Quote/s of the Day – 8 January – Advice for 2024 from St John of the Cross
“What we need most, in order to make progress, is to be silent before this great God with our appetite and with our tongue, for the language He best hears is silent love.”
“Contemplation is nothing else but a secret, peaceful and loving infusion of God which, if admitted, will set the soul on fire with the Spirit of love.”
“Take God for your spouse and friend and walk with Him continually and you will not sin and will learn to love and, the things you must do, will work out prosperously for you.”
“The endurance of darkness is the preparation for great light!”
“Strive to preserve your heart in peace; let no event of this world, disturb it.”
Lord God, Lift Me Up By St John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Lord God, my Beloved, if Thou art still mindful of my sins and wilt not grant my petitions, let Thy will be done, for this is my main desire. Show Thy goodness and mercy and Thou shalt be known for them. If Thou art waiting for me to do good works and upon their performance, Thou wilt grant my petitions, cause them to be accomplished in me, O Lord! Send also, the punishment for my sins, which is acceptable to Thee. For how will I raise myself up to Thee, born and bred as I am, in misery, unless Thou, O Lord, wilt lift me up with the Hand which made me?! Amen
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Mystical Doctor of the Church
Quote/s of the Day – 31 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Sunday Within the Octave of Christmas – Galatians 4:1-7, Luke 2:33-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“She did not leave the temple, serving with fastings and prayers, night and day.”
Luke 2:37
“If, in holy Scripture, Christ is the true Sun and the true Day, there is no hour when Christians should not adore God frequently and constantly, so that we, who are in Christ, that is, in the true Sun and true Day, should be persevering, throughout the whole day, in our petitions and prayer. And when, in the course of time, the revolving night returns, there can be no harm from the nocturnal shades, for those who pray because, to the sons of Light (1 Thes 5:5), even in the night there is day! For when is he without light who has Light in his heart? Or when does he not have sun and day to whom Christ is Sun and Day?”
St Cyprian (200-258) Martyr, Father of the Church
“Arm yourself with prayer instead of a sword; be clothed with humility instead of fine raiment.”
St Dominic (1170-1221)
“If you want God to hear your prayers, hear the voice of the poor. If you wish God to anticipate your wants, provide for those of the need, without waiting for them to ask you. Especially, anticipate the needs of those, who are ashamed to beg. To make them ask for alms, is to make them buy it!”
St Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555)
“It is best to learn to silence the faculties and to cause them to be still, so that God may speak!”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
“The chief exercise of prayer, is to speak to God and to hear God speak in the bottom of our heart.”
(Treatise on the Love of God Book 6 Chapter 1)
“The sacred gift of prayer is already in the Right Hand of the Saviour; as soon as ever you shall have emptied yourself of self, He will pour it into your heart!”
Quote/s of the Day – 16 December – 2 Corinthians 1:3-7; Matthew 16:24-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
Seeking St John of the Cross
“For he who will save his life, will lose it and he who will lose his life for My sake, will find it. ”
Matthew 16:25
“The one who walks in the love of God seeks neither gain nor reward but seeks only, with the will, to lose self and all things, for God and this loss, the lover judges to be a gain! ”
“O you souls who wish to go on with so much safety and consolation, if you knew how pleasing to God, is suffering and how much it helps, in acquiring other good things, you would never seek consolation in anything; but. you would rather look upon it, as a great happiness, to bear the Cross of the Lord.”
“The endurance of darkness is the preparation for great light!”
“Strive to preserve your heart in peace; let no event of this world, disturb it.”
“Happiness is not a destination, it is a method of travel.”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 16 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Eusebius of Vercelli (c283-371) Bishop, Confessor – 2 Corinthians 1:3-7; Matthew 16:24-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“For he who will save his life, will lose it and he who will lose his life, for My sake, will find it. ” – Matthew 16:25
REFLECTION – “I lost myself and was found”
“The one who walks in the love of God seeks neither gain nor reward but seeks only, with the will, to lose self and all things, for God and this loss, the lover judges to be a gain! Thus it is, as St Paul asserts: “For me death is gain” [Phil 1:21], that is, my death to all things and to myself, for Christ, is my spiritual gain. Consequently, the soul declares: “I was found.” The soul who does not know how to lose himself, does not find himself but rather, loses himself, as Our Lord teaches in the Gospel: “For he that will save his life, shall lose it and he that will lose his life for my sake, will find it. ” (Mt 16:25).
Should we desire to interpret this verse more spiritually and in accord with what we are discussing here, it ought to be known that when a soul treading the spiritual road, has reached such a point that he has lost all roads and natural methods, in his communion with God and no longer seeks Him by reflections or forms or feelings or by any other way of creatures and the senses but, has advanced beyond them all and beyond all modes and manners and enjoys communion with God in faith and love, then it is said that God is his gain, because he has certainly lost all that is not God and has truly lost himself.” – St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Carmelite, Doctor of the Church (Spiritual Canticle 29:11).
PRAYER – O God, Who gladden us with the annual festival of blessed Eusebius, Thy Martyr and Bishop, mercifully grant that, as we venerate the anniversary of his Martyrdom, we may also rejoice in his protection.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).
Our Morning Offering – 16 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Saturday of the Second Week of Advent and a day to honour our Holy Mother
Most Holy Mary By St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
Most holy Mary, Virgin of virgins, Shrine of the most Holy Trinity, joy of the Angels, sure Refuge of sinners, take pity on our sorrows, mercifully accept our sighs and appease the wrath of your most holy Son. Amen.
One Minute Reflection – 24 November – St John of the Cross OCD (1542-1591) Confessor, Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“I am not come to destroy but to fulfil.” – Matthew 5:17
REFLECTION – “The sacrifice of the lamb, the Passover rite and the letter of the Law have reached their term in Jesus Christ, in view of Whom, everything in the ancient Law took place – and, even more so, in the new dispensation. For the Law became the Word; from being old it became new … the commandments have been transformed into grace and the foreshadowing into Truth; the lamb has become the Son, the sheep has become man and man has become God. …
God, although He was the Lord, put on our humanity; He suffered for him, who was suffering, was bound for him, who was captive, was judged for the guilty, was buried for him, who was buried. He was raised from the dead and cried out in a loud voice: “If anyone wishes to oppose Me, let us appear together” (Is 50:8). It is I Who delivered the condemned man; I Who restored life to the dead; I Who raised up those in the grave. “Who disputes My right?” It is I, He says, I Who am the Christ, I Who destroyed death, Who triumphed over the enemy, Who bound the mighty enemy and carried off man to the heights of heaven; it is I, He says, Who am the Christ.
Come along then, every human family, full of sin as you are and receive the forgiveness of your sins. For I Myself am your forgiveness, I am the Passover of salvation, the Lamb slain for your sakes, your Redemption, Life and Resurrection; I am your Light, your Salvation and your King. It is I Who lead you to the heights of Heaven, I Who will raise you up; it is I Who will bring you to see the Father Who is from all eternity; it is I Who will raise you up by My all-powerful Hand.” – St Melito of Sardis (Died c180) Bishop of Sardis in Smyrna and Father of the Church [Paschal Homily (Passim)]
PRAYER – O God, Who made blessed John, Thy Confessor and Teacher, an extraordinary lover of perfect self-denial and the Cross, grant that, by continually striving to imitate him, we may reach everlasting glory. 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).
Our Morning Offering – 24 November – St John of the Cross OCD (1542-1591) Confessor, Doctor of the Church
Lord God, Lift Me Up By St John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Lord God, my Beloved, if Thou art still mindful of my sins and wilt not grant my petitions, let Thy will be done, for this is my main desire. Show Thy goodness and mercy and Thou shalt be known for them. If Thou art waiting for me to do good works and upon their performance, Thou wilt grant my petitions, cause them to be accomplished in me, O Lord! Send also, the punishment for my sins, which is acceptable to Thee. For how will I raise myself up to Thee, born and bred as I am, in misery, unless Thou, O Lord, wilt lift me up with the Hand which made me?! Amen
Bl Conrad of Frisach St Crescentian of Rome St Eanfleda of Whitby St Felicissimus of Perugia St Firmina of Amelia St Flora of Cordoba St Hitto of Saint-Gall St Kenan of Damleag St Leopardinus of Vivaris St Marinus of Maurienne St Mary of Cordoba St Portianus of Miranda St Protasius of Milan St Romanus of Le Mans
Quote/s of the Day – 17 July –The Feast of the Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“To arrive at the knowledge of the Truth, there are many paths – the first is humility, the second is humility and the third is humility.”
“Humility is a very strange entity. The moment we think we have it, we have already lost it!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace)
“True humility consists in persuading and convincing oneself that without God, we are insignificant and despicable and, in acceptance, to be treated as such!”
St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
“In order to overcome the power of the devil, the soul needs prayer and will not be able to understand his deceptions, without mortification and humility.”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
The most holy Virgin, Our Lady, gave us an outstanding example of this when she spoke these words: “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). When she said she was the handmaid of the Lord, she was performing the greatest act of humility it is possible to do and, all the more so, in that she was contradicting the praise given her by the angel – that she would be mother of God, that the child to be born from her womb would be called Son of the Most High, a greater dignity than any we might imagine – I say, she opposed her lowliness and unworthiness to all these praises and greatness, by saying that she was the handmaid of the Lord.”
“There are some people who have a right conscience … Nevertheless, these must remember St Paul’s warning: “Let him who thinks he stands, take heed, lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12). They must not grow proud, like the Pharisee who prayed in front of the altar but, must be humble, like the poor publican, who knew that without God’s direction and grace, he would fall into serious sin.”
One Minute Reflection – 17 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – Feast of The Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 1 Timothy 6:6-12, Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29
REFLECTION – “Seek for nothing, desiring to enter for love of Jesus, with detachment, emptiness and poverty in everything in this world. You will never have to do with necessities greater than those to which you made your heart yield itself – for the poor in spirit are most happy and joyful in a state of privation and he who has set his heart on nothing, finds satisfaction everywhere.
The poor in spirit (Mt 5:3) give generously all they have and their pleasure consists in being thus deprived of everything for God’s sake and out of love for their neighbour … Not only do temporal goods – the delights and tastes of the senses – hinder and thwart the way of God but spiritual delights and consolations also, if sought for or clung to eagerly, disturb the way of virtue.” – St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Carmelite, Doctor of the Church (Spiritual maxims Nos 352, 355, 356, 364).
PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants, that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness both of mind and body and, by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, maybe delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness.ThroughJesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 15 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” and Mary’s Day
Most Holy Mary By St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
Most holy Mary, Virgin of virgins, Shrine of the most Holy Trinity, joy of the Angels, sure Refuge of sinners, take pity on our sorrows, mercifully accept our sighs and appease the wrath of your most holy Son. Amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 10 March – Friday of the Second Week in Lent – Hebrews 11:33-39, Luke 6:17-23. – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Wisely indeed He puts first… what every man seeks… For who does not want to be happy? Why do men universally quarrel and fight, bargain, resort to flattery and inflict injuries on one another? Is it not simply in order to obtain, by fair means or foul… something that promises to make them happy?… So, the Teacher of all men… begins by redirecting those who have lost the way…; He Who is “the Way, the Truth and the Life”… (Jn 14,16; 6,32;4,6) begins with the words: “Happy are the poor in spirit.”
Bl Isaac of Stella O.Cist. (c 1100–c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher
“Seek for nothing, desiring to enter for love of Jesus, with detachment, emptiness and poverty in everything in this world. You will never have to do with necessities greater than those to which you made your heart yield itself – for the poor in spirit are most happy and joyful in a state of privation and he who has set his heart on nothing, finds satisfaction everywhere!”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
Quote/s of the Day – 16 December – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception” – Friday of Ember Week in Advent – 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, Matthew 16:24-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“For he who would save his life will lose it but he who loses his life, for My sake will find it.”
Matthew 16:25
“Take nothing for your journey, neither staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; neither have two tunics.”
Luke 9:3
“Since happiness is nothing else than the enjoyment of the Supreme Good and the Supreme Good is above us, no-one can enjoy happiness, unless he rises above himself.”
St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church
“O you souls who wish to go on with so much safety and consolation, if you knew how pleasing to God, is suffering and how much it helps, in acquiring other good things, you would never seek consolation in anything; but. you would rather look upon it, as a great happiness, to bear the Cross of the Lord.”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
“Perfection consists in one thing alone, which is doing the will of God. For, according to Our Lord’s words, it suffices for perfection to deny self, to take up the cross and to follow Him. Now who denies himself and takes up his cross and follows Christ better, than he who seeks not to do his own will but always that of God? Behold, now, how little is needed to become a Saint? Nothing more than to acquire the habit of willing, on every occasion, what God wills.”
St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)
“Entrust yourself entirely to God. He is a Father and a most loving Father at that, Who would rather let Heaven and earth collapse, than abandon anyone who trusted in Him.”
One Minute Reflection – 26 November – St Sylvester Gozzolini OSB Silv. (1177– 1267) Priest, Abbot – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6, Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29
REFLECTION – “Seek for nothing, desiring to enter for love of Jesus, with detachment, emptiness and poverty in everything in this world. You will never have to do with necessities greater than those to which you made your heart yield itself – for the poor in spirit are most happy and joyful in a state of privation and he who has set his heart on nothing, finds satisfaction everywhere.
The poor in spirit (Mt 5:3) give generously all they have and their pleasure consists in being thus deprived of everything for God’s sake and out of love for their neighbour … Not only do temporal goods – the delights and tastes of the senses – hinder and thwart the way of God but spiritual delights and consolations also, if sought for or clung to eagerly, disturb the way of virtue.” – St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Carmelite, Doctor of the Church (Spiritual maxims, nos. 352, 355,356, 364; 1693 edition).
PRAYER – Most merciful God, Who when the holy Abbot Sylvester was devoutly meditating upon the vanity of this world beside an open grave, graciously willed to call him into the desert and enrich him with unusual merits, we humbly pray that, following his example, despising the things of earth, we may thoroughly enjoy Thy everlasting presence.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).
One Minute Reflection – 24 November – St John of the Cross OCD (1542-1591) Confessor, Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:14
REFLECTION – “I shall always love and reverence the Apostles sent by Christ and their successors, in sowing the seed of the Gospel, those zealous and tireless co-operators in propagating the Word, who may justly say of themselves: Let a man so account of us as the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God. For Christ, like a most watchful and most faithful householder, wished that the Gospel lamp should be lighted by such ministers and delegates, with fire sent down from Heaven and once lighted, should not be put under a measure but set upon a candlestick, so that it may spread its brightness far and wide and put to flight, all darkness and error, rife among both Jews and Gentiles.
Now it is not enough for the Gospel teacher to be a brilliant speaker in the eyes of the people; he must also be as a voice crying in the desert and endeavour, by his eloquence, to help many to lead good lives, lest, if he omit his duty of speaking, he be called the dumb dog that is not able to bark, spoken of by the prophet. Yes, he should also burn, in such a way, that, equipped with good works and love, he may adorn his evangelical office and follow the leadership of Paul. He indeed was not satisfied with bidding the Bishop of the Ephesians: This command and teach: conduct thyself in work as a good soldier of Christ Jesus but he unflaggingly preached the Gospel to friend and foe alike and, said with a good conscience to the Bishops gathered at Ephesus: You know how I have kept back nothing that was for your good but have declared it to you and taught you in public and from house to house, urging Jews and Gentiles to turn to God in repentance and to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Such should be the shepherd in the Church who, like Paul, becomes all things to all men, so that the sick may find healing in him; the sad, joy; the desperate, hope; the ignorant, instruction; those in doubt, advice; the penitent, forgiveness and comfort and finally, everyone, whatever is necessary for salvation. And so Christ, when He wished to appoint the chief teachers of the world and of the Church, did not limit Himself to saying to His disciples: You are the light of the world but also added these words: A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a measure but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all who are in the house. Those churchmen err, who imagine that it is by brilliant preaching, rather than by holiness of and all-embracing love, they fulfil their office.” – St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1597) Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – O God, Who made blessed John, Thy Confessor and Teacher, an extraordinary lover of perfect self-denial and the Cross, grant that, by continually striving to imitate him, we may reach everlasting glory. 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).
Our Morning Offering – 24 November – St John of the Cross OCD (1542-1591) Confessor, Doctor of the Church
Most Holy Mary By St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
Most holy Mary, Virgin of virgins, Shrine of the most Holy Trinity, joy of the Angels, sure Refuge of sinners, take pity on our sorrows, mercifully accept our sighs and appease the wrath of your most holy Son. Amen.
Saint of the Day – 24 November – Saint John of the Cross OCD (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church, Confessor, Carmelite Priest, Mystic, Poet, Reformer, Writer. He was gifted with prophecy and miracles, visions and the ability to read hearts.
St John of the Cross By Father Francis Xavier Weninger SJ (1805-1888)
In 1542, was born at Fontiveros, a hamlet of old Castile, St John of the Cross, renowned through the entire Christian world, as the restorer of the Carmelite Order. His mother, after his father’s early death, went to Medina del Campo, where John commenced his studies and continued them until he entered the Order of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel. From his early youth he had entertained a childlike devotion to the Blessed Virgin, who more than once saved him most miraculously from death. One day, when playing with some other lads around a deep pond, he fell into it. In this danger, the Divine Mother appeared to him in a most beautiful form and offered him her hand, to draw him out of the water. But as his hands were much soiled, he hesitated to take those of so brilliant a lady, whereupon his Guardian Angel, or some other inhabitant of Heaven, held out to him, from the edge of the pond, a long pole, by the aid of which he was happily saved. At another time he fell into a well and when all feared that he was drowned, they saw him sitting quietly upon the water. When they drew him out, he said that the Queen of Heaven had caught him in her cloak and thus prevented his sinking.
Before he was nine years old, he showed a wonderful zeal in mortifying his body, chastising himself by taking only a short rest on a hard bed and by voluntary fasts. While yet a student, he nursed, with great solicitude and charity, the sick in the hospitals. After he had taken the Carmelite Habit, he was not satisfied with the penances then practiced in the Convent but endeavoured to regulate his life, in accordance with the first rules and ancient austerity of the Order.
When he prepared himself to say his first Holy Mass, he searched his conscience very carefully,but found no grievous fault. He then gave humble thanks to the Almighty and during his Mass, begged for the grace to be kept in future, free from all mortal sin. His prayer was accepted and he heard the words: “I grant thee thy wish.” From that time, St John never offended the Lord by a mortal sin, nor voluntarily by a venial one.
St Teresa, who lived at that period, said of him that he was a Saint, and had been one all his life. This renowned and holy virgin met St John at Medina and, conferred with him about her desire to found houses for religious, who would live according to the original strict regulations of the Carmelites. John, who, in his eagerness to live in greater austerity, had thought of joining the Carthusian Monks, asked St Teresa’s advice. She told him that it would be more agreeable to God, if he remained in his Order and restored among the men, the same primitive rigour which she was endeavouring to restore among the women. She added, that God had called him to this work. John took counsel with God and his Confessor and then resolved to follow St Teresa’s advice. He erected his first Monastery on a farm which had been presented to him for this purpose and God so visibly blest his undertaking, that he not only filled his house, in a short time, with zealous men but was enabled also, to found several new Convents.
In these religious houses, all the inmates lived so holy and so austere a life that many, thought it was more to be admired, than imitated. The Saint was an example to all and one could hardly imagine a penance which he did not practice. He gave no ear to those who told him to moderate his severities but said: “The narrow path leading to Heaven cannot be travelled by me, in a manner less austere.” The hardships he endured in founding his Monasteries and in restoring the severe regulations of the Order; the persecutions and wrongs he suffered, cannot be described in the short space allotted to us, yet in all these trials, he was never despondent. The love of God possessed his heart so entirely, that he desired nothing but to labour and to suffer for His honour.
The Lord asked him one day what recompense he desired for all his trouble and labour. “Nothing else, O Lord but to suffer and to be despised for Thy sake,” was his answer. Three things he used to ask of the Almighty – first, much work and much suffering; secondly, not to depart this life as a superior; thirdly that he might live and die despised. So unusual a desire to suffer and to be despised, was the result of his meditation on the Passion of Jesus Christ and of his great love for God. This love was so intense that his countenance was frequently seen radiant with a heavenly light, especially when he spoke of divine things. At the time of prayer, as well as during Holy Mass, he often fell into ecstasy and was dissolved in tears. Our Lord once appeared to him in the same form as when He died for us on the Cross. This picture remained so indelibly imprinted on the Saint’s memory,that it almost daily drew tears from his eyes.
Into all those, over whom he had the slightest influence, he endeavoured to instill a tender devotion to our Crucified Lord, as well as to the Most Holy Trinity and to the Blessed Eucharist. His language to sinners was so forcible that he converted even the most hardened. He was much aided in this by the gift which the Almighty had bestowed upon him, of reading the thoughts of the heart. Many who came to him were reproached with their secret sins and admonished to reform their lives. He possessed also the gifts of prophecy, of driving out devils and curing all kinds of diseases. Besides this, he had many visions of the Blessed Virgin, St Joseph, St John and Christ the Lord. Especially remarkable, were the heavenly favours, with which this great servant of the Almighty was comforted, during an imprisonment of nine months, to which he was unjustly condemned. Christ appeared to him and said: “Behold! John, I am here! Fear not. I will rescue thee!” The Blessed Virgin, accompanied by a great many Saints, appeared to him and said: “My son, be patient and endure, for your trials will soon give way to joy.” In another vision, she admonished him to escape from the prison, promising him her assistance, a promise which she also kept. St Teresa, who, during her life, had been closely united with him, appeared also to him after her death, speaking to him most kindly. In his adversity she comforted him, and encouraged him to new labours for the honour of God.
The reward of all the work which the holy man had accomplished, as also of the trials and tribulations he had suffered, was at length bestowed upon him, in the year 1591, when he was in the forty-ninth year of his age. He was seized with fever, in the hermitage of Pegnuela and was brought from there to Ubeda, according to his wish. He had an ulcer on that part of his right foot where the holy feet of our Lord were pierced with nails. To open it, the surgeon was obliged to make a deep incision. The pain thus caused was very great but greater still, was the patience of the Saint, who even rejoiced at bearing, in some manner, the image of the sufferings of Christ and at having five wounds on one foot.
God had already, some time previously, revealed to him the hour of his death and the Blessed Virgin, whom the Saint had always especially honoured, appeared to him on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, saying that she would come for him on the Sunday after the festival. When the physicians told him that his end was not far distant, he said, in the words of the Psalmist: “I was glad when they said unto me, We shall go up into the house of the Lord.” Half an hour before his death, he called all his religious to him, exhorted them to persevere in their zeal and said: “My parting hour draws near.” After the usual prayers of the Church, he heard the bells ring for the midnight Matins. “I shall sing the Matins in Heaven,” said he, after which, taking the Crucifix, he kissed it most devoutly and calmly ended his holy life, saying: “Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my soul.” A large ball, as of fire, was seen above the dying Saint. After his death, his countenance beamed with a heavenly brightness and was so beautiful that none grew weary of looking at him, while at the same time, such delicious odour emanated from him that the whole Monastery was filled with it. The Almighty has carefully preserved his body incorrupt until this hour.
Bl Conrad of Frisach St Crescentian of Rome St Eanfleda of Whitby St Felicissimus of Perugia St Félix Alonso Muñiz St Firmina of Amelia St Flora of Cordoba St Francisco Borrás Román St Hitto of Saint-Gall St Kenan of Damleag St Leopardinus of Vivaris Bl Maria Anna Sala St Marinus of Maurienne St Mary of Cordoba St Pierre Rose Ursule Dumoulin Borie St Portianus of Miranda St Protasius of Milan St Romanus of Le Mans
Quote/s of the Day – 12 November – St Martin I, Pope (598-655) Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee but My Father Who is in Heaven.”
Matthew 16:17
“If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” Jesus turned and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.”
Matthew 9:21-22
“But whom do you say that I Am?”
Luke 9:20
“Our pilgrimage on earth cannot be exempt from trial. We progress by means of trial. No-one knows himself except through trial, or receives a crown, except after victory, or strives, except against an enemy or temptations.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“What determines that the gifts of God dwells in us, is the measure of each one’s faith. Because it is to the extent that we believe, that the enthusiasm to act is given us. And so those who act, reveal the measure of their faith proportionate to their action, they receive their measure of grace according to what they have believed. …”
St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Monk and Theologian
“All our goodness is a loan; God is the owner; God works and His work is God.”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 3 November – Within the Octave of All Saints – Apocalypse 7:2-12, Matthew 5:1-12– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Wisely indeed He puts first… what every man seeks… For who does not want to be happy? Why do men universally quarrel and fight, bargain, resort to flattery and inflict injuries on one another? Is it not simply in order to obtain, by fair means or foul… something that promises to make them happy?… So, the Teacher of all men… begins by redirecting those who have lost the way…; He Who is “the Way, the Truth and the Life”… (Jn 14,16; 6,32;4,6) begins with the words: “Happy are the poor in spirit.”
Bl Isaac of Stella O.Cist. (c 1100–c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher
“Seek for nothing, desiring to enter for love of Jesus, with detachment, emptiness and poverty in everything in this world. You will never have to do with necessities greater than those to which you made your heart yield itself – for the poor in spirit are most happy and joyful in a state of privation and he who has set his heart on nothing, finds satisfaction everywhere!”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
“If humble souls are contradicted, they remain calm; if they are calumniated, they suffer with patience; if they are little esteemed, neglected, or forgotten, they consider this their due; if they are weighed down with occupations, they perform them cheerfully. ”
St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)
O Merciful God By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis
O merciful God, grant that I may ever perfectly do Your Will in all things. Let it be my ambition to work only for Your honour and glory. Let me rejoice in nothing but that leads to You, nor grieve for anything, that leads away from You. May all passing things be as nothing in my eyes and may all that is Yours, be dear to me and You, my God, dear above them all. May all joy be meaningless without You and may I desire nothing, apart from You. May all labour and toil delight me when it is for You. Make me, O Lord, obedient without complaint, poor without regret, patient without murmur, humble without pretence, joyous without frivolity, and truthful without disguise. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 23 July – The Memorial of St Apollinaris (1st Century) Bishop Martyr, Disciple of St Peter – 1 Peter 5:1-11, Luke 22:24-30
“Let him who is greatest among you, become as the youngest and he who is the leader, as the servant.”
Luke 22:25
“Those who refuse to be humble cannot be saved. They cannot say with the prophet: See, God comes to my aid; the Lord is the helper of my soul. But anyone who makes himself humble, like a little child, is greater in the kingdom of heaven.”
St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor if the Church
“When insults have no effect on us, when persecutions and penalties, have no terror for us, when prosperity or adversity, has no influence on us, when friend and foe, are viewed in the same light… do we not come close, to sharing, the serenity of God?”
St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) “St Bernard of the North”
“O blessed Jesus, give me stillness of soul in You. Let Your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O King of Gentleness, King of Peace.”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
“Humility and charity are the two master chords – one, the lowest; the other, the highest; all the others are dependent on them. Therefore, it is necessary, above all. to maintain ourselves in these two virtues, for observe well, that the preservation of the whole edifice depends on the foundation and the roof!”
One Minute Reflection – 20 May – The Memorial of St Bernadine of Siena OFM (1380-1444) Confessor – Ecclesiasticus 31:8-11, Matthew 19:27-29.
“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29
REFLECTION – “Seek for nothing, desiring to enter for love of Jesus, with detachment, emptiness and poverty in everything in this world. You will never have to do with necessities greater than those to which you made your heart yield itself – for the poor in spirit are most happy and joyful in a state of privation and he who has set his heart on nothing, finds satisfaction everywhere.
The poor in spirit (Mt 5:3) give generously all they have and their pleasure consists in being thus deprived of everything for God’s sake and out of love to their neighbour … Not only do temporal goods – the delights and tastes of the senses – hinder and thwart the way of God but spiritual delights and consolations also, if sought for or clung to eagerly, disturb the way of virtue.” – St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Carmelite, Doctor of the Church (Spiritual maxims, nos. 352, 355,356, 364; 1693 edition).
PRAYER – O Lord Jesus, Who bestowed on blessed Bernardine, Your Confessor, an unusual love for Your Holy Name, we beseech You, by his merits and intercession, graciously pour upon us the spirit of Your love. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
One Minute Reflection –7 February – The Memorial of St Romuald, Abbot (c 951-1027) – Ecclus 45:1-6, Matthew 19:27-29.
“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29
REFLECTION – “Seek for nothing, desiring to enter for love of Jesus, with detachment, emptiness and poverty in everything in this world. You will never have to do with necessities greater than those to which you made your heart yield itself – for the poor in spirit are most happy and joyful in a state of privation and he who has set his heart on nothing, finds satisfaction everywhere.
The poor in spirit (Mt 5:3) give generously all they have and their pleasure consists in being thus deprived of everything for God’s sake and out of love to their neighbour … Not only do temporal goods – the delights and tastes of the senses – hinder and thwart the way of God but spiritual delights and consolations also, if sought for or clung to eagerly, disturb the way of virtue.” – St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Carmelite, Doctor of the Church (Spiritual maxims, nos. 352, 355,356, 364; 1693 edition)
PRAYER – Father of might and power, every good and perfect gift comes to us from You. Implant in our hearts the love of Your Name and Your creatures. Increase our zeal for Your service by following behind Your Son with determination and joy. Nourish in us what good and tend it with watchful care. Grant that the prayers and caring love of the Blessed Virgin, our Mother, may help us to follow Jesus our Saviour unreservedly and thus attain eternal life. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord in the union of the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 5 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – Christmas Weekday, Readings: 1 John 4:7-10, Psalms 72:1-2, 3-4,7-8, Mark 6:34-44
“Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.”
1 John 4:11
“So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
John 13:14
“It is by the path of love, which is charity, that God draws near to man and man to God. But where charity is not found, God cannot dwell. If, then, we possess charity, we posses God, for ‘God is Charity’ (1 John 4:8).”
St Albert the Great OP (1200-1280) Doctor of the Church
“At the end of your life, you will be judged by your love.”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
“The Gospel showed me that the first commandment is to love God with all one’s heart and that, we should enfold everything in love; everyone knows, that the first effect of love is imitation.”
Bl Charles of Jesus de Foucauld (1858-1916)
“Before the cave at Bethelehm then, we should learn two great lessons. We should learn to love Jesus intensely, as our highest and only good and we should learn to love, in an effective and practical way, those who are poverty-stricken or suffering, in whom we should be able to see Jesus Christ Himself.”
Quote of the Day – 22 December – Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, O Rex Gentium/O King of all Nations,
“If you want, the Virgin will come walking down the road pregnant with the Holy and say: “I need shelter for the night. Please take me inside your heart. My time is so close.” Then, under the roof of your soul, you will witness the sublime intimacy, the Divine, the Christ, taking birth forever. As she grasps your hand for help, for each of us is the midwife of God, each of us. Yes, there, under the dome of your being, does creation come into existence eternally– through your womb, dear pilgrim–the sacred womb of your soul! As God grasps our arms for help; for each of us is His beloved servant never far. If you want, the Virgin will come, walking down the street, pregnant with Light and sing!”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Mystical Doctor of the Church
Madonna del Patrocinio / Our Lady of Defence – also known as Santa Maria del Calcare (Faenza, Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy) (1685) – 14 December:
In Forlì, in eastern Italy, the Baldi family owned a painting of the Madonna nursing the Christ Child. A woman of the family joined the Camaldolese Benedictine Convent there under the name of Sister Frances and at her death, the Bishop requested that the sacred image be moved to the Convent Church. In 1614, such great crowds attended the Madonna’s transfer ceremony that the Sisters decided to build a special Chapel for the Blessed Virgin of Defence. On the last Sunday of September, 1650, the painting was installed in its new marble Shrine. An annual festa on that day commemorated the beginning of public veneration of the Virgin of Defence. During the night of 20 November 1685, a fire spread from the Convent laundry to the parlour and Sacristy and had almost entered the Chapel of the holy image when the flames stopped unexpectedly. Only in morning did the nuns realise what happened. This miracle rekindled public devotion to the Blessed Virgin of Defence, which the Vatican approved officially in 1721. During the Risorgimento, the government closed many religious communities and seized their goods. When their Convent was suppressed in 1862, the Camaldolese Nuns of Forlì moved with their Madonna to Faenza, about 15 miles away. The small Sanctuary of the Madonna del Patrocinio, is located along the old mule track that led from Bieno and Santino to the sunny pastures of Ompio. The Sanctuary, built at the beginning of the 18th century, was the destination of endless penitential processions of peasants, shepherds and woodcutters. The place is surrounded by dense chestnut and oak woods; almost a border between the lakes (Maggiore and Mergozzo) and the infinite forest of the Val Grande. On 14 December 1954, at the close of the Marian Year, the sacred image was solemnly crowned by the Bishop of Faenza, Msgr Giuseppe Battaglia. At the nuns’ request, the Virgin’s crown was made of the gold rings they had received at their solemn profession, together with pilgrims’ votive offerings. St Catherine’s Convent was demolished in 2008 for construction of a Catholic rest home. I believe the miraculous image now resides in the local Parish Church.
St Abundius of Spain St Agnellus of Naples St Berthold of Regensburg OFM (c 1220-1272) Friar of the Order of the Friars Minor, Renowned Preacher for which reason he was known as “Sweet Brother Berthold,” “The Beloved of God and man,” “A Second Elias,”,”The Teacher of the Nations.” Bl Buenaventura Bonaccorsi St Folcuino of Therouanne Bl Joan Lambertini St John Pan y Agua (Bread-and-Water) Bl John Discalceat St Justus of Spain St Matronianus of Milan St Pompeius of Pavia Bl Protasi Cubells Minguell
St Viator of Bergamo St Yusuf Jurj Kassab al-Hardini Bl William de Rovira — Martyrs of Alexandria – 4 saints: A group of Egyptian Christians martyred together in the persecutions of Decius – Arsenius, Dioscurus, Heron and Isidore. They were burned to death in 250 at Alexandria, Egypt.
Martyrs of Apollonia – 7 saints: Martyred in the persecutions of Decius. The only surviving details are three names – Callinicus, Leucio and Tirso. Apollonia, Bithynia (in modern Turkey).
Martyrs of Ashkelon – 3 saints: Several pilgrims from Egypt to Cilicia (in modern Turkey) who planned to minister to fellow Christians suffering in the persecutions of emperor Maximinus. They were arrested, torture, mutilated and then imprisoned in Ashkelon. Some were ordered to forced labour in the mines, but we have the names of three who were martyred by order of governor Firmilian – Ares, Elijah and Promo. They were burned at the stake or beheaded at the gates of Ashkelon c 308.
Martyrs of Hayle – 2+ saints: Several Christians, including a brother and sister, who were martyred together by pagans. The only other information to survive are the names of the two siblings – Fingar and Phiala. 5th century at Hayle, Cornwall, England.
Martyrs of Syria – 3 saints: Three Christians who were martyred together. Known to Saint John Chrysostom who preached on their feast day and left us the only details we have – their names – Drusus, Theodore and Zosimus. The date and precise location of their martyrdom is unknown, but it was in Syria, possibly in Antioch.
Quote/s of the Day – 24 November – The Memorial of St John of the Cross OCD (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
“O blessed Jesus, give me stillness of soul in You. Let Your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O King of Gentleness, King of Peace.”
“Never before has anyone spoken like this One.”
John 7:46
“God could answer: “My Son is My entire Locution and Response, Vision and Revelation, which I have already spoken, answered, manifested and revealed to you, by giving Him to you as a Brother, Companion, Master, Ransom and Reward…”
“A soul makes room for God by wiping away all the smudges and smears of creatures, by uniting its will perfectly to God’s, for to love is to labour, to divest and deprive oneself for God, of all that is not God When this is done, the soul will be illumined by and transformed in God.”
“Now that I no longer desire all, I have it all, without desire.”
“All our goodness is a loan; God is the owner; God works and His work is God.”
“At the end of your life, you will be judged by your love.”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
Our Morning Offering – 24 November – The Memorial of St John of the Cross OCD (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
Most Holy Mary By St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
Most holy Mary, Virgin of virgins, Shrine of the most Holy Trinity, joy of the Angels, sure Refuge of sinners, take pity on our sorrows, mercifully accept our sighs and appease the wrath of your most holy Son. Amen.
Vierge Noire de Myans, / The Black Madonna of Myans, Montmélian, Chambéry, France (1248) 24 November:, 8 September:
The original Statue before restoration after the French revolution desecration
On 24 November 1248, a disastrous avalanche on Mont Granier buried whole towns and killed hundreds in Savoy. When word spread that the cataclysm had stopped short at the small Chapel of the Virgin near Myans, its Ebony Statue of the Virgin and Child from the 1100s, became a magnet of devotion. In 1452, Franciscans began building the Church they would maintain there for 300 years. In 1792, French revolutionaries attacked the Church and badly damaged the Black Virgin. The restored Statue, re-installed in the Church Crypt in 1855, was canonically crowned 50 years later. Our Lady of Myans is celebrated on 8 September, Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin and on 24 November in remembrance of this miracle.
The many pilgrims who visit can, in fact, on entering the Sanctuary, contemplate at first glance, two superimposed Churches. The only other Sanctuary to present this characteristic, is that of Bethlehem.
The Upper Sanctuary now known as Notre-Dame de Myans is also known as The Golden Virgin of Myans for surmounting the Sanctuary, stands the most magnificent Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gold, which was erected in memory of the collapse of Mount Granier and the miracle our Blessed Mother wrought in the town of Myans.
St Alexander of Corinth St Balsamus of Cava St Bieuzy of Brittany St Chrysogonus St Colman of Cloyne (530 – 606) Bishop Bl Conrad of Frisach St Crescentian of Rome St Eanfleda of Whitby St Felicissimus of Perugia St Félix Alonso Muñiz St Firmina of Amelia St Flora of Cordoba St Francisco Borrás Román St Hitto of Saint-Gall St Kenan of Damleag St Leopardinus of Vivaris Bl Maria Anna Sala St Marinus of Maurienne St Mary of Cordoba St Phêrô Võ Ðang Khoa St Pierre Rose Ursule Dumoulin Borie St Portianus of Miranda St Protasius of Milan St Romanus of Le Mans St Vinh-son Nguyen The Ðiem — Martyred in the Spanish Civil War – Martyred Carmelite Sisters of Valencia – 12 beati: • Blessed Antonia Gosens Sáez De Ibarra • Blessed Cándida Cayuso González • Blessed Clara Ezcurra Urrutia • Blessed Concepción Rodríguez Fernández • Blessed Daría Campillo Paniagua • Blessed Erundina Colino Vega • Blessed Feliciana de Uribe Orbe • Blessed Félix Alonso Muñiz • Blessed Francisco Borrás Román • Blessed Justa Maiza Goicoechea • Blessed María Concepción Odriozola Zabalía • Blessed María Consuelo Cuñado González • Blessed Niceta Plaja Xifra • Blessed Paula Isla Alonso
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