of the Prayers to be conclude the Rosary each day of October (most especially) but I will add these always.
From Pope Francis’ Message – 29 September
“The Holy Father has decided to invite all the faithful, of all the world, to pray the Holy Rosary every day, during the entire Marian month of October and thus to join in communion and in penitence, as the people of God, in asking the Holy Mother of God and Saint Michael Archangel to protect the Church from the devil, who always seeks to separate us from God and from each other.”
The invocation “Sub tuum praesídium” is recited as follows:
“Sub tuum praesídium confúgimus,
sancta Dei Génetrix;
nostras deprecatiónes ne despícias in necessitátibus,
sed a perículis cunctis líbera nos semper,
Virgo gloriósa et benedícta”.
We fly to Thy protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our petitions in our necessities but deliver us always from all dangers, O Glorious and Blessed Virgin
and
The Holy Father has also asked that the recitation of the Holy Rosary during the month of October conclude with the prayer written by Pope Leo XIII:
“Sancte Míchael Archángele, defénde nos in próelio;
contra nequítiam et insídias diáboli esto praesídium.
Imperet illi Deus, súpplices deprecámur,
tuque, Prínceps milítiae caeléstis,
Sátanam aliósque spíritus malígnos,
qui ad perditiónem animárum pervagántur in mundo,
divína virtúte, in inférnum detrúde. Amen”.
Saint Michael Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil, may God rebuke him, we humbly pray and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits, who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 5 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 10:13–16 – Friday of the Twenty-sixth week in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Memorial of Blesseds Francis Xavier Seelos (1819-1867) and Bartholomew Longo (1841-1926)
“He who hears you, hears me and he who rejects you, rejects me and he who rejects me, rejects him who sent me.”...Luke 10:16
REFLECTION – “Someone, having listened to the verse: “Offer to God a sacrifice of praise” (Ps 50[49].14), said to himself: “I will go to church every day when I get up and sing a morning hymn; then an evening hymn at the end of the day and then, in my own home, a third and fourth hymn. This is how I will make a sacrifice of praise every day and offer it to my God.” It is good to do this if you do it in truth but beware of placing your confidence in what you do and fear lest, while your tongue is speaking eloquently before God, your life may be speaking badly… Take care you don’t live evilly, while speaking well.”…St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – And we exult you, O Mary Assumed into Heaven, as we contemplate you who have been glorified and, in the risen Christ, have become the co-worker of the Holy Spirit in communicating divine life to mankind. In you we see the goal of holiness to which God calls all the Church’s members. In your life we recognise the clear sign of the path to spiritual maturity and Christian holiness. With you, with Blesseds Francis Xavier Seelos, Bartholomew Longo and with all the saints, we glorify God the Trinity, who sustains our earthly pilgrimage and lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen (by St Pope John Paul Nov 2000)
Thought for the Day – 3 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 9:57–62
To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”...Luke 9:59-60
Following and accompanying Christ, staying with Him, demands “coming out of ourselves”, requires us to be outgoing – to come out of ourselves, out of a dreary way of living faith that has become a habit, out of the temptation to withdraw into our own plans which end by shutting out God’s creative action.
God came out of Himself to come among us, He pitched his tent among us to bring to us His mercy that saves and gives hope.
If we want to follow Him and to remain with Him, we too must “go out” with Him to seek the lost sheep, the one that has strayed the furthest.
To come out always! And to do so with God’s love and tenderness, with respect and with patience, knowing that God takes our hands, our feet, our heart and guides them and makes all our actions fruitful...
October – The Month of the Holy Rosary Message from Pope Francis
Below is the complete and entire Message issued by the Holy See Press Office on 29 September 2018.
Holy See Press Office Communiqué, 29.09.2018
The Holy Father has decided to invite all the faithful, of all the world, to pray the Holy Rosary every day, during the entire Marian month of October and thus to join in communion and in penitence, as the people of God, in asking the Holy Mother of God and Saint Michael Archangel to protect the Church from the devil, who always seeks to separate us from God and from each other.
In recent days, before his departure for the Baltic States, the Holy Father met with Fr Fréderic Fornos, S.J., international director of Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and asked him to spread this appeal to all the faithful throughout the world, inviting them to conclude the recitation of the Rosary with the ancient invocation “Sub tuum praesídium” and with the prayer to Saint Michael Archangel that he protect us and help us in the struggle against evil (cf. Revelation 12, 7-12).
The prayer – the Pontiff affirmed a few days ago, on 11 September, in a homily at Santa Marta, citing the first chapter of the Book of Job – is the weapon against the Great Accuser who “goes around the world seeking to accuse”. Only prayer can defeat him . The Russian mystics and the great saints of all the traditions advised, in moments of spiritual turbulence, to shelter beneath the mantle of the Holy Mother of God pronouncing the invocation “Sub tuum praesídium”.
The invocation “Sub tuum praesídium” is recited as follows:
“Sub tuum praesídium confúgimus,
sancta Dei Génetrix;
nostras deprecatiónes ne despícias in necessitátibus,
sed a perículis cunctis líbera nos semper,
Virgo gloriósa et benedícta”.
We fly to Thy protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our petitions in our necessities but deliver us always from all dangers, O Glorious and Blessed Virgin.
With this request for intercession the Holy Father asks the faithful of all the world to pray that the Holy Mother of God place the Church beneath her protective mantle – to preserve her from the attacks by the devil, the great accuser and at the same time to make her more aware of the faults, the errors and the abuses committed in the present and in the past and committed to combating without any hesitation, so that evil may not prevail.
The Holy Father has also asked that the recitation of the Holy Rosary during the month of October conclude with the prayer written by Pope Leo XIII:
“Sancte Míchael Archángele, defénde nos in próelio;
contra nequítiam et insídias diáboli esto praesídium.
Imperet illi Deus, súpplices deprecámur,
tuque, Prínceps milítiae caeléstis,
Sátanam aliósque spíritus malígnos,
qui ad perditiónem animárum pervagántur in mundo,
divína virtúte, in inférnum detrúde. Amen”.
Saint Michael Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil, may God rebuke him, we humbly pray and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits, who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen
Note: In recent weeks the bishops of several dioceses, across the world, have encouraged the praying of the Saint Michael Prayer after Mass – as we used to do. And I would add, Alleluia!
One Minute Reflection – 30 September – Today’s Second Reading: James 5:1–6 – Twenty sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B and The Memorial of St Jerome (347-419) Father and Doctor
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you...James 5:1
REFLECTIONS – “The condemnation is severe because “wealth is idolatry” that seduces people and Jesus knew people could not serve two masters — they must choose either God or money. Wealth grabs you and doesn’t let you go and it goes against the first commandment to love God with all one’s heart. It also goes against the second commandment to love one’s neighbour, because a love of wealth destroys the harmonious relationship between us and makes us selfish. It ruins life, ruins the soul. Wealth can turn people into slaves! Loving wealth destroys the soul and cheating people of their just wages and benefits, is a mortal sin!”…Pope Francis 24 May 2018
PRAYER – Dear and Holy God, let us offer You all our daily struggles against sin and evil. Grant us the strength to resist all forms of idolatory, to seek only You and never to allow the material goods of this world to seduce us. Sustain us ever more with Your word and help us to find in it, the source of life. May the prayers of St Jerome be a strength and succour for our journey. We ask this through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, Amen.
Thought for the Day – 29 September – The Feast of Sts Michael, Gabriel and Raphael
“Michael is the one who fights against the devil, he protects us against the serpent that seduces us, that makes us fall and then accuses us before God, claiming us as his own. Michael, was asked by the Lord to fight the devil” and he helps us resist temptation on our earthly journey toward heaven.
Gabriel is the one who “brings the good news”, he’s the one who announced to Zachariah the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist and to Mary and Joseph, the birth of Jesus. Gabriel too accompanies us and helps us on our journey when we ‘forget’ the Gospel. He reminds us that “Jesus came to save us.”
Raphael, meanwhile, “walks with us taking care of us on our journey and helping us not take the wrong steps.”
These are our companions, at our service and at God’s service.
Let us Pray:
“Michael: Help us in our battle – each of us has a battle to fight in our lives;
Gabriel: Bring us news, bring us the good news of salvation;
Raphael: Take us by the hand and lead us forward without taking the wrong turns.
Always walking forward, but with your help!
Amen”
Saint of the Day – 27 September – St Vincent de Paul C.M. (1581-1660) “Great Apostle of Trumpets”
Excerpt from the His Holiness Pope Francis’ Message to the Vincentian Family on the Fourth Centenary of the Charism – 27 September 2017
“Vincent was always on the move, ever open to the discovery of God and himself. Grace entered into this constant quest, in his priestly ministry, he encountered Jesus the Good Shepherd in a striking way in the poor. On one occasion in particular, he was deeply touched by meeting the gaze of a man pleading for mercy and by the faces of a destitute family. There he saw Jesus himself looking at him, unsettling his heart and asking him no longer to live for himself, but to serve him unreservedly in the poor. Vincent would later call the poor “our lords and masters”(Correspondance, entretiens, documents XI, 349). His life then became one of unflagging service, even to his dying breath. A verse from Scripture showed him the meaning of his mission: “The Lord has sent me to bring the Good News to the poor” (cf. Lk 4:18).
Burning with the desire to make Jesus known to the poor, Vincent devoted himself passionately to preaching, especially through popular missions and by careful attention to the training of priests. He quite naturally employed a “little method”, speaking first by his life and with great simplicity, in a familiar and straightforward way. The Spirit used him as the means for a great outpouring of generosity in the Church. Inspired by the early Christians who were “of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32), Saint Vincent founded the Confraternities of Charity, who cared for those in greatest need by living in communion and joyfully sharing their possessions, in the conviction that Jesus and the poor are the treasure of great price. As he loved to repeat, “When you visit the poor, you encounter Jesus.”
The “mustard seed” sown in 1617 grew into the Congregation of the Mission and the Company of the Daughters of Charity, then branched out into other institutes and associations and became a great tree (cf. Mk 4:31-32) which is the Vincentian Family. Everything, however, began with that mustard seed. Saint Vincent never wanted to be in the forefront but only a “seedling”. He was convinced that humility, gentleness and simplicity are essential for embodying the law of the seed that by dying gives life (cf. Jn 12:20-26). This law alone makes the Christian life bear fruit, for it teaches us that in giving we receive, by losing our lives we gain them and in hiddenness our light is best seen. Vincent was also convinced that this can only come about in union with others, as a Church and as the People of God. Here I cannot fail to mention his prophetic insight in recognising and appreciating the remarkable abilities of women, which flowered in Saint Louise de Marillac’s spiritual sensitivity and human understanding.
Jesus says, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40). At the heart of the Vincentian Family is the effort to seek out “those who are poorest and most abandoned”, together with a profound awareness of being “unworthy of rendering them our little services” (Correspondance, entretiens, documents XI, 392). I pray that this year of thanksgiving to the Lord and of growth in the experience of your charism will prove an opportunity to drink from the source and to find refreshment in the spirit of your origins. Never forget that those wellsprings of grace streamed from faithful hearts, rock solid in love, “lasting models of charity” (Deus caritas est, 40). You will be filled with that same primordial freshness only if you look to the rock from which it all flowed forth. That rock is Jesus in His poverty, who asks to be recognised in those who are poor and have no voice. That is where He is to be found. When you encounter human weakness and broken lives, you too must be rocks – not hard and brittle, impervious to suffering but rather a sure support, steadfast amid the tempest and unshaken by adversity, because you “look to the rock from which you were hewn, to the quarry from which you were taken” (Is 51:1). You are called to go forth to the peripheries of human existence to bring not your own gifts but the Spirit of the Lord, the “Father of the Poor”. He has sown you throughout the world like seeds that spring up in dry land, like a balm of consolation for the wounded, a fire of charity to warm hearts grown cold by indifference and hardened by rejection.
Saint Vincent embodied this in his own life and even now he continues to speak to each of us and to all of us as Church. His witness invites us to keep moving, ever ready to let ourselves be surprised by the Lord’s gaze and His Word. He asks of us lowliness of heart, complete availability and humble docility. He prompts us to live in fraternal communion among ourselves and to go forth courageously in mission to the world. He calls us to free ourselves from complicated language, self-absorbed rhetoric and attachment to material forms of security. These may seem satisfactory in the short term but they do not grant God’s peace, indeed, they are frequently obstacles to mission. Vincent encourages us to invest in the creativity of love with the authenticity of a “heart which sees” (cf. Deus caritas est, 31).
Charity, in fact, is not content with the good practices of the past but aims to transform the present. This is all the more necessary today, given the complexity and rapid evolution of our globalised society, where some forms of charity or assistance, albeit motivated by generous intentions, risk abetting forms of exploitation and delinquency, without producing tangible and lasting benefits. For this reason, Saint Vincent continues to teach us the importance of reflecting on our practice of charity, developing new ways of drawing near to those in need and investing our efforts in formation.
His example also encourages us to make time and space for the poor, for the new poor of our time, of which there are so many and to make their worries and troubles our own. A Christianity without contact with those who suffer becomes disembodied, incapable of touching the flesh of Christ.
I pray that the Church and each of you, may be granted the grace to discover the Lord Jesus in our brothers or sisters who are hungry, thirsty, strangers, lacking clothing and dignity, sick and imprisoned, as well as in those who are uncertain, ignorant, persisting in sin, sorrowing, offensive, irascible and annoying. May you find in the glorious wounds of Jesus the vigour of charity, the blessedness of the seed that dies to give life, and the fruitfulness of the rock flowing with water. May you also find the joy of leaving yourselves behind, in order to go forth into the world, free of nostalgia for the past, fully trusting in God, and creative in the face of every present and future challenge. For love, in the words of Saint Vincent, “is infinitely creative”.…Vatican.va
One Minute Reflection – 26 September – The Memorial of Blessed Louis Tezza M.I. (1841-1923) and Blessed Pope Paul VI (1897-1978)
…and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal....Luke 9:2
REFLECTION – “This is the mission of the Church, inseparably united to her Lord. Indeed it is Baptism that makes us missionaries. A baptised person who does not feel the need to proclaim the Gospel, to proclaim Jesus, is not a good Christian.”…Pope Francis – Angelus, 15 July 2018.
PRAYER – O God of love, You sent Your beloved Son to the world to proclaim the Good News of Salvation, to heal every illness and to cure all infirmity of body and soul. Help us to continue the mission of the merciful Christ in the service towards our neighbour, preaching the Gospel and offering our help in whatever way we can. May the example of charity of Blessed Louis Tezza and Blessed Pope Paul VI, teach us how to love and serve You especially in those who suffer. Through their intercession,grant us the grace to go forth in love. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 24 September – Today’s Gospel: Luke 8:16–18 – Monday of the Twenty fifth week in Ordinary Time, Year B
“No one after lighting a lamp, covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light.”…Luke 8:16
REFLECTION – “Christ,” wrote a Father of the Church, (Saint John Chrysostom), “has left us in this world to be like lamps…, to act like leaven…, to become seed, to bear fruit.” If our lives were to have this kind of impact, we would not need to open our mouths. Words would be unnecessary if we could show our works. There wouldn’t be a single pagan left if we were truly christians.
We should avoid making the mistake of thinking that the apostolate consists, in the witness of a few pious practices. We are christians, you and I but at the same time and without resolution of continuity, we are citizens and fellow-workers at very clear obligations, which we are to carry out in an exemplary fashion if we want to become holy once and for all. It is Jesus Christ who urges us: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then set it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand , where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Mt 5:14-16)….Saint Josémaria Escriva de Balaguer (1902-1975) Homily in Amigos de Dios
“All of us who have received Baptism, pray that the Holy Spirit help us not to fall into these bad habits that cover the light and that He help us to carry forward, the light we received freely, that light of God that does so much good – the light of friendship, the light of meekness, the light of faith, the light of hope, the light of patience, the light of goodness.”…Pope Francis – Santa Marta, 19 September 2016
PRAYER – Lord, be the beginning and the end of all that we do, all that we say, in every moment be our Light. Prompt our actions with Your grace and complete them with Your all-powerful love. May we always seek Your Face in every circumstance, in every moment, so that Your Light may become our life. Blessed Anton Martin Slomsek, you lived your life in the Presence of the Holy Face of Christ our Lord, please intercede for us and for all the world. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 22 September – Today’s Gospel: Luke 8:4–15 – Saturday of the Twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time, Year B
“And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bring forth fruit with patience.”…Luke 8:15
REFLECTION – “If you ask me what Jesus Christ means by this sower who goes out early to cast his seed over his field then, my brethren, that sower is the good God Himself, who began the work of our salvation from the beginning of the world by sending us His prophets before the coming of Christ, to teach us what was needed, if we would be saved. Not content with sending His servants, He came Himself, He marked out the way we should take, He came to make known His holy Word.
Do you know what a person is like who is not fed by this holy Word?… Such a person is like a patient without a doctor, a traveller who is lost and without a guide, a poverty stricken person without means of help. Brethren, it is absolutely impossible to love and please God, unless we are fed by this divine Word. What can draw us to follow Him unless by knowing Him? And who enables us to know Him, with all His perfections, beauty and love for us, if not the Word of God, who teaches us about everything He has done for us and the good things He has in store for us in the next life?”…St John Marie Vianney (1786-1859)
“This parable reminds us that we are the soil where the Lord tirelessly sows the seed of His Word and of His love. How do we receive it? And it will do us good not to forget that we too are sowers. God sows good seed and here too we can also ask ourselves: which type of seed comes out of our heart and our mouth? Remember, what counts, is … what comes out of the mouth and of the heart.”…Pope Francis – Angelus, 13 July 2014
PRAYER – All-powerful, eternal God, splendour of true light and neverending day, turn our ears and hearts to Your Word, that we may hear and live by the seed You have sown. May all that grows in us be of Your good seed and yield fruit a hundredfold. Grant Lord, we pray, that by the prayers St Maurice and the Martyrs of Theban and St Thomas of Villanova, we may be filled with courage and love and spread Your Word by our lives. We make our prayer through Jesus, our Lord and Word, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You, forever, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 21 September – The Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist- Today’s Gospel: Matthew 9:9–13
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” …Matthew 9:11b
REFLECTION – “Our Lord chose Matthew, the tax collector, to encourage his fellows to join Him. He looked on sinners, called them and brought them to sit beside Him. What a wonderful sight! Angels stand trembling while publicans, seated, rejoice. The angels are struck with awe before the Lord’s greatness while sinners eat and drink with Him. The scribes choke with hatred and indignation, the publicans rejoice because of His mercy. The heavens saw the sight and were filled with wonder; hell saw it and was maddened. Satan saw it and was enraged; death saw it and withered; the scribes saw it and were much troubled.
There was joy in heaven and happiness among the angels because the rebellious had been persuaded, the recalcitrant quieted and sinners reformed and because publicans had been made righteous. Just as our Lord did not turn away from the shamefulness of the cross in spite of the entreaties of His friends (Mt 16:22) so he did not refuse the company of publicans in spite of the taunts of His enemies. He despised mockery and scorned praise, thus accomplishing all that is for mankind’s good.”…St Ephrem (306-373) Father & Doctor of the Church – Commentary on the Gospel, or Diatessaron, 5, 17 (SC 121, p.115 rev.)
“He looked at Matthew calmly, peacefully. He looked at him with eyes of mercy; he looked at him as no one had ever looked at him before. And this look unlocked Matthew’s heart; it set him free, it healed him, it gave him hope, a new life, as it did to Zacchaeus, to Bartimaeus, to Mary Magdalene, to Peter, and to each of us. Even if we do not dare raise our eyes to the Lord, he looks at us first. This is our story, and it is like that of so many others. Each of us can say: “I, too, am a sinner, whom Jesus has looked upon”. I ask you, in your homes or in the Church, to be still for a moment and to recall with gratitude and happiness those situations, that moment, when the merciful gaze of God was felt in our lives.”…Pope Francis – 21 September 2015, The Feast of St Matthew
PRAYER – Lord, You showed Your great mercy to Matthew the tax-gatherer,by calling him to become Your Apostle,supported by his prayer and example, may we always answer Your call and live in close union with You. We make our prayer, in union with God our Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. St Matthew, Apostle of Christ, pray for us, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 20 September – Today’s Gospel: Luke 7:36–50 – Thursday of the Twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time, Year B and The Memorial of the Korean Martyrs – Sts Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang & Companions – 103 saints and beati & St Eustachius & family (died 2nd century) – Martyrs
“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much”….Luke 7:47
REFLECTION – “Today, in particular, Jesus brings us to inner conversion: He explains why He forgives us and teaches us to make forgiveness received from and given to, our brothers and sisters – the “daily bread” of our existence.
…Dear friends, from the Word of God we have just heard emerge practical instructions for our life. Jesus does not enter into a theoretical discussion with His interlocutors on this section of Mosaic Law; He is not concerned with winning an academic dispute about an interpretation of Mosaic Law but His goal is to save a soul and reveal that salvation is only found in God’s love. This is why He came down to the earth, this is why He was to die on the Cross and why the Father was to raise Him on the third day.
Jesus came to tell us, that He wants us all in Paradise and that hell, about which little is said in our time, exists and is eternal for those who close their hearts to His love. …it is stressed that there is no forgiveness without the desire for forgiveness, without opening the heart to forgiveness – here it is highlighted, that only divine forgiveness and divine love, received with an open and sincere heart, give us the strength to resist evil and “to sin no more”, to let ourselves be struck by God’s love so that it becomes our strength. Jesus’ attitude, thus becomes a model to follow, for every community, which is called to make love and forgiveness the vibrant heart of its life.”…Pope Benedict XVI – Sunday, 25 March 2007
” Salvation enters the heart, only when we open the heart, in the truth of our sins.”…Pope Francis – Santa Marta, 18 Sept 2014 (“Pope Francis” painting by Natalia Tsarkova)
PRAYER – Grant us Lord, a true knowledge of salvation, so that, freed from fear and from the power of our foes, we may serve You faithfully, all the days of our life. Give us Holy Father, a true desire for repentance and forgiveness and teach us each day, to forgive all with love. Holy Martyrs, St Eustachius and family and those who so filled with love, died for the faith in Korea, please pray for us that we too may be filled with holy love and courage. We make our prayer through our Lord, Jesus Christ in union with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 19 September – Today’s Gospel: Luke 7:31–35 – Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of St Alonso de Orozco (1500 – 1591)
“To what then shall I compare the men of this generation and what are they like? “…Luke 7:31
REFLECTION – “It is actually the ruling class that closes the doors to the way that God wants to save us. In this sense the powerful dialogues between Jesus and the ruling class of His time are understandable: they argue, they put Him to the test, they lay traps to see if he falls, because they have resistance to being saved. Jesus says to them: “I don’t understand you! You are like those children: we played the flute for you and you didn’t dance; we sang a sad song for you and you didn’t weep. What do you want?”.
We want our own way, we want salvation to be done our way. It comes back to this “closure” to God’s modus operandi.” …Pope Francis – Santa Marta, 3 October 2014
PRAYER – Remember Lord, Your solemn covenant, renewed and consecrated by the blood of the Lamb, so that Your people may obtain forgiveness for their sins and a continued growth in grace. Turn our hearts from stone to flesh, grant that we may want only Your will. St Alonso de Orozco, You constantly sought the will of God, please pray for us. We make our prayer through Christ, the Lamb of God, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 18 September – Today’s Gospel: Luke 7:11–17, Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of St Juan Macias O.P. (1585-1645) and St Joseph of Cupertino O.F.M. Conv. (1603-1663)
And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”...Luke 7:14b
REFLECTION – “Even if the signs of death have removed all hope of life, even if the bodies of the dead lie beside the tomb, yet, at the voice of God, the corpses of those ready to decompose will rise and recover speech. The son is restored to his mother, he is called back from the tomb, snatched out of it. And what is this tomb? Your own. Your bad habits, your lack of faith. This is the tomb from which Christ delivers you, this is the tomb from which you will return to life if you listen to the Word of God. Even if your sin is so grave that you are unable to wash it clean for yourself with your tears of repentance, the Church, your mother, she who intercedes for each one of her children like a widowed mother for her only son, will weep for you. For she feels for it with a kind of spiritual suffering natural to her when she sees her offspring dragged down to death by lamentable vices…
Let her weep, then, this pious mother; let the crowd accompany her – and not just a crowd but a large crowd – and may it show compassion towards this tender mother. Then you will come to life again in your tomb and will be delivered, the bearers will stop and you will start to speak the words of the living; everyone will be astonished. The example of one will correct the many and they will praise God for having granted such remedies to us for escaping death.”…St Ambrose (c 340-397) Father & Doctor (A treatise on the Gospel of Saint Luke)
God wants us to stand upright. He created us to be on our fee,: for this reason, Jesus’ compassion leads to that gesture of healing, to heal us, of which the key phrase is: “Arise! Stand up, as God created you!”. Standing up. “But Father, we fall so often” — “Onward, arise!”. This is Jesus’ word, always. His word revives us, gives us hope, refreshes weary hearts, opens us to a vision of the world and of life which transcends suffering and death…Pope Francis – General audience, 10 August 2016
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help me to be holy in the way that You have laid out for me. Let me stand upright and carry out my duties of my state of life to the full. Only in You may I attain holiness, learning to give myself, my will, my heart and my to You. St Joseph of Cupertino, you who were so disadvantaged, achieved by the grace of God, sanctity in this life and now behold His Face through all eternity. St Juan, in your lowly work, you stood in the Light of Christ, allowing the lowly and rich, to see Him who saved us. We ask You Holy Father, that You grant, by the intercession pf St Joseph and Juan, that we may reach our heavenly home. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 17 September – Today’s Gospel: Luke 7:1-10 – Monday of the Twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) and St Hildegard von Bingen OSB (1098-1179) both Doctors of the Church
“Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.”…Luke7:6b-7
REFLECTION – “This man was a pagan, for the Jewish people were occupied by the Imperial Roman army at that time. So it was as a centurion in Judaea that he was commanding his soldiers…
But our Lord, although he was in the midst of the people of Judaea, was already talking about the Church being spread all over the earth wherever His apostles were to be sent (Mt 8:11). Indeed, the gentiles believed in Him without having see Him… Our Lord did not physically enter the centurion’s house and, even though absent in body, He was present in majesty and healed both that house and its faith. Similarly, our Lord stood physically only amongst the people of Judaea -other peoples did not see His being born of a virgin, or suffering, or walking, or subject to the condition of human nature, or carrying out divine miracles. None of these things were done amongst the gentiles and yet it was amongst them that what was said about Him was fulfilled: “A people I did not know have served me.” In what way did they serve Him? The Psalm continues: “As soon as they heard me, they obeyed me” (Ps 18[17]:44-45).”…St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church
“When we go out to meet the Lord, we in some sense are masters of the moment. However, when we allow ourselves to be encountered by Him, He enters into us and renews us from within. This is what it means for Christ to come, to renew all things, to renew hearts, souls, lives, hope and the journey. We are on a journey of faith, like the faith of this centurion, to encounter the Lord and to allow ourselves to be encountered by Him.”…Pope Francis – Santa Marta, 2 December 2013
PRAYER – Lord God and holy Father, guard our faith we pray and grace us with Your mercy. Keep us every faithful to Your precepts and bring us to Your home, to look upon Your Face. May the prayers of Your saints assist us on our journey. In your untiring life of trust in God, St Hildegard von Bingen, you sought to make Him the goal of all and the love of all, please pray that we may imitate your zeal and love. St Robert Bellarmine, as you worked tirelessly for the salvation of souls, so now pray for us all, as tirelessly, that we may achieve eternal joy. We ask all this through Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Thought for the Day – 16 September – Today’s Gospel: Mark 8:27–35 – Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”...Mark 8:29
These same questions are proposed to each of us today: “Who is Jesus for the people of our time?” and more importantly: “Who is Jesus for each of us?”, for me, for you,…? Who is Jesus for each one of us?
We are called to make Peter’s answer our own response, joyfully professing that Jesus is the Son of God, the Eternal Word of the Father, who became man to redeem mankind, pouring out the abundance of divine mercy upon it.
The world needs Christ more than ever: His salvation, His merciful love.
One Minute Reflection – 15 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Near the cross of Jesus, there stood his mother…..John 19:25
REFLECTION – “Mary “stood by”; she was simply there . Here again the young woman of Nazareth, hair now grayed with the passage of time, still struggling with a God who must only be embraced and with a life that has come to the threshold of the darkest night. Mary “stood by” in the thickest darkness but she “stood by”. She did not go away. Mary is there, faithfully present, each time a candle must be held aflame in a place of fog and haze. She does not even know the future resurrection her Son was opening at that instant for us, for all of mankind – she stands there out of faithfulness to the plan of God whose handmaid she proclaimed herself to be on the first day of her vocation but also due to her instinct as mother who simply suffers, each time there is a child who undergoes suffering. The suffering of mothers – we have all known strong women who have faced their children’s suffering!”…Pope Francis – General audience, 10 May 2017
PRAYER – Our Father, when Jesus Your Son, was raised up on the Cross, it was Your will that Mary, His Mother, should stand there and suffer with Him in her heart. Grant that in union with her, the Church may share in the passion of Christ and so be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Be our intercessor and our consolation, Our Lady of Sorrows! We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 13 September – Today’s Gospel – Luke 6:27–38 – Thursday of the Twenty-third week in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Memorial of St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Church
“Judge not and you will not be judged; condemn not and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give, will be the measure you get back.”...Luke 6:37-38
REFLECTION – “O envious one, you injure yourself more than he whom you would injure and the sword with which you wound will recoil and wound yourself. What harm did Cain do to Abel? Contrary to his intention he did him the greatest good, for he caused him to pass to a better and a blessed life and he himself was plunged into an abyss of woe. In what did Esau injure Jacob? Did not his envy prevent him from being enriched in the place in which he lived and, losing the inheritance and the blessing of his father, did he not die a miserable death? What harm did the brothers of Joseph do to Joseph, whose envy went so far as to wish to shed his blood? Were they not driven to the last extremity and well-nigh perishing with hunger, whilst their brother reigned all through Egypt? It is ever thus; the more you envy your brother, the greater good you confer upon him. God, who sees all, takes the cause of the innocent in hand and, irritated by the injury you inflict, deigns to raise up him whom you wish to lower and will punish you to the full extent of your crime. If God usually punishes those who rejoice at the misfortunes of their enemies, how much more will He punish those who, excited by envy, seek to do an injury to those who have never injured them?”…Saint John Chrysostom
“It will do us good today to think of an enemy – I think we all have someone who has hurt us or who wants to hurt us or who tries to hurt us. Ah, this! The mafia prayer is: “You will pay for it”, the Christian prayer is: “Lord, bless him and teach me to love him”…Pope Francis – Santa Marta, 19 June 2018
PRAYER – Lord God, strength of those who hope in You, by Your will, St John Chrysostom became renowned in the Church, for his astounding eloquence and his forbearance in persecution. Grant that we may be enriched by his teaching and thus grow in sanctity, to follow the commandments You set forth in Your Word, Your Son who is our Saviour and Redeemer. By the prayers of St John Chrysostom, may we attain the place You have prepared for us. We make our prayer through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever amen.
Thought for the Day – 5 September – The Memorial of St Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
Mother Teresa, in all aspects of her life, was a generous dispenser of divine mercy, making herself available for everyone through her welcome and defence of human life, those unborn and those abandoned and discarded. She was committed to defending life, ceaselessly proclaiming that “the unborn are the weakest, the smallest, the most vulnerable”. She bowed down before those who were spent, left to die on the side of the road, seeing in them their God-given dignity, she made her voice heard before the powers of this world, so that they might recognise their guilt for the crime – the crimes! – of poverty they created. For Mother Teresa, mercy was the “salt” which gave flavour to her work, it was the “light” which shone in the darkness of the many who no longer had tears to shed for their poverty and suffering.
Her mission to the urban and existential peripheries remains for us today an eloquent witness to God’s closeness to the poorest of the poor. Today, I pass on this emblematic figure of womanhood and of consecrated life to the whole world of volunteers, may she be your model of holiness! I think, perhaps, we may have some difficult in calling her “Saint Teresa”, her holiness is so near to us, so tender and so fruitful that we continual to spontaneously call her “Mother Teresa”.
May this tireless worker of mercy help us increasingly to understand that our only criterion for action is gratuitous love, free from every ideology and all obligations, offered freely to everyone without distinction of language, culture, race or religion. Mother Teresa loved to say, “Perhaps I don’t speak their language, but I can smile”. Let us carry her smile in our hearts and give it to those whom we meet along our journey, especially those who suffer. In this way, we will open up opportunities of joy and hope for our many brothers and sisters who are discouraged and who stand in need of understanding and tenderness…… Excerpt from the Homily of His Holiness, Pope Francis on the Canonisation of St Teresa of Calcutta, Sunday, 4 September 2016 (it was also the Jubilee of Workers of Mercy and Volunteers)
Virgin Mary, Queen of all the Saints, help us to be gentle and humble of heart like this fearless messenger of Love. Help us to serve every person we meet with joy and a smile. Help us to be missionaries of Christ, our peace and our hope. Amen!…
One Minute Reflection – 5 September – Today’s Gospel: Luke 4:38-44 – Wednesday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of St Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to him and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them….Luke 4:40
REFLECTION – “Having come to earth to proclaim and to realise the salvation of the whole man and of all people, Jesus shows a particular predilection for those who are wounded in body and in spirit: the poor, the sinners, the possessed, the sick, the marginalised. Thus, He reveals Himself as a doctor both of souls and of bodies, the Good Samaritan of man. He is the true Saviour: Jesus saves, Jesus cures, Jesus heals. Each one of us is called to bear the light of the Word of God and the power of grace to those who suffer and to those who assist them — family, doctors, nurses — so that the service to the sick might always be better accomplished with more humanity, with generous dedication, with evangelical love, with tenderness.”… Pope Francis – Angelus, 8 February 2015
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love…..God doesn’t require us to succeed, He only requires that we try…….I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” ….St Mother Teresa of Calcutta
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help us to be holy in the way that You have laid out for all of us. Let us carry out the duties of our state in life to the full and so attain the holiness proper to each one. May the prayers of St Mother Teresa assist us in using the gifts You have been given us, for the Glory of God. We make our prayer through our Lord, Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 4 September – Today’s Gospel: Luke 4:31–37 – Tuesday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of Our Lady of Consolation
And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”…Luke 4:36
REFLECTION – “The power of Jesus confirms the authority of His teaching. He does not just speak with words but He takes action. In the Gospel in fact, we see that in His earthly mission, Jesus reveals the love of God both through preaching and through countless gestures of attention and aid to the sick, the needy, children and sinners.
Jesus is our Teacher, powerful in word and deed. Jesus imparts to us all the light that illuminates the sometimes dark paths of our lives. He also transmits to us the necessary strength to overcome difficulties, trials and temptations. Let us consider what a great grace it is for us to have known this God who is so powerful and so good! A teacher and a friend who shows us the path and takes care of us especially when we are in need.
May the Virgin Mary, the woman of listening, help us to create silence around us and within us, in order to hear, through the din of the messages of the world, the most authoritative word that there is: that of her Son Jesus, who proclaims the meaning of our existence and delivers us from all slavery, even that of the Evil one.”...Pope Francis – Angelus, 28 January 2018
PRAYER – True Light of the world, Lord Jesus Christ, as You enlighten all men for their salvation, give us grace, we pray, to live in Your Light and follow Your teachings. May Your Mother and ours, help us to hear Your Voice and teach us to enclose our hearts in silence and thus hear Your Voice. You, Who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever, amen.
Thought for the Day – 2 September – Today’s Gospel: Mark 7:1–23 – Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
‘This people honours me with their lips but their heart is far from me…”…Mark 7:6
“The interior life is primordial… The active life is the consequence of the interior life and has no value unless it depends upon it. We should like to do everything to the best of our ability, perfectly. But if it isn’t linked to our interior life it is to no purpose. All the value of our life and activity stems from our interior life, the life of love for God and the Virgin Mary, the Immaculata – not in theories or sweetness but in the practice of a love that consists in the union of our will with the will of the Immaculate Virgin.
Above and over all we must deepen this interior life. If it is truly a case of spiritual life then supernatural means are required. Prayer, prayer and prayer alone is what is needed to undertake the interior life and its flowering. Interior recollection is necessary.
Let us not be anxious about unnecessary things but gently, peacefully, let us try to preserve recollection of spirit and be attentive to God’s grace. That is why silence helps us.”…St Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941) Martyr
“You must, so to speak, tear off your own skin, which Saint Paul calls the old man, in order to be clothed with the Spirit of Jesus Christ, which is, according to the same Apostle, the new man.”
.St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church
“So let me ask you – are there moments when you place yourself quietly in the Lord’s presence, when you calmly spend time with Him, when you bask in His gaze? Do you let His fire inflame your heart? Unless you let Him warm you more and more with His love and tenderness, you will not catch fire. How will you then be able to set the hearts of others on fire by your words and witness?
Pope Francis Gaudete et Exscultate
And you Immaculata, who are our example, who are our constant intercessor, pray for us!
One Minute Reflection – 2 September – Today’s Gospel: Mark 7:1–23 – Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
“You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.”..Mark 7:8
REFLECTION – “With these words, Jesus wants to caution us too, today, against the belief, that outward observance of the law is enough to make us good Christians. This is what Jesus condemns because this is a counter-witness to Christianity. After His exhortation, Jesus focuses attention on a deeper aspect and states: “there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him” (v. 15). In this way he emphasises the primacy of interiority, that is, the primacy of the “heart, it is not the external things that make us holy or unholy but the heart, which expresses our intentions, our choices and the will to do all, for the love of God….Pope Francis – Angelus, 30 August 2015
PRAYER – Father of might and power, every good and perfect gift comes down to us from You. Implant in our hearts, the love of Your name, increase our zeal for Your service, nourish what is good in us and tend it with watchful care. May our blessed Mother, guide and protect us on our journey and may Your holy Saints, pray for us. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation – 1 September
Pope Francis has designated 1 September as the annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. He hopes this day will be a time for individuals and communities to “reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation, to thank God for the wonderful handiwork which He has entrusted to our care and to implore His help for the protection of creation as well as His pardon for the sins committed against the world in which we live.”
For this the 4th Annual World Day of Prayer, Pope Francis said: “In this year’s message,I wish to draw attention to the issue of water, the primary good to be protected and made available to all.”
His full message will be published later today.
All-powerful God, You are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of Your creatures. You embrace with Your tenderness all that exists. Pour out upon us the power of Your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one. O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in Your eyes. Bring healing to our lives, That we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth. Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognise that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards Your infinite light. We thank You for being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace. Amen
Thought for the Day – 1 September – The 4th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
Excerpt – Message of His Holiness, Pope Francis, 1 SEPTEMBER 2016
Show Mercy to our Common Home
Examining our consciences, repentance and confession to our Father who is rich in mercy lead to a firm purpose of amendment. This in turn must translate into concrete ways of thinking and acting that are more respectful of creation. For example: “avoiding the use of plastic and paper, reducing water consumption, separating refuse, cooking only what can reasonably be consumed, showing care for other living beings, using public transport or car-pooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights, or any number of other practices” (Laudato Si’, 211). We must not think that these efforts are too small to improve our world. They “call forth a goodness which, albeit unseen, inevitably tends to spread” and encourage “a prophetic and contemplative lifestyle, one capable of deep enjoyment free of the obsession with consumption” (ibid., 212, 222).
In the same way, the resolve to live differently should affect our various contributions to shaping the culture and society in which we live. Indeed, “care for nature is part of a lifestyle which includes the capacity for living together and communion” (Laudato Si’, 228). Economics and politics, society and culture cannot be dominated by thinking only of the short-term and immediate financial or electoral gains. Instead, they urgently need to be redirected to the common good, which includes sustainability and care for creation.
Despite our sins and the daunting challenges before us, we never lose heart. “The Creator does not abandon us; He never forsakes His loving plan or repents of having created us… for He has united himself definitively to our earth and His love constantly impels us to find new ways forward” (Laudato Si’, 13; 245). In a particular way, let us pray on 1 September and indeed throughout the year:
“O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, who are so precious in your eyes…
God of love, show us our place in this world as channels of Your love for all the creatures of this earth God of mercy, may we receive Your forgiveness and convey Your mercy throughout our common home.
One Minute Reflection – 26 August – 21st Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Gospel: John 6:60–69
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”...John 6:68-69
REFLECTION – “He does not say “where shall we go?” but “to whom shall we go?” The underlying problem, is not about leaving and abandoning the work undertaken but to whom to go. From Peter’s question, we understand, that fidelity to God is a question of fidelity to a person, to whom we bind ourselves, to walk together on the same road. And this person is Jesus. All that we have in the world does not satisfy our infinite hunger. We need Jesus, to be with Him, to be nourished at His table, on His words of eternal life!”…Pope Francis (Angelus, 23 August 2015)
“Be patient and persevere in the practice of meditation. Be content, to start with, to make progress only by degrees. Later on you will have legs that will ask for nothing but to run or, better, wings for flying with.
Be happy to obey. It’s never easy but it is God we have chosen as our portion. Accept that, as yet, you are only a little bee in its nest but, very quickly, it will become one of those wonderful workers so skilful in making honey. Always remain humble before God and men, in love. Then our Lord will speak to you in truth and enrich you with His gifts.”…St Pio of Pietrelcina “Padre Pio” (1887-1968)
PRAYER – Lord, by Your grace, we are made one in mind and heart. Give us a love for what You command and a longing for what You promise, so that, amid this world’s changes, our hearts may be set on the world of lasting joy. May the intercession of Your faithful servant, St Pope Zephyrinus, bring us strength and courage. As it was Your will heavenly Father, that, at the angel’s message, Your Word should be conceived by the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant that as we believe her to be truly the Mother of God, so may we be helped always, by her intercession. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit, ‘totus tuus’ Maria – please pray for us, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 19 August – Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Gospel: John 6:51-58
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”...John 6:51
REFLECTION – “The Eucharist is Jesus Himself who gives Himself entirely to us. Nourishing ourselves on Him and abiding in Him through Eucharistic Communion, if we do so with faith, transforms our life: transforms it into a gift to God and to our brothers and sisters. 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. …Pope Francis – (Angelus, 16 August 2015)
PRAYER – Lord God, You have called us and prepared for those who love You, what no eye has seen, no ear has heard. Fill our hearts with Your love, so that loving You above all and in all, we may attain Your promises and become images of Your Son. With Mary our merciful and loving Mother who is constantly reaching down to assist us, to intercede for us and bring us to You, we make our prayer through Jesus our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
One Minute Reflection 17 August – Friday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 19:3–12
“‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh.”…Matthew 19:5-6
REFLECTION – “Jesus responds with the overwhelming truth, the blunt truth — this is the truth! — of fullness, always. And Jesus never negotiates the truth. And this small group of enlightened theologians always negotiated truth, reducing it to a case study. Jesus, on the contrary, does not negotiate truth – this is the truth about marriage and there is no other…Pope Francis (Santa Marta, May 20, 2016)
PRAYER – Lord our God,
creator of the universe and all living things,
You made man and woman in your own likeness (Gn 1:27)
and gave them loving hearts
with which to participate in Your work of love.
You willed that in this church today
the lives of your servants, N….. and N….., should be united,
and now You will that they may make their home together,
may seek to love each other more and more each day
and follow Christ’s example in His love for others
even to death on the cross.
Bless, strengthen and protect the love of these newlyweds;
may their love sustain their fidelity to each other,
bringing them happiness and enabling them to find in Christ
the joy of complete self-giving to the one they love.
May their love, like Yours, O Lord,
become a source of life;
may it make them ever attentive to the needs of their neighbours;
and may their home be open to all in need.
Supported by their love and the love of Christ,
may they play an active part
in building up a more just and fraternal world
and thus be faithful to their human and christian vocation.
Amen…The Roman Missal – Rite of marriage : Nuptial Blessing 5
Quote of the Day – 10 August – Feast of St Lawrence, Martyr (died 258) – Today’s Gospel: John 12:24–26
“Jesus brought new hope into the world and He did so in the manner of the seed: He became very small, like a grain of wheat, He left his heavenly glory in order to come among us, He “fell into the earth”. But this still was not enough. In order to bear fruit, Jesus experienced love to the fullest, allowing Himself to be split open by death as a seed lets itself split open under the ground. Precisely there, at the lowest point of His abasement — which is also the loftiest point of love — hope burgeoned. When we choose the hope of Jesus, we gradually discover, that the successful way of life is that of the seed, that of humble love. There is no other way to conquer evil and give hope to the world. But you might tell me: “No, it is a losing rationale!” . It might seem so, seem that it is a losing rationale because those who love, lose power. Have you considered this? Those who love, lose power; those who give, impart something and loving is a gift. In reality, the rationale of the seed that dies, of humble love, is God’s way and only this bears fruit.”
Pope Francis General Audience, 12 April 2017)
“We must note, therefore, that he that does things pleasing to God, serves Christ but he that follows his own wishes, is a follower, rather of himself and not of God.”
AnaStpaul 
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