Tag: popefrancis

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, GOD is LOVE, JESUIT SJ, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, Ven Servant of God John A Hardon

1 June – the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Posted on by AnaStpaul

The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

“The month of June is traditionally dedicated
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
the highest human expression of divine love.
The Heart of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of God’s mercy –
but it is not an imaginary symbol, it is a real symbol,
which represents the centre,
the source from which,
salvation for all humanity gushed forth.”

Pope Francis

the month of June - pope francis - 1 june 2019.jpg

Devotion to the Sacred Heart
By Ven Servant of God John A Hardon SJ (1914-2000)

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is as old as Christianity.   When the side of Christ was pierced on Calvary, there immediately flowed out blood and water.   The Church has interpreted this to mean the outpouring of grace through the Church, which began the moment that Christ expired on the Cross.
Over the centuries, the gratitude of the faithful for this manifestation of divine love has centred on the physical Heart of Jesus as the symbol of God’s love for man.   We may, therefore, say, that devotion to the Sacred Heart is really, devotion to the love of God as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.
When God became man, it was God – who is love – who became man.   In the languages of all nations, the heart is identified with love.   Consequently our devotion to the Heart of Jesus is directed to the love of Jesus in different ways.

We love Him as our God, who has loved us from all eternity and out of selfless love brought us into existence and destined us to possess Him for all eternity.
We love Him as our God Incarnate, who loved us so much that He assumed our human nature and by His bodily death redeemed us from the eternal death we deserved for our sins.
We love Him as our Redeemer who rose from the dead and ascended into heaven where He is preparing a place for us.   Where He is, our God united with His human body and soul, we hope to be in His blessed company.
We love Him as our Eucharistic Lord who is on earth in His humanity, in the Blessed Sacrament.   He offers Himself in the Mass through which He now communicates the graces He won for us on the Cross.   By His Real Presence, He invites us to offer Him our adoring love and ask Him to work the miracles He performed during His visible stay in Palestine.

To be emphasised is the unique character of devotion to the Sacred Heart.   It is nothing less than a synthesis of Catholic Christianity in its loving response to the unspeakable love of God for the sons and daughters of the human family.june month of the sacred heart 1 june 2019.jpg

For the sake of convenience, we may divide the terms “Sacred Heart” and “Devotion” into two parts:
Sacred Heart stands for the love of God, which means the love that is God, the love that God has shown for us from the dawn of creation until now and the love that God will continue to pour out on us into the endless reaches of eternity.
Devotion stands for our grateful return of love for love, which is shown in loving sacrifice by the total surrender of our wills to the mysterious and demanding will of God; in loving imitation of Jesus Christ, whose virtues as man are so many manifestations of His divine attributes as God; in loving worship of Mary’s Son, who is present with His living, pulsating human Heart in the Blessed Sacrament; in loving petition for the graces that we and others, need to serve Him faithfully here on earth and enjoy Him in the life that will never end.
A simple but very effective way of growing in devotion to the Sacred Heart is to recite daily the traditional Morning Offering:

O Jesus,
through the Most Pure Heart of Mary
and in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
throughout the world today,
I offer You all my prayers,
works, joys and sufferings of this day,
for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart,
I offer them for
the salvation of souls,
the reparation for sins,
the intentions of all our bishops, priests,
apostles of prayer
and our Holy Father, the Pope.
Amen

Among the promises made by our Lord to St Margaret Mary was the assurance that, “Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart, never to be blotted out.”morning offering - 1 june 2019.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Marian Thoughts –24 May – Pope Francis – The Fifth Luminous Mystery: The Institution of the Eucharist

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Marian Thoughts – 24 May – ‘Mary’s Month’ – Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter, C

Mini Series – Pope Francis and the Holy Rosary

“Throughout her life, Mary did everything that the Church is asked to do in perennial memory of Christ.   In her faith, we learn to open our hearts to obey God, in her self-denial, we see the importance of tending to the needs of others, in her tears, we find the strength to console those experiencing pain.   In each of these moments, Mary expresses the wealth of divine mercy that reaches out to all in their daily needs.”
Pope Francis – 9 October 2016

The Fifth Luminous Mystery: The Institution of the Eucharist

“It is in the Lord, who gave His life for us on the cross, that we will always find that unconditional love which sees our lives as something good and always gives us the chance to start again.
In the Eucharist, Divine Mercy reveals itself in a special way.   Celebrating the greatest mysteries of our faith, we touch the source of mercy.
The Eucharist is flavoured with Jesus’ words and deeds, the taste of His Passion, the fragrance of His Spirit.   When we receive it, our hearts are overcome with the certainty of Jesus’ love. (18 June 2017)
Let us pray that frequent participation in the Holy Mass would expand our hearts, enrich our strength and enable us to give ourselves to our neighbours.”

Pope Francis
WYD 2016

pope francis the 5th luminous mystry - the institution of the eucharist 24 may 2019.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, The TRANSFIGURATION

Marian Thoughts –23 May – Pope Francis – The Fourth Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration

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Marian Thoughts – 23 May – ‘Mary’s Month’ – Thursday of the fifth Week of Easter, C

Mini Series – Pope Francis and the Holy Rosary

“Mary helps us to understand what it means to be a disciple of Christ.   Eternally chosen to be his Mother, she learned to become his disciple.   Her first act was to listen to God.”…

Pope Francis 9 October 2016

The Fourth Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration

“The Transfiguration helps the disciples and also us, to understand that Christ’s Passion is a mystery of suffering but it’s especially a gift of infinite love on Jesus’ part.   The event of Jesus, who is transfigured on the mountain, makes us also understand better His Resurrection.   To understand the mystery of the cross it’s necessary to know in anticipation, that He that that suffers and is glorified, is not only a man but the Son of God, who has saved us, with His faithful love to death. Thus the Father renews His Messianic declaration on the Son, already made on the banks of the Jordan after the Baptism and He exhorts: “listen to Him!” (v. 7).

The disciples are called to follow the Master with confidence and hope, despite His death – Jesus’ divinity must manifest itself precisely on the cross, precisely in His dying “in that way,” so much so that the evangelist Mark puts on the centurion’s mouth the profession of faith:  “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (15:39).

We now turn in prayer to the Virgin Mary, the human creature transfigured interiorly by the grace of Christ.   We entrust ourselves confidentially to her maternal help, to continue the … journey with faith and generosity.”

Pope Francis

Angelus 25 February 2018

pope francis meditations the 4th luminous the transfiguration - 23 may 2019.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS

Marian Thoughts –21 May – Pope Francis – The Second Luminous Mystery: The Wedding Feast at Cana

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Marian Thoughts – 21 May – ‘Mary’s Month’ – Tuesday of the fifth Week of Easter, C

Mini Series – Pope Francis and the Holy Rosary

“The prayer of the rosary is, in many ways, the synthesis of the history of God’s mercy, which becomes a history of salvation for all who let themselves be shaped by grace. “…Pope Francis 9 October 2016

The Second Luminous Mystery

The Wedding Feast at Cana

Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him....John 2:11pope francis meditations the second luminous - the wedding at cana 21 may 2019.jpg

“In the context of the Covenant, we are also to understand Our Lady’s observation:   “They have no wine” (v. 3).   How can one celebrate a wedding feast and make merry without what the prophets indicated as a typical element of the messianic banquet? Water is necessary for life but wine expresses the abundance of a banquet and the joy of a feast.  This wedding feast was short of wine, the newlyweds are ashamed of this.   But just imagine ending a wedding feast drinking tea, it would be a shame.   Wine is necessary for a feast.   By transforming into wine the water of the jars used “for the Jewish rites of purification” (Jn 2:6), Jesus preforms an eloquent sign – He transforms the Law of Moses into the Gospel, bearer of joy.   As John states elsewhere: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (1:17).

Sometimes, even our best, beautiful dreams, our hard work and troubles – all go to nothing. Great works demand making sacrifices but sometimes we reach a wall. Let us pray that we – like Mary – know how to humbly show this situation to Jesus and that we strongly believe that even out of the greatest failure, He is able to produce the most unexpected good.”

Pope Francis

8 June 2016

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Marian Thoughts –20 May – Pope Francis – The First Luminous Mystery: The Baptism of the Lord

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Marian Thoughts – 20 May – ‘Mary’s Month’ – Monday of the fifth Week of Easter, C

Mini Series – Pope Francis and the Holy Rosary

“Mary helps us to understand what it means to be a disciple of Christ.  Eternally chosen to be his Mother, she learned to become His disciple.   Her first act was to listen to God. She obeyed the message of the Angel and opened her heart to receive the mystery of divine motherhood.   She followed Jesus, listening to every word that issued from His lips (cf. Mk 3:31-35).   She kept all those things in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19) and became the living memory of the signs worked by God’s Son to awaken our faith.   But is not enough simply to listen.  That is certainly, the first step but listening, then, needs to be translated into concrete action.   The disciple truly puts his life at the service of the Gospel.”…Pope Francis (9 October 2016)

The First Luminous Mystery

The Baptism of the Lord

“We then understand the great humility of Jesus, the One who had not sinned, in lining up with the penitents, mingled among them to be baptised in the waters of the river.   In doing so, He manifested what we celebrated at Christmas – the availability of Jesus to immerse Himself in the river of humanity, to take upon Himself the shortcomings and weaknesses of humanity, to share our desire to be free and to overcome everything that separates us from God and makes us strangers to our brothers and sisters.  Just like in Bethlehem, along the banks of the River Jordan, God keeps His promise, to take charge of the fate of human beings and Jesus is the tangible and definitive sign.”

Pope Francis (Angelus – 7 January 2018)

pope francis rosary meditations - the baptism of the lord - the 1st luminous mystery 20 may 2019.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Marian Thoughts – 18 May – Pope Francis – The Fifth Joyful Mystery: The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

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Marian Thoughts – 18 May – ‘Mary’s Month’ – Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter, C

Mini Series – Pope Francis and the Holy Rosary

“Praying the rosary does not remove us from the problems of life. On the contrary, it demands that we immerse ourselves in the history of each day, so as to grasp the signs of Christ’s presence in our midst. Whenever we contemplate an event, a mystery of the life of Christ, we are asked to reflect on how God comes into our own lives, so as to be able to welcome Him and follow Him.”
Pope Francis

The Fifth Joyful Mystery:

The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

The Holy Family had gone to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover but on the return voyage, Mary and Joseph discovered that Jesus, who was only twelve years old, was not in the caravan.
They searched for Jesus for three days, finally finding Him in the Temple amid the doctors of the law.
When they found Jesus, the Gospel says, “they were astonished” and Mary expressed her concern to Jesus, saying, “Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
In the Holy Family, astonishment never failed!
To feel astonishment is the opposite of taking everything for granted… It means opening ourselves to others.
This attitude is important for mending compromised relationships and curing the open wounds within the family.
The anxiety felt by Mary and Joseph, shows the centrality of Jesus in the Holy Family. And so we see, why the family of Nazareth is holy – because it was centred on Jesus, all the attention and care of Joseph revolved around Him.
The anxiety felt by Mary and Joseph, when Jesus was lost for three days, should also be our anxiety, when we are far from Jesus, when we forget Jesus, going without prayer, without reading the Gospel for several days.
Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the Temple and we too, should seek Jesus in the house of God – and especially, in the Liturgy, where we have the living experience of Jesus, in His Word and in the Eucharist, from which we receive the strength to face the difficulties of each day….
Pope Francis 2018

pope francis rosary meditations the 5th joyful finding of jesus in the temple 18 may 2019.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS

Marian Thoughts – 17 May – Pope Francis – The Fourth Joyful Mystery: The Presentation

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Marian Thoughts – 17 May – ‘Mary’s Month’ – Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter, C

Mini Series – Pope Francis and the Holy Rosary

“Praying the Rosary together as a family,
s very beautiful and it gives us strength.”
Pope Francis

The Fourth Joyful Mystery:  The Presentation

Forty days after Christmas, we celebrate the Lord who enters the temple and comes to encounter His people.
In the Christian East, this feast is called the “Fest of Encounter” – it is the encounter between God, who became a child, to bring newness to the world and an expectant humanity, represented by the elderly man and woman in the Temple.
In the Temple, there is also an encounter between two couples – the young Mary and Joseph and the elderly Simeon and Anna.   The old receive from the young, while the young draw upon the old.   In the Temple, Mary and Joseph find the roots of their people. This is important, because God’s promise does not come to fulfilment, merely in individuals, once for all but within a community and throughout history.   There too, Mary and Joseph find the roots of their faith, for faith is not something learned from a book but the art of living with God, learned from the experience of those who have gone before us.   The two young people, in meeting the two older people, thus find themselves. And the two older people, nearing the end of their days, receive Jesus, the meaning of their lives.   This event, fulfils the prophecy of Joel: “Your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions” (2:28).
In this encounter, the young see their mission and the elderly realise their dreams.
All because, at the centre of the encounter, is Jesus … May we never look at the screen of our cell phone more than the eyes of our brothers or sisters or focus more on our software, than on the Lord….Pope Francis 2018pope francis meditations on the holy rosary - the fourth the Presentation - 17 may 2019 no 2.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Marian Thoughts – 16 May – Pope Francis – The Third Joyful Mystery: The Nativity

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Marian Thoughts – 16 May – ‘Mary’s Month’ – Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter, C

Mini Series – Pope Francis and the Holy Rosary

“The month of May is dedicated to Our Lady
and it is “fitting” to start the habit of a daily rosary now.”
Pope Francis

The Third Joyful Mystery – The Nativity

“Mary and Joseph had to leave their people, their home and their land and to undertake a journey in order to be registered in the census.
This was no comfortable or easy journey for a young couple about to have a child – they had to leave their land.
At heart, they were full of hope and expectation because of the child about to be born, yet their steps were weighed down by the uncertainties and dangers that attend those, who have to leave their home behind.
They they found themselves, having to face perhaps, the most difficult thing of all. They arrived in Bethlehem and experienced that, it was a land that was not expecting them. A land, whee there was no place for them.   And there, where everything was a challenge, May gave us Emmanuel.   The Son of God, had to be born in a stable because His own had no room for Him. “He came to what was his own and his own people did not accept him” (Jn 1:11).
That night, the One who had no place to be born, is proclaimed to those who had no place at the table or in the streets of the city.   The shepherds are the first to hear this Good News.   By reason of their work, they were men and women forced to live on the edges of society.   Their state of life and the places they had to stay, prevented them from observing all the ritual prescriptions of religious purification, as a result, they wee considered unclean.   Their skin, their clothing, their smell, their way of speaking, their origin, all betrayed them.   Everything about them generated mistrust. They were men and women to be kept at a distance, to be feared.   They were considered pagans among the believers, sinners among the just, foreigners among the citizens. Yet, to them – pagans, sinners and foreigners – the angel says:  “Do not be afraid – for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for the people, to you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Lk 2:10-11)”

Pope Francis

pope francis meditations on the rosary - the third joyful mystery - the nativity - 16 may 2019.jpg

Posted in CATECHESIS, CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The ANNUNCIATION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE, The INCARNATION

Marian Thoughts – 14 May – Pope Francis – The First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation

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Marian Thoughts – 14 May – ‘Mary’s Month’ – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter, C

Mini Series – Pope Francis and the Holy Rosary

“I want to recommend some medicine for all of you.   It’s a spiritual medicine.   Don’t forget to take it.   “It’s good for your heart, for your soul, for your whole life.” (17 November 2013)pope francis' reflections on the joyful mysteries 1st mystery 14 may 2019.jpg

The First Joyful Mystery:   The Annunciation

“The annunciation to Mary can be read alongside the announcement to Zechariah of John the Baptist’s birth.   One annunciation happens to a priest in the Temple of God, during a liturgy, where everyone is waiting outside, while the other, happens to a young woman named Mary, in a small town that did not necessarily have a good reputation.   This contrast is not insignificant.   It serves as a sign that the new Temple of God, the new encounter of God with His people, will happen in places which we normally do not expect, on the margins, on the peripheries.   By now, it will no longer be in a place reserved for the few, while the majority wait outside. Nothing and no-one, will be indifferent, no situation will be deprived of His presence, the joy of salvation began in the daily life of the home of a youth in Nazareth.
Even today, God is still searching for hearts like Mary’s that are open to welcoming His invitation and providing hope, even when it’s hard.
God continues to walk our neighbourhoods and our streets, He pushes in each place in search of hearts capable of listening to His invitation and making it become flesh here and now.
In the end, the Lord continues to seek hearts like that of Mary, disposed to believe even in very extraordinary conditions.
Just like He did with Mary, God also takes the initiative in our lives, inserting Himself into our daily struggles, anxieties and desires.
It is precisely in the daily routine of our lives, that we receive the most beautiful announcement we can hear – “Rejoice, the Lord is with you!”
(Pope Francis, 2017)

Holy Mary of the Annunciation of Emmanuel,

God with us,

Pray for us!mary's fiat - holy mary pray for us 14 may 2019 pope francis and the rosary from Fr Enrico no 1.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 13 May – Act of Entrustment to Our Lady of Fatima

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Our Morning Offering – 13 May – The 102nd Anniversary of the Apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima

Act of Entrustment to Our Lady of Fatima
By Pope Francis

Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima,
with renewed gratitude for your motherly presence
we join in the voice of all generations that call you blessed.
We celebrate in you the great works of God,
who never tires of lowering Himself
in mercy over humanity,
afflicted by evil and wounded by sin,
to heal and to save it.
Accept with the benevolence of a Mother
this act of entrustment that we make in faith today,
before this your image, beloved to us.
We are certain that each one of us is precious in your eyes
and that nothing in our hearts has estranged you.
May that we allow your sweet gaze
to reach us and the perpetual warmth of your smile.
Guard our life with your embrace,
bless and strengthen every desire for good,
give new life and nourishment to faith,
sustain and enlighten hope,
awaken and animate charity,
guide us all on the path to holiness.
Teach us your own special love for the little and the poor,
for the excluded and the suffering,
for sinners and the wounded of heart,
gather all people under your protection
and give us all to your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus.
Amen.

*Act of entrustment to Mary, Virgin of Fátima, at the conclusion of Mass on the occasion of the Marian Day (Saint Peter’s Square, 13 October 2013)act of entrustment to our lady of fatima by pope francis 13 may 2019 102nd anniversary.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 12 May – Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of our Faith

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Our Morning Offering – 12 May – ‘Mary’s Month” – The Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year C

Prayer to Mary,
Mother of the Church
and Mother of our Faith
By Pope Francis

Mother, help our faith!
Open our ears to hear God’s word
and to recognise His voice and call.
Awaken in us a desire to follow in His footsteps,
to go forth from our own land
and to receive His promise.
Help us to be touched by His love,
that we may touch Him in faith.
Help us to entrust ourselves fully to Him
and to believe in His love,
especially at times of trial,
beneath the shadow of the cross,
when our faith is called to mature.
Sow in our faith, the joy of the Risen One.
Remind us, that those who believe are never alone.
Teach us to see all things
with the eyes of Jesus,
that He may be light for our path.
And may this light of faith
always increase in us,
until the dawn of that undying day
which is Christ Himself, your Son, our Lord!
Amen

*Prayer to Mary at the conclusion of the Encyclical Lumen Fidei (29 June 2013)prayer to mary mother of the chuch and of our faith - pope francis - 12 may 2019

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 8 May – “I am the bread of life”

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 May – Wednesday 3rd Week of Easter, C, Gospel: John 6:35–40

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life, he who comes to me shall not hunger and he who believes in me shall never thirst.”…John 6:35john 6 35 - 11 april 2018.jpg

“A celebration may be flawless on the exterior, very beautiful —
but if it does not lead us to encounter Jesus Christ,
it is unlikely to bear any kind of nourishment
to our heart and our life.
Through the Eucharist, however,
Christ wishes to enter into our life
and permeate it with His grace,
so that in every Christian community
there may be coherence
between liturgy and life.”

Pope Benedict

General Audience, 12 February 2014a celebration may be flawless - pope benedict 8 may 2019.jpg

“Through the Eucharist
we enter Christ’s paschal mystery,
allowing us to pass
from death to life with Him.”

Pope Francisthrough the eucharist - pope francis - 8 may 2019.jpg

“The Eucharist is Jesus Himself
who gives Himself entirely to us.
Nourishing ourselves of that “Bread of Life”
means entering into harmony with the heart of Christ,
assimilating His choices,
His thoughts,
His behaviour.
It means entering into a dynamism of love
and becoming people of peace,
people of forgiveness, of reconciliation,
of sharing in solidarity.
Heaven begins precisely in this communion with Jesus”

Pope Francis

Angelus, 16 August 2015the eucharist is jesus himself - pope francis - 8 may 2019.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Marian Thoughts – 6 May – Pope Francis and Mary

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Marian Thoughts – 6 May – ‘May, the Month of Mary’ – Pope Francis and Mary

Mary, Pope Francis said, “shows us the way home.
She brings us to Jesus, who is the Gate of Mercy.”

Francis’s love affair with Our Lady is well documented and it began long before Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio was made a bishop – in 1990, the future pope gave up TV because of a promise he made to the Virgin of Carmel.

After he was appointed archbishop of Buenos Aires, in Argentina, he’d participate in a massive pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Lujan, patroness of his country.

Before and after every foreign trip today, he visits Rome’s Basilica of St Mary Major to venerate the famous icon of Our Lady known as Salus Populi Romani (protectress of the Roman people) and usually leaves a bouquet of flowers presented to him during the trip.pope francis bows in front of populus mary.jpeg

In early 2016, he made a politically-charged trip to Mexico, visiting Ciudad Juarez on the border with the United States to deliver a strong appeal in favour of immigrants.   Yet before and during the trip, he said time and time again he would visit Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas and everything else was decided after.   “How could I not come?” Francis asked the Mexican bishops when he met with them.   “Could the Successor of Peter, called from the far south of Latin America, deprive himself of seeing la Virgen Morenita?”

Francis has spoken about how his devotion to Mary helped him through his election to the papacy, about praying the Rosary three times a day and that he always makes a point of stopping and even presenting flowers at the feet of Our Lady when she’s in St Peter’s Square or, wherever, he celebrates Mass during his trips abroad.

In 2005, after the death of St John Paul II, then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Beroglio wrote a piece for a special issue of the Italian magazine 30 Giorni, dedicated to the late pontiff.  In it, the man who today leads the Church wrote about once praying the rosary with the Polish pope and the impact it had on him.

“I felt that this man, chosen to lead the Church, was following a path back to his Mother in the sky, a path set out from his childhood,” he wrote. “I understood the presence of Mary in the life of the pope, a witness he never ceased to give.   From that moment, I recite the 15 mysteries of the Rosary every day.”

Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee!hail mary and ave maria -stpetr canisius holy mary - 21dec2018 .jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 6 May – Prayer to Mary, Woman of Listening

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Our Morning Offering – 6 May – “Mary’s Month” – Monday of the Third week of Easter

Prayer to Mary,
Woman of Listening
Pope Francis

Mary,
woman of listening,
open our ears,
grant us to know how to listen
to the word of your Son Jesus,
among the thousands of words of this world,
grant that we may listen
to the reality in which we live,
to every person we encounter,
especially those who are poor, in need, in hardship.
Mary,
woman of decision,
illuminate our mind and our heart,
so that we may obey, unhesitating,
the word of your Son Jesus,
give us the courage to decide,
not to let ourselves be dragged along,
letting others direct our life.
Mary,
woman of action,
obtain that our hands and feet move
“with haste” toward others,
to bring them the charity and love of your Son Jesus,
to bring the light of the Gospel to the world,
as you did.
Amen

Prayer to Mary at the conclusion of the recital of the Holy Rosary

(Saint Peter’s Square, 31 May 2013)
===============pray to mary, woman of listening - pope francis - 6 may 2019.jpg

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EASTER, PAPAL SERMONS, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

Quote of the Day- 5 May – “…Become witnesses of His Resurrection”

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Quote of the Day- 5 May – Third Sunday of Easter, Year C

“The Gospel of Easter is very clear –
we need to go back there, to see Jesus risen
and to become witnesses of His Resurrection.
This is not to go back in time, 
it is not a kind of nostalgia.
It is returning to our first love,
in order to receive the fire which Jesus
has kindled in the world
and to bring that fire to all people,
to the very ends of the earth.”

Pope Francis

(Easter Vigil Homily, 2014)pope-francis-easter-vigil.20 april 2017 and again 5 May 2019.jpg

“…He certainly meets us
where we are in life – and –
He will never leave us
where He found us!”

Fr Mark J Hunt STDhe certainly meets us where he found us - 5 may 2019.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, PRACTISING CATHOLIC

The Holy Father’s Prayer Intention for MAY 2019

Posted on by AnaStpaul

The Holy Father’s
Prayer Intention for MAY 2019

Evangelisation

That the Church in Africa,
through the commitment of its members,
may be the seed of unity among her peoples
and a sign of hope for this continent.

 

holy father's prayer inetnion may 2019 1 may 2019 no 2.jpg

Posted in EASTER, PAPAL Apostolic EXHORTATIONS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 April – Go Forth

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One Minute Reflection – 27 April – Saturday of Easter week, Gospel: Mark 16:9–15

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation...Mark 16:15

REFLECTION – “Evangelisation takes place in obedience to the missionary mandate of Jesus: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20)…  The risen Christ sent His followers to preach the Gospel in every time and place, so that faith in Him might spread to every corner of the earth.

The word of God constantly shows us how God challenges those who believe in Him “to go forth”.   Abraham received the call to set out for a new land (Gen 12:1-3).   Moses heard God’s call:  “Go, I send you” (Ex 3:10) and led the people towards the promised land.   To Jeremiah God says:  “To all whom I send you, you shall go” (Jer 1:7)…   All of us are called to take part in this new missionary “going forth”.   Each Christian and every community must discern the path that the Lord points out but all of us are asked to obey His call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the “peripheries” in need of the light of the Gospel.

The Gospel joy which enlivens the community of disciples is a missionary joy.   The seventy-two disciples felt it as they returned from their mission (Lk 10:17).   Jesus felt it when He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit…   This joy is a sign that the Gospel has been proclaimed and is bearing fruit.   Yet the drive to go forth and give, to go out from ourselves, to keep pressing forward in our sowing of the good seed, remains ever present.   The Lord says:  “Let us go on to the next towns that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out” (Mk 1:38)…   In fidelity to the example of the Master, it is vitally important, for the Church today to go forth and preach the Gospel to all – to all places, on all occasions, without hesitation, reluctance or fear.”…Pope Francis – Apostolic Exhortation « The Joy of the Gospel / Evangelii Gaudium » §19-23mark 16 15 go into all the world - in fidelity to the master - pope francis evangeli gaudium 27 april 2019 ester sat.jpg

PRAYER – Lord our God, You increase and multiply Your faithful by Your abundant gift of grace.   Look now on Your chosen people and clothe forever in the garment of eternal life, all those who have been reborn in baptism.   Grant that the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, the saints and angels, may accompany us on our journey.   Through our Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.BLESSED VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD PRAY FOR US.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, HOLY WEEK 2019, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The RESURRECTION

Quote/s of the Day – 20 April – Yes, Lord, make us Easter people

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 April – Holy Saturday – Easter Vigil in the Holy Night

“We give glory to You, Lord,
who raised up Your Cross to span the jaws of death
like a bridge by which souls might pass
from the region of the dead to the land of the living. ..
You are incontestably alive.
Your murderers sowed Your living body in the earth
as farmers sow grain but it sprang up
and yielded an abundant harvest of men
raised from the dead.”

St Ephrem the Syrian (306-373) Father & Doctor of the Churchwe-give-glory-to-you-lord-st-ephrem-30-march-2018-good-friday.jpg

“Sursum corda” – lift up your hearts, high above the tangled web of our concerns, desires, anxieties and thoughtlessness – “Lift up your hearts, your inner selves!”   In both exclamations we are summoned, as it were, to a renewal of our Baptism: “Conversi ad Dominum” – we must distance ourselves ever anew from taking false paths, onto which we stray so often in our thoughts and actions.   We must turn ever anew towards Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.   We must be converted ever anew, turning with our whole life towards the Lord.   And ever anew we must allow our hearts to be withdrawn from the force of gravity, which pulls them down and inwardly we must raise them high,in truth and love.   At this hour, let us thank the Lord, because through the power of His word and of the holy Sacraments, He points us in the right direction and draws our heart upwards.”

Pope Benedict

22 March 2008susum-corda-lift-up-your-hearts-pope-benedict-easter-vigil-holy-sat-31-march-2018.jpg

Yes, Lord, make us Easter people,
men and women of light,
filled with the fire of Your love.
Amen

Pope Francisyes-lord-make-us-easter-people-31-march-2018-holy-sat.jpg

Posted in HOLY WEEK, HOLY WEEK 2019, MORNING Prayers, The PASSION, The RESURRECTION

One Minute Reflection – 20 April – “He has been raised as he said!” 

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One Minute Reflection – 20 April – Holy Saturday – Easter Vigil in the Holy Night, Gospel: Luke 24:1-12

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared.   And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in, they did not find the body…Luke 24:1-3

REFLECTION – “Unlike the disciples, the women are present – just as they had been present as the Master breathed His last on the cross and then, with Joseph of Arimathea, as He was laid in the tomb.   Two women who did not run away, who remained steadfast, who faced life as it is and who knew the bitter taste of injustice.   If we try to imagine this scene, we can see in the faces of those women any number of other faces – the faces of mothers and grandmothers, of children and young people who bear the grievous burden of injustice and brutality.   The faces of those women mirror many other faces too, including perhaps yours and mine.   Once again, someone came to tell them:  “Do not be afraid” but now adding: “He has been raised as he said!”   Do not be afraid, brothers and sisters; he is risen as he said!”

In the resurrection, Christ rolled back the stone of the tomb but He wants also to break down all the walls, that keep us locked in our sterile pessimism, in our carefully constructed ivory towers that isolate us from life, in our compulsive need for security and in boundless ambition, that can make us compromise the dignity of others.   Let us go, then.   Let us allow ourselves to be surprised by this new dawn and by the newness that Christ alone can give.   May we allow His tenderness and His love to guide our steps. May we allow the beating of His heart to quicken our faintness of heart.”…Pope Francis – Homily, Easter Vigil in the Holy Night, 15 April 2017luke 24 2-3 and the found the stone -letus go then - pope francis holy sat 20 april 2019

PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, whose only-begotten Son, descended to the realm of the dead and rose from there in glory, grant that Your faithful people, who were buried with Him in Baptism, may, by His Resurrection, obtain eternal life.   With Mary His Mother, who in her sorrow remained with Him at the Cross and by whose prayers we receive succour, grant that we too will be with Him in glory.   Through Christ our Lord and Redeemer, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.mother of sorrows pray for us 20 april 2019 holy sat

Posted in HOLY WEEK, HOLY WEEK 2019, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The RESURRECTION

Quote of the Day – 17 April 2019 – The Passion

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Quote/s of the Day – 17 April 2019 – Wednesday of Holy week

“In the passion of our blessed Saviour,
six things chiefly are to be meditated upon.

First, the bitterness of His sorrow,
that we may compassionate with Him.

Secondly, the greatness of our sins,
which were the cause of His torments,
that we may abhor them.

Thirdly, the greatness of the benefit,
that we may be grateful for it.

Fourthly, the excellency of the divine charity
and bounty therein manifested,
that we may love Him more fervently.

Fifthly, the convenience of the mystery,
that we may be drawn to admiration of it.

Lastly, the multiplicity of virtues
of our blessed Saviour which did shine
in this stupendous mystery, that we may
partly imitate and partly admire them.”

St Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)in-the-passion-of-our-blessed-saviour-six-things-st-peter-of-alcantara-26-march-2018.jpg

“Anyone who turns away from the Cross, turns away from the Resurrection.” 

Pope Francisanyone who turns away from the cross turns away from the resurrection - pope francis - 17april2019.jpg

Posted in CHRIST the KING, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, LENTEN THOUGHTS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The LAMB of GOD

Quote of the Day – 14 April – “…You yourselves will be His praise.”

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Quote of the Day – 14 April – Palm Sunday, Year C

“It is there, on Calvary, that Jesus has His final appointment with a sinner,
to throw open the gates of His Kingdom for him too.
This is interesting, it is the only time that the word “Paradise”
appears in the Gospels.
Jesus promises it to a “poor devil” who, on the wood of the cross,
had the courage to proffer Him the most humble of requests:
“Remember me when you have entered your kingdom” (cf. Lk 23:42).
He had no good works to assert,
he had nothing but he entrusted himself to Jesus,
whom he recognised as innocent, good, so different from himself.
Those words of humble remorse were enough to touch Jesus’ heart.
The good thief reminds us of our true condition before God-
that we are His children, that He feels compassion for us,
that He is defenceless each time
we show our nostalgia for His love.”

Pope Francis

General Audience, 25 October 2017it is there on calvary tht Jesus has his final appointment with a sinner - pope francis palm sunday 14 april 2019.jpg

My dear brothers and sons, fruit of the true faith and holy seed of heaven, all you who have been born again in Christ and whose life is from above, listen to me, or rather, listen to the Holy Spirit saying through me:   Sing to the Lord a new song.   Look, you tell me, I am singing.   Yes indeed, you are singing, you are singing clearly, I can hear you.   But make sure that your life does not contradict your words.   Sing with your voices, your hearts, your lips and your lives – Sing to the Lord a new song’.

Now it is your unquestioned desire to sing of Him whom you love but you ask me how to sing His praises.   You have heard the words – Sing to the Lord a new song and you wish to know what praises to sing.   The answer is – His praise is in the assembly of the saints – it is in the singers themselves.   If you desire to praise Him, then live what you express.   Live good lives and you yourselves will be His praise.

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

his-praise-is-in-the-assembly-of-saints-st-augustine-25-march-2018-palm-sunday.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 11 April – Where is your sin?

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Lenten Reflection – 11 April – Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent, Year C

The Readings:
Genesis 17: 3-9; Psalms 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9; John 8:51-59

“Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death.”...John 8:51john 8 51 - thursday of the fifth week lent 11 april 2019.jpg

Pope Francis

8 April 2014

“…The heart of God’s salvation is His Son who took upon Himself our sins, our pride, our self reliance, our vanity, our desire to be like God.   A Christian who is not able to glory in Christ Crucified has not understood what it means to be Christian.   Our wounds, those which sin leaves in us, are healed only through the Lord’s wounds, through the wounds of God made man who humbled Himself, who emptied Himself.   This is the mystery of the Cross.   It is not only an ornament that we always put in churches, on the altar, it is not only a symbol, that should distinguish us from others.   The Cross is a mystery, the mystery of the love of God who humbles Himself, who empties Himself to save us from our sins.

Where is your sin?   Your sin is there on the Cross.   Go and look for it there, in the wounds of the Lord and your sins shall be healed, your wounds shall be healed, your sins shall be forgiven.   God’s forgiveness is not a matter of cancelling a debt we have with Him.   God forgives us in the wounds of His Son lifted up on the Cross.   May the Lord might draw us to Himself and that we might allow ourselves to be healed”.where is your sin - pope francis - 11 april 2019.jpg

Daily Meditation:
Come to us, free us, help us and guide us.
We pray more intensely now, just a week before Holy Thursday.
We desire more and more that we might be free.
Sorrow leads to profound gratitude,
when we experience the depth of unconditional love offered us.
The gratitude of a loved sinner leads to great generosity.

Christ is the mediator of a new covenant so that since he has died,
those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance promised to them.
The Entrance Antiphon – Hebrews 9:15

Closing Prayer:
Lord,
all I want is to be faithful to You in my life,
but so often I fail.
Free me from my many sins
and guide me to the life I will share with You.
I wait for Your promise to be fulfilled
with great hope in my heart
and Your praise on my lips.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

Posted in LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 April – ” And all of our sins were there.”

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One Minute Reflection – 9 April – Tuesday of the Fifth week of Lent, First Reading: Numbers 21:4-9, Gospel: John 8:21–30

“When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I Am He…”...John 8:28

REFLECTION – “What is the serpent?   The serpent is the sign for sin.   We think of the Book of Genesis – it was the serpent that seduced Eve, that suggested that she sin.   And God commands [Moses] to lift up the serpent, that is sin, as a flag of victory.   It is something that one cannot understand well, if one does not understand what Jesus said in the Gospel.   Jesus says to the Jews – ‘When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me”.   Lifting up the symbol of their sin and transforming it into an instrument of salvation, therefore, represents the redemption which comes from Christ lifted up on the Cross.

“Christianity, is not a philosophical doctrine, it is not a programme of life that enables one to be well formed and to make peace.   These are its consequences.   Christianity is a person, a person lifted up on the Cross.   A person who emptied Himself to save us.   He took on sin.   And so just as in the desert sin was lifted up, here God made man was lifted up for us.   And all of our sins were there.   Therefore, one cannot understand Christianity, without understanding this profound humiliation of the Son of God, who humbled Himself and made Himself a servant unto death, on the Cross.   To serve”.john 8 28 when you have lifted up - what is the serpent - pope francis 9 april 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Holy Father, we have sinned against You and beg for Your forgiveness and mercy.   Through the merits of the saving Cross of Your Son, help Your people O Lord, to persevere in obedience to Your will, so that through this obedience, we may reach our eternal home.   We hope for the intercession of your angels and saints and our most loving Mother of Mercy.  Through Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.mary, mothr of mercy - pray for us - 5 oct 2018.jpg

Posted in PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

The Holy Father’s Prayer Intention for April 2019

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The Holy Father’s Prayer Intention for April 2019

Universal

Doctors and their Collaborators in War-Torn Areas.

For doctors and their humanitarian collaborators

in war-torn areas,

who risk their lives to save the lives of others.

the holy father's prayer intention april 2019 .jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 April

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One Minute Reflection – 2 April – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C and the Memorial of St Francis of Paola O.M. (1416-1507) and St Pedro Calungsod (1654–1672) Martyr

So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet.”  But he answered them, “The man who healed me said to me, ‘Take up your pallet, and walk.’ ”...John 5:10-11

REFLECTION – “Christian hypocrites, like these, only interested in their formalities.   It was a Sabbath?   No, you cannot do miracles on the Sabbath, the grace of God cannot work on Sabbath days.   They close the door to the grace of God.   We have so many in the Church, we have many!   It is another sin.   The first, those who have the sin of sloth, are not able to go forward with their apostolic zeal, because they have decided to stand firm in themselves, in their sorrows, their resentments, in all of that.   Such as these are not capable of bringing salvation because they close the door to salvation.”…Pope Francis – Santa Marta 1 April 2014john 5 10-11 - it is not lawful to carry your pallet - christian hyprocrites - pope francis - 2 april 2019.jpg

PRAYER – God, our Father almighty, You gave us Christ Your Son to be our Bread of life and the message of truth, justice and love.   May we live His lessons in every fibre of our being and thus pass from death to life.   May the prayers of your Holy angel, saints and martyrs, St Francis of Paola and St Pedro Calungsod, be an inspiration and a balm in our trials.   Through Jesus our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.st francis of paola pray for us 2 april 2019

st pedro calungsod pray for us 2 april 2019

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, LENT 2019, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST

Lenten Thoughts – 1 April – Coming nigh to God

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Lenten Thoughts – 1 April – Monday of the Fourth week of Lent, Year C

Act of self-abandonment
Coming nigh to God

This is an anonymous prayer, inspired by St Augustine – taken from “Providence” – God’s loving care for man and the need for confidence in Almighty God” by Fr Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange OP (1877-1964)

O my God, I leave myself entirely in Your hands.
Turn and turn again, this mass of clay, as a vessel that is fashioned in the potter’s hand (Jer 18:6).
give it a shape, then break it if You will –
it is Yours, it as nothing to say.
Enough for me that it serves all Your designs
and that nothing resists Your good pleasure,
for which I was made.
Ask, command.
What would You have me to do?
What would You have me not to do?
Lifted up, cast down, in persecution,
in consolation, in suffering,
intent upon Your work,
good for nothing,
I can do no more than repeat
with Your holy Mother –
“Be it done unto me according to Your word” (Luke 1:38).
Give me that love which is beyond all loves,
the love of the Cross –
not those heroic crosses with a glory that might foster self-love
but those ordinary crosses
which we bear with so much distaste –
those daily crosses with which our life is strewn
and which at every moment
we encounter on our way through life –
contradictions,
neglect,
failures,
opposition,
false judgements,
the coldness or impulsiveness of some,
the rebuffs or contempt of others,
bodily infirmities,
spiritual darkness,
silence and interior dryness.
Only then, will You know that I love You,
even though I neither know
nor feel it myself
and that is enough for me!

And, may we:

“Be holy by living out your commitment with joy.”

Pope Francisbe holy by living out your commitment with joy - pope francis 1 april 2019.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, MARIAN QUOTES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 March –

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One Minute Reflection – 30 March – Saturday of the Third week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: Luke 18:9–14

“…For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled but he who humbles himself, will be exalted.”...Luke 18:14luke-18-14-everuone who exalts himself shall be humbled.jpg

REFLECTION – “We must only pray by placing ourselves before God just as we are.   Not like the pharisee who prays with arrogance and hypocrisy.   We are all taken up by the frenetic pace of daily life, often at the mercy of feelings, dazed and confused.   It is necessary to learn how to rediscover the path to our heart, to recover the value of intimacy and silence, because the God who encounters us and speaks to us, is there.  Only by beginning there can we, in our turn, encounter others and speak with them.”…Pope Francis – General Audience, 1 June 2016it is necessary to learn how to pope francis 30 march 2019.jpg

PRAYER – We turn to You our God and Father and seek Your comfort and assurance. Jesus, our Lord, Your Son, taught us how to pray and all we need to be and do, to reach You.   Be patient good Father, as we grow by Your grace.   May such a master of prayer, St John Climacus, be heard together with the Mother of Christ and of Prayer, as they pray on our behalf.   Through Jesus our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen.luke 2 19 but mary kept all these things mary mother of prayer pray for us 30 march 2019.jpg

st john climacus pray for us 30 march 2019.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 29 March – “At the end of your life, you will be judged by your love.”

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Lenten Reflection – 29 March – Friday of the Third week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: Mark 12:28–34

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind.   This is the greatest and first commandment” (vv. 37-38).   And he could have stopped there.   Yet, Jesus adds something that was not asked by the doctor of the law.   He says, in fact:  “And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (v. 39). And in this case too, Jesus does not invent the second commandment but takes it from the Book of Leviticus.   The novelty is in His placing these two commandments together — love for God and love for neighbour — revealing that they are in fact inseparable and complementary, two sides of the same coin.”…Pope Francis – Angelus, 26 October 2014fridayofthe3rdweeklent 29 march 2019.jpg

“Stand fast, therefore,
in this conduct
and follow the example of the Lord,
firm and unchangeable in faith,
lovers of the brotherhood,
loving each other,
united in truth,
helping each other
with the mildness of the Lord,
despising no man.”

St Polycarp, Letter to the Philippiansstand-fast-therefore-in-this-conduct-st-polycarp-23-feb-2019.jpg

Daily Meditation:
Fill our hearts with your love.

Our lesson today reminds us again
of God’s love and Jesus’ desire
that we love one another as we are loved.
On this journey, we are learning why this is a challenge for us.
We are experiencing our human weaknesses
and practising ways to be freer,
to open our hearts more fully to God’s love
and to give ourselves in fidelity, every day.

You ask us to express our thanks by self-denial.
We are to master our sinfulness
and conquer our pride.
We are to show to those in need
Your goodness to ourselves.
Preface for Lent III

Closing Prayer:
God of Mercy,
I feel my heart overflowing with Your tenderness.
I sense Your loving touch deep within my soul.
I ask for Your help in my weakness
that I might be faithful to Your word
and I am so grateful
that Your mercy for my failings
is as strong as Your unbounded love for me.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

“At the end of your life,
you will be judged by your love.”

St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Churchat-the-end-of-your-life-st-j-of-the-cross-14-dec-2017.jpg

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on GOSSIP, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 March – A divided household falls.

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One Minute Reflection – 28 March – Thursday of the Third Week of Lent, Year C, Luke Gospel – 11:14–23

“Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste and a divided household falls.”…Luke 11:17

REFLECTION – “But this episode contains an admonishment which is useful to all of us. Indeed, it can happen that deep envy of a person’s goodness and good works can drive one to falsely accuse him or her.   Here there is true, lethal poison, the malice with which, in a premeditated manner, one wants to destroy the good reputation of the other. May God free us from this terrible temptation!   And if, by examining our conscience, we realise that this weed is sprouting within us, let us go straight away to confess it in the Sacrament of Penance, before it grows and produces its evil effects, which are incurable. Be careful, because this attitude destroys families, friendships, communities and even society.”...Pope Francis – Angelus, 10 June 2018luke 11 17 every kingdom divided - indeed it can happen - pope francis - 28march2019.jpg

PRAYER – Lord God, You love innocence of heart and when it is lost, You alone can restore it.   Turn then our hearts to You and kindle in them the fire of Your Spirit.   Lead us to purity of heart, that we may be true radiant lights of Christ and no longer spread the darkness of unkindness, jealousy, gossip and may we atone for our sins.   May Your Word take flesh in our lives and Your Truth shine forth in our actions.   Mary, Blessed and Merciful, the Refuge of Sinners, help us!   Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.mary refuge of sinners pray for us 28 march 2019 ora pro nobis.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 27 March

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Lenten Reflection – 27 March – Wednesday of the Third week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 5:17–19

“Think not that I have come to abolish the law
and the prophets, I have come,
not to abolish them but to fulfil them.”…Matthew 5:17wed of the third week lent matthew 5 17 27 march 2019.jpg

Daily Meditation:
Make us one in love and prayer.

This was a special liturgy in the early church.
On this day the first of the Scrutinies was celebrated.
We can see why the instruction is about fidelity but tone of the prayer is one of unity.
On this day when the community prayed so earnestly for those about to be baptised,
we can feel the power of asking that we be made one.

We might reflect upon what it is that divides us
and what I might do to let the Spirit of Unity draw us together.

I want all of them to be one with each other,
just as I am one with you and you are one with Me.
I also want them to be one with us.
Then the people of this world will believe that You sent Me.
Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper for
“for everyone else who will have faith
because of what my followers will say about me. “
John 17:21

“We are called to conform our lives to the New Law of grace.   This New Law was taught by Christ and established for us by Christ on the Cross.   Through His passion and death, He merited for us the grace, that enables us to fulfil the New Law, to respond to the action of the Holy Spirit and to go beyond the demands of justice in our dealings with others.   It is the Law of the children of God the Father, that fills our minds with the Wisdom of the Word and directs us to act in accord with the Love of the Holy Spirit.”…Father Jason Mitchell

Closing Prayer:
God, you love me as Your own child.
May I bend my life and will toward You
so that I might accept Your teaching and guidance.
I am so grateful for Your support in my life,
now and in the eternal life, You are preparing for me.
I beg for Your help and Spirit in my life today.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.