Tag: pure heart

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The BEATITUDES, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 15 November – St Albert the Great

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 15 November – St Albert the Great OP (1200-1280) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church

“The greater and more persistent
your confidence in God,
the more abundantly
you will receive,
all you ask for.”

“The surest and quickest way
to attain perfection, is to strive
for purity of heart.
Once the obstacles have been removed,
God finds a clear path and does wonders,
both in and through, the soul.”

“Govern my heart O Lord,
lest it drift into useless and disordered thoughts.
Do not permit me to become excessively preoccupied
with anything at all, even matters and concerns
which are useful and good in themselves.
Temper the affections of my soul,
so that I may neither love, nor hate
anything in a way which exceeds due proportions.
Let me neither rejoice, nor be saddened,
beyond the measure which is fitting and rational.”

Guide Me Lord
By St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

O Lord Jesus Christ,
Who seeks those who stray
and receives them when returning,
make me approach Thee
through the frequent hearing of Thy Word,
lest I sin against my neighbour,
by the blindness of human judgement,
through the austerity of false justice,
through comparing his inferior status,
through too much trust in my merits
or through ignorance of the Divine Judgement.
Guide me to search diligently,
each corner of my conscience,
lest the flesh dominate the spirit!
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/15/quote-s-of-the-day-15-november-st-albert-the-great-2/

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

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The BEATITUDES, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 November – The Pure Heart

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 13 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – St Didacus de Alcalá de Henares) OFM (c 1400-1463) Confessor – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14; Luke 12:32-34 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be too.” – Luke 12:34

REFLECTION – “…If, therefore, you wash, by a good life, the filth which has been glued on your heart like plaster, the Divine Beauty will again shine forth in you. It is the same as happens in the case of iron. If freed from rust by a whetstone that which but a moment ago, was black will shine and glisten brightly in the sun. So it is too with the inner man which the Lord calls “the heart.” When he has scraped off the rustlike dirt which dank decay has caused to appear on his form, he will once more recover the likeness of the Archetype (Gn 1:27) and, be good. For what is like to the Good is certainly itself good.

Hence, if a man who is pure of heart sees himself, he sees in himself what he desires and thus, he becomes blessed because, when he looks at his own purity, he sees the Archetype in the image. To give an example. Although men, who see the sun in a mirror, do not gaze at the sky itself, yet they see the sun in the reflection of the mirror, no less than those who look at its very orb. So, He says, it is also with you. Even though you are too weak to perceive the Light itself, yet if you but return to the grace of the image with which you were informed from the beginning, you will have all you seek in yourselves.

…For the Godhead is purity, freedom from passion and separation from all evil. If, therefore, these things be in you, God is indeed in you. Hence, if your thought is without any alloy of evil, free from passion, arid alien from all stain, you are blessed because you are clear of sight.” – St Gregory of Nyssa (c335-395) Bishop, Father of the Church (Brother of St Basil the Great) (Sermons 6 sur les Béatitudes – on the Beatitudes 6).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who in Thy wondrous providence, choose the weak things of the world to overcome the strong, mercifully grant unto us Thy humble servants that, by the loving prayers of blessed Didacus, Thy Confessor, we may be found worthy to be raised unto the everlasting glory of Heaven. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MARIAN QUOTES, OUR Cross, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on WATCHING, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES: JUSTICE, PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 12 November – St Theodore the Studite

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 12 November – St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Abbot, Confessor, Father of the Church

“Day by day follow God’s path,
keeping Him closely attached to you by His promise.
In fact, He Himself said, through the mediation of His Apostles,
to all those who seek His will and His testimonies
that He would be with them
until the end of the world (Mt 28:20)
where paths and footsteps
will be unknown (cf Ps 76:20),
as the divine David said in his songs.
Yet, in an invisible way,
He is present to the eyes of the mind,
making Himself seen by those
who have a pure heart
and conversing with them.
So pursue your path …. ”

“He who is immortal, voluntarily shed His Blood.
He who created the Host of Angels,
was bound at the hands of soldiers
and He who is to judge the living and the dead,
was dragged to justice (cf. Acts 10:42; 2 Tm 4:1).
Truth was exposed to false witnesses,
was slandered, struck, covered with spittle,
hung on the Wood of the Cross –
the Lord of Glory (cf. 1 Cor 2:8)
endured every outrage and suffering
without Himself needing these trials. …

So there is nothing surprising about it,
if we submit to even one of these trials,
since such is our condition …
Therefore, we too have to be offended and tempted,
afflicted by the cutting off of our wills.”
(Catecheses 1)

“By the Cross, death was slain
and Adam was restored to life.
The Cross is the glory of all the Apostles,
the Crown of the Martyrs,
the Sanctification of the Saints.
By the Cross, we put on Christ
and cast aside our former self.
By the Cross we, the sheep of Christ,
have been gathered into one flock,
destined for the Sheepfold of Heaven.”

“Who will gather the fruits of life
without having planted virtues in his soul?
Cultivate them, prepare the earth
with the greatest care,
take trouble over it, sweat over it, children,
God’s workers, imitators of the Angels,
competitors with incorporeal beings,
lights for those who are in the world!”

“Let us hike up our tunics, be on the alert,
have eagle eyes – this is the speediest flight
for the trip which leads us from earth to Heaven!
It is true, travellers can have something to endure.
And this happens to you too –
indeed, as you see, you struggle under hard labours …
Briefly, each is at their post.
All go forward on the highway to God,
they approach the great City and, in death,
they will have entry to the unutterable joy
of the good things God reserves,
for all those who have loved Him! ”

“Rejoice, O Mary, House of the Lord,
earth trodden by the Footsteps of God…
Rejoice, O Paradise
more happy than the Garden of Eden,
where every virtue has been seeded
and where the Tree of Life has grown.”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)
Abbot, Confessor, Father of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DEVOTIO, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, GOD ALONE!, HOLY COMMUNION, Holy Name PRAYERS, INDULGENCES, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, ROSARY QUOTES, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The HOLY NAME, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 November – The Feast of All Saints of the Order of Preacher

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 7 November – The Feast of All Saints of the Order of Preacher

“Speak only with God
or about God.”

“None who persevered in devotion
to the Holy Rosary, will be condemned.”

St Dominic (1170-1221)

“Your purity of life, your devotion,
deserve and call for a reward
because you are acceptable
and pleasing to God.
Your purity of life must be made purer still,
by frequent buffetings,
until you attain perfect sincerity of heart.
If, from time to time, you feel the sword
falling upon you with double or treble force,
this also should be seen as sheer joy
and the mark of love!”

St Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275)

“Faith in Jesus and in the power of His Holy Name
is the greatest spiritual force in the world today.
It is a source of joy and inspiration in our youth;
of strength in our manhood,
when only His Holy Name and His grace,
can enable us to overcome temptation;
of hope, consolation
and confidence at the hour of our death,
when more than ever before,
we realise, that the meaning of Jesus is
‘Lord, the Saviour.’
We should bow in reverence to His Name
and submission to His Holy Will.”

Bl Henry Suso OP (1290-1365)

“Love takes up,
where knowledge leaves off.”

“If then, you are looking for the way
by which you should go,
take Christ, for He, Himself, is the Way.”

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

“When troubled by temptations,
raise up your heart and soul to God,
humbly beseeching Him
to turn them to His greater glory
and to your salvation,
supporting the temptations
as long as it shall please Him
and imploring Him, to grant you grace,
never to offend Him.”

St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419)

O Divine Jesus!
Lonely in So Many Tabernacles
By St Pope Pius X (1835-1914)
“Pope of the Blessed Sacrament”
(St Pius X was elected to the Chair of St Peter
on the Feast of St Dominic
and became a ‘Protector’ of the Order).

O Divine Jesus!
Lonely today in so many Tabernacles,
without visitor or worshipper,
I offer Thee my lonely heart.
May it’s every beat be a prayer of love to Thee.
Thou are ever watching under the Sacramental Veils,
in Thou love, Thou never sleeps
and Thou are never weary of Thy vigils for sinners.
O Loving Jesus!
O Lonely Jesus!
may my heart be a lamp,
the light of which shall burn and beam
for Thee alone.
Watch, Sacramental Sentinel!
Watch for the weary world,
for the erring soul
and for Thy poor lonely child.

O Jesus, my God, I adore Thee,
here present in the Sacrament of Thy love.
Amen

Indulgences:
100 days each time before the Tabernacle
300 days each time before the Blessed Sacrament Exposed
(St Pope Pius X – 3 July 1908)
Prayers to the Sacred Heart
15th Ed 1936

MORE DOMINICAN QUOTES:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/11/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-november-st-dominic-and-his-ops/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on PURITY, SACRAMENTS, The BEATITUDES, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 November – ‘There is nothing as beautiful as a soul which is pure. …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 6 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Within the All Saints Octave – Apocalypse 7:2-12; Matthew 5:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.” … Matthew 5:8

REFLECTION – “There is nothing as beautiful as a soul which is pure. If we understood this, we would be incapable of losing our purity. A pure soul is like a beautiful pearl. As long as it is concealed in a shell, at the bottom of the sea, no-one thinks of admiring it. But if you display it in the sun, then this pearl shines and draws people’s eyes.

Purity comes from Heaven, we have to ask God for it. If we ask for it, we shall receive it. We must take great care not to lose it. It closes our hearts to pride, sensuality and every other passion.

Children, we cannot understand the power which a pure soul has over the Good God – it receives all it wishes for. … Before God, a pure soul is like a child before its mother, it caresses her and hugs her and its mother returns its caresses and embraces.

To preserve our purity, there are three things – the Presence of God, prayer and the Sacraments.” … St John-Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859) Curé d’Ars (Selected Thoughts of the Curé d’Ars).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who granted us to honour the merits of all Thy Saints in a single solemn festival, bestow on us, we beseech Thee, through their manifold intercession that abundance of Thy mercy for which we yearn. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CATECHESIS, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on THE WORLD, St Francis de Sales, The BEATITUDES, The HEART, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 5 November – The Blessedness of the Pure of Heart

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 5 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Within the Octave of All Saints and the Feast of the Holy Relics – Apocalypse 7:2-12; 4:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

The Blessedness of the Pure of Heart

“As mountain hares become white in winter
because they neither see. nor eat
anything but snow,
so, by adoring and feeding on
beauty, purity and goodness itself
in the Eucharist,
you will become altogether
beautiful, pure and good.”

“I often speak with my Teacher, Jesus,
in the Blessed Sacrament
because I learn from Him.
Jesus is the Teacher of the science of holiness.
I go to Him because I would like to learn,
from Him, how to become a Saint.
Of what use to me is all knowledge
and education, if I do not become holy?”

“Whatever riches and all other transitory things
you may possess, you must keep your heart
free from the slightest affection for them.
Your heart may be surrounded by riches;
however, riches must never master your heart!
… Do not let that mind which is the likeness of God,
cleave to mere earthly goods;
let it always be raised above them,
not sunk in them.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“The pure of heart will see God.
… All the wonders of creation
are rays of the Eternal Beauty of God.
Creatures, therefore, should form, for us,
a material ladder which leads us to God.
We should never become entangled
with transient worldly goods
but, should see and love God in them all.
The Saints were pure of heart
and could see God more clearly
than the most learned scholar.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, ON the SAINTS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on PURITY, The BEATITUDES, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 November – “They shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 5 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Within the Octave of All Saints and the Feast of the Holy Relics – Apocalypse 7:2-12; 4:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“They shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8

REFLECTION – “We want to see God, we seek to see Him, we ardently desire to see Him. Who does not desire this? But note what the Gospel says: “Blest are the pure of heart, they shall see God.” Do what is necessary in order to see Him! To compare it with something from material reality, how can you want to contemplate the rising sun if your eyes are sick? If your eyes are healthy that light will be a pleasure for you; if they are sick, it will be torture for you. You will surely not be allowed to see, with an impure heart, that which one can only see with a pure heart. You will be moved away, put at a distance, you will not see!

How often did the Lord proclaim people to be ‘blest‘? What reasons for eternal happiness did He cite, what good works, what gifts, what merits and what rewards? No other! the beatitude says, “They shall see God.” This is what the others say: “How blest are the poor in spirit, the reign of God is theirs. Blest are the lowly; they shall inherit the land. Blest are the sorrowing; they shall be consoled. Blest are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they shall have their fill. Blest are they who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs.” So none other asserts, “They shall see God.”

The vision of God is promised ONLY to those with a pure heart. This is not without a reason, since the eyes which allow us to see God are in the heart. Those are the eyes the Apostle Paul was speaking of when he said: “May He enlighten your innermost vision” (Eph 1:18). So, at the present time because of their weakness, those eyes are enlightened by faith; later, because of their strength, they will be enlightened by vision… “Now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror; then we shall see face-to-face.” (1 Cor 13:12).” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 53).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who granted us to honour the merits of all Thy Saints in a single solemn festival, bestow on us, we beseech Thee, through their manifold intercession, that abundance of Thy mercy for which we yearn.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT, AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, The BEATITUDES, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The REDEMPTION, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 1 December – ‘Look up …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 1 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception” – Romans 13:11-14, Luke 21:25-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“When these things begin to come to pass,
look up and lift up your heads
because your redemption is at hand.”

Luke 21:28

“And do not be afraid of those
who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
But rather, be afraid of him,
who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Matthew 10:28

“Elizabeth says:
‘Blessed are you because you have believed.’
You also are blessed,
because you have heard and believed.
A soul that believes,
both conceives and brings forth
the Word of God
and acknowledges His works.”

St Ambrose of Milan (340-397)
Great Latin Father and Doctor of the Church

“Wherever you are on earth,
however long you remain on earth,
the Lord is near,
do not be anxious about anything!”

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

“He is present to the eyes of the mind,
making Himself seen by those who have a pure heart
and conversing with them.
So pursue your path ….
Do not hinder the Lord’s narrow way
with your dragging feet.
Hitch up your garment and be ready for action,
look up and do not burden yourself
with those oppressive loads
which are your evil desires.
For anyone who is accomplishing
the journey from earth to Heaven,
it is enough to diligently pursue one’s path
without assuming extra weight. … ”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)
Monk and Theologian at Constantinople