome (the woman who assisted St Sebastian after he had been wounded by the Imperial archers), Military Officer and he was the Chamberlain (or officer, valet) of Emperor Diocletian.
His Life and Death:

https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/26/saint-of-the-day-26-march-saint-castulus-of-rome-died-c-288-martyr/

St Desiderius of Pistoia
St Eutychius of Alexandria
St Felicitas of Padua
St Felix of Trier (c 386–c 399) Bishop
St Garbhan
St Govan

St Ludger (c 742-809) Bishop, Missionary, Founder, Abbot, Writer. Following in the footsteps of the English missionary St Boniface, St Ludger, who was a native Netherlander, brought the faith to the people of Frisia in Holland and the Saxons of north-west Germany. He founded the Werden Abbey and was the first Bishop of Münster in Westphalia, Germany.
About St Ludger:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/03/26/saint-of-the-day-26-march-st-ludger-c-742-809/

St Maxima the Martyr
St Mochelloc of Kilmallock
St Montanus the Martyr
St Sabino of Anatolia
St Sincheall of Killeigh
St Wereka

Martyrs of Rome – 5 Saints: A group of Christians Martyred together. The only details to survive are the names – Cassian, Jovinus, Marcian, Peter and Thecla. Rome, Italy, date unknown.

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, franciscan OFM, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, The PASSION

Palm Sunday, Nuestra Señora de la Naval / Our Lady of Naval, Manila (1646) and Memorials of the Saints – 10 April

Palm Sunday +2022

Nuestra Señora de la Naval / Our Lady of Naval, Manila (1646) – 10 April:
HERE:

https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/10/easter-saturday-nuestra-senora-de-la-naval-our-lady-of-naval-manila-1646-and-memorials-of-the-saints-10-april/

Blessed Antony Neyrot OP (1425-1460) Martyr, Priest of the Order of Preachers, Priest, an Apostate who reconverted, Penitent.
Biography:

https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/10/saint-of-the-day-10-april-blessed-antony-neyrot-o-p-1425-1460-martyr/

Bl Antonio Vallesio
St Apollonius of Alexandria
Bl Archangelus Piacentini
St Bademus
St Bede the Younger
St Beocca of Chertsey
Bl Boniface Zukowski
Bl Eberwin of Helfenstein
St Ethor of Chertsey
St Ezekiel the Prophet

St Fulbert of Chartres (c 960-1029) Bishop, Writer, Poet, Reformer, Marian devotee, Preacher, Teacher, Advisor.
About St Fulbert:

https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/saint-of-the-day-10-april-st-fulbert-of-chartres/

St Gajan
St Hedda of Peterborough

St Macarius of Ghent (Died 1012) Archbishop of Constantinople, Pilgrim and Hermit (without a cell), Apostle of the sick and the needy, Miracle-worker.
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/10/saint-of-the-day-10-april-saint-macarius-of-ghent-died-1012-bishop/

St Magdalena of Canossa (1774-1835) Virgin, Foundress of the Canossian Family of Daughters and Sons of Charity.
Her Story:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/04/10/saint-of-the-day-10-april-saint-magdalena-of-canossa-1774-1835/

St Malchus of Waterford
Bl Marco Mattia
Blessed Marcus Fantuzzi OFM (c 1405-1479) Priest

St Miguel de Sanctis O.SS.T (1591-1625) Priest of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives also known as the Trinitarian Order or the Trinitarians, Mystic, Penitent, Ecstatic, Apostle of prayer, mortification, of the poor and the sick, he had a special devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and would fall into ecstatic prayer during the Consecration at Holy Mass, so much so, that he became known as “El Extático”, “The Ecstatic.” Pope Pius IX Canonised Miguel on 8 June 1862.
About St Miguel:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/10/saint-of-the-day-10-april-st-miguel-de-sanctis-o-ss-t-1591-1625/

St Palladius of Auxerre
St Paternus the Scot

Martyrs of Carthage – 50 Saints: A group of 50 Christians who were imprisoned in a pen of snakes and scorpions and then Martyred, all during the persecutions of Decius. Only six of their names have come down to us – Africanus, Alessandro, Massimo, Pompeius, Terence and Teodoro. Beheaded in 250 at Carthage.

Martyrs of Georgia: Approximately 6,000 Christian Monks and lay people Martyred in Georgia in 1616 for their faith by a Muslim army led by Shah Abbas I of Persia.

Martyrs of Ostia: A group of criminals who were brought to the faith by Pope Saint Alexander I while he was in prison with them. Drowned by being taken off shore from Ostia, Italy, in a boat which was then scuttled, c 115.

Posted in HOLY WEEK, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The LAMB of GOD, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 28 March – The Lamb of God

Thought for the Day – 28 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Lamb of God

“Jesus had only one consolation in the midst of His terrible sufferings.
His mother, Mary was beside the Cross along with His beloved Apostle and the holy women who had always followed Him.
Mary loved her Son with a love greater than that of any mother, which is the greatest love possible on earth.
She loved Jesus with the heart of a Mother and of a Virgin – He was her only treasure.
Moreover, she loved Him, not only as her Son but, also as her God.
Precisely because she loved Him as her God, her love was in perfect harmony with the divine will.

She understood the mystery which led Jesus to accept death on the Cross – the mystery of the Redemption.
“He was offered because it was his own will” (Isa 53:7).
He was offered on our behalf, as a voluntary victim to His heavenly Father.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in HOLY WEEK, LENT 2021, LENTEN THOUGHTS, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Lenten Journey Day Thirty-eight – You are my Lord and my God and my King

Lenten Journey Day Thirty-eight – Palm Sunday

Imitating Christ with Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

In You is the source of life
and in Your Light Lord, we see light

Psalm 35(36)

“See, your King shall come to you” – Zechariah 0:9

NOW again I will speak, Lord and will not be silent. I will speak to the hearing of my God, my Lord and my King, Who is in heaven.
How great, O Lord, is the multitude of Your mercies which You have stored up for those who love You.
But what are You to those who love You? What are You to those who serve You, with their whole heart?

Truly beyond the power of words is the sweetness of contemplation. You give to those who love You.
To me You have shown the sweetness of Your charity, especially in having made me, when I did not exist, in having brought me back to serve You, when I had gone far astray from You, in having commanded me to love You.

O Fountain of unceasing love, what shall I say of You?
How can I forget You, Who have been pleased to remember me, even after I had wasted away and perished?
You have shown mercy to Your servant beyond all hope and have exhibited grace and friendship, beyond his deserving!
… You are my Lord and my God and my King and I am Your poorest servant, bound to serve You with al my strength and never to grow weary of praising You.
This is my desire, this I implore You – that I may always praise You and that You will supply whatever is wanting in me.

(Book 3 Ch 10:1-2,4b)

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 28 March – Palm Sunday

Quote/s of the Day – 28 March – Palm Sunday

“See, your king shall come to you,
meek and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.”

Zechariah 9:9

“Yesterday, Christ raised Lazarus from the dead;
today, He is going to His own death.
Yesterday, He tore off the strips of cloth that bound Lazarus;
today, He is stretching out His Hand,
to those who want to bind Him.
Yesterday, He tore that man away from darkness;
today, for humankind,
He is going down into darkness
and the shadow of death.
And the Church is celebrating.
She is beginning the feast of feasts,
for she is receiving her King as a spouse,
for her King is in her midst.”

St Ephrem (306-373) (Attri)
Father ad Doctor of the Church

“Hosanna!”—which means : “Save!”
“Hosanna to You Who are in the highest.
O Almighty, save those who are humbled.
Have mercy on us,
in consideration of our palms,
may the palms we wave move Your Heart,
You who come to call Adam”…

St Romanus the Melodist (c 490-c 556)
Composer of Hymns

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 March – “ Blessed are You, the One who comes to call Adam”…

One Minute Reflection – 28 March – Palm Sunday, Readings: Procession: Mark 11: 1-10 or John 12: 12-16, First: Isaiah 50: 4-7, Psalm: Psalms 22: 8-9, 17-18, 19-20,23-24, Second: Philippians 2: 6-11, Gospel: Mark 14: 1 – 15: 47

“And they brought the colt to Jesus and they lay their garments on him and he sat upon him.” – Mark 11:7

REFLECTION – “Seated on Your throne in Heaven and on a colt on earth, O Christ, You who are God, You welcomed the praise of the angels and the anthem of the children, who called out to You : “ Blessed are You, the One who comes to recall Adam”…
The King comes to us, humble, sitting on the foal of a donkey. He comes with haste to suffer His Passion and take sins away. Seated on a dumb animal, the Word, the Wisdom of God, wants to save all beings endowed with reason. And all humankind can contemplate, mounted on a colt, the One who rides on the cherubim (Ps 17:10) and who once bore up Elijah on a chariot of fire. “Though he was rich,” of his own will, “he became poor” (2Co 8:9) ; in choosing weakness, He gives strength to all who cry to Him: ”Blessed are You, the One who comes to call You demonstrate Your strength by choosing poverty… The clothes of the disciples were a sign of this poverty but Your power was measured by the anthem of the children and the great crowd which cried : “Hosanna!”—which means : “Save!””Hosanna to You who are in the highest. O Almighty, save those who are humbled. Have mercy on us, in consideration of our palms, may the palms we wave move Your Heart, You who come to call Adam”…
“You who are the work of My hands,” the Creator answered … “I came to you Myself. It was not the Law that was to save you since it had not created you, nor the prophets who, like you, I created. I alone can free you from your debt . I am sold for you and I free you. I am crucified for you and you are rescued from death. I die and I teach you to cry.” Blessed are You, the One who comes to call Adam”.
“Did I love the angels as much? No, it is you, the poor, whom I have cherished. I have hidden My glory and, out of My great love for you, have freely made My richness poor. For you I suffered hunger, thirst, fatigue. I roamed the mountains, ravines and valleys looking for you, my lost sheep. I took the name of Lamb, to bring you back, calling you with my shepherd’s voice. And I want to give My life for you, to tear you away from claws of the wolf. I bear everything, so that you may cry out : “Blessed are You, the One who comes to call Adam.” – St Romanus the Melodist (c 490-c 556) – Composer of Hymns – Hymn 32

PRAYER – Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Hosts,
Heaven and earth are full of Your glory!
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, HOLY WEEK, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST

Our Morning Offering – 28 March – To You, O Jesus, Hosanna! By St Bonaventure

Our Morning Offering – 28 March – Palm Sunday

To You, O Jesus, Hosanna!
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church

To You, O Jesus,
do I turn as my true and last end.
You are the River of Life
which alone can satisfy my thirst.
Without You, all else is barren and void.
Without all else, You alone are enough for me.
You are the Redeemer of those that are lost,
the sweet Consoler of the sorrowful,
the Crown of Glory of the victors,
the recompense of the Blessed.
One day I hope to receive of Your fullness
and to sing the song of praise, in my true home.
Give me only on earth, some few drops of consolation
and I will patiently await Your coming,
when I hope to enter into the joy of my Lord.
Hosanna!
Amen