Tag: stanthonyofpadua

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SILENCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 February – If you wish to come and find Me, seek me aside.

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One Minute Reflection – 8 February – Saturday of the Fourth Week of Ordinary Tme, Year A, Readings: 1 Kings 3:4-13, Psalm 119:9-14, Mark 6:30-34 and the Memorial of Blessed Maria Esperanza de Jesus (1893-1983)

“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile” … Mark 6:31

REFLECTION – “If you wish to come and find Me, seek me aside.   As Mark says: “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile.   People were coming and going in great numbers and they had no opportunity even to eat.” (Mk 6:31).
Alas, such are the passions of the flesh and the turmoil of thoughts coming and going in our hearts that we have no time to eat the food of everlasting sweetness nor perceive the taste of interior contemplation.   That is why our Lord says: “Come away” from the noisy crowd “to a deserted place,” to solitude of mind and heart, “and rest awhile.”   For truly, as the book of Revelation says:  “There will be silence in heaven for about half an hour” (Rv 8:1); and in the Psalm:  “Who will give me wings like a dove that I might fly away and find rest” (Ps 54[55]:7 LXX).
But let us listen to what the prophet Hosea says:  “I will seduce her and lead her into the wilderness and I will speak to her heart” (cf. Hos 2:16 Vg).   These three expressions: seduce, lead into the wilderness, speak to her heart, represent the three stages of the spiritual life – the beginning, development and perfection.   The Lord seduces the beginner when He enlightens him with His grace so that he may grow and progress from virtue to virtue.   Then he leads him aside from the din of the vices and disordered thoughts into peace of spirit.   Finally, once guided to perfection, God speaks to his heart. Then the soul experiences the sweetness of divine inspiration and can surrender totally to joy of spirit.
What depth of devotion, of wonderment and happiness in his heart!   By devotion he is raised above himself, through wonder he is led above himself, through happiness he is transported out of himself.” … St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Doctor of the Church – Sermon for the feast of Saint John the Evangelistmark 6 31 come away by yourselves and rest - if you wish to find me seek me aside - st anthony of padua 8 feb 2020

PRAYER – All-powerful, eternal God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, let our striving for Your kingdom not fall short through selfishness or fear, may the universe be alive with the Spirit and our homes be the pledge of the world redeemed.   May our eyes see and our hearts have compassion, to all those who need us.   May the intercession of our Holy Mother, Bl Esperanza de Jesus and all the saints, be a strength and a comfort. Through Jesus, our compassionate and loving Redeemer, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You forever, amen.bl esperanza de jesus pray for us 8 feb 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 January – You too, run after Him.

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One Minute Reflection – 13 January – Monday of the First week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 1 Samuel 1:1-8, Psalm 116:12-14, 17-19, Mark 1:14-20

And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him…Mark 1:17-18

REFLECTION – “Follow me!”   Jesus says these words (…) to every Christian.   Follow me, naked as I am naked, free from every hindrance as I myself am.   Jeremiah said: “You will call me ‘My Father’ and never turn away from me” (Jer 3:19).   So follow Me and put down the burdens you are bearing.   For, laden as you are, you cannot follow Me who am running ahead.   “I ran in thirst” says the psalmist about me (Ps 61:5 LXX), the thirst to save humanity.   And where is He running?   To the Cross.   You too, run after Him.   As He bore His cross for you, take up your own for your good.   From whence these words of Saint Luke’s gospel:  “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself” by renouncing his own will, “take up his cross” by mortifying his passions, “daily”, that is all the time, “and follow me.” (Lk 9:23) (…)

Jesus speaks to us like a mother who, wanting to teach her child to walk, shows him apiece of bread or an apple and says to him:  “Come with me and I’ll give it to you.”   And when the child is so close that he can almost catch hold of it, she draws away a little, showing the thing to him and repeating:  “Follow me if you want it.”   Some kinds of birds lead their little ones out of their nest and, by flying, teach them to fly and to follow them. Jesus does the same.   He shows Himself as an example and promises us His reward in the kingdom so that we might follow Him.

So “follow me” for I know the right way and will guide you.   We read in the book of Proverbs:  “I will show you the way of wisdom;  I will lead you by the ways of equity. When you have entered, your steps will not be constrained and when you run you shall not meet a stumbling block” (cf. Prv 4:11-12 LXX). (…)   Therefore, “follow me”.” … St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Franciscan, Doctor of the Church – Sermon for the feast of Saint John the Evangelistmark-1-17-18-and-jesus-says these words to every christian st anthony of padua 13 jan 2020.jpg

PRAYER – Holy Lord God, grant that we may live constantly in Your presence.   Grant that we may possess a spirit of joy and gladness because of the firm knowledge that You are always with us and in You and through You and with You, the extraordinary is commonplace!   And turn around Lord and call us, for we are behind You.   Be with us Lord, always, we pray!   Hear the prayers on our behalf, of St Mungo of Glasgow, whom we ask for intercession.   Through the Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, God forever for all eternity, amenst kentigern mungo pray for us 13 jan 2020.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY SPIRIT

Our Morning Offering – 22 November – O God, send forth Your Holy Spirit

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Our Morning Offering – 22 November – Friday of the Thirty Third week in Ordinary Time, Year C

O God, send forth Your Holy Spirit
By St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Doctor of the Church

O God,
send forth Your Holy Spirit
into my heart
that I may perceive,
into my mind,
that I may remember,
and into my soul,
that I may meditate.
Inspire me to speak
with piety,
holiness,
tenderness
and mercy.
Teach, guide and direct my thoughts
and senses, from beginning to end.
May Your grace,
ever help and correct me,
and may I be strengthened now
with wisdom from on high,
for the sake of Your infinite mercy.
Ameno-god-send-forth-your-holy-spirit-st-anthony-of-padua-13-june-2019 and 22 nov 2019.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 14 September – The Message of the Cross

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 September – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Gospel: John 3:13–17

The message of the cross
is foolishness to those
who are perishing
but to us,
who are being saved,
it is the power
of God…

1 Corinthians 1:181-corinthians-1-18-the message of the cross is foolishness - 26 april 2018.jpg

“We give glory to You, Lord,
who raised up Your Cross to span the jaws of death
like a bridge by which souls might pass
from the region of the dead to the land of the living. ..
You are incontestably alive.
Your murderers sowed Your living body in the earth
as farmers sow grain but it sprang up
and yielded an abundant harvest of men
raised from the dead.”

St Ephrem the Syrian (306-373) Father & Doctor of the Churchwe-give-glory-to-you-lord-st-ephrem-30-march-2018-good-friday

“The Cross is the hope of Christians,
the staff of the lame,
the comfort of the poor,
the destruction of all pride,
the victory over devils,
the guide of youth,
the pilot of mariners,
the refuge of those who are in danger,
the counsellor of the just,
the rest of the afflicted,
the physician of the sick,
the glory of Martyrs.”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father & Doctor of the Churchthe cross is the hope of christians - st john chrysostom 14 sept 2019.jpg

“Christ, who is your life, is hanging before you,
so that you may look at the Cross, as in a mirror.
There you will be able to know,
how mortal were your wounds,
that no medicine other than.
the Blood of the Son of God, could heal.
If you look closely, you will be able to realise,
how great your human dignity and your value are….
Nowhere other than looking at himself,
in the mirror of the Cross,
can man better understand how much he is worth”

St Anthony of Padua OFM (1195-1231) Doctor of the Churchchrist-who-is-your-life-st-anthony-of-padua-13-june-2018.jpg

“Apart from the cross
there is no other ladder
by which we may get to heaven.“

St Rose of Lima (1586-1617)apart-from-the-cross-st-rose-of-lima 23 aug 2017.jpg

We have always seen,
that those who were
closest to Christ our Lord,
were those with the greatest trials.
Let us look at what
His glorious Mother suffered
and the glorious apostles.
Take up the Cross of Jesus.
Help your Spouse to carry the burden
that weighs Him down
and pay no attention
to what they may say about you.
If you should happen to stumble
and fall like your Spouse,
do not withdraw from the Cross or abandon it.
No matter how great your trials may be,
you will see, that they are quite small,
in comparison to His.

Blessed Teresa Maria of the Cross OCD (1846–1910)take-up-the-cross-bl-teresa-maria-of-the-cross-23-april-2019

“One ounce of a Cross
is much better
than a ton of books
of prayer.”one-ounce-of-a-cross-bl-jacques-ghazir-haddad-26-june-2019.jpg

“Anyone who seeks heaven
but without suffering,
is like someone
who wants to buy goods,
without paying.”

Blessed Jacques Ghazir Haddad (1875-1954)anyone-who-seeks-heaven-bl-jacques-ghazir-haddad-26-june-2019.jpg

“…only the Cross of Christ
sheds light on the path of this life….
God is in the detached heart,
in the silence of prayer,
in the voluntary sacrifice to pain,
in the emptiness of the world and its creatures.
God is in the Cross and,
as long as we do not love the Cross,
we will not see Him, or feel Him….
If the world and men knew….
But they will not know,
they are very busy in their interests,
their hearts are very full of things
that are not God.”

St Rafael Arnáiz Barón (1911-1938)only in the cross of christ - st rafael arnaiz baron 26 april 2019 easter friday.jpg

“The life of each and every one of us has been written.
The crucifix is my autobiography.
The blood is the ink.
The nails the pen.
The skin the parchment.
On every line of that body, I can trace my life.
In the crown of thorns I can read my pride.In the hands that are dug with nails,
I can read avarice and greed.
In the flesh hanging from him like purple rags,
I can read my lust.
In feet that are fettered, I can find the times
that I ran away and would not let Him follow.
Any sin that you can think of is written there.”

Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/14/quote-s-of-the-day-14-september-feast-of-the-exaltation-of-the-holy-cross/the-life-of-each-and-every-one-of-us-ven-fulton-sheen-27-april-2019

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FRANCISCAN OFM, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY SPIRIT

Our Morning Offering – 6 September – Holy Spirit, Fire of Love

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 6 September – Friday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time, Year C

Holy Spirit, Fire of Love
By St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Doctor of the Church

Holy Spirit,
fire of love,
come rest over each of us,
make our tongue ready
to confess our sins,
that in revealing everything
and concealing nothing,
we may attain heavenly life
to sing eternal praise
with the angels.
With your help,
You who live
and reign through all ages.
Amenholy spirit fire of love - by st anthony of padua -6 sept 2019.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FRANCISCAN OFM, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, THE ASSUMPTION

Our Morning Offering – 17 August – The Praises of Mary “Assumption” Poem by Saint Anthony

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Our Morning Offering – 17 August – Saturday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and a Marian Saturday

The Praises of Mary
“Assumption”
Poem by Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Doctor of the Church

O how wondrous is the dignity of the glorious Virgin!
She merited to become the mother of Him
who is the strength and beauty of the angels
and the grandeur of all the saints.

Mary was the seat of our sanctification,
that is to say,
the dwelling place of the Son
who sacrificed Himself for us.

“And I shall glorify the place where my feet have stood.”
The feet of the Saviour signify His human nature.
The place where the feet of the Saviour stood
was the Blessed Mary,
who gave Him His human nature.

Today the Lord glorifies that place,
since He has exalted Mary
above the choirs of the angels.
That is to say,
the Blessed Virgin,
who was the dwelling of the Saviour,
has been assumed bodily into heaven.the praises of mary assumption by st anthony of padua 17 aug 2019.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FRANCISCAN OFM, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HYPROCRISY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on TRUTH, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY SPIRIT

Thought for the Day – 13 June – Actions Speak Louder than Words

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Thought for the Day – The Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua OFM (1195-1231) Doctor of the Church, 13 June

Actions Speak Louder than Words

Saint Anthony of Padua
Priest and Doctor of the Church

An excerpt from Sermon, I #226

The man who is filled with the Holy Spirit speaks in different languages.   These different languages are different ways of witnessing to Christ, such as humility, poverty, patience and obedience, we speak in those languages, when we reveal in ourselves, these virtues to others.   Actions speak louder than words, let your words teach and your actions speak.   We are full of words but empty of actions and, therefore, are cursed by the Lord, since He Himself cursed the fig tree when He found no fruit but only leaves.   Gregory says: “A law is laid upon the preacher to practice what he preaches.”   It is useless for a man to flaunt his knowledge of the law, if he undermines its teaching by his actions.ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS - st anthony.jpg

But the apostles spoke as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.   Happy the man, whose words issue from the Holy Spirit and not from himself! ,,For some men speak as their own character dictates but steal the words of others and present them as their own and claim the credit for them.   The Lord refers to such men and others like them in Jeremiah – So, then, I have a quarrel with the prophets that steal my words from each other.   I have a quarrel with the prophets, says the Lord, who have only to move their tongues to utter oracles. I have a quarrel with the prophets who make prophecies out of lying dreams, who recount them and lead my people astray with their lies and their pretensions.   I certainly never sent them or commissioned them and they serve no good purpose for this people, says the Lord.

We should speak, then, as the Holy Spirit gives us the gift of speech.   Our humble and sincere request to the Spirit for ourselves, should be that we may bring the day of Pentecost to fulfilment, insofar, as He infuses us with His grace, by using our bodily senses in a perfect manner and by keeping the commandments.   Likewise, we shall request, that we may be filled with a keen sense of sorrow and with fiery tongues for confessing the faith, so that our deserved reward may be to stand in the blazing splendour of the saints and to look upon the triune God.

St Anthony of Padua, Pray for us!st anthony of padua pray for us 13 june 2019.jpg