Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SIN, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 1 March – Repentance, Penance, Sacrifice

Quote/s of the Day – 1 March – Ember Wednesday – 3 Kings. 19:3-8, Matthew 12:38-50 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgement
with this generation and condemn it, for they repented …”

Matthew 12:41

The sign of Jonah

Matthew 12:39

It was, too, to lead the Ninevites
to firm repentance and to convert them
to Him, Who would deliver them from death,
amazed as they were by the sign accomplished in Jonah …
In the same way, God permitted man
to be swallowed by that great monster,
the author of disobedience,
not so that he should altogether vanish away
and die but because God, had prepared beforehand,
the salvation fulfilled by His Word
by means of the “sign of Jonah.

St Irenaeus (130-208)
Bishop of Lyons, Martyr and Father

“… In the conceitedness of our souls,
without taking the least trouble
to obey the Lord’s Commandments,
we think ourselves worthy
to receive the same reward
as those who have resisted sin to the death!

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

To do penance is to bewail
the evil we have done
and to do no evil to bewail.

But He still follows behind us and counsels us,
that we have despised Him
but He still does not cease to call us.
We turn our backs on His face, so to speak,
when we reject His Words,
when we trample His Commandments underfoot
but He, Who sees that we reject Him,
still calls out to us by His Commandments
and waits for us by His patience,
stands behind us and calls us back
when we have turned away
.”

St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)
Father & Doctor of the Church

What are we doing?
If we really love the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
we should offer penance and sacrifices
in order to make reparation for our sins
and the sins of others
and, to propitiate this adorable Heart,
Which ardently desires to bestow
new favours upon us.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

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Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JEALOUSY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 5 February – Septuagesima Sunday – Preparing to Prepare

Quote/s of the Day – 5 February – Septuagesima Sunday – Preparing to Prepare

“Prepare the way of the Lord
make His paths straight
” …

Luke 3:4

There is still time for endurance,
time for patience,
time for healing,
time for change.
Have you slipped?
Rise up!
Have you sinned?
Cease!
Do not stand among sinners
but leap aside!

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Then the righteous shall shine like the sun
in the Kingdom of their Father.

Matthew 13:43

So from now on, run well (cf. Gal 5:7)
and may the devil not bewitch you (cf. Gal 3:1)
nor hinder you! …
May mercy, peace, charity,
freedom from envy,
from jealousy and ostentation
come upon you, docility, friendly speech,
solidarity, compassion
towards each other, humility.

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)

My Lord Jesus Christ,
You have made this journey
to die for me, with love unutterable
and I have so many times unworthily abandoned You
but now I love You with my whole heart
and because I love You,
I repent sincerely for having ever offended You.
Pardon me, my God
and permit me to accompany You on this journey.
You go to die for love of me,
I wish also, my beloved Redeemer,
to die for love of Thee.
My Jesus, I will live
and die always united to You.”
Amen

By St Alphonsus de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“Each and everyone of us,
at the end of the journey of life,
will come, face to face
with either one,
or the other
of two faces…
And one of them,
either, the
merciful face of Christ
or the
miserable face of Satan,
will say,
“Mine, mine.

May we be Christ’s!”

Ven Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PATRONAGE - of PILGRIMS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, The BEATITUDES, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 4 February – Trading with our talents

Quote/s of the Day – 4 February – St Andrew Corsini O.Carm (1302-1373) Bishop, Confessor – Sirach 44:16-27; 45:3-20, Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

And he who had received the five talents
went and traded with them,
and gained five more.

Matthew 25:16

God is Good but He is also Just…
So do not underestimate God –
His love for men
should not become a pretext,
for negligence on our part.

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

For the man who is kindly,
modest, merciful and just,
will not keep his good works to himself
but will see to it
that these admirable fountains,
send out their streams,
for the good of others.
Again, the man who is clean of heart,
a peacemaker and ardent for truth,
will order his life, so as to contribute
to the common good
.”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor of the Church

If we fail to live in the Light,
we shall, to our condemnation
and that of others,
be veiling over and obscuring,
by our infidelity,
the Light men so desperately need.
As we know from Scripture,
the man who received the talent
should have made it produce a heavenly profit
but instead, he preferred to hide it away
rather than put it to work
and was punished as he deserved.
Consequently, that brilliant Lamp
which was lit for the sake of our salvation
should always shine in us.
For we have the lamp
of the heavenly commandments
and spiritual grace,
to which David referred:
Your law is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.

St Chromatius of Aquileia (Died c 407)
Bishop of Aquileia,

Whatever He receives on earth,
He returns in Heaven
.”

St Caesarius of Arles (470-543)

O God, grant that whatever good things I have,
I may share generously with those who have not
and whatever good things, I do not have,
I may request humbly, from those who do.

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus

I have not been faithful,
nor have I traded with the talent
Thou entrusted to me,
the priceless treasure of the Christian faith …
O Truth, Thou hast justice and equity
as Thine inseparable judges…
Woe to me if, when I come before Thee,
I lack an advocate to plead my cause.
O Love, come forward on my behalf,
answer for me, sue for my pardon.
If Thou pleads my cause,
I know I still have hope of life
!”

St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PATRONAGE - of PILGRIMS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 30 January – Steer the Ship of My Life, Lord

Our Morning Offering – 30 January – Memorial of St Martha (1st Century) Virgin Martyr

Steer the Ship of My Life, Lord
By St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Steer the ship of my life, Lord,
to Your quiet harbour,
where I can be safe from
the storms of sin and conflict.
Show me the course I should take.
Renew in me the gift of discernment,
so that I can see the right direction
in which I should go.
And give me the strength
and the courage
to choose the right course,
even when the sea is rough
and the waves are high,
knowing that through enduring
hardship and danger in Your name
we shall find comfort and peace.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, OUR Cross, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST in GOD, QUOTES on TRUTH, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY NAME, The WORD, THOMAS a KEMPIS

Quote/s of the Day – 24 January – ‘If you will be perfect …’

Quote/s of the Day – 24 January – St Timothy (1st Century) Disciple of St Paul, Bishop and Martyr – 1 Timothy 6:11-16, Luke 14:26-33.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

So likewise, everyone of you,
who does not renounce all
that he possesses,
cannot be My disciple.

Luke 14:33

He seems to demand of us
the most entire renunciation…
So, if we keep back for ourselves ,
any earthly goods or any perishable supplies,
our minds will remain sunk in them,
as though in mud.
Then, inevitably, our souls will become unable
to contemplate God and will be unmoved
by desire for the splendours of Heaven
and for the good things promised us.
We shall only be able to acquire those good things,
if we ask for them unceasingly,
with a burning desire that will, besides,
make easy the effort needed to gain them.”

A person who wishes
to become the Lord’s disciple
must repudiate a human obligation,
however honourable it may appear,
if it slows us, ever so slightly,
in giving the wholehearted obedience
we owe to God.

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

If you wish to enter into life,
keep My commandments.
If you will know the truth,
believe in Me.
If you will be perfect,
sell all.
If you will be My disciple,
deny yourself.
If you will possess the blessed life,
despise this present life.
If you will be exalted in Heaven,
humble yourself on earth.
If you wish to reign with Me,
carry the Cross with Me.
For only the servants of the Cross
find the life of blessedness
and of true Light.

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
The Imitation of Christ Chapter 56

True spiritual life consists in this:
that man keep his eyes on God, constantly,
long for nothing but for God,
keep nothing in mind but God,
and begin every single action,
in God’s Name
and direct it to Him.

St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 January – ‘Prefer nothing to Christ’

One Minute Reflection – 24 January – St Timothy (1st Century) Disciple of St Paul, Bishop and Martyr – 1 Timothy 6:11-16, Luke 14:26-33.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

So likewise, everyone of you, who does not renounce all that he possesses, cannot be My disciple.” – Luke 14:33

REFLECTION – “Our Lord Jesus Christ said to all, on many occasions and while giving many demonstrations of it: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me,” (cf Lk 9:23) and again: “anyone of you who does not renounce all that he possesses cannot be My disciple.” Thus, He seems to demand of us the most entire renunciation… “Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be,” He says elsewhere (Mt 6:21). So if we keep back for ourselves any earthly goods or any perishable supplies, our minds will remain sunk in them as though in mud. Then, inevitably, our souls will become unable to contemplate God and will be unmoved by desire for the splendours of Heaven and for the good things promised us. We shall only be able to acquire those good things, if we ask for them unceasingly, with a burning desire that will, besides, make easy the effort needed to gain them.

To renounce ourselves, means to undo the bonds which bind us to this earthly passing life and free ourselves from human contingencies, so that we may become more equal to walking along the way which leads to God. It is to free ourselves from all hindrances, so as to possess and use, the goods that are “far more precious than gold and silver,” (Ps 118:72). And, to sum up, to renounce oneself, is to lift the human heart into the life of Heaven, so as to be able to say: “Our citizenship is in Heaven,” (Phil 3:20). Above all, it is to begin to grow like Christ, Who for our sake became poor although he was rich (2 Cor 8:9). We need to become like Him, if we want to live according to the Gospel.– St Basil the Great (329-379) Monk and Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, Father and Doctor of the Church (Greater Monastic Rules Q.8).

PRAYER – Be mindful of our weakness, Almighty God and because the burden of our sins weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of blessed Timothy, Your Martyr and Bishop, sustain us. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE MERCY, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 January – “Do whatever He tells you.”

Quote/s of the Day – 16 January – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Do whatever He tells you.

John 2:5

Not everyone who says to Me,
‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of Heaven
but only the one who does
the will of My Father in Heaven.”

Matthew 7:21

God is Good but He is also Just…
So do not underestimate God –
His love for men
should not become a pretext,
for negligence on our part.

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

If we fail to live in the Light,
we shall, to our condemnation
and that of others,
be veiling over and obscuring,
by our infidelity,
the Light men so desperately need.
As we know from Scripture,
the man who received the talent
should have made it produce a heavenly profit
but instead, he preferred to hide it away
rather than put it to work
and was punished as he deserved.
Consequently, that brilliant Lamp
which was lit for the sake of our salvation
should always shine in us.
For we have the lamp
of the heavenly commandments
and spiritual grace,
to which David referred:
Your law is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.

St Chromatius of Aquileia (Died c 407)
Bishop of Aquileia,
Father of the Church

When he has begun to follow Me,
according to My teaching and precepts,
he will find many people contradicting him
and standing in his way,
many who not only deride but even persecute him.
Moreover, this is true,
not only of pagans who are outside the Church
but also of those, who seem to be in it visibly
but are outside of it because of the perversity of their deeds.
Although these glory,
in merely the title of Christian,
they continually persecute faithful Christians.

St Caesarius of Arles (470-543)

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT, ADVENT QUOTES, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The HEART, The KINGDOM of GOD, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 27 November – The Kingdom of God is near. Luke 21:31

Quote/s of the Day – 27 November – The First Sunday of Advent –– Romans 13:11-14, Luke 21:25-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Look at the fig tree and all the trees,
when they produce their fruit
you know that summer is near.
So too, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.

Luke 21:29-31

The Kingdom of Heaven
is like a treasure
hidden in a field;
he who finds it, hides it
and in his joy.
goes and sells all that he has
and buys that field.”

Matthew 13:44

The only true riches are those
that make us rich in virtue.
Therefore, if you want to be rich, beloved,
love true riches.
If you aspire to the heights of real honour,
strive to reach the Kingdom of Heaven.
If you value rank and renown,
hasten to be enrolled
in the heavenly court of the Angels.

St Pope Gregory III (Died 741)

How long are we going to put off
obeying Christ, Who calls us
into His Heavenly Kingdom?
Are WE NOT going to purify ourselves?
WILL we NOT resolve to forsake
our customary way of life
to follow the Gospel radically?…
We claim to want the Kingdom of God
yet, without bothering,
to concern ourselves,
with the means of obtaining it?!
What is more, in the conceitedness
of our souls, without taking the least trouble
to obey the Lord’s Commandments,
we think ourselves worthy
to receive the same reward,
as those who have resisted sin,
to the death!

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

The soul must grow and expand
so as to be capable of God.
And its largeness is its love,
as the Apostle says,
“widen yourselves in love”
(2 Cor 6:13).
It grows and extends spiritually,
not in substance but in virtue.
The greatness of each soul is judged
by the measure of love that it has-
he who has great love, is great-
he who has little love is little,
while he who has no love at all –
is nothing!

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father & Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

Where is the heart that loves?
On the thing it loves.
Therefore, where our love is,
there our heart is held captive.
It cannot leave it;
it cannot be lifted higher,
it cannot go either to the right or the left;
see, it is fixed.
Where the miser’s treasure is,
there is his heart
and where our heart is,
there is our treasure.

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on ZEAL

Quote/s of the Day – 1 November – All Saints Day

Quote/s of the Day – 1 November – All Saints Day

Similarly, anyone who wishes
to understand the minds
of the sacred writers
must first cleanse his own life
and approach the Saints,
by imitating their deeds.

St Athanasius (297-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Let listening to worldly news
be BITTER FOOD for you
and let the words of
Saintly men
be as combs
filled with honey.

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

The Saints must be honoured
as friends of Christ
and children and heirs of God.
Let us carefully observe
the manner of life of all the Apostles,
Martyrs, Ascetics and just men,
who announced the coming of the Lord.
And let us emulate their faith,
charity, hope, zeal, life,
patience under suffering
and perseverance unto death,
so that we may also
share their crowns of glory.

St John Damascene (676-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

I am a sinner
and do not think much of myself.
I have recourse,
to the greatest Servants of the Lord
that they may pray for me
to the blessed Christ and His Mother.
But do not forget,
that all the Saints
cannot endear you to Christ
as much as you can yourself.
It is entirely up to you!

St Cajetan (1480-1547) Confessor

“God speaks to us through His Saints.
The Saints are those in whom
God dwells in such a special way
that their entire personalities reflect Him.
They live the Gospel perfectly.
Whenever we encounter
one of these privileged beings,
whether in the pages of a book [or online]
or in our actual surrounding world,
let us pay attention to them
and do our best to imitate their virtues
.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, Holy Name PRAYERS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST in GOD, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 26 October – Perseverance

Quote/s of the Day – 26 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Do not let love and fidelity forsake you,
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then will you win favour and esteem
before God and human beings.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
on your own intelligence do not rely.
In all your ways be mindful of him,
and he will make straight your paths
.”

Proverbs 3:3-6

A person who wishes
to become the Lord’s disciple
must repudiate a human obligation,
however honourable it may appear,
if it slows us, ever so slightly,
in giving the wholehearted obedience
we owe to God.

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

I think He intends to try you
like gold in the crucible,
so as to number you
amongst His most faithful servants.
Therefore, you must lovingly embrace
all occasions of suffering,
considering them
as precious tokens of His love.
To suffer in silence
and without complaint,
is what He asks of you.

St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)
Apostle of the Sacred Heart

When the sister of St Thomas Aquinas
asked him how to become holy,
he replied that it needed only one thing –
a firm act of the will,
for God will certainly supply the necessary grace..”
The grace of God is the principal weapon
upon which we must depend,
in order to gain our victory.
We should pray for it humbly and perseveringly.
There will be victors and losers
in the battle for Heaven,
as well as in earthly contests.
We must make sure that we are on the winning side!
For this purpose, we should combine
fervent and constant prayer
with generous co-operation with the grace of God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

My God, Sweetness beyond words,
make bitter all the carnal comfort
that draws me from love of the eternal
and lures me to its evil self,
by the sight of some delightful good
in the present.
Let it not overcome me, my God.
Let not flesh and blood conquer me.
Let not the world and its brief glory
deceive me, nor the devil trip me by his craftiness.
Give me courage to resist,
patience to endure
and constancy to persevere.
Give me the soothing unction of Your spirit,
rather than all the consolations of the world
and in place of carnal love,
infuse into me the love of Your Name.

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
The Imitation of Christ
(Book 3 Ch 26:1-4)

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on PRIDE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – ‘ … Never place yourself above anyone, not even great sinners. …’ St Basil the Great

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – The 10th Sunday after Pentecost – 1 Cor.inthians 12:2-11, Luke 18:9-14

“I tell you, this man went back to his home, justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled but he who humbles himself, will be exalted” – Luke 18:14

REFLECTION – “The stern Pharisee, who in his overweening pride, not only boasted of himself but also discredited the tax collector, in the Presence of God, made his justice void by being guilty of pride. Instead of the Pharisee, the tax collector went down justified because he had given glory to God, the Holy One. He did not dare lift his eyes but sought only to plead for mercy. He accused himself by his posture, by striking his breast and by entertaining no other motive, except propitiation.

Be on your guard, therefore and bear in min, this example of severe loss, sustained through arrogance. The one guilty of insolent behaviour suffered the loss of his justice and forfeited his reward, by his bold self-reliance. He was judged inferior to a humble man and a sinner because, in his self-exaltation, he did not await the judgement of God but pronounced it himself.

Never place yourself above anyone, not even great sinners. Humility often saves a sinner, who has committed many terrible transgressions!” – St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop of Caesarea, Father and Doctor of the Church (On Humility)

PRAYER – O God, Thou manifest Thy power, particularly in forbearance and pity, show us Thy mercy again and again, so that hastening toward Thy promises, we may become partakers of the blessings 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).

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ON the SAINTS, OUR Cross, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TRUST in GOD, QUOTES on WISDOM, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 8 August – Let us become Saints!

Quote/s of the Day – 8 August – The Memorial of the Fourteen Holy Helpers – On the Saints

Let listening to worldly news
be BITTER FOOD for you
and let the words of
Saintly men
be as combs
filled with honey.

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Instead of speaking saintly words,
we must act them.

St Jerome (343-420)
“The Man of the Sacred Scripture
Father and 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 as Saint?
Nothing more than to acquire the habit of willing,
on every occasion,
what God wills.”

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

All a person’s holiness,
perfection and profit
lies in doing God’s will perfectly….
Happy are we, if we succeed
in pouring out our heart into God’s,
in uniting our desires
and our will to His,
to the point,
that one heart and one will are formed,
wanting, what God wants,
wanting, in the way,
in the time
and in the circumstances,
what He desires
and willing it all,
for no other reason,
than that God wills it.

St Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FRUITS of the SPIRIT, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on HYPROCRISY/HYPOCRITES, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SCANDAL, The HEART, The WORD, VENIAL SIN

Quote/s of the Day – 24 July – Lord, Lord Matthew 7:21

Quote/s of the Day – 24 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood” – St Christina of Bolsena (3rd Century) Virgin Martyr – Romans 6:19-23, Matthew 7:15-21

Not everyone who says to me,
‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of Heaven
but only the one who does
the will of my Father in Heaven.

Matthew 7:21

We recognise a tree by its fruit
and we ought to be able to recognise
a Christian by his action.
The fruit of faith
should be evident in our lives,
for being a Christian is more than making
sound professions of faith.
It should reveal itself in practical
and visible ways.
Indeed, it is better to keep quiet
about our beliefs
and live them out,
than to talk eloquently about what we believe
but fail to live by it!

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35-c 108)
Martyr
Apostolic Father of the Church

God is Good but He is also Just…
So do not underestimate God –
His love for men
should not become a pretext,
for negligence on our part.

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

If anyone who calls upon the Name of the Lord,
resists the Lord’s Commands
by living perversely,
it is evident, that the good,
which the tongue has spoken,
has NOT emanated from the good treasure in his heart.
It was not the root of a fig tree
but that of a thorn bush,
which produced the fruit of such a confession —
a conscience, which is, bristling with vices
and not one filled,
with the sweetness
of the love of the Lord!

St Bede the Venerable (673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Posted in 7 GIFTS of the HOLY SPIRIT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, The HOLY SPIRIT, The KINGDOM of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 14 June – St Basil the Great

Quote/s of the Day – 14 June – The Memorial of St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop of Caesarea, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

How long are we going to put off
obeying Christ, Who calls us
into His Heavenly Kingdom?
Are WE NOT going to purify ourselves?
WILL we NOT resolve to forsake
our customary way of life
to follow the Gospel radically?…
We claim to want the Kingdom of God
yet, without bothering,
to concern ourselves,
with the means of obtaining it?!
What is more, in the conceitedness
of our souls, without taking the least trouble
to obey the Lord’s Commandments,
we think ourselves worthy
to receive the same reward,
as those who have resisted sin,
to the death!

Through Him, hearts are lifted up,
the infirm are held by the hand
and those who progress,
are brought to perfection.
He shines on those who are cleansed
from every spot and makes them spiritual people,
through fellowship with Himself.
When a sunbeam falls
on a transparent substance,
the substance itself becomes brilliant
and radiates light from itself.
So too, the Spirit-bearing souls,
illumined by Him,
finally become spiritual themselves
and their grace is sent forth to others.
From this comes knowledge of the future,
understanding of mysteries,
apprehension of hidden things,
distribution of wonderful gifts,
heavenly citizenship,
a place in the choir of Angels,
endless joy in the presence of God,
becoming like God
and the highest of all desires – becoming God!

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/01/02/quote-s-of-the-day-2-january-the-memorial-of-st-basil-the-great-329-379-and-st-gregory-of-nazianzen-330-390-fathers-doctors-of-the-church/

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on THE WORLD, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, SAINT of the DAY, The KINGDOM of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 June – If anyone comes to Me, without hating … Luke 14:26

One Minute Reflection – 14 June – The Memorial of St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop of Caesarea, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Luke 14:26-35

If anyone comes to Me, without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:26

REFLECTION – “On another occasion, the Lord says, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children and brothers and sisters and even his own soul, cannot be my disciple.” As a rule, this is more upsetting to the mind of new Christians, who are eager to begin at once, to live in accordance with the precepts of Christ. To those who do not fully grasp its meaning, it would seem contradictory…. He has condescended to call His disciples to the eternal Kingdom. He also called them brothers. In the Kingdom these relationships are transcended because, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, neither slave nor freeman but Christ, is all things and in all.” The Lord says, “For in the resurrection, they will neither be married nor marry but will be as the Angels of God in Heaven.

Whoever wishes to prepare himself now, for the life of that Kingdom, must not hate people but those earthly relationships, through which the present life is sustained, the temporary life that begins at birth and ends with death. Whoever does not hate this necessity, does not yet love that other life, in which there will be no condition of birth and death, the condition that makes marriages natural on earth.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father, Doctor of Grace (Sermon on the Mount,15).

PRAYER – We beseech Thee, O Lord, hear our prayers which we offer on the festival of blessed Basil, Thy Confessor and Bishop and through his intercessory merits, who had the grace to serve Thee worthily, absolve us from all our sins. 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).
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love. 300 days ONCE A DAY – (Unless otherwise stated, e.g., “once a day,” a partial Indulgence may be gained any number of times in succession.) Pope Leo XIII 21 May.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, HOLY COMMUNION, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST

Our Morning Offering – 14 June – O Christ, Our Master and Our God By St Basil the Great

Our Morning Offering – 14 June – The Memorial of St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

O Christ, Our Master and Our God
By St Basil the Great (329-379)

Father and Doctor of the Church

O Christ, our Master
and our God,
King of the ages and Creator of all,
I thank You for all the good things
You have given to me
and for the reception
of your most pure and life-giving Mysteries.
I pray You, therefore,
O good Lover of humankind,
keep me under Your protection,
in the shadow of Your wings.
Grant that with a pure conscience,
until my last breath,
I may worthily partake of Your Holy Things,
for the forgiveness of sins
and for life everlasting.
For You are the Bread of Life,
the Fountain of Holiness
and the Bestower of Blessings
and to You, we give glory together
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
now and forever and ever,
Amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 14 June – St Basil the Great (329-379)

Saint of the Day – 14 June – St Basil the Great (329-379) – Bishop of Caesarea, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church, Theologian, Defender of True Faith against all heresies, outstanding Scholar, Preacher and Writer, he was filled with love and kindness for the poor and the sick, building a Hospital to assist the poor sick, Miracle-worker. Born in 329 at Caesarea, Asia Minor (modern Turkey) to the nobility, his was a pious family – his mother, father and four of his nine siblings, were Canonised, including Saint Gregory of Nyssa. Grandson of Saint Macrina the Elder. He died on 1 January 379 at Caesarea, Asia Minor of natural causes. Patronages – Cappadocia, Hospital Administrators, Monks, Reformers, Russia.

The Roman Martyrology says of him today: “At Caesarea, in Cappadocia, the Consecration of St Basil, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, who was eminent for learning and wisdom in the time of the Emperor Valens. Being adorned with every virtue, he was a great light in the Church and defended her, with admirable constancy, against the Arians and Macedonians.

St Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea,
Confessor and Doctor of the Church
By Fr Francis Xavier Weninger, SJ (1805-1888) (Excerpt)

St Basil, who is called by the Holy Church, the Great because he was truly so, not only in mind, eloquence and learning but also, in courage against the heretics, in zeal for the honour of God, in holiness and in miracles, was born in Cappadocia, of noble, rich but, at the same time, holy parents. He had three brothers who are also honoured as Saints. He studied the liberal arts at Csesarea, Constantinople and lastly at Athens: – in the last place he became acquainted with St Gregory Nazianzen. St.Porphyrius, who was superior of a Convent in Egypt, instructed him in Holy Writ.

After this, he visited the holy places and was on his return, Ordained Feacon by Bishop Meletius at Antioch and began to preach in that City and afterwards continued at Cassarea, not only with the fame of great wisdom but also, with indescribable benefit to his hearers. At the latter place he was Ordained Priest. When he, however, perceived that even the Bishop became jealous of him on account of the great reputation which he gained by his sermons, he fled secretly to a desert in the land of Pontus. There he lived several years with his friend Gregory, occupied in the study of Holy Writ, praying, fasting and watching. Many came to him, desirous to live more piously. The rules he gave them to regulate their conduct, were by no one kept more punctually than by himself. He also instructed the heathen inhabitants, of the surrounding places, in the true faith and converted many of them.

Some years later, Valens, an Arian, ascended the imperial throne and persecuted the Catholics most cruelly. When St Basil was informed of this, he left the desert, repaired to Cassarea, fearlessly opposed the heretics and strengthened the Catholics in their faith. Meanwhile the Bishop of that City died and Basil, much against his inclinations, became his successor. Invested with this dignity, he changed nothing in the austerity to which he had been accustomed while living in the desert but he used the opportunities offered to him, to be still more kind and charitable to the poor. A terrible famine took place at that time, by which many lost their lives. The holy Bishop sold all that he possessed and divided the money among the poor and exhorted others, in his sermons, to be charitable to the needy. The sick he nursed with admirable humility, in a hospital which he had built for them. He hesitated not ,to give them food with his own hands and to wash and bandage their wounds. But notwithstanding all these acts of pious kindness, he neglected not to combat the Arians, both with tongue and pen and to guard his flock from their ravages.

Valens, the Emperor, sent one of his chief officers to Caesarea to induce the Saint to join the Arians, or else to drive him out of the City. Modestus, the imperial officer, summoned Basil into his presence and addressed him haughtily, in the following words: “Why do you not comply with the Emperor’s wishes and confess yourself to belong to his faith?” Basil fearlessly replied: “Because the Lord, my God, Who is infinitely greater than your Emperor, forbids it.” “Do you not fear then,” said Modestus, “the power and wrath of the Emperor? He can deprive you of all your possessions, drive you from your country, make you suffer and languish and even take your life.” The holy man answered: “Whosoever possesses nothing, fears not that anything can be taken away from him. My Country is Heaven, out of which you cannot drive me. You cannot make me suffer long, as my body is so weak that his first blow will destroy my life. Death will be a favour to me, for it will bring me sooner to my God.” Modestus, astonished at the boldness of this answer, said: “Nobody has ever dared to speak to me in such a manner.” “This may be the case because you have never spoken to a Bishop,” said Basil; “for in cases like this, all Bishops speak as I do.” “I will give you this night,” said Modestus, “to consider the wishes of the Emperor.” “And I shall be the same tomorrow as today,” replied Basil, as he went away.

The Emperor himself was filled with admiration for the Saint, when he was informed of what had taken place but the heretics left him no peace, until he gave orders that Bishop Basil should be placed in a carriage during the night and secretly carried away. Everything was in readiness to execute the Emperor’s command, when suddenly the Empress and her son, a very young child, became dangerously sick. The physician despaired of their lives and the Emperor, thinking it was a punishment sent by God because of his evil intentions against the holy Bishop, sent hastily to him to request earnestly, that he would obtain from God the health of the mother and the child. Basil promised to comply with his wish, on the condition that the Emperor would promise, that the child should be Baptised and educated in the Catholic faith. The Emperor consented, Basil prayed and the Empress and the Prince entirely recovered in the same hour. Hardly, however, had the Saint left the Emperor, when the latter, breaking his promise, had the child christened by an Arian bishop but he was almost immediately punished, for the Prince became sick again and died!

Some time later, the Emperor, again incited against the Saint intended to banish him but when he sat down to sign the order, the chair suddenly broke under him. He rose, took three pens, one after the other but was not able to write his name. None of them gave any ink but all split in his hand, which itself began to tremble and lose all life. Hence, he tore the order and left the Saint undisturbed. Many other miraculous events took place in regard to this holy Bishop, to relate all of which, would occupy too much space; as also all the labour he performed for the salvation of his flock and to the benefit of the whole Church. Neither can we relate how much he wrote in defence of the True Faith, how valiantly he opposed the heretics, how carefully he guarded the faithful. To a steward of the Emperor, who dared to dispute with him about articles of faith, he gave an answer, which, by a slight change, would serve very well in our days, for many who deem themselves wiser than they are. “Your office is,” said he, “to attend to the soup in the kitchen and to see that it is not too much salted but not ,to dispute about articles of faith.

St Ephrem saw the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove upon the shoulder of the Saint, whispering to him what to preach or to write. A Jew, who had crept secretly into the Church during Holy Mass, saw a beautiful child in the hands of the Bishop, when he raised the Consecrated Host, which miracle caused him to embrace Christianity. With another Jew, who had considerable medical knowledge, the Saint had frequent conversations in the hope of converting him to Christ. When Basil became dangerously sick, he called the Jewish physician into his presence and asked him what hope there was of his recovery. The Jew answered; “There is no hope – this very evening, the bishop will be a corpse.” “But what would you say,” said the Saint, “if I should still be alive tomorrow?” “It is impossible,” was the Jew’s reply; “if that should happen I will become a Christian.” “I will remind you of your promise,” said Basil and turning his heart to God, he prayed fervently that his life might be prolonged for the conversion of the Jew. And in fact, on the following day, the holy Bishop arose from his bed entirely recovered. The Jew came, saw the miracle and being already sufficiently instructed in the Christian faith, was led by the Saint into the Church and amidst a crowd of people, Baptised with his whole family. This being accomplished, the Saint returned to his bed, his sickness re-appeared and a happy death soon ended his earthly pilgrimage.

Before his end, he exhorted all present to remain constant in the true faith and zealous in the practice of virtue. After this, he saw a Host of Angels, who invited him to enter Heaven. His last words were; “Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.” His happy death took place in the year of our Lord 379.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, MARTYRS, SAINT of the DAY, YouTube VIDEOS

Notre-Dame de la Treille / Our Lady of the Trellis, Lille, Nord, Flandres, France (1234), St Basil the Great (329-379) and Memorials of the Saints – 14 June

Notre-Dame de la Treille / Our Lady of the Trellis, Lille, Nord, Flandres, France (1234) – 14 June:
HERE:

https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/14/notre-dame-de-la-treille-our-lady-of-the-trellis-lille-nord-flandres-france-1234-and-memorials-of-the-saints-14-june/

St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop of Caesarea, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church. From the 13th Century until 1969, St Basil’s Feast was celebrated today, 14 June. It was combined with St Gregory of Nazianzen’s Feast in 1969. His moved feast day here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/01/02/saint-s-of-the-day-2-january-st-basil-the-great-329-379-and-st-gregory-of-nazianzen-330-390-two-bodies-one-spirit/

St Anastasius of Córdoba
St Burchard of Meissen
St Caomhán of Inisheer
St Castora Gabrielli
St Cearan the Devout
Bl Constance de Castro
St Cyprien
St Cyriacus of Zeganea
St Davnet
St Digna of Córdoba
St Dogmael of Wales
St Elgar of Bardsey

St Elisha the Prophet “My God is salvation” (790 BC) Prophet was a disciple and protégé of St Elijah.
St Elisha!

https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/14/saint-of-the-day-14-june-saint-elisha-the-prophet-my-god-is-salvation-790-bc/

St Etherius of Vienne
St Felix of Córdoba
Bl Fortunatus of Napoli
St Gerold of Evreux
Bl Hartwig of Salzburg
St Joseph the Hymnographer

St Marcian of Syracuse (Died c 68) Bishop of Syracuse, Sicily, Italy Martyr. Disciple of and Consecrated by St Peter, Missionary, Evangelist.
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/14/saint-of-the-day-14-june-st-marcian-of-syracuse-died-c-68/

St Mark of Lucera

St Methodius of Constantinople (born 8th Century – 847) Monk and and Bishop of Constantinople, “Defender of Icons
His Life:

https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/14/saint-of-the-day-14-june-st-methodius-i-of-constantinople-8th-cent-847-defender-of-icons/

St Nennus of Arran
Bl Peter de Bustamante
St Protus of Aquileia
St Quintian
St Richard of Saint Vannes
St Rufinus of Soissons
St Thecla
St Theopista
St Valerius of Soissons
Bl Walter Eustace

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, INDULGENCES, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PARTIAL Indulgence, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The HOLY SPIRIT, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 June – ‘ … Only when] the original form of the royal image has been restored in him, is it possible for him to approach the Paraclete.

One Minute Reflection – 3 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – Friday after the Octave of Ascension – 1 Pet 4:7-11, John 15:26-27; 16:1-4.

But when the Paraclete comes, Whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, Who proceeds from the Father, He shall give testimony of Me. ” – John 15:26

REFLECTION – “The Spirit is simple in being. His powers are many. They are entirely present everywhere and in everything. He is distributed but does not change. He is shared, yet remains whole. Consider the analogy of the sunbeam – each person on whom its kindly light falls, rejoices as if the sun existed for him alone, yet, it illumines land and sea and is master of the atmosphere. In the same way, the Spirit is given to each one who receives Him, as if he were the possession of that person alone, yet, He sends forth sufficient grace to fill the entire universe. Everything that partakes of His grace, is filled with joy according to his capacity—the capacity of his nature, not of His power.

The Spirit does not take up His abode in someone’s life, through a physical approach. How could a corporeal being approach the bodiless One? Instead, the Spirit comes to us when we withdraw ourselves from evil passions which have crept into the soul through its friendship with the flesh, alienating us from a close relationship with God. Only when a person has been cleansed from the shame of his evil and has returned to his natural beauty and [only when] the original form of the royal image has been restored in him, is it possible for him to approach the Paraclete. Then, like the sun, He will show you. in Himself, the image of the invisible and with purified eyes, you will see in this blessed image, the unspeakable beauty of its prototype.

Through Him, hearts are lifted up, the infirm are held by the hand and those who progress, are brought to perfection. He shines on those who are cleansed from every spot and makes them spiritual people, through fellowship with Himself. When a sunbeam falls on a transparent substance, the substance itself becomes brilliant and radiates light from itself. So too, the Spirit-bearing souls, illumined by Him, finally become spiritual themselves and their grace is sent forth to others. From this comes knowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, apprehension of hidden things, distribution of wonderful gifts, heavenly citizenship, a place in the choir of Angels, endless joy in the presence of God, becoming like God and the highest of all desires – becoming God.” – St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop of Caesarea, Father and Doctor of the Church (On the Holy Spirit, 9).

PRAYER – Almighty and eternal God, give us a will ever dedicated to Thee and a true heart to serve Thy majesty. 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).
SACRED Heart of JESUS, Thy Kingdom come!
Indulgence 300 Days. Everytime Raccolta 178 St Pius X, 4 May 1906.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, MODESTY, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 April – ‘We are under an obligation …’

Quote/s of the Day – 7 April – Thursday in Passion Week, the Fifth Week of Lent

Many sins are forgiven her
because she has loved much.

Luke 7:42

The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgement
with this generation and condemn it, for they repented
…”

Matthew 12:41

… In the conceitedness of our souls,
without taking the least trouble
to obey the Lord’s commandments,
we think ourselves worthy
to receive the same reward
as those who have resisted sin to the death!

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“And when I hear it said,
that God is good and He will pardon us
and then see, that men cease not from evil-doing,
oh, how it grieves me!
The infinite goodness
with which God communicates with us,
sinners as we are,
should constantly make us love and serve Him better
but we, on the contrary,
instead of seeing in His goodness
an obligation to please Him,
convert it into an excuse for sin,
which will, of a certainty,
lead in the end,
to our deeper condemnation.

St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)

We … are under an obligation
to be the light of the world
by the modesty of our behaviour,
the fervour of our charity,
the innocence of our lives
and the example of our virtues.
Thus shall we be able
to raise the lowered prestige
of the Catholic Church
and, to build up again,
the ruins that others by their vices have caused.
Others, by their wickedness,
have branded the Catholic Faith
with a mark of shame,
we must strive,
with all our strength, to cleanse it
from its ignominy
and to restore it
to its pristine glory!

The path to Heaven is narrow,
rough and full of wearisome
and trying ascents,
nor can it be trodden without great toil
and, therefore, wrong is their way,
gross their error
and assured their ruin,
who, after the testimony
of so many thousands of Saints,
will not learn where to settle their footing!

St Robert Southwell SJ (1561-1595)
Priest and Martyr

Posted in HOLY COMMUNION, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on PURITY, The HOLY EUCHARIST

Our Morning Offering – 27 February – O Christ, our Master and our God

Our Morning Offering – 27 February – Quinquagesima Sunday

O Christ, our Master and our God
By St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

O Christ, our Master and God,
King of the ages and Creator of all,
I thank You for all the good things
that You have given to me
and for the reception of Your most pure
and life-giving Mysteries.
I pray You, therefore,
O good Lover of mankind,
keep me under Your protection
in the shadow of Your wings.
Grant that with a pure conscience,
until my last breath,
I may worthily partake
of Your Holy Things,
for the forgiveness of sins
and for life everlasting.
For You are the Bread of Life,
the Fountain of holiness
and the Bestower of blessings
and to You, we give glory
together with the Father
and the Holy Spirit,
now nad forever and ever.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 26 February – Have recourse to Mary

Quote/s of the Day – 26 February – Mary’s Saturday

Pray, pray a great deal
and make sacrifices for sinners,
for many souls go to Hell
because they have no-one
to make sacrifices
and pray for them.

Our Lady of Fatima 1917
13 May to 13 October 1917

O sinner, be not discouraged
but have recourse to Mary,
in all your necessities.
Call her to your assistance,
for such is the divine Will
that she should help
in every kind of necessity.

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“O Mary, I have not doubt
that whenever we run to you,
we shall obtain all that we desire.
Let those then who have no hope,
hope in you!”

“In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties,
think of Mary, call upon Mary.
Let not her name depart from your lips,
never suffer it to leave your heart.
And that you may obtain the assistance of her prayer,
neglect not to walk in her footsteps.
With her for guide, you shall never go astray;
while invoking her, you shall never lose heart;
so long as she is in your mind,
you are safe from deception;
while she holds your hand, you cannot fall;
under her protection you have nothing to fear;
if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary;
if she shows you favour, you shall reach the goal.”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

It seems unbelievable
that a man should perish
in whose favour Christ said to His Mother:
‘Behold thy son’,
provided that he has not turned a deaf ear
to the words, which Christ addressed to him:
‘Behold thy Mother.’

St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621)
Doctor of the Church

Never do anything
that your heart tells you,
is displeasing to Mary
and, in addition,
never deny her anything
that you know she would welcome
and desire from you.

St Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860)

It would be hard to find
a more touching plea.
We ask our heavenly Mother
to intercede for us
now because we have such great need
of her assistance
in this vale of tears and temptations.
May she be always by our side,
to shelter us beneath her mantle

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The HOLY NAME, The KINGDOM of GOD, The WORD, THOMAS a KEMPIS

Quote/s of the Day – 24 January – ‘A person who wishesto become the Lord’s disciple …’

Quote/s of the Day – 24 January – Saint Timothy, Bishop and Martyr, 1 Timothy 6:11-16, Luke 14:26-33.

“If anyone comes to me
without hating his father
and mother, wife and children,
brothers and sisters
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple
.”

Luke 14:26

“Pursue justice, godliness,
faith, charity, patience, mildness.
Fight the good fight of the faith,
lay hold on the life eternal,
to which you have been called …

1 Timothy 6:11-12

Are you able to drink the cup
that I am to drink?

Matthew 20:22

“Leaving all things,
they followed him.

Luke 5:11

I am the light of the world;
he who follows me will not walk in darkness
but will have the light of life.

John 8:12

A person who wishes
to become the Lord’s disciple
must repudiate a human obligation,
however honourable it may appear,
if it slows us, ever so slightly,
in giving the wholehearted obedience
we owe to God
.”

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

… Anyone of you
who does not renounce
all his possessions,
cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:33

The tradition and the authority
of Holy Scripture, show us three renunciations …
The first is that, by which,
as far as the body is concerned,
we make light of all the wealth
and goods of this world.
By the second,
we reject the fashions and vices
and former affections of soul and flesh.
By the third,
we detach our soul from all present
and visible things and contemplate only
things to come and set our heart
on what is invisible.
We have to do all these three at once,
as the Lord charged Abraham to do,
when he said to him
“Go out from your country
and your kinsfolk
and your father’s house.
”(Gn 12:1).”

St John Cassian (c 360-435)
Monk, Founder of Monasteries,
Father of the Church
(Conference 3, 6-7)

The Love of Your Name

“My God, Sweetness beyond words,
make bitter all the carnal comfort
that draws me from love of the eternal
and lures me to its evil self,
by the sight of some delightful good
in the present.
Let it not overcome me, my God.
Let not flesh and blood conquer me.
Let not the world and its brief glory
deceive me, nor the devil trip me by his craftiness.
Give me courage to resist,
patience to endure
and constancy to persevere.
Give me the soothing unction of Your spirit,
rather than all the consolations of the world
and in place of carnal love,
infuse into me the love of Your Name.

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
The Imitation of Christ
(Book 3 Ch 26:1-4)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MARTYRS, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

The Octave Day of St Stephen, Nuestra Señora del Pilar / Our Lady of the Pillar (Zaragoza, Spain) (40) and Memorials of the Saints – 2 January

The Octave Day of St Stephen

Nuestra Señora del Pilar / Our Lady of the Pillar (Zaragoza, Spain) (40) – 2 January, 12 October (originally 4 October), 15 August – (This Apparition it is considered the first Marian Apparition, and is unique because it happened while Mary was still living on Earth):

According to ancient Spanish history, on 2 January in the year 40, in the early days of Christianity, James the Greater, one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, was preaching the Gospel in what was then the pagan land of Caesaraugusta (now Zaragoza), in the Roman Province of Hispania.

St James was disheartened with his mission, having made only a few converts. While he was praying by the banks of the Ebro River with some of his disciples, the Blessed Virgin Mary miraculously appeared before him atop a pillar accompanied by Angels. Mary assured James that the people would eventually be converted, becoming a stronghold of the Faith due to his efforts and their faith would be as strong as the pillar she was standing on. She gave him the pillar as a symbol and a wooden image of herself. James was also instructed to build a Chapel on the spot where she left the pillar which he did, making it the first Church in Spain.

Apparition of the Virgin of the Pillar to Saint James and his Saragossan disciples by Francisco Goya, c 1769.

It is generally believed, that Mary appeared to James through bilocation, as she was still living, either in Ephesus or Jerusalem, at the time of this event, as she is believed to have died three to fifteen years after Jesus ascended into Heaven. After establishing the church, James returned to Jerusalem with some of his disciples where he became a Martyr, beheaded in 44 under Herod Agrippa. His disciples returned his body to Spain.
The pillar left by the Virgin Mary is presently enshrined in the same but larger Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar. It is believed to be the same pillar given and promised by Mary, in spite of numerous disasters that beset the Church. A fire in 1434 razed the Church that preceded the present Basilica Cathedral, see below.

The image of the Blessed Virgin Mary may or may not be the original. Some reports state that the original wooden image was destroyed when the Church burned down in 1434, contradicting other reports, that it is still the original Statue. The Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary is made of wood and stands 39 centimetres tall while the 1.8 m pillar is made of jasper.quartz. The Statue depicts Mother Mary with the Child Jesus on her left arm, Who has a dove sitting on His left palm. Since the 16th century, the pillar is usually draped in a skirt-like cover called manto (in English: mantle). As a whole, it is protected by a bronze case and then another case of silver. The image was canonically crowned in 1905 during the reign of Pope Pius X. The crown was designed by the Marquis of Griñi, valued at 450,000 pesetas (£18,750, in1910). During the three Marian festivities of today, 15 August and 12 October, the faithful adorn the base of the Pillar and Statue with flowers – see below (both our Blessed Mother and St James would be thrilled by this display of such immense faith and piety!)

The apparition of Our Lady of the Pillar is a widely accepted sacred tradition. Popes from earliest times issued Papal Bulls attesting to the authenticity of the Shrine and the appearance of the Virgin Mary. Pope Calixtus III issued a Bull in 1456 encouraging pilgrimage to the Lady of the Pillar. It acknowledged the miracle of its foundation and the miracles that had taken place at the Spanish Shrine. It was also through this Bull that the name “Our Lady of the Pillar” was confirmed.
So many contradictions had arisen concerning the miraculous origin of the Church that during the reign of Pope Innocent XIII , the Bishops of Spain appealed to the Holy See to settle the controversy. After careful investigation, the twelve Cardinals, in whose hands the affair rested, adopted the following account, which was approved by the Sacred Congregation of Rites on 2 August 1723 and has since been inserted in the lessons of the Office of the Feast of Our Lady of the Pillar, celebrated on 12 October.

Of all the places that Spain offers for the veneration of the devout, the most illustrious is doubtless the Sanctuary consecrated to God under the invocation of the Blessed Virgin, under the title of Our Lady of the Pillar, at Saragossa.
According to ancient and pious tradition, St James the Greater, led by Providence into Spain, spent some time at Saragossa. He there received a signal favour from the Blessed Virgin. As he was praying with his disciples one night, upon the banks of the Ebro, as the same tradition informs us, the Mother of God, who still lived, appeared to him and commanded him to erect an oratory in that place. The Apostle delayed not to obey this injunction,and with the assistance of his disciples, soon constructed a small Chapel. In the course of time, a larger Church was built and dedicated, which, with the dedication of Saint Saviour’s, is kept as a festival in the City and Diocese of Saragossa on the 4th of October.

Holy Chapel of the Pillar of Zaragoza. Altar with the Arrival of the Virgin by ‘José Ramírez de Arellano.

In 1730, Pope Clement XII allowed the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of the Pillar all over the Spanish Empire. As the date coincides with the discovery of the Americas, the Lady was later named as Patroness of the Hispanic World although her Patronages include all of the following:
Zaragoza, Spain, Melo, Uruguay, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Diocese of Imus, Cavite, Zamboanga City, Santa Cruz, Manila, Alaminos, Laguna, San Simon, Pampanga, Libmanan, Camarines Sur, Pilar and Morong in Bataan, Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro, Sibonga, Cebu, Baleno, Masbate, Cauayan, Isabela.

Prayer:
Hail, Mary, Our Lady of the Pillar,
conceived without sin,
I come to venerate and honour you.
above all the Angels and Saints in Heaven,
as my Queen, my Lady and my dearest Mother.
I firmly resolve to serve you always
and to do whatever I am able,
that all may render faithful service to you.
Most Holy Mary,
through your kind intercession
and by your own merits,
obtain for me from your Divine Son Jesus,
our Lord and Saviour,
all the graces I need
for the eternal salvation of my soul.
Therefore, most devoted Mother of mothers,
through the Precious Blood
which your Son shed for us,
I humbly beseech thee to receive me
among your devotees
and to accept me as your servant forever.
Help me in my every thought,
action word and deed,
never to be displeasing in your sight
and in the sight of your Son,
our Lord and Redeemer.
Think of me always,
my dear Lady of the Pillar
and do not forsake me
in the hour of my death.
Amen.

Our Lady of the Pillar by Ramón Bayeu, 1780.

St Basil the Great (329-379) Father & Doctor of the Church (Memorial)
St Basil is celebrated individually on 14 June (General Roman Calendar from 13th century to 1969.
St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Father & Doctor of the Church (Memorial)
St Gregory is celebrated individually on 9 May (General Roman Calendar prior to 1969).
About these 2 great Fathers and Doctors:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/01/02/saint-s-of-the-day-st-basil-the-great-329-379-and-st-gregory-of-nazianzen-330-390-fathers-and-doctors-of-the-church/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/01/02/saint-s-of-the-day-2-january-st-basil-the-great-329-379-and-st-gregory-of-nazianzen-330-390-two-bodies-one-spirit/

St Adelard of Corbie (c 751 – 827) Monk, Abbot, Apostle of the poor and needy, Court administrator, Counsellor to Charlemagne.
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/02/saint-of-the-day-2-january-saint-adelard-of-corbie-c-751-827/

Bl Airaldus of Maurienne
St Asclepius of Limoges
St Aspasius of Auch
St Blidulf of Bobbio
Bl Guillaume Répin
St Hortulana of Assisi
St Isidore of Antioch
St Isidore of Nitria
St Laurent Bâtard

Blessed Marie Anne Blondin SSA (1809-1890) Religious Sister and Foundress of the Sisters of Saint Anne, apostle of the Holy Eucharist and Divine Providence, Teacher.
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/02/saint-of-the-day-blessed-marie-anne-blondin-ssa-1809-1890/

Saint Macarius the Younger of Alexandria (Died c 401) Priest, Monk, Desert Hermit.

St Maximus of Vienne
Bl Odino of Rot
St Paracodius of Vienne
St Seiriol
Blessed Sylvester of Troina
St Telesphorus, Pope
St Theodota
St Theopistus
St Vincentian of Tulle

Many Martyrs Who Suffered in Rome: There were many Martyrs who suffered in the persecutions of Diocletian for refusing to surrender the holy books. Though we know these atrocities occurred, we do not know the names of the Saints and we honour them as a group. c 303 in Rome, Italy.

Martyrs of Antioch – 5 saints: A group of Christian soldiers Martyred together for their faith. We know the names of five – Albanus, Macarius, Possessor, Starus and Stratonicus. They were born in Greece and were Martyred in Antioch (modern Antakya, Turkey).

Many Martyrs of Britain: The Christians of Britain appear to have escaped unharmed in the earlier persecutions which afflicted the Church but the cruel edicts of Diocletian were enforced in every corner of the Roman Empire and the faithful inhabitants of this land, whether native Britons or Roman colonists, were called upon to furnish their full number of holy Martyrs and Confessors. The names of few are on record but the British historian, Saint Gildas, after relating the Martyrdom of Saint Alban, tells us, that many others were seized, some put to the most unheard-of tortures and others immediately executed, while not a few hid themselves in forests and the caves of the earth, where they endured a prolonged death until God called them to their reward. The same writer attributes it to the subsequent invasion of the English, then a pagan people, that the recollection of the places, sanctified by these Martyrdoms, has been lost and so little honour paid to their memory. It may be added, that, according to one tradition, a thousand of these Christians were overtaken in their flight near Lichfield and cruelly massacred and that the name of Lichfield, or Field of the Dead, is derived from them.

Martyrs of Ethiopia – 3 saints: A group of Christians Martyred together for their faith. We know the names of three – Auriga, Claudia and Rutile.

Martyrs of Jerusalem – 2 saints: A group of Christians Martyred together for their faith. We know the names of two – Stephen and Vitalis.

Martyrs of Lichfield: Many Christians suffered at Lichfield (aka Lyke-field, meaning field of dead bodies), England in the persecutions of Diocletian. Though we know these atrocities occurred, we do not know the names of theSsaints and we honour them as a group. Their Martyrdom occurred in 304 at Lichfield, England.

Martyrs of Piacenza: A group of Christians who died together for their faith in the persecutions of Diocletian. No details about them have survived. They were Martyred on the site of Church of Madonna di Campagna, Piacenza, Italy.

Martyrs of Puy – 4 saints: Missionaries, sent by Saint Fronto of Périgueux to the area of Puy, France. Tortured and Martyred by local pagans. We know the names – Frontasius, Severinus, Severian and Silanus. They were beheaded in Puy (modern Puy-en-Velay), France and buried together in the Church of Notre Dame, Puy-en-Velay by Saint Fronto, their bodies laid out to form a cross.

Martyrs of Syrmium – 7 saints: Group of Christians Martyred together, date unknown. We know the names of seven – Acutus, Artaxus, Eugenda, Maximianus, Timothy, Tobias and Vitus – but very little else. This occurred in the 3rd or 4th century at Syrmium, Pannonia (modern Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia).

Martyrs of Tomi – 3 saints: Three brothers, all Christian soldiers, in the Imperial Roman army and all three Martyred in the persecutions of Emperor Licinius Licinianus. We know their names – Argeus, Marcellinus and Narcissus – but little else.
They were Martyred in 320 at Tomi, Exinius Pontus, Moesia (modern Constanta, Romania).

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HOLY NAME, THOMAS a KEMPIS

Quote/s of the Day – 9 December – ‘… Lovers of Jesus Christ’

Quote/s of the Day – 9 December – Thursday of the Second week of Advent

“A person who wishes
to become the Lord’s disciple
must repudiate a human obligation,
however honourable it may appear,
if it slows us, ever so slightly,
in giving the wholehearted obedience
we owe to God.

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Neither do I condemn you
but, having been made secure
concerning the past,
be on your guard in the future.
I, for My part, will not condemn you,
I have blotted out what you have done;
keep what I have commanded,
that you may gain
what I have promised.

St Augustine (354-430)
Father & Doctor of Grace

Be strong and kill yourself
with the sword of hate and love,
then you will not hear the insults
and abuse. which the enemies
of the Church throw at you.
Your eyes will not see anything,
which seems impossible,
or the sufferings,

which may follow
but only the light of faith
and in that light ,
everything is possible

and remember ,
God never lays greater burdens
on us than we can bear.

St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
Doctor of the Church

The Love of Your Name

My God, Sweetness beyond words,
make bitter all the carnal comfort
that draws me from love of the eternal
and lures me to its evil self,
by the sight of some delightful good
in the present.
Let it not overcome me, my God.
Let not flesh and blood conquer me.
Let not the world and its brief glory
deceive me, nor the devil trip me by his craftiness.
Give me courage to resist,
patience to endure
and constancy to persevere.
Give me the soothing unction of Your spirit,
rather than all the consolations of the world
and in place of carnal love,
infuse into me the love of Your Name.

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
The Imitation of Christ
(Book 3 Ch 26:1-4)

“Crosses, contempt,
sorrows and afflictions,
are the real treasures
of the lovers of Jesus Christ Crucified.

St Margaret Mary Alacoque
(1647-1690)
“Apostle of the Sacred Heart”

Posted in ADVENT QUOTES, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, The HEART, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The WORD, THOMAS a KEMPIS

Quote/s of the Day – 5 December – Prepare the way of the Lord … Luke 3:4

Quote/s of the Day – 5 December – The Second Sunday of Advent – Readings: Baruch 5: 1-9; Psalm 126: 1-6; Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11; Luke 3: 1-6

“Prepare the way of the Lord
make his paths straight
” …

Luke 3:4

“There is still time for endurance,
time for patience,
time for healing,
time for change.
Have you slipped?
Rise up!
Have you sinned?
Cease!
Do not stand among sinners
but leap aside!

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Open wide your door
to the One who comes.
Open your soul,
throw open the depths of your heart
to see the riches of simplicity,
the treasures of peace,
the sweetness of grace.
Open your heart and run to meet
the Sun of eternal Light
that illuminates all men.

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“If we wish to make any progress
in the service of God,
we must begin everyday of our life,
with new eagerness.
We must keep ourselves,
in the presence of God,
as much as possible
and have no other view or end,
in all our actions
but the divine honour.

St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

“Come, O come, for without You
there will be no happy day
or hour because You are my happiness
and without You my table is empty.
I am wretched, as it were imprisoned
and weighted down with fetters,
until You fill me with the Light of Your Presence,
restore me to liberty
and show me a friendly countenance
.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
(Book 3 Ch 21:1,4-6)

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 November – ‘He is satisfied with being loved.’

One Minute Reflection – 10 November – Readings: Wisdom 6: 1-11; Psalm 82: 3-4, 6-7; Luke 17: 11-19

Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?” – Luke 17:17

REFLECTION – “After having offended our Benefactor by our indifference to His signs of goodwill, we have, nevertheless, not been forsaken by the Lord’s goodness nor cut off from His love but we have been rescued from death and restored to life by our Lord Jesus Christ. And the way in which we have been saved, is even more worthy of wonder. “Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God something to be grasped but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” (Phil 2,6-7).

He carried our weakness and bore our sufferings, He was put to death for our sake that we might be saved by His Wounds, He redeemed us from the curse, by becoming accursed for us (cf Is 53,4-5; Gal 3,13). He endured the most degrading of deaths, to lead us to life and glory. And it was not enough for Him to restore to life, those who lay in death. He clothed them again in the divine dignity and prepared for them, in everlasting rest, a happiness that exceeds all human imagining.

How, then, shall we repay the Lord for all He has given us? His goodness is such, that He asks nothing in return for His blessings – He is satisfied with being loved.” – St Basil (330-379) Monk, Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, Father and Doctor of the Church (Great monastic Rules, # 2)

PRAYER – You Lord, Holy Father, never forget Your solemn covenant and grant us new life each day. We though in our hearts of stone do forget and cease to thank and bless You. Make our hearts turn in gratitude, for all we are and have is by Your grace and we are as nothing without You. May our minds, hearts and souls sing with love and thanks to You, Lord our God. Grant us new hearts by the prayers of Your Saint Leo the Great and all the saints in heaven, who always lived with grateful hearts, praising You always. We ask this this through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY COMMUNION, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST

Our Morning Offering – 24 October – Prayer before Holy Communion By St Basil the Great

Our Morning Offering – 24 October – Twenty Second Sunday after Pentecost

Prayer before Holy Communion
By St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Lord, I know that I am not worthy
to receive Thy Holy Body and Precious Blood;
I know that I am guilty
and that I eat and drink
condemnation to myself,
not discerning the Body and Blood
of Christ, my God.
But trusting in Thy loving kindness,
I come to Thee, Who hast said –
‘Whoever eats My Body and drinks My Blood,
will dwell in me and I in him’;
Therefore, Lord, have compassion on me
and do not put to shame Thy sinful servant
But deal with me according to Thy great mercy
And grant that these holy gifts,
may be for me,
healing, cleansing, enlightenment,
protection, salvation and sanctification
of soul and body.
May they cast out from me
every dark delusion,
sinful deed or work of the evil one.
May they move me to trust and love Thee always,
to amendment of life,
increase of virtue,
obedience to Thy commandments,
communion of the Holy Spirit,
provision for my final journey
and a good defence before the dreadful
seat of judgement.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUST in GOD, SACRED HEART QUOTES, The HOLY NAME, The HOLY SPIRIT

Quote/s of the Day – 21 October – Put on Christ!

Quote/s of the Day – 21 October – Readings: Romans 6: 19-23; Psalm 1: 1-4 and 6; Luke 12: 49-53

I have come to set the earth on fire!

Luke 12:49

Do whatever he tells you.

John 2:5

His action is preceded
by the beaming rays of His light and knowledge.
He comes with the truth of the real Protector;
for He comes to save, to lead, to teach, to counsel,
to strengthen, to console,
to illumine in the first place the mind of the person
who receives Him
and through that person‘s works,
the minds of others.

St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387)
Father and Doctor of the Church

A person who wishes
to become the Lord’s disciple
must repudiate a human obligation,
however honourable it may appear,
if it slows us, ever so slightly,
in giving the wholehearted obedience
we owe to God
.”

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

True spiritual life consists in this:
that man keep his eyes on God all the time,
long for nothing but for God,
keep nothing in mind but God,
begin every single action,in God’s name
and direct it to Him.

St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

“O Heart of love,
I put all my trust in Thee,
for I fear all things,
from my own weakness,
but I hope for all things,
from Thy Goodness.

St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)

Posted in BAPTISM, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FRUITS of the SPIRIT, GOD ALONE!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 October – ‘Put on Christ.’

One Minute Reflection – 21 October – – “Month of the Most Holy Rosary” – Readings: Romans 6: 19-23; Psalm 1: 1-4 and 6; Luke 12: 49-53

I have come to set the earth on fire and how I wish it were already kindled!” – Luke 12:49

REFLECTIUON – “He also said, “I came to cast fire upon the earth and would that it were already kindled!” These flaming words from the lips of our Lord Jesus Christ reveal the malice of sin. He also reveals the excellence of good actions performed for the glory of God and His Christ. Then we are ready for the Baptism of water, which is a type of the Cross, death, burial and resurrection from the dead.

One who is prepared to be Baptised in the Name of the Holy Spirit, is one who has been born anew, who undergoes a change of residence, habits and associates, so that, walking by the Spirit, he may be ready to be Baptised in the name of the Son and to put on Christ.” – St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop of Caesarea, Father & Doctor one of the original 4 Doctors of the Eas(Concerning Baptism)

PRAYER – Father, grant that we may be,
bearers of Christ Jesus, Your Son.
Allow us to fill with Your light
the world around us.
Strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit
to carry out our mission
of living and following
the path of Jesus, our Lord.
Help us to understand,
that by Your grace
Your gifts are Your blessings,
to be shared with others.
Fill us with Your Spirit of love
to give glory to You
in loving all
and preaching by our love.
Nourish in us the desire
to go forth
as the bearers of Your Son
fearless and gentle,
loving and merciful.
Make us true Christ-bearers,
that in seeing us
only He is visible.
Amen (The Christopher Prayer – Unknown)