Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WATCHING, St PAUL!, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 3 March – ‘ … From darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God …’

Quote/s of the Day – 3 March – Ferial Day – Quinquagesima Sunday –1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – Luke 18:31-43.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

And immediately he saw
and followed Him,
glorifying God.

Luke 18:43

I have appeared to you for this purpose,
to appoint you as a servant and witness,
of what you have seen
and what you will be shown.
I shall deliver you from this people
and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,
to open their eyes, that they may turn
from darkness to light
and from the power of Satan to God,
so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins
and an inheritance among those,
who have been consecrated by faith in me.

Acts 26:16-18

So that our minds might be free of these illusions,
the Word invites us to shake this deep sleep
from the eyes of our soul, so that we might not slip away
from the true realities, by becoming attached
to that which has no consistency.
That is why He suggests that we
be watchful when He says:
“Let your loins be girt about
and your lamps burning …” (Lk 12:35)
For when the light shines before our eyes,
it chases sleep away and, when
our loins are held tight by a belt,
they prevent the body from succumbing to it…
The person who has fastened on
the belt of temperance
lives in the light of a pure conscience;
the trust of a child illuminates his life like a lamp…
If we live in this way, we will enter
a life like that of the Angels
!”

St Gregory of Nyssa (c335–c395)
Father of the Church
(Brother of St Basil the Great)

I was in the world like someone blind
and as though without God,
since I did not know my God.
Then Thou, in person, pitied me
and looked upon me,
when Thou shone Thine Light into my darkness,
Thou converted me
and drew me to Thyself, O my Creator.
And when Thou had snatched me
out of the depths of the pit …
of this life’s pleasures and desires,
then Thou showed me the way
and gave me a guide
who would lead me
to Thy commandments.

St Simeon the New Theologian (949-1022)

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MIRACLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 March – ‘ … We must understand the miracles of our Lord ,,,’

One Minute Reflection – 3 March – “The Month of Saint Joseph” – Ferial Day – Quinquagesima Sunday –1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – Luke 18:31-43.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

And immediately he saw and followed Him, glorifying God.” – Luke 18:43

REFLECTION – “Our Redeemer foresaw that the hearts of His disciples would be greatly disturbed by His Passion. He foretold to them, far ahead, of both the agony of His Passion and the glory of His Resurrection (Lk 18:31-33). Then, when they beheld Him dying, as had been foretold, they would not doubt that He was to rise again. But since the disciples, still worldly as they were, were entirely unable to grasp, the Words of the Mystery (v.34), there was need of a miracle! A blind man received the Light before their eyes, so that a heavenly deed might strengthen the faith of those, who failed to grasp the Words of the heavenly Mystery.

We must understand the miracles of our Lord and Saviour, dearly beloved, so as to believe that they have been truly effected and that their meaning, nevertheless, still signifies something else too … We do not know the historical identity of the blind man but we do know whom he mystically denotes. The blind man is the human race. In our first parents it was driven from the joys of paradise and ignorant of the brightness of the Divine Light, it suffered the darkness of its condemnation. But yet, it is enlightened by the presence of its Redeemer, to see already, the joys of inward light, by desire and to direct the footsteps of its good works, in the way of Life.” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermons on the Gospels).

PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech Thee, mercifully hear our prayers; loose us from the chains of our sins and keep us from all adversity. 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 CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 March – ‘ … How then does he call Him the Son of David? ..’

One Minute Reflection – 2 March – “The Month of Saint Joseph” – Quinquagesima Sunday –1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – Luke 18:31-43. – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

And he cried out, saying, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” – Luke 18:38

REFLECTION – The blind man must have understood, that the sight of the blind cannot be restored by human means but requires, on the contrary, a divine power and an authority such as God only possesses. With God nothing, whatsoever, is impossible. The blind man came near to Him, as to the omnipotent God. How then does he call Him, the Son of David? What can one answer to this? The following is perhaps the explanation. Since He was born and raised in Judaism, of course, the predictions contained in the law and the holy Prophets, concerning Christ, had not escaped his knowledge. He heard them chant that passage in the book of the Psalms, “The Lord has sworn in truth to David and will not annul it, saying: ‘of the fruit of your loins I will set a king upon your throne.’” The blind man also knew that the blessed Prophet Isaiah said, “There will spring up a shoot from the root of Jesse and from his root a flower will grow up.” Isaiah also said, “Behold, a virgin will conceive and bring forth a son,and they will call his name Emmanuel, which, being interpreted is, God with us.”  He already believed that the Word, being God, of His own will, had submitted to be born in the flesh of the holy Virgin. He now comes near to Him, as to God and says, “Have mercy on me, Son of David.” Christ testifies, that this was his state of mind in offering his petition. He said to him, “Your faith has saved you.” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Archbishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor of the Incarnation (Commentary on Luke, Homily 126)

PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech Thee, mercifully hear our prayers; loose us from the chains of our sins and keep us from all adversity. 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 CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Holy Name PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The HOLY NAME, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 2 March – Merciful Jesus! Stretch Forth Thy Hand of Mercy

Our Morning Offering – 2 March – Quinquagesima Sunday

Merciful Jesus!
Stretch Forth Thy Hand of Mercy
(Excerpt – Prayer in a Time of Anguish)
By St Jerome (347-419)

Father and Doctor of the Church

Merciful Jesus!
Thou art my strength, my refuge and my deliverer;
in Thee I have believed and hoped;
in Thee have I loved.
Call me now, I beseech Thee and I will answer.
Stretch forth Thy Hand of mercy, to the work of Thy Hands
and let me not perish, whom Thou hast redeemed
with Thy Precious Blood.
It is now time for dust to return to dust
and my spirit to Thee Who gavest it.
Open then, Lord, the Gate of Life and receive me.
Receive me most merciful Lord,
according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies,
Who receivedst the thief on the cross
and now prepare my soul for hearing
the same promise of mercy which he did.
I am ill, O Lord and Thee my Physician.
Heal me then, my God and I shall be healed,
let me not be confounded, for I put my trust in Thee.
In Thee have I hoped – let me not be cast off forever!
… Deal not with me, according to what I deserve,
nor chastise me, according to my iniquities
but help me, O God, my Saviour
and for the glory of Thy Name deliver me.
Now, at this hour, show mercy to me
and whenever I depart, receive me
into the number of Thy family that I, may be one of those,
who are to praise Thee forever.
Amen

Posted in LENT, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Quinquagesima Sunday, Nuestra Señora de las Apariciones / Our Lady of Apparitions, Madrid, Spain (1449) and the Saints for 2 March

Quinquagesima Sunday:
This Season is seventeen (17) days long and includes the three Sundays before Ash Wednesday.
The length of the Season never changes but the start date is dependent on the movable date of Easter, which can fall between 22 March-25 April.
For many early Christians Quinquagesima marked the time after which meat was forbidden. In many places, this Sunday and the next two days, were used to prepare for Lent by a good Confession; hence in England, we find the names Shrove Sunday and Shrovetide. Shrove is a form of the English word “shrive,” which means – to obtain absolution for one’s sins by way of Confession and doing penance..
As the days before Lent were frequently spent in merry-making, Pope Benedict XIV by the Constitution “Inter Cetera” (1 January 1748) introduced a Forty Hours’ Devotion to keep the faithful from dangerous amusements and to make some reparation for sins committed.
Quinquagesima also means, the time between Easter and Pentecost, or from the Saturday after Easter to the Sunday after Pentecost; it is then called Quinquagesima Paschae paschalis, or laetitae.

Nuestra Señora de las Apariciones / Our Lady of Apparitions, Madrid, Spain (1449) – 2 March:
HERE:

https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/02/our-lady-of-apparitions-madrid-spain-1449-and-memorials-of-the-saints-2-march/

St Absolon of Caesarea

St Agnes of Prague/Bohemia (1211-1282) Virgin, Nun, Princess, Foundress, Abbess, Missionary of Charity and Mercy – Patron of the Czech Republic and Prague.
Her Holy Life:

https://anastpaul.com/2017/03/02/saint-of-the-day-2-march-st-agnes-of-praguebohemia/

St Basileus the Martyr

St Chad (c620-672) Bishop of Lichfield, Confessor, Abbot, Monk, known as the “Apostle of Mercia,”in England.
About St Chad:

https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/02/saint-of-the-day-2-march-saint-chad-c-620-672-bishop/

Blessed Charles the Good (c1083-1127) Martyr, Duke, Apostle, protector and defender of the poor, selling his and his kingdom’s riches to help those in need, wherever he could, a fair and just Ruler who made laws to accommodate the poor rather than the rich (the eventual cause of his Martyrdom), Knight who assisted in Secomd Crusade.
Blessed Charles cultus was officially confirmed by his Beatification in 1883 by Pope Leo XIII.
His Life and Death:

https://anastpaul.com/2023/03/02/saint-of-the-day-2-march-blessed-charles-the-good-c1083-1127-martyr/

St Cynibild of Laestingaeu
St Felix of Treves
St Fergna the White
Blessed Fulk of Neuilly (Died 1201) Priest


St Girolamo Carmelo di Savoia
St Gistilian

St Joavan (Died c576) English Missionary, Bishop of Brittany, France.
The Life of St Jovan:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/03/02/saint-of-the-day-2-march-saint-joavan-of-brittany-died-c576-bishop/

St Jovinus the Martyr
St Lorgius of Caesarea
St Lucius of Caesarea

St Luke Casali of Nicosia (Died c800) Priest Abbot.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “In Agíra in Sicily, Saint Luke Casale of Nicosía, a Monk, full of humility and virtue.
St Luke’s Life:

https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/02/saint-of-the-day-2-march-saint-luke-casali-of-nicosia-died-c-800/

St Slebhene
St Troas

Martyrs of Campania – Approximately 400 northern Italian Christians Martyred for their faith by pagan Lombards. Their story was recorded by Pope Saint Gregory the Great, who reports that they people spent their final days supporting each other with prayer. c 579 in Camnpania, Italy.

Martyrs of Porto Romano – 4 Saints – Group of Christians Martyred in the persecution of Diocletian. The only other information that survives are the names of four of them – Heraclius, Januaria, Paul and Secondilla. c305 at Porto Romano at the mouth of the River Tiber, Rome.