Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION

One Minute Reflection – 23 August – Be grateful!

One Minute Reflection – 23 August – St Philip Benizi OSM (1233-1285) Confessor – Readings: Ps 73:20; 73:19; 73:23, Ps 73:1, Gal 3:16-22, Luke 17:11-19

But Jesus answered and said, Were not the ten made clean? But where are the nine? Has no one been found to return and give glory to God, except this foreigner?

Luke 17:11-19

REFLECTION – Very dear brothers and lords in Christ, I Catherine, the slave of the servants of Jesus Christ, I write to you in his precious blood, with the desire to see you grateful for all the benefits that you have received from God, so that they can increase and nourish in you the source of divine love in your souls. Gratitude is very pleasant to God, and is very useful to us; But ingratitude displeases God a lot and does us great harm: Ingratitude dries up the springs of piety, and we invite God to no longer increase His graces and to deprive us of those he gave us. It is therefore necessary to apply oneself with great zeal to see the benefits of God, because by seeing them we will be grateful and by gratitude we will return glory and praise to his name.

And how will we show our gratitude and ingratitude? I'm going to tell you: we will show our ingratitude by offending the goodness of God and our neighbour, offering them in a thousand ways and by a thousand injustices, by not giving them what we are forced to return to them, that is, by not loving God over all things, and the neighbour as ourselves. Quite the opposite happens for the faithful man, grateful to his Creator; he does him justice by giving him what is due, that is the praise and the honour that God asks; He does it by loving Him above all things, and loving his neighbour as himself. He contemplates the humility of God to lower his pride; he widens his heart in charity, and he purifies himself of all defilement in the purity of Christ, in the abundance of his precious blood.

So I want my very dear brothers, that you are grateful for the graces that you have received from our creator, so that they may increase.

Saint Catherine of Siena

PRAYER – O God, Who through St. Philip, Thy Confessor, gave us an outstanding example of humility, grant that Thy household may follow his example by scorning worldly prosperity and, ever seek the things 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

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One Minute Reflection – 23 August – “Sell what you possess and give alms.” – Luke 12:33

One Minute Reflection – 23 August – “The Month of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Philip Benizi OSM (1233-1285) Confessor – 1 Corinthians. 4:9-14 – Luke 12:32-34 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Sell what you possess and give alms.” – Luke 12:33

REFLECTION – “O blessed Lady poverty, who bestows eternal riches on those who love and embrace her! O holy poverty, to those who possess and desire you, God promises the Kingdom of Heaven and offers, indeed, eternal glory and blessed life! O God-embracing poverty, whom the Lord Jesus Christ, Who ruled and now rules Heaven and earth, “Who spoke and things were made,” (Ps 32:9) condescended to embrace before all else! “The foxes have dens,” He says “and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man,” Christ, “has nowhere to lay His Head” (Mt 8:20) “but bowing His Head, gave up His Spirit” (Jn 19:30).

If so great and good a Lord then, on coming into the Virgin’s womb, chose to appear despised, needy and poor in this world, so that those who were in utter poverty and want and in absolute need of heavenly nourishment, might become rich in Him by possessing the Kingdom of Heaven, then rejoice and be glad! Be filled with a remarkable happiness and a spiritual joy! Contempt of the world has pleased you more than [its] honours, poverty more than earthly riches and you have sought to store greater treasure in Heaven rather than on earth,where rust does not consume nor moth destroy nor thieves break in and steal” (Mt 6:20). “Your reward,” then, “is very great in heaven” (Mt 5:12)!” – St Clare (1193-1252) Virgin, Founder (1st letter to St Agnes of Prague).

PRAYER – O God, Who through St. Philip, Thy Confessor, gave us an outstanding example of humility, grant that Thy household may follow his example by scorning worldly prosperity and, ever seek the things 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).