Posted in FRANCISCAN OFM, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN TITLES, MARTYRS, SAINT of the DAY

Vigil of All Saints Day or All Hallow’s Eve, Our Lady of the Rosary of Rio Blanco (of the White River) and Paypaya, Argentina and Memorials of the Saints – 31 October

Vigil of All Saints Day or All Hallow’s Eve: Eve of the Feast of All Hallows, that is, All Saints Day. Halloween is a day on which many quaint customs are revived. It is popular in the United States and Scotland and in the US has become the second largest secular holiday of the year.

Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Río Blanco y Paypaya de Jujuy / Our Lady of the Rosary of Rio Blanco (of the White River) and Paypaya, Argentina, 17th Century – 31 October:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/31/solemnity-of-christ-the-king-vigil-of-all-saints-day-nuestra-senora-del-rosario-de-rio-blanco-argentina-and-memorials-of-the-saints-31-october/

Commemoration of All Holy Relics (Dominicans)

St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617) Spanish Lay Brother of the Society of Jesus, Doorkeeper, Mystic, Visionary, Apostle of Charity and of Prayer, Spiritual Adviser. Canonised o 6 September 1887 by Pope Leo XIII.
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/31/saint-of-the-day-31-october-st-alphonsus-rodriguez-sj-1532-1617/

St Ampliatus
St Antoninus of Milan
St Apelles of Eraclea Sintica
St Arnulf of Novalesa
St Begu of Hackness
Blessed Christopher of Romagna OFM (Died 1272) Priest
St Epimachus of Melusio
St Erth of Cornwall

St Foillan of Fosses (Died 655) Bishop Martyr, Missionary, Abbot
St Foillan’s Life:

https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/31/saint-of-the-day-31-october-st-foillan-of-fosses-died-655/

Bl Irene Stefani
St Jesús Miquel Girbau
St Lucilla of Rome
Bl Maria de Requesens
St Narcissus
St Notburga of Cologne
St Quentin
St Stachys of Constantinople

Blessed Thomas Bellacci TOSF (1370-1447) Lay Friar and Third Order Franciscan, Penitent, Confessor, renowned Missionary Preacher, Papal Legate, Novice Master and Vicar General of the Order. Thomas was Beatified by Pope Clement XIV in 1771.
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/31/saint-of-the-day-31-october-blessed-thomas-bellacci-tosf-1370-1447/

St Urban

St Wolfgang of Regensburg (c 934 –994) “The Great Almoner,” Bishop, Monk, Missionary, Ascetic, Apostle of Charity. He is regarded as one of the three great German saints of the 10th century, the other two being Saint Ulrich and Saint Conrad of Constance. He was Canonised in 1052 by Pope Leo IX.
St Wolfgang’s life:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/10/31/saint-of-the-day-31-october-saint-wolfgang-of-regensburg-c-934-994/

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Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The HOLY NAME of MARY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 December – “The Holy Name of Jesus”

Quote/s of the Day – 18 December – O Adonai … O Lord – Saturday of the Third Week of Advent, Readings:
Jeremiah 23:5-8, Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19, Matthew 1:18-25

“She will bear a son
and you are to name him Jesus
because he will save his people
from their sins
.”

Matthew 1:21

“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 (1290-1365)

The Holy Name of Jesus is,
first of all,
an all-powerful prayer.
Our Lord, Himself, solemnly promises,
that whatever we ask the Father in His Name,
we shall receive.
God never fails to keep His word.
Each time we say “Jesus,”
it is an act of perfect love,
for, we offer to God,
the infinite love of Jesus

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor of the Church

Jesus, Name Full of Glory
By St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

Jesus,
Name full of glory,
grace, love and strength!
You are the refuge of those who repent,
our banner of warfare in this life,
the medicine of souls,
the comfort of those who morn,
the delight of those who believe,
the light of those
who preach the true faith,
the wages of those who toil,
the healing of the sick.
To You our devotion aspires,
by You our prayers are received;
we delight in contemplating You.
O Name of Jesus,
You are the glory of all the saints for eternity.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR

Our Morning Offering – 13 December – My Most Sweet Lord

Our Morning Offering – 13 December – Monday of the Third week of Advent

My Most Sweet Lord
Morning Offering
Of St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

My most sweet Lord,
I offer and consecrate to Thee.
this morning
all that I am and have –
my senses,
my thoughts,
my affections,
my desires,
my pleasures,
my inclinations,
my liberty.
In a word,
I place my whole body and soul
in Thy Hands.
Amen.

Posted in CHRIST the KING, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Solemnity of Christ the King, Vigil of All Saints Day, Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Río Blanco, Argentina and Memorials of the Saints – 31 October

Solemnity of Christ the King – Twenty Third Sunday after Pentecost – https://anastpaul.com/2018/11/25/25-november-the-solemnity-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-king-of-the-universe/

Thirty First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Vigil of All Saints Day or All Hallow’s Eve: Eve of the Feast of All Hallows, that is, All Saints Day. Halloween is a day on which many quaint customs are revived. It is popular in the United States and Scotland and in the US has become the second largest secular holiday of the year.

Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Río Blanco y Paypaya de Jujuy / Our Lady of the Rosary of Rio Blanco (of the White River) and Paypaya, Argentina , 17th Century – 31 October:

In the Province of Jujuy, Our Lady of the Rosary is the main Patron, who was added the title of “Paypaya and White River.” Local tradition tells that the Virgin defended the City from attacks by the Indians.
The most beautiful devotion is the procession which takes place on 31 October, the day on which the image is removed from its precious altar next to the nave of the Cathedral of Jujuy and is taken to the Sanctuary of the White River…The people displaying their deep religious faith, expressed in their great devotion to the Virgin “Our Lady of the Rosary of White River and Paypaya,” the history refers to the colonial era of the mid-seventeenth century.
Entering through the side entrance of the court, located next to the Cathedral of San Salvador de Jujuy, in the centre of the long nave, is the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary of White River and Paypaya, a clothed image 60 cm. height. There is another Statue is in the Chapel of the City of Rio Blanco.

Commemoration of All Holy Relics (Dominicans)

St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617) Spanish Lay Brother of the Society of Jesus, Doorkeeper, Mystic, Visionary, Apostle of Charity and of Prayer, Spiritual Adviser.
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/31/saint-of-the-day-31-october-st-alphonsus-rodriguez-sj-1532-1617/

St Ampliatus
St Antoninus of Milan
St Apelles of Eraclea Sintica
St Arnulf of Novalesa
St Begu of Hackness
Bl Christopher of Romagna
Bl Dominic Collins
St Epimachus of Melusio
St Erth of Cornwall
St Foillan of Fosses (Died 655) Bishop Martyr, Missionary, Abbot
Bl Irene Stefani
St Jesús Miquel Girbau
Bl Leon Nowakowski
St Lucilla of Rome
Bl Maria de Requesens
Bl Modesta Moro Briz
St Narcissus
St Notburga of Cologne
St Quentin
Bl Pilar Isabel Sánchez Suárez
St Stachys of Constantinople

Blessed Thomas Bellacci TOSF (1370-1447) Lay Friar and Third Order Franciscan, Penitent, Confessor, renowned Missionary Preacher, Papal Legate, Novice Master and Vicar General of the Order.
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/31/saint-of-the-day-31-october-blessed-thomas-bellacci-tosf-1370-1447/

St Urban

St Wolfgang of Regensburg (c 934 –994) “The Great Almoner,” Bishop, Monk, Missionary, Ascetic, Apostle of Charity. He is regarded as one of the three great German saints of the 10th century, the other two being Saint Ulrich and Saint Conrad of Constance.
St Wolfgang’s life:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/10/31/saint-of-the-day-31-october-saint-wolfgang-of-regensburg-c-934-994/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 14 September – ‘The death of death is there and the life of life….’

Quote/s of the Day – 14 September – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

“How precious the gift of the Cross,
how splendid to contemplate!
In the Cross there is no mingling of good and evil,
as in the tree of paradise;
it is wholly beautiful to behold
and good to taste.
The fruit of this tree is not death but life,
not darkness but light.
This tree does not cast us out of paradise
but opens the way for our return.”

St Theodore the Studite (750–826)


“Let us then learn from the Cross of Jesus our proper way of living.
Should I say ‘living’ or, instead, ‘dying’?
Rather, both living and dying.
Dying to the world, living for God.
Dying to vices and living by the virtues.
Dying to the flesh, but liv­ing in the spirit.
Thus in the Cross of Christ, there is death
and in the Cross of Christ there is life.
The death of death is there and the life of life.
The death of sins is there and the life of the virtues.
The death of the flesh is there and the life of the spirit.”

St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)

“There is no better wood
for feeding the fire of God’s love
than the wood of the Cross.”

St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

“We ought to glory in nothing
other than, the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! …”

St Paul of the Cross CP (1604-1775)

A Prayer to Seek the Consolation of the Cross
By St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

Jesus, love of my soul,
centre of my heart!
Why am I not more eager to endure pains
and tribulations for love of You,
when You, my God,
have suffered so many for me?
Come, then, every sort of trial in the world,
for this is my delight, to suffer for Jesus.
This is my joy, to follow my Saviour
and to find my consolation
with my Consoler on the Cross.
This is my happiness,
this my pleasure:
to live with Jesus,
to walk with Jesus,
to converse with Jesus,
to suffer with and for Him,
this is my treasure.
Amen

St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/14/quote-s-of-the-day-14-september-the-blessed-cross-of-christ/

Posted in "Follow Me", JESUIT SJ, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TIME, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The STATIONS of the CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 30 July – A Prayer to Seek the Consolation of the Cross

Our Morning Offering – 30 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood”

A Prayer to Seek the Consolation of the Cross
By St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

Jesus, love of my soul,
centre of my heart!
Why am I not more eager to endure pains
and tribulations for love of You,
when You, my God,
have suffered so many for me?
Come, then, every sort of trial in the world,
for this is my delight, to suffer for Jesus.
This is my joy, to follow my Saviour
and to find my consolation
with my Consoler on the Cross.
This is my happiness,
this my pleasure:
to live with Jesus,
to walk with Jesus,
to converse with Jesus,
to suffer with and for Him,
this is my treasure.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

All Hallow’s Eve and Memorials of the Saints – 31 October

All Hallow’s Eve: Eve of the Feast of All Hallows, that is, All Saints Day. Halloween is a day on which many quaint customs are revived. It is popular in the United States and Scotland and in the US has become the second largest secular holiday of the year.

Commemoration of All Holy Relics (Dominicans)

St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/31/saint-of-the-day-31-october-st-alphonsus-rodriguez-sj-1532-1617/

St Ampliatus
St Antoninus of Milan
St Apelles of Eraclea Sintica
St Arnulf of Novalesa
St Begu of Hackness
Bl Christopher of Romagna
Bl Dominic Collins
St Epimachus of Melusio
St Erth of Cornwall
St Foillan of Fosses
Bl Irene Stefani
St Jesús Miquel Girbau
Bl Leon Nowakowski
St Lucilla of Rome
Bl Maria de Requesens
Bl Modesta Moro Briz
St Narcissus
St Notburga of Cologne
St Quentin
Bl Pilar Isabel Sánchez Suárez
St Stachys of Constantinople
Blessed Thomas Bellacci TOSF (1370-1447) Lay Friar

St Urban
St Wolfgang of Regensburg (c 934 –994)
St Wolfgang’s life:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/10/31/saint-of-the-day-31-october-saint-wolfgang-of-regensburg-c-934-994/

Posted in Gerard MANLEY HOPKINS SJ, JESUIT SJ, POETRY, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 31 October – ‘That in Majorca, Alfonso watched the door.’

Thought for the Day – 31 October – The Memorial of St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

Tragedy and challenge beset today’s saint early in life but Alphonsus Rodriguez found happiness and contentment, through simple service and prayer.

Born in Spain in 1533, Alphonsus inherited the family textile business at 23.   Within the space of three years, his wife, daughter and mother died.   Meanwhile, business was poor.   Alphonsus stepped back and reassessed his life  . He sold the business and, with his young son, moved into his sister’s home.   There he learned the discipline of prayer and meditation.

At the death of his son years later, Alphonsus, almost 40 by then, sought to join the Jesuits.   He was not helped by his poor education.   He applied twice before being admitted.   For 45 years he served as doorkeeper at the Jesuits’ college in Majorca.   When not at his post, he was almost always at prayer, though he often encountered difficulties and temptations.

His holiness and prayerfulness attracted many to him, including Saint Peter Claver, then a Jesuit seminarian.  Alphonsus died in 1617. He is the patron saint of Majorca.

We like to think that God rewards the good, even in this life.   But Alphonsus knew business losses, painful bereavement and periods when God seemed very distant.   None of his suffering made him withdraw into a shell of self-pity or bitterness.   Rather, he reached out to others who lived with pain, including enslaved Africans.   Among the many notables at his funeral were the sick and poor people whose lives he had touched. May they find such a friend in us!

Alphonsus’ life as doorkeeper may have been humdrum but centuries later he caught the attention of poet and fellow-Jesuit Gerard Manley Hopkins, who made him the subject of one of his most famous poems.

Honour is flashed off exploit, so we say
And those strokes once that gashed flesh or galled shield
Should tongue that time now, trumpet now that field
And, on the fighter, forge his glorious day.
On Christ they do and on the martyr may
But be the war within, the brand we wield
Unseen, the heroic breast not outward-steeled,
Earth hears no hurtle then from fiercest fray.

Yet God (that hews mountain and continent,
Earth, all, out;  Who, with trickling increment,
Veins violets and tall trees makes more and more)
Could crowd career with conquest while there went
Those years and years by, of world without event
That in Majorca, Alfonso watched the door.

Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889),
in honour of Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)gerard manley hopkins poem for st alphonsus rodrigues 31 oct 2019 no 2.jpg

St Alphonsus Rodriguez, Pray for Us!st alphonsus rodriguez pray for us - 31 oct 2018.jpg

Posted in JESUIT SJ, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 31 October – St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

Quote/s of the Day – 31 October – The Memorial of St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

“You must strive, with all possible care,
to please God, in such a manner,
as neither to do, nor behold anything,
without first consulting Him
and in everything,
to seek Him alone and His glory.”you must strive with akll possible care to seek - st alphonsus rodriguez 31 oct 2019.jpg

“I put myself in spirit before our crucified Lord,
looking at Him full of sorrow,
shedding His blood
and bearing great bodily hardships for me.
As love is paid for in love,
I must imitate Him, sharing in spirit all His sufferings.
I must consider how much I owe Him and what He has done for me.
Putting these sufferings between God and my soul, I must say,
‘What does it matter, my God, that I should endure for Your love,
these small hardships? For you, Lord, endured so many great hardships for me.’

Amid the hardship and trial itself, I stimulate my heart with this exercise.
Thus, I encourage myself, to endure for love of the Lord, who is before me,
until I make what is bitter, sweet.
In this way learning from Christ our Lord,
I take and convert the sweet into bitter,
renouncing myself and all earthly and carnal pleasures,
delights and honours of this life,
so that my whole heart is centred solely on God.”

St Alphonsus Rodriguez (1532-1617)as love is paid for in love - st alphonsus rodriguez - 31 oct 2019

“I’m Coming, Lord”

i'm coming lord - st alphonsus rodriguez.jpg

Posted in JESUIT SJ, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY CROSS, The TRANSFIGURATION

Our Morning Offering – 31 October – This is my Joy, to Follow my Saviour

Our Morning Offering – 31 October – The Memorial of St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

This is my Joy, to Follow my Saviour
By St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

Jesus, love of my soul,
centre of my heart!
Why am I not more eager to endure pains
and tribulations for love of You,
when You, my God,
have suffered so many for me?
Come, then, every sort of trial in the world,
for this is my delight, to suffer for Jesus.
This is my joy, to follow my Saviour
and to find my consolation
with my Consoler on the Cross.
This is my happiness,
this my pleasure:
to live with Jesus,
to walk with Jesus,
to converse with Jesus,
to suffer with and for Him,
this is my treasure.
Amenthis is my joy to follow my saviour st alphonsus rodrigues 31 oct 2019.jpg

Posted in JESUIT SJ, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUTH, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 August – “The Narrow Door”

Quote/s of the Day – 25 August – 21st Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 13:22–30

“The Narrow Door”

“In the difficulties which are placed before me,
why should I not act like a donkey?
When one speaks ill of him – the donkey says nothing.
When he is mistreated – he says nothing.
When he is forgotten – he says nothing.
When no food is given him – he says nothing.
When he is made to advance – he says nothing.
When he is despised – he says nothing.
When he is overburdened – he says nothing.
The true servant of God must do likewise
and say with David:
“Before Thee I have become like a beast of burden.”

St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)in-the-difficulties-which-are-placed-before-me-st-alphonsus-rodriguez-20-june-2018.jpg

“All, can enter eternal life but for everyone,
the door is narrow.   They are not privileged.
The path to the eternal life is open to all
but it is narrow because it’s demanding,
asks for commitment, abnegation
and the mortification of selfishness.”all can enter eternal life but for everyone the doo is narrow - pope benedict 25 aug 2019.jpg

“To pass through the narrow gate, means
we must commit ourselves to being small,
that is humble of heart like Jesus,
like Mary, His and our mother.”to pass through the narrow gate means we must commit ourselves to being small humble - pope benedict 25 aug 2019.jpg

“True friendship with Jesus
is expressed in how one lives,
in the goodness of one’s heart,
in one’s humility, kindness and mercy,
in one’s love for justice and truth,
in one’s sincere commitment
to peace and reconciliation.
This, we might say, is the ‘identity card’
that qualifies us as true ‘friends,’
it is the ‘passport’
that will let us enter eternal life.”

Pope Benedict XVI

Angelus, 26 August 2007true friendship with Jesus is expressed - 25 aug 2019 the narrow door.jpg

“The whole of our life
must pass through the narrow door
which is Christ.”

Pope Francis

Angelus, 25 August 2013the whole of our life must pass through the narrow door - pope francis 25 june 2019.jpg

Posted in JESUIT SJ, MYSTICS, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 31 October – The Memorial of St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

Thought for the Day – 31 October – The Memorial of St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

The story of this humble Jesuit brother illustrates that status and achievements count for nothing for those who accept the responsibility assigned them with the conviction that it is God’s will.   Rodriguez set himself free of ego, he found meaning and fulfilment in the lowliest tasks accorded him and was zealous enough to give more than was demanded, in the spirit of the Ignatian Magis.
Early biographies describe Rodriguez as a superhero who spiritually survived a rather humdrum, tedious job for 46 years.   They tended to overlook the tenacity and uncompromising dedication of the unassuming brother who would inspire generations of Jesuits in the art of religious hospitality.   He was a multi-tasker, blending ‘spiritual conversation’ with business while always attending courteously to visitors.   He quietly counselled students and reached out to the poor who hang around outside the door. Rodriguez made sure his job was never humdrum and tedious!

He displayed unconditional discipleship to Jesus Christ.   He was a brother and companion, serving all as he would Christ personified.   “I’m coming Lord,” he would cry when someone knocked.   He had personalised his spirituality and this is what gave depth, appeal and credibility to his convictions.   The rosary entwining his fingers may not always have been used to pray the mysteries but to murmur aspirations that connected him with the divinity present everywhere.   He was a contemplative in action and spent most of his spare-time in prayer.   He was a mystic, as his autobiography penned under obedience would reveal, favoured by God with remarkable mystical graces, ecstasies and visions of our Lord, our Lady and the saints.

At the age of 72, Rodriguez would counsel and motivate St Peter Claver (1580-1654), a young student of theology in Palma, to volunteer for “the missions” in the New World.   In true Ignatian spirit Rodriguez looked beyond the boundaries of his world with the universal good of the Society of Jesus at heart – a typical Jesuit charism.   Claver achieved sainthood through his indefatigable service to African slaves in Colombia.

Rodriguez is the patron of Jesuit brothers.   The lay-brother of the olden days, who performed routine duties such as cooking, construction and farming, has vanished. Today the Jesuit brother can hardly be distinguished from the priest, because of his professional competence in many fields.   In the spirit of Alphonsus Rodriguez, brothers sacramentalise their work and bear witness to God’s compassionate love.

(Excerpt on the 400th anniversary of St Alphonsus death, 2017 – Hedwig Lewis SJ is the author of “Profiles in Holiness, Brief Biographies of Jesuit Saints” and “Jesuit Saints without Paint”)

St Alphonsus Rodriguez, Pray for Us!st alphonsus rodriguez pray for us - 31 oct 2018

Posted in JESUIT SJ, POETRY, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 31 October – The Memorial of St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

Quote/s of the Day – 31 October –

The Memorial of St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

“In the difficulties which are placed before me,
why should I not act like a donkey?
When one speaks ill of him – the donkey says nothing.
When he is mistreated – he says nothing.
When he is forgotten – he says nothing.
When no food is given him – he says nothing.
When he is made to advance – he says nothing.
When he is despised – he says nothing.
When he is overburdened – he says nothing.
The true servant of God must do likewise
and say with David:
“Before Thee I have become like a beast of burden.”

St Alphonsus Rodriguez (1532-1617)in-the-difficulties-which-are-placed-before-me-st-alphonsus-rodriguez-20-june-2018

Honour is flashed off exploit, so we say;
And those strokes once that gashed flesh or galled shield
Should tongue that time now, trumpet now that field,
And, on the fighter, forge his glorious day.
On Christ they do and on the martyr may;
But be the war within, the brand we wield
Unseen, the heroic breast not outward-steeled,
Earth hears no hurtle then from fiercest fray.

Yet God (that hews mountain and continent,
Earth, all, out; who, with trickling increment,
Veins violets and tall trees makes more and more)
Could crowd career with conquest while there went
Those years and years by of world without event
That in Majorca, Alfonso watched the door.

Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889),
in honour of Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)gerard manley hopkins in honour of st alphonsus rodriguez - 31 oct 2018

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 31 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:22–30

One Minute Reflection – 31 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:22–30 – Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Memorial of St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

“Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be able…”…Luke 13:24.

REFLECTION – “Strive to enter in by the narrow door.”   This reply may seem perhaps to wander from the scope of the question.   The man wanted to learn whether there would be few who are saved but He explained to him the way whereby he might be saved himself.   He said, “Strive to enter in by the narrow door.”   What do we answer to this objection? … It was a necessary and valuable thing to know how a man may obtain salvation.   He is purposely silent to the useless question.   He proceeds to speak of what was essential, namely, of the knowledge necessary for the performance of those duties by which people can enter the narrow door.
I now consider it my duty to mention why the door to life is narrow.   Whoever would enter must first, before everything else, possess an upright and uncorrupted faith and then a spotless morality, in which there is no possibility of blame, according to the measure of human righteousness.   One who has attained to this in mind and spiritual strength will enter easily by the narrow door and run along the narrow way.
“Wide is the door and broad the way that brings down many to destruction.”   What are we to understand by its broadness?   It means an unrestrained tendency toward carnal lust and a shameful and pleasure-loving life.   It is luxurious feasts, parties, banquets and unrestricted inclinations to everything that is condemned by the law and displeasing to God.   A stubborn mind will not bow to the yoke of the law.   This life is cursed and relaxed in all carelessness.   Thrusting from it the divine law and completely unmindful of the sacred commandments, wealth, vices, scorn, pride and the empty imagination of earthly pride spring from it.   Those who would enter in by the narrow door must withdraw from all these things, be with Christ and keep the festival with him.”…St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father & Doctor (Commentary on Luke, Homily 9strive to enter - luke 13 24 - whoever would enter - st cyril of alex - 31 oct 2018

PRAYER – Shed Your clear light on our hearts, Lord, so that walking continually in the way of Your commandments, we may never be deceived or misled.   Grant that the prayers of our Blessed Mother and St Alphonsus Rodriguez, who always held Your Light up for others to see by, give us strength.   Through Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.sancta maria -mary most holy - pray for us - 10 may 2018

st alphonsus rodriguez pray for us no 2- 31 oct 2018

Posted in JESUIT SJ, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 31 October – The Memorial of St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

Our Morning Offering – 31 October – The Memorial of St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

A Prayer to Seek the Consolation of the Cross
By St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

Jesus, love of my soul,
centre of my heart!
Why am I not more eager to endure pains
and tribulations for love of You,
when You, my God,
have suffered so many for me?
Come, then, every sort of trial in the world,
for this is my delight, to suffer for Jesus.
This is my joy, to follow my Saviour
and to find my consolation
with my Consoler on the Cross.
This is my happiness,
this my pleasure:
to live with Jesus,
to walk with Jesus,
to converse with Jesus,
to suffer with and for Him,
this is my treasure.
Amena-prayer-to-seek-st-alphonsus-rodriguez-16-feb-2018 - no.2. posted on 31 oct 2018 memorail-lenten-prayer

Posted in JESUIT SJ, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 31 October – St Alphonsus Rodríguez, SJ (1532-1617)

Saint of the Day – 31 October – St Alphonsus Rodríguez, SJ (1532-1617), (Spanish: Alonso) was a Spanish Jesuit lay brother, Doorkeeper, Mystic, Visionary, Apostle of Charity and of Prayer, Spiritual Adviser – born 25 July 1532 at Segovia, Spain died on 31 October 1617 at Palma, Mallorca, Spain of natural causes.  Patronages – Jesuit College, Palma, Majorca, Spain.Alphonse Rodriguez

Alphonsus Rodríguez was the son of a wool merchant.   When St Peter Faber SJ (1506-1546), one of the original Jesuits, visited the city to preach, the Rodríguez family provided hospitality to the Jesuit.   Faber prepared the young Alphonsus for his First Communion. When he was 14, his father died and Alphonsus left school to help his mother run the family business.   At the age of 26 he married María Suarez, a woman of his own station, with whom he had three children.   At the age of 31 he found himself a widower with one surviving child, the other two having died.   From that time on, he began a life of prayer and mortification, separated from the world around him.   On the death of his third child his thoughts turned to a life in some religious order.st alphonsus young

Previous associations had brought him into contact with the first Jesuits who had come to Spain, Saint Peter Faber among others but it was apparently impossible to carry out his purpose of entering the Society as he was without education, having only an incomplete year at a new college begun at Alcalá by Francis Villanueva (1509-1557).   At the age of 39 he attempted to make up this deficiency by following the course at the College of Barcelona but without success.   His austerities had also undermined his health.

After considerable delay, he was finally admitted into the Society of Jesus as a lay brother on 31 January 1571, at the age of 40.   Itis believed that the provincial said that if Alphonsus was not qualified to become a brother or a priest, he could enter to become a saint.alphonsus-rodriguez-46ce2cff-8368-4ede-ae84-c13da36d4ba-resize-750

Distinct novitiates for seminarians and lay brothers had not yet been established in Spain and Alphonsus began his term of probation at Valencia or Gandia—this point is a subject of dispute—and after six months was sent to the recently founded college on Majorca, where he remained in the humble position of porter for 46 years, exercising a marvellous influence, not only on the members of the household but upon a great number of people, who came to the porter’s lodge for advice and direction.   As doorkeeper, his duties were to receive visitors who came to the college, search out the fathers or students who were wanted in the parlour, deliver messages, run errands, console the sick at heart who, having no one to turn to, came to him, give advice to the troubled and distribute alms to the needy.   Alphonsus tells that each time the bell rang, he looked at the door and envisioned that it was God who was standing outside seeking admittance.SAN-ALONSO-RODR--GUEZ-san-alonso-rodriguez

Among the distinguished Jesuits who came under his influence was St Peter Claver (1580-1654), who lived with him for some time at Majorca and who followed his advice in asking for the missions of South America.   He made his final vows in 1585 at the age of 54.

Claver & Rodriguez
St Alphonsus with St Peter Claver

Alphonsus Rodriguez was declared venerable in 1626.   In 1633, he was chosen by the Council General of Majorca as one of the special patrons of the city and island.   In 1760, Pope Clement XIII decreed that “the virtues of the Venerable Alonso were proved to be of a heroic degree” but the expulsion of the Society from Spain in 1773 and its suppression, delayed his beatification until 1825.   His Canonisation took place in September 1888.   His remains are enshrined at Majorca.

576px-AlonsoRodrigMallorca
Statue of St Alphonsus Rodriguez in the Church of the Cave of Saint Ignatius, Manresa

st alphonsus - glass

626px-st alphonsus rodriquez - Francisco_de_Zurbarán_069

Posted in JESUIT SJ, LENT, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 23 July

Our Morning Offering – 23 July – Monday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time B

A Prayer to Seek the Consolation of the Cross
By St Alphonsus Rodriguez S.J. (1532-1617)

Jesus, love of my soul,
centre of my heart!
Why am I not more eager to endure pains
and tribulations for love of You,
when You, my God,
have suffered so many for me?
Come, then, every sort of trial in the world,
for this is my delight, to suffer for Jesus.
This is my joy, to follow my Saviour
and to find my consolation
with my Consoler on the Cross.
This is my happiness,
this my pleasure:
to live with Jesus,
to walk with Jesus,
to converse with Jesus,
to suffer with and for Him,
this is my treasure.
Amena-prayer-to-seek-st-alphonsus-rodriguez-16-feb-2018-no.2. used 23 july 2018. lenten-prayer

 

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, SPEAKING of ....., The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – – 20 June – Wednesday Eleventh Week of Ord Time Year B – Today’s Gospel Matthew 6:1-6.16-18

Quote/s of the Day – 20 June – Wednesday Eleventh Week of Ord Time Year B – Today’s Gospel Matthew 6:1-6.16-18

“Speaking of:  Humility”

“God resists the proud
but gives grace to the humble”

James 4:6god resists the proud - james 4 - 6

“Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues,
hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist,
there cannot be any other virtue,
except in mere appearance.”HUMILITY IS THE FOUNDATION-STAUGUSTINE

“It was pride that changed angels into devils;
it is humility that makes men as angels.”

St Augustine (354-430) Doctor of Graceit was pride - st augustine - 20 june 2018

“As patience leads to peace
and study to science,
so are humiliations,
the path that leads to humility.”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor

as patience leads to peace - st bernard - 20 june 2018

“In the difficulties which are placed before me,
why should I not act like a donkey?
When one speaks ill of him – the donkey says nothing.
When he is mistreated – he says nothing.
When he is forgotten – he says nothing.
When no food is given him – he says nothing.
When he is made to advance – he says nothing.
When he is despised – he says nothing.
When he is overburdened – he says nothing.
The true servant of God must do likewise
and say with David:
“Before Thee I have become like a beast of burden.”

St Alphonsus Rodriguez (1532-1617)in the difficulties which are placed before me - st alphonsus rodriguez - 20 june 2018

“True humility
scarcely ever
utters words
of humility.”

“Humility consists
in not esteeming ourselves above other men
and in not seeking
to be esteemed above them.”

“Humility makes our lives
acceptable to God,
meekness makes us
acceptable to men.”true humility - humility consists - humility makes our lives - st francis de sales - 20 june 2018

“If, when stung by slander or ill-nature,
we wax proud and swell with anger,
it is a proof that our gentleness
and humility are unreal
and mere artificial show.”

“The highest point of humility
consists in not merely acknowledging one’s abjection
but in taking pleasure therein,
not from any want of breadth or courage
but to give the more glory to God’s Divine Majesty
and to esteem one’s neighbour,
more highly than one’s self.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of Charityif when stung by slander - the highest point of humility - st francis de sales - 20 june 2018

“The truly humble
reject all praise for themselves
and refer it all to God.”

St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctorthe truly humble reject - st alphonsus liguori - 20 june 2018

Posted in JESUIT SJ, LENT, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 16 February – The First Friday of Lent 2018

Our Morning Offering – 16 February – The First Friday of Lent 2018

A Prayer to Seek the Consolation of the Cross
By St Alphonsus Rodriguez S.J. (1532-1617)

Jesus, love of my soul,
centre of my heart!
Why am I not more eager to endure pains
and tribulations for love of You,
when You, my God,
have suffered so many for me?
Come, then, every sort of trial in the world,
for this is my delight, to suffer for Jesus.
This is my joy, to follow my Saviour
and to find my consolation
with my Consoler on the Cross.
This is my happiness,
this my pleasure:
to live with Jesus,
to walk with Jesus,
to converse with Jesus,
to suffer with and for Him,
this is my treasure.
Amena prayer to seek - st alphonsus rodriguez - 16 feb 2018 - lenten prayer

Posted in JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 16 February

Our Morning Offering – 16 February

A Prayer to Seek the Consolation of the Cross
by Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez S.J.

Jesus, love of my soul, centre of my heart!
Why am I not more eager to endure pains
and tribulations for love of You,
when You, my God, have suffered so many for me?
Come, then, every sort of trial in the world,
for this is my delight, to suffer for Jesus.
This is my joy, to follow my Saviour
and to find my consolation
with my Consoler on the Cross.
This is my happiness,
this my pleasure:
to live with Jesus,
to walk with Jesus,
to converse with Jesus,
to suffer with and for Him,
this is my treasure, amen.

prayer-st-alphonsus-rodriguez-sj-jesuslofeofmysoulcentreofmyheart