Our Morning Offering – 18 April – Tuesday in the Second Week of Easter
O Heart of Jesus! By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
Sanctity of the Heart of Jesus, consecrate my heart; Providence of the Heart of Jesus, watch over my heart; Unchangeableness of the Heart of Jesus, strengthen my heart; Purity of the Heart of Jesus, purify my heart; Obedience of the Heart of Jesus, subjugate my heart; Amiability of the Heart of Jesus, make Thyself known to my heart; Divine attractions of the Heart of Jesus, captivate my heart; Riches of the Heart of Jesus, do ye suffice for my heart; Floods of grace and blessing which flow from the Heart of Jesus, inundate my heart. O Heart of Jesus! be Thou my joy, my peace, my repose in this world and in the next. O Heart of Jesus! adored in Heaven, Invoked on earth, feared in hell, Reign over all hearts, Reign throughout all ages, Reign forever in celestial glory. Amen
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!”
Quote/s of the Day – 13 January – Octave Day of Epiphany – Isaias 60:1-6, John 1:29-34 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Make ready then the vessel of your soul that you may become a son of God and an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17); if, indeed, you are preparing yourself that you may receive; if you are drawing near in faith that you may be made faithful; if of set purpose, you are putting off the old man!”
St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. He assumed the worse, that He might give us the better; He became poor, that we through His poverty, might be rich.”
St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Ah Jesus, Sun of Justice, make me clothe myself with You, so that I may be able to live according to Your will. Make me, under Your guidance, preserve my robe of Baptismal innocence, white, holy and spotless and present it undefiled, before Your tribunal, so that I may wear it, for eternal life.”
St Gertrude the Great of Helfta (1256-1301)
“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)
“Anyone who takes life seriously in the Christian sense, will regard it as a difficult journey towards perfection and towards God. This journey will be, at the same time, painful and joyful. … It is our own loss if we sit down lazily on the side of the road, which should lead us to Heaven. It is even more disastrous, if we acknowledge defeat and lay down the spiritual weapons of prayer and renunciation, in order to surrender ourselves to sin or to indifference. Everyday we should say to ourselves, in the presence of God – A new life is beginning … in You, by Your grac and for You! Amen”
Quote/s of the Day – 16 November – St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302) Virgin – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory”
Daily Offering to the Father By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302) (Attrib)
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most precious blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, for those in my own home, and in my family. Amen
“I praise, adore, bless and thank Thee, to the best of my ability, for Thy wise mercy and Thy merciful wisdom! For Thou, my Creator and my Redeemer, have sought to curb my stiff-necked obstinacy under Thy sweet yoke with the remedy best suited to my infirmity.”
O Sacred Heart of Jesus By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, Fountain of eternal life, Your Heart is a glowing Furnace of Love. You are my Refuge and my Sanctuary. O my adorable and loving Saviour, consume my heart with the burning fire with which Your Heart is enflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your love. Let my heart be united with Your Heart. Let my will be conformed to Your Will in all things. May Your Will be the Rule of all my desires and actions. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 16 November – St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302) Virgin, Benedictine Religious, Mystic, Theologian, Writer.
O Heart of Jesus! By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
Sanctity of the Heart of Jesus, consecrate my heart; Providence of the Heart of Jesus, watch over my heart; Unchangeableness of the Heart of Jesus, strengthen my heart; Purity of the Heart of Jesus, purify my heart; Obedience of the Heart of Jesus, subjugate my heart; Amiability of the Heart of Jesus, make Thyself known to my heart; Divine attractions of the Heart of Jesus, captivate my heart; Riches of the Heart of Jesus, do ye suffice for my heart; Floods of grace and blessing which flow from the Heart of Jesus, inundate my heart. O Heart of Jesus! be Thou my joy, my peace, my repose in this world and in the next. O Heart of Jesus! adored in Heaven, Invoked on earth, feared in hell, Reign over all hearts, Reign throughout all ages, Reign forever in celestial glory. Amen
St Margaret of Scotland (1045-1093) Queen Consort of Scotland Saint Margaret’s name signifies “pearl” “a fitting name,” says Bishop Turgot, her Confessor and her first Biographer, “for one such as she.” Her soul was like a precious pearl. Today is the date of St Margaret’s Death and the usual date for a Feast and in Scotland St Margaret is remembered today. But the Traditional Calendar holds her Feast on 10 June as set by Pope Innocent XII in 1693. About St Margaret: https://anastpaul.com/2018/11/16/saint-of-the-day-16-november-st-margaret-of-scotland-1045-1093-queen/
St Elpidius the Martyr St Eucherius of Lyon St Eustochius the Martyr St Felicita of Capua St Fidentius of Padua St Gobrain of Vannes St Ludre St Marcellus the Martyr St Othmar of Saint Gall (c 689-c 759) Priest, the First Abbot of the Abbey of St Gall in Switzerland. Bl Simeon of Cava
One Minute Reflection – 17 October – Memorial of St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) Virgin – Ephesians 3:8-9, 14-19, Matthew 11:25-30 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” … Matthew 11:29-30
REFLECTION – “Now, O love, my King and my God, now, O Jesus my dear one, receive me into the most gracious care of Your Divine Heart. There, there, so that I may live entirely for You, fasten me to Your love. Now release me into the great ocean of Your Mercy’s abyss – there, there, commit me to the bowels of Your overflowing kindness. Ah! Now cast me into the voracious flame of Your living love. There, there, transmit me into Yourself, until my soul and spirit are reduced to ashes in the conflagration. And at the hour of my passing away, commit me to the providence of Your fatherly charity.
There, there, O my sweet Saviour, console me with the sight of Your gentle presence. There, by the taste of Your dear ransom, with which You have redeemed me, recreate me. There, with the loving Voice of Your incomparable love, call me to You. There, there, receive me in the embrace of Your Infinitely Merciful forgiveness. There, by the exquisite scent of the breath of Your Spirit’s sweetness, draw me to You, draw me in and draw me. There, in the kiss of perfect union of Your fruition, immerse me forever. And grant me, then to see You, to have You, to enjoy You eternally in the greatest happiness, for my soul has yearnrd for You, O Jesus, dearest of all dear ones. Amen.” … St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302) (Exercises IV, §400-419).
PRAYER – O Lord Jesus Christ, Who wondrously revealed the unsearchable riches of Thy Heart to blessed Margaret Mary, the Virgin, grant us, by her merits and through imitating her, to love Thee, in all things and above all things, so that we may be found worthy to possess a lasting dwelling place in Thou Heart itself. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 22 August – Month and Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Octave Day of the Assumption)
O Immaculate Heart of Mary By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, I have nothing in myself to offer thee which is worthy of thee but what thankgiving I ought I to pay thee, for all the favours which thou hast obtained for me from the Heart of Jesus! What reparation ought I to make thee for all my tepidity, in thy service! I desire to return thee love for love, the only good which I possess, is the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which thou, thyself hast given me. I offer thee this Treasure of Infinite Price, I cannot do more and thou dost not deserve less, at my hand but, receiving from me, this Gift most Precious in thy sight, be pleased, I beseech thee, to accept too, my poor heart, which I here offer to thee and I shall be forever blessed. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 11 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
Daily Offering to the Father Attri To St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, for those in my own home, and in my family. Amen
You might see fantastic claims for this prayer, especially printed on Holy Cards, such as the release of 1000 souls from Purgatory, each time it is prayed. Nowhere in St Gertrude’s writings, is this wild promise made so be careful of treating prayers and devotions as amulets or magical charms. And further, this prayer is claimed to have been written by heer but this is very uncertain. The Church has summarily condemned prayer cards containing a promise to release one or more souls from Purgatory, or any other ‘miraculous’ claims. Such an easy way to release 1,000 souls seems inconsistent with the Church’s understanding of Purgatory and, given all the means the Church employs to help the dead, such as special Masses or Indulgences applicable only to the dead.
Our Morning Offering – 23 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart”
O Sacred Heart of Jesus By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, Fountain of eternal life, Your Heart is a glowing Furnace of Love. You are my Refuge and my Sanctuary. O my adorable and loving Saviour, consume my heart with the burning fire with which Your Heart is enflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your love. Let my heart be united with Your Heart. Let my will be conformed to Your Will in all things. May Your Will be the Rule of all my desires and actions. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 6 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart”
Prayer to the Sacred Heart When the Clock strikes the Hour By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
O most sweet Jesus, I commend to Your Sacred Heart, all that I have done in the hour that is gone, to be cleansed and purified and offered to God the Father, for His eternal praise. And whatsoever I shall do, in the hour that is beginning, I resolve to do simply and purely, for the glory of God and for the salvation of all mankind, in union with Your Passion. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 16 November – The Memorial of St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
“Bodily and spiritual affliction are the surest sign of Divine predilection.”
“Gratitude for suffering is a precious jewel for our heavenly crown… Man should always firmly believe, that God sends just that trial which is most beneficial for him.”
“Every time we look at the Blessed Sacrament, our place in Heaven is raised forever.”
“Angels constantly guard the clients of the Blessed Virgin from the assaults of Hell.”
Our Morning Offering – 16 November – The Memorial of St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
Hail, Sacred Heart of Jesus! By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
Hail, Sacred Heart of Jesus! Living and strengthening, Source of eternal life, Infinite Treasury of the Divinity, Burning Furnace of Divine Love! You are my Refuge and my Sanctuary. My loving Saviour, consume my heart in that burning fire with which Your own is inflamed. Pour into my soul those graces which flow from Your Love. Let my heart be so united with Yours, that our wills may be one and my will, in all things, conformed with Yours. May Your Will be the guide and rule of my desires and of my actions. Amen
Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn / Our Lady of Ostra, Brama, Vilnius, Lithuania (1363) – 16 November:
This Marian Title is the prominent Catholic painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated by the faithful in the Chapel of the Gate of Dawn in Vilnius, Lithuania. The painting was historically displayed above the Vilnius City Gate; city gates of the time often contained religious artefacts intended to ward off attacks and bless passing travellers. The painting is in the Northern Renaissance style and was completed most likely around 1630. The Virgin Mary is depicted without the infant Jesus. The artwork soon became known as miraculous and inspired a following. A dedicated Chapel was built in 1671 by the Discalced Carmelites. At the same time, the painting was covered in expensive and elaborate silver and gold clothes leaving only the face and hands visible.
In 1702, when Vilnius was captured by the Swedish army during the Great Northern War, Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn came to her people’s rescue. At dawn, the heavy iron of the Gate collapsed, crushing and killing four Swedish soldiers. After this, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Army successfully counter-attacked near the gate. In the following centuries, the cult grew and Our Lady became an important part of religious life in Vilnius. This inspired many copies in Lithuania, Poland and diaspora communities worldwide. On 5 July 1927, the image was canonically crowned as Mother of Mercy. It is a major site of pilgrimage in Vilnius and attracts many visitors, especially from Poland.
Patronage of Our Lady: Feast permitted by a 1679 Decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites for all Provinces of Spain, in memory of the victories obtained there over infidels. Pope Benedict XIII granted it to the Papal States and it may now be celebrated with due permission by Churches throughout the world.
Bl Edward Osbaldeston St Elpidius the Martyr St Eucherius of Lyon St Eustochius the Martyr St Felicita of Capua St Fidentius of Padua St Gobrain of Vannes St Ludre St Marcellus the Martyr St Othmar of Saint Gal Bl Simeon of Cava — Martyrs of Africa – (11 saints)
Martyrs of Almeria – (9 saints): Soon after the start of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, the Communist-oriented Popular Front had all clergy and religious arrested and abused as they considered staunch Christians to be enemies of the revolution. Many of these prisoners were executed for having promoted the faith and this memorial remembers several of them killed in the province of Almeria. • Adrián Saiz y Saiz • Bienvenido Villalón Acebrón • Bonifacio Rodríguez González • Diego Ventaja Milán • Eusebio Alonso Uyarra • Isidoro Primo Rodríguez • Justo Zariquiegui Mendoza • Manuel Medina Olmos • Marciano Herrero Martínez
Quote/s of the Day – 12 November – Readings: Wisdom 13: 1-9; Psalm 19: 2-5; Luke 17: 26-37
“On that day, … a person in the field, must not return to what was left behind.”
Luke 17:31
“The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom, all causers of sin and all law-breakers and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Matthew 13:41-43
“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)
“Ah Jesus, Sun of Justice, make me clothe myself with You, so that I may be able to live according to Your will. Make me, under Your guidance, preserve my robe of baptismal innocence, white, holy and spotless and present it undefiled, before Your tribunal, so that I may wear it, for eternal life.”
St Gertrude the Great of Helfta (1256-1301)
“Let everyone who has the grace of intelligence, fear that because of it, he will be judged more heavily, if he is negligent.”
St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)
“Life is passing. The days chase one another; time is flying. Do not say, therefore, that you will change tomorrow, that tomorrow you will turn away from the path of sin and begin to lead a holy life. For not alone does time pass but, it often betrays us! Our Lord tells us that the judgement will come at a time when we least expect it. The time that is gone will never return; the future is uncertain; there remains, only the present. But the present is equally uncertain; it is something that passes and, every moment could be the last of our lives. How many whom we have known, were taken away suddenly in the flower of their youth … Is that not a warning to us?”
Quote/s of the Day – 27 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Exodus 33: 7-11; 34: 5b-9, 28; Psalms 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13; Matthew 13: 36-43
“The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom, all causers of sin and all law-breakers and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Matthew 13:41-43
“You do not know when your last day may come. You are an ingrate! Why not use the day, today, that God has given you to repent?”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“Ah Jesus, Sun of Justice, make me clothe myself with You, so that I may be able to live according to Your will. Make me, under Your guidance, preserve my robe of baptismal innocence, white, holy and spotless and present it undefiled, before Your tribunal, so that I may wear it, for eternal life.”
St Gertrude the Great of Helfta (1256-1301)
“This then is to watch – to be detached from what is present and to live in what is unseen, to live in the thought of Christ as He came once and as He will come again, to desire His second coming, from our affectionate and grateful remembrance, of His first. ”
Sabbatum Sanctum
I look at You, my Lord Jesus and think of Your most holy Body and I keep it before me, as a pledge of my own resurrection. Though I die, as die I certainly shall, nevertheless, I shall not forever die, for I shall rise again. O You, who are the Truth, I know and believe with my whole heart, that this very flesh of mine will rise again. I know, base and odious as it is at present, that it will one day, if I be worthy, be raised incorruptible and altogether beautiful and glorious. This I know, this by Your grace, I will ever keep before me. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 17July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Exodus 12: 37-42; Psalms 136: 1 and 23-24, 10-12, 13-15; Matthew 12: 14-21
“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen”
Matthew 12:18
“He cries out, saying: See, I am with you all the days of this age. He is Himself the shepherd, the high priest, the way and the door, and has become all things at once for us.”
St Athanasius (297-373) Father & Doctor of the Church
“Loving You, O God, brings its own reward here on earth, as well as the eternal reward of heaven. By becoming mirrors of Your love, by wearing the mask of Your likeness and by allowing You to make us perfect, we can know the joy of heaven, even while we abide here on earth.”
William of St Thierry O.Cist (c 1075 – c 1148)
“The life of the body, is the soul, the life of the soul, is Christ.”
St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctor of the Church
“Who is like You, Who founded heaven and earth …, You, Who will Your delight to be with the children of humankind? How great You are, King of kings and Lord of Lords, Who rule the stars and set Your Heart on humankind!”
St Gertrude the Great of Helfta (1256-1301)
“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
Our Morning Offering – 9 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood”
Daily Offering to the Father Attri To St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most precious blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, for those in my own home, and in my family. Amen
You might see fantastic claims for this prayer, especially printed on Holy Cards, such as the release of 1000 souls from Purgatory, each time it is prayed. Nowhere in St Gertrude’s writings, is this wild promise made so be careful of treating prayers and devotions as amulets or magical charms. And further, this prayer is claimed to have been written by heer but this is very uncertain. The Church has summarily condemned prayer cards containing a promise to release one or more souls from Purgatory, or any other ‘miraculous’ claims. Such an easy way to release 1,000 souls seems inconsistent with the Church’s understanding of Purgatory, given that ordinarily, to release one soul, requires a plenary indulgence which is very difficult to get and, given all the means the Church employs to help the dead, such as special masses or indulgences applicable only to the dead.
Our Morning Offering – 22 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart”
O Sacred Heart of Jesus By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, Fountain of eternal life, Your Heart is a glowing Furnace of Love. You are my Refuge and my Sanctuary. O my adorable and loving Saviour, consume my heart with the burning fire with which Your Heart is enflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your love. Let my heart be united with Your Heart. Let my will be conformed to Your Will in all things. May Your Will be the Rule of all my desires and actions. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 18 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart”
Prayer to the Sacred Heart When the Clock strikes the Hour By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
O most sweet Jesus, I commend to Your Sacred Heart, all that I have done in the hour that is gone, to be cleansed and purified and offered to God the Father, for His eternal praise. And whatsoever I shall do, in the hour that is beginning, I resolve to do simply and purely, for the glory of God and for the salvation of all mankind, in union with Your Passion. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 4 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” –Readings: First: Tobit 11: 5-17, Psalm: Psalms 146: 1b-2, 6c-7, 8-9a, 9bc-10, Gospel: Mark 12: 35-37
“David himself calls him ‘Lord.’”
Mark 12:37
“Therefore, ,just as He was both the Son and the Lord of David, the Son of David, according to the flesh, the Lord of David, according to [His] divinity, so He was the Son of Mary, according to the flesh and the Lord of Mary, according to [His] majesty.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“Christ has dominion over all creatures, a dominion not seized by violence nor usurped but His, by essence and by nature.”
St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Who is like You, Who founded heaven and earth …, You, Who will Your delight to be with the children of humankind? How great You are, King of kings and Lord of Lords, Who rule the stars and set Your Heart on humankind!”
St Gertrude the Great of Helfta (1256-1301)
“The Name of Jesus is the purest and holiest, the noblest and most indulgent of names, the Name of all blessings and of all virtues, it is the Name of the God-Man, of sanctity itself.”
St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
Jesus, Name Full of Glory By St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)
Jesus, Name full of glory, grace, love and strength! You are the refuge of those who repent, our banner of warfare in this life, the medicine of souls, the comfort of those who morn, the delight of those who believe, the light of those who preach the true faith, the wages of those who toil, the healing of the sick. To You our devotion aspires, by You our prayers are received; we delight in contemplating You. O Name of Jesus, You are the glory of all the saints for eternity. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 1 June – “Month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Hail, Sacred Heart of Jesus! By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
Hail, Sacred Heart of Jesus! Living and strengthening, Source of eternal life, Infinite Treasury of the Divinity, Burning Furnace of Divine Love! You are my Refuge and my Sanctuary. My loving Saviour, consume my heart in that burning fire with which Your own is inflamed. Pour into my soul those graces which flow from Your Love. Let my heart be so united with Yours, that our wills may be one and my will, in all things, conformed with Yours. May Your Will be the guide and rule of my desires and of my actions. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – – 12 April – Monday of the Second week of Easter, Readings: First: Acts 4: 23-31, Psalm: Psalms 2: 1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9, Gospel: John 3: 1-8
“Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old, be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
John 3:4
“We are a compound of both body and soul. The one part is visible, the other invisible. In the same way, our cleansing also is twofold, that is, by water and the Spirit. The one is received visibly in the body, the other concurs with it invisibly and apart from the body. The one that comes to the aid of our first birth makes us new, instead of old and like God, instead of what we now are. It recasts us, without fire and creates us anew, without breaking us up. For the virtue of Baptism, is to be understood, as a covenant with God for a second life and a purer conversation.”
St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Father & Doctor of the Church
“Ah Jesus, Sun of Justice, make me clothe myself with You, so that I may be able to live according to Your will. Make me, under Your guidance, preserve my robe of baptismal innocence, white, holy and spotless and present it undefiled, before Your tribunal, so that I may wear it, for eternal life.”
One Minute Reflection – 2 October – Wednesday of the Twenty Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Job 38:1, 12-21; 40: 3-5, Psalms 139:1-3, 7-8, 9-10, 13-14, Matthew 18:1-5, 10 and The Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” …Matthew 18:10
REFLECTION – “Ah, Jesus, Prince of Peace and Angel of great counsel, may You Yourself always be the guide at my right and the guardian of my pilgrimage, lest I move away and stray from You. And deign to send from heaven, Your holy angel who, under Your lovingly-kind care, will be solicitous for me and, according to Your gracious purpose, direct me and lead me, perfect, along Your way back to You. (Ex 23:20).” … St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302) Benedictine nun – Exercises I.60-63, 71-76, 78-86, 99-103.
PRAYER – Lord God of hosts, in Your all-wise providence, You send angels to guard and protect us. Surround us with their watchful care on earth and give us the joy of their company, forever in heaven. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord, with th Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 7 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Friday of the Eighteenth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Nahum 1:15; 2, 2; 3, 1-3, 6-7 (2, 1, 3; 3,1-3, 6-7), Responsorial psalm Deuteronomy 32:35-36, 39-41, Matthew 16:24-28 and the Memorial of St Donatus of Arezzo (Died 362) Bishop
“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” … Matthew 16:24
REFLECTION – “At the responsory: “See, the Lord our protector comes, the Holy One of Israel,” Gertrude understood, that if someone applies himself, with all his heart, to desire that his whole life be governed, in prosperity and adversity, according to the most laudable will of God, then by such thoughts, by God’s grace, he would be giving as much honour to God, as one would give to an emperor in placing the imperial crown on his head. …
She saw the Lord walking along a path, pleasant to behold, with fairest flowers and verdure but narrow and lined with dense hedges bristling with sharp thorns. She saw that He seemed to be preceded by a cross which parted the thorns and made the way wider and easier. With a serene expression on His face, turning toward those who belonged to Him, He invited them to follow Him, saying: “Whoever wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me…” (Mt 16:24).
From this she knew that the cross of each, is his own personal trial. For example, for some souls obedience is a cross when they are obliged to do what is contrary to their wishes. For others, to be burdened with infirmity, which acts as a restraint and so on. We should all carry our crosses and apply ourselves with a good will to suffer adversity gladly and, in addition, to do all that is in our power, neglecting nothing, which we know to be for the greater glory of God.” … St Gertrude of Helfta/the Great (1256-1302) Benedictine nun – The Herald of Divine Love, Book III, SC 143
PRAYER – “O my God, fill my soul with holy joy, courage and strength to serve You. Enkindle Your love in me and then walk with me along the next stretch of road before me. I do not see very far ahead but when I have arrived where the horizon now closes down, a new prospect will open before me and I shall be met with peace. How wondrous are the marvels of Your love, we are amazed, we stammer and grow dumb, for word and spirit fail us. Amen” … St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942) Martyr St Donatus of Arezzo, Pray for us!
Our Morning Offering – 1 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Tme
Daily Offering to the Father By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the most precious blood
of Thy Divine Son, Jesus,
in union with the Masses said
throughout the world today,
for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the universal Church,
for those in my own home,
and in my family.
Amen
You might see fantastic claims for this prayer, especially printed on Holy Cards, such as the release of 1000 souls from Purgatory, each time it is prayed. Nowhere in St Gertrude’s writings, is this wild promise made so be careful of treating prayers and devotions as amulets or magical charms. The Church has summarily condemned prayer cards containing a promise to release one or more souls from Purgatory, or any other ‘miraculous’ claims. Such an easy way to release 1,000 souls seems inconsistent with the Church’s understanding of Purgatory, given that ordinarily, to release one soul, requires a plenary indulgence which is very difficult to get and, given all the means the Church employs to help the dead, such as special masses or indulgences applicable only to the dead.
Our Morning Offering – 26 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Friday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time
Hail, Sacred Heart of Jesus! By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
Hail, Sacred Heart of Jesus,
living and strengthening
source of eternal life,
infinite treasury of the divinity,
burning furnace of divine love!
You are my refuge
and my sanctuary.
My loving Saviour,
consume my heart
in that burning fire
with which Your own is inflamed.
Pour into my soul
those graces which flow
from Your love.
Let my heart be so united with Yours
that our wills may be one
and my will, in all things,
conformed with Yours.
May Your Will be the guide
and rule of my desires
and of my actions.
Amen
Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus – 19 June
May we all be abundantly Blessed today by the Sacred and Loving Heart of Jesus May we all grow closer and closer to the Sacred Heart, the source of all Love!
A little (actually, a lot! – please take the time to read it) of the History of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart
By Giovanni Gasparro
In the 13th century, the Franciscan Doctor of the Church (1217-1274) – “The Seraphic Doctor,” St Bonaventure’s work “With You is the Source of Life” (which is the reading for the Divine Office on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart) began to point to the heart as the fountain from which God’s love poured into our lives:
“Take thought now, redeemed man and consider how great and worthy is He who hangs on the cross for you. His death brings the dead to life but at His passing, heaven and earth are plunged into mourning and hard rocks are split asunder. It was a divine decree that permitted one of the soldiers to open His sacred side with a lance. This was done so that the Church might be formed from the side of Christ as He slept the sleep of death on the cross and so that the Scripture might be fulfilled: ‘They shall look on him whom they pierced.’ The blood and water, which poured out at that moment, were the price of our salvation. Flowing from the secret abyss of our Lord’s Heart as from a fountain, this stream, gave the Sacraments of the Church, the power to confer the life of grace, while for those already living in Christ, it became a spring of living water welling up to life everlasting.”
The Devotion Spreads Slowly
At the end of the 13th century, St Gertrude the Great, on the feast of St John the Evangelist, had a vision in which she was allowed to rest her head near the wound in the Saviour’s side. She heard the beating of the Divine Heart and asked John if, on the night of the Last Supper, he too had felt this beating heart, why then had he never spoken of the fact. John replied that this revelation had been reserved for subsequent ages when the world, having grown cold, would have need to rekindle its love.
St Gertrude the Great
From that time until the time of St John Eudes Orat. (1501-1680), the devotion continued to spread, primarily as a private devotion but one that was increasingly wide-spread. Many religious orders prayed the devotion – the Franciscans, the Jesuits, the Carmelites of Spain and the Benedictines.
Let us now consider the key ideas which motivated St John Eudes in his great love for the Sacred Heart, so that by understanding them “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that being rooted and grounded in love, you may have the power with all the saints to comprehend what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God “(Eph 3, 17-19). Two interrelated thoughts overwhelmed St John Eudes, first:
“The Sacred Heart of Jesus, whether considered in His Divinity or in His humanity, is more ardently enkindled with love for His Father, loving Him infinitely more at any given moment, than all the hearts of angels and saints can love Him throughout all eternity.”
The second thought which rejoiced the heart of St John Eudes expands on the first:
[Jesus, the Son of God] “willed to be our Head and chose us as His members. He has associated us with Himself in His ineffable love [for the Father]. He has given us, as a result, the power to love the Father with the [very] same love with which He loves [the Father], with a love eternal, boundless and infinite.”
St John Eudes with the Sacred Heart of Jesus
St John Eudes discerned eight different flames of love, which issue from our Lord’s Heart in the Tabernacle, which are freely adapted here to our present needs (definitely a post soon). St Pope Pius X declared him, the Father, Doctor and Apostle of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The Devotion Renewed: St Marguerite Marie Alacoque VHM (1647-1690)
In the late 17th century the devotion was renewed and adopted elsewhere, especially following the revelations to St Marguerite Marie Alacoque. The saint, a cloistered nun of the Visitation Order, received several private revelations of the Sacred Heart, the first on 27 December 1673 and the final one 18 months later. The visions revealed to her the form of the devotion, the chief features being reception of Holy Communion on the first Friday of each month, Eucharistic adoration during a “Holy hour” on Thursdays and the celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
Initially discouraged in her efforts to follow the instruction she had received in her visions, Alacoque was eventually able to convince her superior of the authenticity of her visions. She was unable, however, to convince a group of theologians of the validity of her apparitions, nor was she any more successful with many of the members of her own community. She eventually received the support of St Claude de la Colombière SJ (1641-1682), the community’s confessor, who declared that the visions were genuine. Alacoque’s short devotional writing, La Devotion au Sacré-Coeur de Jesus (Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus), was published posthumously in 1698. Here is an excerpt:
Saints of the Sacred Heart – St Joseph Benedict Labre, St Maria Goretti, St Dominic Savio, St Claude de la Colombiere, St John Eudes
“And He [Christ] showed me that it was His great desire of being loved by men and of withdrawing them from the path of ruin, that made Him form the design of manifesting His Heart to men, with all the treasures of love, of mercy, of grace, of sanctification and salvation which it contains, in order that those who desire to render Him and procure Him, all the honour and love possible, might themselves be abundantly enriched with those divine treasures of which His heart is the source.”
The devotion was fostered by the Jesuits and Franciscans but it was not until the 1928 encyclical Miserentissimus Redemptor by Pope Pius XI that the Church validated the credibility of Alacoque’s visions of Jesus Christ in having “promised her [Alacoque] that all those who rendered this honour to His Heart would be endowed with an abundance of heavenly graces.”
The World Consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Maria Droste zu Vischering, was a German noble women, who at the age of 25 joined the congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, in Munster. She was given the name, BlSr Mary of the Divine Heart. In 1894, at the age of 31, she was transferred to Portugal and appointed superior of Oporto, Portugal. While there, she reported some messages from Jesus Christ in which she was asked to contact the Holy Father, requesting the consecration of the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
On 10 June 1898, her Confessor at the Good Shepherd monastery wrote to Pope Leo XIII stating that Sister Mary of the Divine Heart had received a message from Christ, requesting the Holy Father to consecrate the entire world to the Sacred Heart. The Pope initially did not believe her and took no action. However, on 6 January 1899 she wrote another letter, asking that in addition to the consecration, the first Fridays of the month be observed in honour of the Sacred Heart. In the letter she also referred to the recent illness of the Pope and stated that Christ, had assured her, that Pope Leo XIII would live until he had performed the consecration to the Sacred Heart.
Bl Mary of the Divine Heart and St Margaret Mary Alacoque
Pope Leo XIII commissioned an inquiry on the basis of her revelation and Church tradition. In his 1899 encyclical letter Annum Sacrum, Leo XIII decreed that the Consecration of the entire human race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus should take place on 11 June 1899. Here is the consecration Pope Leo composed for the consecration:
“Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thine altar. We are Thine and Thine we wish to be but to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us, freely consecrates himself today, to Thy most Sacred Heart.
Many indeed have never known Thee, many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart. Be Thou King, O Lord, not only, of the faithful who have never forsaken Thee but also, of the prodigal children who have abandoned Thee, grant that they may quickly return to Thy Father’s house, lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.
Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof and call them back to the harbour of truth and unity of faith, so that there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.
Be Thou King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism and refuse not to draw them into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Thine eyes of mercy towards the children of the race, once Thy chosen people: of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Saviour, may it now descend upon them a laver of redemption and of life.
Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm, give peace and order to all nations and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: ‘Praise be to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation, to it be glory and honour forever.’” Amen
By Giovanni Gasparro – detail
The 100th Anniversary of the Feast of the Sacred Heart
In a landmark encyclical, Haurietis aquas (“You will draw waters”– written 15 May 1956) Venerable Pope Pius XII began his reflection by drawing from Isaiah 12:3, a verse which alludes to the abundance of the supernatural graces which flow from the heart of Christ. Haurietis aquas called the whole Church, to recognise the Sacred Heart as an important dimension of Christian spirituality. Pope Pius XII gave two reasons why the Church gives the highest form of worship to the Heart of Jesus. The first rests on the principle whereby the believers recognise that Jesus’ Heart is hypostatically united to the “Person of the Incarnate Son of God Himself.” The second reason is derived from the fact, that the Heart, is the natural sign and symbol of Jesus’ boundless love for humans . The encyclical recalls that for human souls the wound in Christ’s side and the marks left by the nails have been “the chief sign and symbol of that love” that ever more incisively shaped their life from within.
In a letter on 15 May 2006 Pope Benedict XVI wrote: “By encouraging devotion to the Heart of Jesus, the Encyclical Haurietis aquas exhorted believers to open themselves to the mystery of God and of His love and to allow themselves to be transformed by it. After 50 years, it is still a fitting task for Christians to continue to deepen their relationship with the Heart of Jesus, in such a way, as to revive their faith in the saving love of God and to welcome Him ever better into their lives.”
As the encyclical states, from this source, the heart of Jesus, originates the true knowledge of Jesus Christ and a deeper experience of His love. Thus, according to Pope Benedict XVI, we will be able to understand better what it means to know God’s love in Jesus Christ, to experience Him, keeping our gaze fixed on Him to the point that we live entirely on the experience of His love, so that we can subsequently witness to it to others.
Sadly, today, The League of the Sacred Heart founded in Ireland in the year of grace 1873, has fallen into obscurity, though, I know that in certain countries across the world, it is being revived. Below is a 14 minute video explaining the resuscitation of the League and the institution in America. The League however, still exists in a few isolated countries and we NEED, in these awful times, to revive it, wherever we are.
A great usurpation has taken place in the Church by the Divine Mercy Devotion – I know there are devotees of this latter Devotion on the site but if you would wish to educate yourself further in this regard, please go to the Youtube Channel – Ascent of Mount Carmel, where you will find lots of research on this subject. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcOObC8wjuxJjx6rBSiKo2A/videos
The Sacred Heart is knocking at the door of our heart. Will we open the door for Him? Will we make a commitment in devotion to serve Him with greater zeal and fidelity? Will we let Him in? The choice is now ours. Those who want to grow, know where the Sacred Heart is waiting for the response of their love and they know how to imitate His love in their daily life. Let us resume all that has been said with a final thought from St John Eudes: “The Son of God gives us His Heart not only to be the model and rule of our life but also to be our heart, so that by the gift of this Heart, immense, infinite and eternal, we may fulfil all our duties to God in a manner worthy of His infinite perfections. [Thus] we have received from our Divine Saviour, the gift of His adorable Heart, which is the perfect means of fulfilling all our duties. We should employ the Sacred Heart as if it were our own heart, to adore God fittingly, to love Him perfectly, and to satisfy all our obligations adequately so that our homage and love may be worthy of His supreme majesty. Eternal and infinite thanks be rendered to Thee, O Good Jesus, for the infinitely precious gift of Thy divine Heart. May all the angels, saints and all creatures bless Thee forever!
Let us Pray: Daily Consecration to the Sacred Heart
Daily Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Prayers to the Sacred Heart – The League of the Sacred Heart 1936 – 15th Edition, Dublin
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, filled with infinite love, broken by our ingratitude and pierced by our sins, yet loving us still, accept the Consecration we make to Thee, of all that we are and all that we have. Take every faculty of our souls and bodies, only day by day draw us, nearer and nearer to Thy Sacred Heart, and there, as we shall hear the lesson, teach us Thy Holy Way. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 19 June – Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests and the Memorial of Bl Maria Rosa Flesch FSMA (1826-1906)
“We, Christians, are the true Israel which springs from Christ, for we are carved out of His Heart, as from a Rock!”
St Justin Martyr (100-165)
Father of the Church and Martyr
Looking forward to never-ending communion, St Gertrude ended her earthly life on 17 November 1301 or 1302, at the age of about 46. In the seventh Exercise, that of preparation for death, St Gertrude wrote:
“O Jesus, You who are immensely dear to me, be with me always, so that my heart may stay with You and that Your love may endure with me, with no possibility of division and bless my passing, so that my spirit, freed from the bonds of the flesh, may immediately find rest in you. Amen”
St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
“If the Jewish High priest carried the names of the twelve tribes of Israel written on his shoulders and on his breast, how much more Christ, our High Priest, carries our names written on His Heart”
St John of Avila (1500-1569)
Doctor of the Church
“Do everything out of love for God, for God, with God, to get to God.”
Bl Maria Rosa Flesch FSMA (1826-1906)
“The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus”
St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)
Patron of Priests
“Ah! Beside You I am not afraid of anything! I snuggle up against You and, like the lost sheep, hear the beating of Your Heart. Jesus, yet again I am Yours, Yours forever. With You, I am truly great, without You, nothing but a weak reed. Upheld by You, I am a pillar!”
One Minute Reflection – 19 June – Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests, Gospel: Luke 15:3–7, Readings: Deuteronomy 7:6-11, Psalm 103:1-4, 6-8, 10, 1 John 4:7-16, Matthew 11:25-30
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” … Matthew 11:29-30
REFLECTION – “Now, O love, my King and my God, now, O Jesus my dear one, receive me into the most gracious care of Your Divine Heart. There, there, so that I may live entirely for You, fasten me to Your love. Now release me into the great ocean of Your mercy’s abyss – there, there, commit me to the bowels of Your overflowing kindness. Ah! Now cast me into the voracious flame of Your living love. There, there, transmit me into You until my soul and spirit are reduced to ashes in the conflagration. And at the hour of my passing away, commit me to the providence of Your fatherly charity.
There, there, O my sweet Saviour, console me with the sight of Your gentle presence. There, by the taste of Your dear ransom with which You have redeemed me, recreate me. There, with the loving voice of Your incomparable love, call me to You. There, there, receive me in the embrace of Your infinitely merciful forgiveness. There, by the exquisite scent of the breath of Your Spirit’s sweetness, draw me to You, draw me in and draw me. There, in the kiss of perfect union of Your fruition, immerse me forever. And grant me then to see You, to have You, to enjoy You eternally in the greatest happiness, for my soul has yearns for You, O Jesus, dearest of all dear ones. Amen.” … St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302) Exercises IV, §400-419
PRAYER – Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus – By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
fountain of eternal life,
Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love.
You are my refuge and my sanctuary.
O my adorable and loving Saviour,
consume my heart with the burning fire
with which Yours is aflamed.
Pour down on my soul those graces
which flow from Your love.
Let my heart be united with Yours.
Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things.
May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions.
Amen
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.