Our Morning Offering – 24 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and the Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians/Auxilium Christianorum
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians By St John Bosco (1815-1888)
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, how sweet it is to come to thy feet imploring thy perpetual help. If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, how can thou, the most loving of all mothers, forget me? Grant then to me, I implore thee thy perpetual help in all my necessities, in every sorrow and especially in all my temptations. I ask for thy unceasing help for all who are now suffering. Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners. Grant through thy intercession, many vocations to the religious life. Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians, that having invoked thee on earth we may love and eternally thank thee in Heaven. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 9 March – St Frances of Rome (1384-1440) Widow
“It is most laudable, in a married woman, to be devout but, she must never forget that she is a home-keeper. And sometimes, she must leave God at the Altar to find Him in her household affairs.”
St Frances of Rome (1384-1440)
“Be ever more convinced that your Guardian Angel is really present, that he is ever at your side. St Frances of Rome always saw him standing before her, his arms clasped at his breast, his eyes uplifted to Heaven but, at the slightest failing, he would cover his face, as if in shame and at times, turn his back to her!”
Quote/s of the Day – 26 February – The First Sunday of Lent – 2 Corinthians 6:1-10, Matthew 4:1-11
“Begone, Satan! for it is written: The Lord thy God shalt thou adore and Him only shalt thou serve.”
Matthew 4:10
“Do not, therefore, lose your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of patience that, doing the will of God, you may receive the promise. For yet a very little while and He Who is to come, will come and will not delay.”
Hebrews 10:35-37
“Expect temptation to your last breath.”
St Anthony Abbot (251-356)
“The demons that wage war on us, through our shortcomings in virtue, are those which teach — impurity, drunkenness, avarice and envy. Those that wage war on us, through our excessive zeal for virtue, teach — conceit, self-esteem and pride. They [the demons] secretly pervert, what is commendable, into what is reprehensible!”
St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Father of the Church
“It might even be said that we are fortunate to have temptations, for these are the times of spiritual harvest when we gather up for Heaven. … If we were thoroughly saturated with God’s Holy Presence, it would be easy for us to resist the enemy. With the thought ‘God sees you!’ we would never sin!
There was a saint who complained to our Lord after being tempted and said to Him: “Where were Thou, my most loveable Jesus, during that awful storm?” Our Lord answered: “I was in the centre of thou heart…”
St John-Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859) The Curé of Ars
“When tempted, turn immediately to your Guardian Angel and ask him, with all your heart, “My Guardian Angel help me now. Do not let me offend my God!”
St John Bosco (1815-1888)
“Why, we may ask, does God permit us to be tempted? He wishes us to realise, that only with His help, can we aspire to the supernatural life and triumph over our enemies. Apart from Him, we shall be lost but close to Him, we shall be invincible!”
Our Morning Offering – 31 January – St John Bosco “Don Bosco” SDB (1815-1888) Priest, Confessor, Founder.
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christian By St John Bosco (1815-1888)
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, how sweet it is to come to thy feet imploring thy perpetual help. If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, how can thou, the most loving of all mothers, forget me? Grant then to me, I implore thee thy perpetual help in all my necessities, in every sorrow and especially in all my temptations. I ask for thy unceasing help for all who are now suffering. Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners. Grant through thy intercession, many vocations to the religious life. Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians, that having invoked thee on earth we may love and eternally thank thee in Heaven. Amen
St Geminian of Modena Bl John Angelus St Julius of Novara Blessed Louise degli Albertoni TOSF (1474-1533) Widow, Mystic, Ecstatic, Apostle of the sick, the poor, the deprived, Miracle-worker. St Madoes St Marcella St Martin Manuel St Nicetas of Novgorod St Tryphaena of Cyzicus St Tysul St Ulphia of Amiens St Waldo of Evreux St Wilgils
Martyrs of Corinth – 14 Saints: A group of Christians tortured and Martyred together in Corinth, Greece in the persecutions of Decius. We know nothing about them except some names – Anectus, Claudius, Codratus, Crescens, Cyprian, Diodorus, Dionysius, Nicephorus, Papias, Paul, Serapion, Theodora, Victor and Victorinus.
Martyrs of Canope: A group of Christians tortured and Martyred together in Corinth, Greece in the persecutions of Decius. We know nothing about them except some names – Anectus, Claudius, Codratus, Crescens, Cyprian, Diodorus, Dionysius, Nicephorus, Papias, Paul, Serapion, Theodora, Victor and Victorinus.
Martyred in Alexandria, Egypt: Cyriacus Metranus Saturninus Tarskius Thyrsus Victor Zoticus
Our Morning Offering – 27 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Dedication of the Basilica of Auxilium Christianorum / Our Lady Help of Christians, Turin, Italy, built by St John Bosco (1868)
She, who stands at the Altar of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, without many of us today, will always be our help, most especially in these times of increasing persecution
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christian By St John Bosco (1815-1888)
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, how sweet it is to come to thy feet imploring thy perpetual help. If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, how can thou, the most loving of all mothers, forget me? Grant then to me, I implore thee thy perpetual help in all my necessities, in every sorrow and especially in all my temptations. I ask for thy unceasing help for all who are now suffering. Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners. Grant through thy intercession, many vocations to the religious life. Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians, that having invoked thee on earth we may love and eternally thank thee in Heaven. Amen
Dedication of the Basilica of Auxilium Christianorum / Our Lady Help of Christians, Turin, Italy, built by St John Bosco (1868) – 27 October: HERE: https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/27/88503/
St Gaudiosus of Naples Bl Goswin of Clairvaux St Namatius of Clermont St Odrian (c Died 563) Bishop, Abbot, Missionary Bl Salvador Mollar Ventura St Thraseas of Eumenia St Uni
Quote/s of the Day – 21 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels”
“God loves in the Seraphim, as charity, knows in the Cherubim, as truth, is seated in the Thrones, as equity, reigns in the Dominions, as majesty, rules in the Principalities, as principle, guards in the Powers, as salvation, acts in the Virtues, as strength, reveals in the Archangels, as light, assists in the Angels, as piety.”
“We should show our affection for the angels, for one day, they will be our co-heirs, just as here below, they are our guardians and trustees, appointed and set over u,s by the Father.”
St Bernard (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor
“Since God often sends us His inspirations by means of His Angels, we ought frequently to offer Him, our aspirations, through the same channel. … Call on them and honour them frequently and ask their help in all your affairs, temporal, as well as spiritual.”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of Charity of the Church
“Recommend yourself to your Angel Guardian three times a day – in the morning. by the prayer “Angele Dei” in the evening, by the same prayer and during the day, when you visit the Altars in Churches. Remember that you are to be guided by your Angel, like a blind man who cannot see the dangers of the streets and trusts entirely. to the person who leads him.”
St Aloysius de Gonzaga (1568-1591)
“Angel of God, my Guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day (or night) be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.”
“When there is not enough time to say this prayer, let us at least turn to our Angel with an Act of Faith and Love and say: “My Guardian Angel, enlighten me. My Guardian Angel, help me. My Guardian Angel, protect me.” He will certainly come to our assistance and will implore, for us, from God, the grace which we need.”
Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Be good! This will make your angel happy. When sorrows and misfortunes, physical or spiritual, afflict you, turn to your Guardian Angel, with strong trust and he will help you.”
Quote/s of the Day – 2 October – The Holy Guardian Angel
“See that you despise not one of these little ones, for I say to you that their Angels in Heaven, always see the face of My Father.”
Matthew 18:10
“Be good! This will make your angel happy. When sorrows and misfortunes, physical or spiritual, afflict you, turn to your Guardian Angel, with strong trust and he will help you.”
St John Bosco (1815-1888)
“O Angel of God, whom God hath appointed to be my Guardian, enlighten and protect, direct and govern me. Amen.”
(Indulgence of one hundred days each time. Plenary once a month if said daily)
My Oldest Friend By John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
My oldest friend, mine from the hour When first I drew my breath, My faithful friend, that shall be mine, Unfailing, till my death….
Mine when I stand before the Judge, And mine, if spared to stay Within the golden furnace, till My sin is burn’d away.
And mine, O Brother of my soul, When my release shall come, Thy gentle arms shall lift me then, Thy wings shall waft me home.”
Our Morning Offering – 10 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” –
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christian By St John Bosco (1815-1888)
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, how sweet it is to come to thy feet imploring thy perpetual help. If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, how can thou, the most loving of all mothers, forget me? Grant then to me, I implore thee thy perpetual help in all my necessities, in every sorrow and especially in all my temptations. I ask for thy unceasing help for all who are now suffering. Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners. Grant through thy intercession, many vocations to the religious life. Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians, that having invoked thee on earth we may love and eternally thank thee in Heaven. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 31 January – The Memorial of St John Bosco (1815-1888)
“Do not try to excuse your faults; try to correct them.”
“Ask your Angel to console and assist you in your last moments.”
“Be ever more convinced that your Guardian Angel is really present, that he is ever at your side. St Frances of Rome always saw him standing before her, his arms clasped at his breast, his eyes uplifted to Heaven but, at the slightest failing, he would cover his face, as if in shame and at times, turn his back to her!”
“Entrust everything to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary, Help of Christians and you will see what miracles are!”
St Abraham of Abela Bl Adamnan of Coldingham St Aedan of Ferns (c 550-632) Bishop St Aiden St Athanasius of Modon St Bobinus of Troyes St Eusebius of Saint Gall
St Geminian of Modena Bl John Angelus St Julius of Novara Bl Louise degli Albertoni Bl Luigi Talamoni St Madoes St Marcella Bl Maria Cristina di Savoia St Martin Manuel St Nicetas of Novgorod St Tryphaena of Cyzicus St Tysul St Ulphia of Amiens St Waldo of Evreux St Wilgils
Martyrs of Corinth – 14 Saints: A group of Christians tortured and martyred together in Corinth, Greece in the persecutions of Decius. We know nothing about them except some names – Anectus, Claudius, Codratus, Crescens, Cyprian, Diodorus, Dionysius, Nicephorus, Papias, Paul, Serapion, Theodora, Victor and Victorinus.
Martyrs of Canope: Athanasia Cyrus the Physician Eudoxia John the Physician Theoctista Theodotia
Martyred in Alexandria, Egypt: Cyriacus Metranus Saturninus Tarskius Thyrsus Victor Zoticus
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: José Acosta Alemán Juan José Martínez Romero Pedro José Rodríguez Cabrera
Martyrs of Korea: Thousands of people were murdered in the anti-Catholic persecutions in Korea. • Saint Agatha Kwon Chin-i • Saint Agatha Yi Kyong-I • Saint Augustinus Park Chong-Won • Saint Magdalena Son So-Byok • Saint Maria Yi In-Dok • Saint Petrus Hong Pyong-Ju
Our Morning Offering – 22 January – Mary’s Saturday
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christian By St John Bosco (1815-1888)
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, how sweet it is to come to thy feet imploring thy perpetual help. If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, how can thou, the most loving of all mothers, forget me? Grant then to me, I implore thee thy perpetual help in all my necessities, in every sorrow and especially in all my temptations. I ask for thy unceasing help for all who are now suffering. Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners. Grant through thy intercession, many vocations to the religious life. Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians, that having invoked thee on earth we may love and eternally thank thee in Heaven. Amen
Thought for the Day – 14 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Leaving Our Worries in God’s Hands
“Although we ought to be busy, we should never be too preoccupied. We should do what we can and leave the rest to Providence. Preoccupation is unprofitable and even harmful, for it produces worry and anxiety. Very often, it impedes our work because it destroys our peace of mind. We should do everything of which we are capable, therefore and leave the rest for God to do, if He believes that it is for our spiritual benefit. If He does not consider that it would be to our advantage, He will leave it undone and we shall be the gainers thereby.
Preoccupation springs from lack of faith and lack of resignation to the Will of God. One is reminded, in this context ,of a story which is told about St John Bosco. He was waiting one day for an audience with a Minister of State, with whom he would have to discuss various difficult problems. There were a good many other people in the waiting room, most of whom walked up and down agitatedly as they pondered over what they intended to say to the Minister and what they hoped to receive from him. Dom Bosco, however, remained calm, so calm in fact, that because he was also very tired, he fell asleep. At last the Minister appeared in the doorway and to his amusement discovered the Priest slumbering contentedly. Dom Bosco awoke when the Minister called him and calmly proceeded to explain, at once, what it was that he desired. He spoke in the manner of one accustomed to conversing with God and he obtained, without any trouble, everything which he wanted.
We should try and behave with similar serenity. We should stay close to God and live in complete conformity with His Will. We should perform our duties attentively and whole-heartedly but, we should never worry about them. As a result, we shall do more and do it more effectively. Most important of all, we shall be sure that God will bless our work.”
Maria Ausiliatrice a Valdocco / Our Lady of the Tower Secret, Turin, Italy (1863) – 12 November:
Our Lady of the Tower, at Fribourg, built on the lands of the heretics, on the very spot where an image of Our Lady had been found.
Don John Bosco, the amiable saint of the nineteenth century built a major Shrine to Our Lady Help of Christians, tying it in with the past and with the future. The Church was begun in 1863 with the sum of 8 cents. Don Bosco never revealed all that Our Lady had told him, in the several visions that preceded this but he did reveal that she asked him to build a great Shrine and that it would be a source of grace to all who came there to pray. He simply got permission, hunted up an architect who was willing, in the coldly realistic nineteenth century, to begin a Church on 8 cents and said, when the work was finished, that he had been paid every cent owing to him but, that he had been confronted in the beginning, by a man who many people said was completely mad. The architect must have had real faith, even to listen to Don Bosco. Like everything else accomplished by the great Saint of Turin, the building was beset with difficulties. No-one could understand why he insisted on naming it for Our Lady; even his own fellow priests. The money to pay for the project did not come in by the thousands, or even by the hundreds but by the penny. Every stone in the building, every bit of decorations, was a gift of love, and sacrifice from some grateful person who had benefitted from Our Lady’s help. The completed building is a testimonial of miracles and a Shrine of beauty, fit to stand with the world’s finest.
The curious thing about Don Bosco’s Shrine to Our Lady, and the one that should cause us thought, is the story of the right-hand tower. There is a large central dome, and on each side of it, a smaller one. On top of left-hand one is an angel holding a banner. The right-hand dome is built in the same way but its decoration is an angel offering a crown to Our Lady. One who saw the original sketches of the Church, drawn out in Don Bosco’s own hand, saw on the right-hand tower, a date 19.., indicating that at some time, in this warring century, there would be a victory over evil to correspond with Lepanto. Our Lady often tells her secrets to the saints and apparently Don Bosco knew the name and the place and thought it better not to reveal what he knew. Our Lady of the Tower Secret would take care of it in time and the left-hand angel bearing a banner labelled LEPANTO would have a counterpart, if mankind proves worthy. Don Bosco’s Church with Our Lady of the Tower was raised to the rank of a Basilica by Pope Pius X, Saint Pope Pius X.
St Arsatius St Astricus of Esztergom (Died c 1035) Bishop St Aurelius St Cadwallader St Cummian Fada St Cunibert of Cologne St Emilian Cucullatus St Evodius of Le Puy St Hesychius of Vienne Bl John Cini della Pace Bl José Medes Ferrís
St Namphasius St Nilus the Elder St Paternus of Sens St Publius St Renatus of Angers St Rufus of Avignon Bl Ursula Medes Ferris St Ymar of Reculver — Five Polish Brothers – martyrs: They weren’t Polish and they weren’t related but were instead five Italian Benedictine monks who worked with Saint Adalbert of Prague as missionaries to the Slavs and were martyred together. They were – Benedict, Christinus, Isaac, John and Matthew. Born in Italy. They were martyred in 1005 at the Benedictine monastery near Gnesen, Poland and Canonised by Pope Julius II.
Our Morning Offering – 27 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary”
She, who stands at the Altar of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, without many of us today, will always be our help, most especially in these times of increasing persecution. Although deprived of the Sacraments, we will never be deprived of her Perpetual Succour.
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christian By St John Bosco (1815-1888)
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, how sweet it is to come to thy feet imploring thy perpetual help. If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, how can thou, the most loving of all mothers, forget me? Grant then to me, I implore thee thy perpetual help in all my necessities, in every sorrow and especially in all my temptations. I ask for thy unceasing help for all who are now suffering. Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners. Grant through thy intercession, many vocations to the religious life. Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians, that having invoked thee on earth we may love and eternally thank thee in Heaven. Amen
Dedication of the Basilica of Auxilium Christianorum / Our Lady Help of Christians, Turin, Italy, built by St John Bosco (1868) – 27 October:
The vast and magnificent Basilica of Our Lady in Turin, Italy, built by Saint John Bosco (1815-1888) between 1863 and 1868, was inspired by a dream-vision which he had in October 1844. The Blessed Virgin showed Don Bosco a vast and lofty Church and said:
“This is my house; from it my glory shines forth. You will understand everything when, with your material eyes, you will see in actual fact, what you now see with the eyes of your mind.”
Nineteen years later, Don Bosco finally set to work on the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians. Our Lady, in a second vision, chose the location as that of the place of the Martyrdom of Saint Adventer Solutor and Saint Octavious, who were both soldiers under the Emperor Maximianus in the fourth century. When the foundation of the Church was laid, Don Bosco went to the contractor, Charles Buzzetti and told him:
“I want to pay you at once for this fine work. I don’t know if it will be much but this is all I have.”
He then took out his little purse and emptied the contents into the hand of the contractor, who was expecting a handful of gold coins. His jaw dropped in dismay when he saw in his hand only eight pennies.
“Do not be alarmed,” Don Bosco quickly added with a smile, “the Madonna will see to the payment of her Church. I am just the instrument, the cashier.” And to those standing by he concluded, “You will see!”
“The whole Church was put up by means of graces granted by Mary,” Don Bosco often said. One sixth of the cost, about one million lire in those days, was borne by the generous contributors, devout persons; the rest came from the small offering of those, who had been aided by Mary.
“Every stone, every ornament, represents one of her graces,” insisted Don Bosco. The original contractor, who received the eight cents, later testified that, “The Church was paid for to the last cent.”
Our Lady Help of Christians
Among the monuments of the Church, the most splendid is the painting above the main Altar. Our Blessed Lady Help of Christians occupies the central position and is surrounded by symbols – God the Father, the Holy Spirit, the Apostles and Evangelists. It measures more than 28 metres square and is bordered with gold.
There was much opposition to the project of building a Church dedicated to and in honour of Our Lady Help of Christians but Don Bosco insisted. It appears he had a supernatural knowledge, that the future of his own congregation and that of the whole world in the not too distant future, depended on the powerful protection of Mary, Help of Christians, just as it had needed and obtained that protection at Lepanto on 7 October 1571 and at Vienna, on 12 September 1683. Don Bosco, with the gracious assistance of the Blessed Virgin Moher, succeeded and the vast Church was Consecrated and dedicated on 9 June 1868 with the crowing on 27 October. The dedication festivities lasted nine days and on each day a Bishop preached while another took part in the ceremonies. By the turn of the nineteenth century, the Church of Our Lady Help of Christians in Turin had become famous and in 1911, Pope Saint Pius X gave it the crowning glory by raising it to the rank of a Basilica – The Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians!
The Feast Day of Our Lady Help of Christians is 24 May and was instituted by Saint Pius V in 1573, in thanksgiving for the decisive victory of Christianity over Islamism at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. All the information here including the dreams of St John Bosco: https://anastpaul.com/2018/05/24/feast-of-our-lady-help-of-christians-24-may/
The Processional Statue of Our Lady Help of Christians, Turin
St Capitolina St Colman of Senboth-Fola St Colman of Templeshambo St Desiderius of Auxerre St Elesbaan of Ethiopia (Died c 555) King, Confessor, Penitent Hermit and Monk
Quotes of the Day – 2 October – The Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
“In every lodging, at every corner, have reverence for thy Angel. Do not dare to do in his presence what you would not dare to do, if I were there. Or do you doubt that he is present whom you do not behold? What if you should hear him? What if you should touch him? What if you should scent him? Remember, that the presence of something is not proved only by the sight of things.”
“We should show our affection for the Angels, for one day they will be our coheirs, just as here below, they are our Guardians and Trustees, appointed and set over us, by the Father.”
St Bernard (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor
“God is humanity’s universal Teacher and Guardian but His Teaching to humanity is mediated by Angels.”
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Angelic Doctor
“When tempted, invoke your Angel. He is more eager to help you than you are to be helped! Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him; he trembles and flees at the sight of your Guardian Angel.”
Quote/s of the Day – 23 June – The Memorial of St Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860)
“A single word from him – a look, a smile, his very presence – sufficed to dispel melancholy, drive away temptation and produce holy resolution in the soul.”
St John Bosco, writing about St Joseph
“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.”
“We are born to love, we live to love and we will die, to love still more.”
“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.”
“Heaven is filled with converted sinners , of all kinds and there is room for more!”
Quote/s of the Day – 31 January – The Memorial of St John Bosco (1815-1888)
“Whatever you do, think of the Glory of God as your main goal.”
“Health is God’s great gift and we must spend it, entirely for Him. Our eyes should see only for God, our feet walk only for Him, our hands labour for Him alone; in short, our entire body should serve God while we still have the time. Then, when He shall take our health and we shall near our last day, our conscience will not reproach us for having misused it.”
“Be good! This will make your angel happy. When sorrows and misfortunes, physical or spiritual, afflict you, turn to your Guardian Angel, with strong trust and he will help you.”
“The power of evil men, lives, on the cowardice of the good!”
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time +2020 Septuagesima Sunday (Traditional Calendar): The word Septuagesima is Latin for “seventieth.” It is both the name of the liturgical season and the name of the Sunday. Septuagesima Sunday marks the beginning of the shortest liturgical season. This season is seventeen (17) days long and includes the three Sundays before Ash Wednesday. The length of the season never changes but the start date is dependent on the movable date of Easter, which can fall between 22 March-25 April. Septuagesima Sunday can be as early as 18 January. The Septuagesima season helps the faithful ease into Lent. It is a gradual preparation for the serious time of penance and sorrow; to remind the sinner of the grievousness of his errors and to exhort him to penance. Liturgically it looks very much like Lent. The Gloria and Alleluia are omitted, the tone becomes penitential with the Priest wearing purple vestments. The main difference is that there are no fasting requirements.
Apparition of Our Lady to Saint Angela de Foligno (1285) – 31 January: Angela of Foligno was born in 1248 of a prominent family in Foligno, three leagues from Assisi. As a young woman and also as a wife and mother, she lived only for the world and its vain pleasures. But the grace of God intended to make of her, a vessel of election, for the comfort and salvation of many. A ray of the divine mercy touched her soul and so strongly affected her, as to bring about a conversion. At the command of her confessor, Angela of Foligno committed to writing the manner of her conversion in eighteen spiritual steps. “Enlightened by grace,” Blessed Angela of Foligno wrote in this account. “I realised my sinfulness; I was seized with a great fear of being damned and I shed a flood of tears. I went to confession to be relieved of my sins but through shame I concealed the most grievous ones but still I went to Communion. Now my conscience tortured me day and night. I called upon St Francis for help and, moved by an inner impulse, I went into a church where a Franciscan Father was then preaching.” (It is reported that in the year 1285 she had a vision of both the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Francis of Assisi, who called her to penance.) “I gathered courage to confess all my sins to him and I did this immediately after the sermon. With zeal and perseverance, I performed the penance he imposed but my heart continued to be full of bitterness and shame. I recognised that the divine mercy has saved me from hell, hence I resolved to do rigorous penance; nothing seemed too difficult for me because I felt I belonged in hell. I called upon the saints and especially upon the Blessed Virgin, to intercede with God for me.
It appeared to me now as if they had compassion on me and I felt the fire of divine love enkindled within me, so that I could pray as I never prayed before. I had also received a special grace to contemplate the Cross in which Christ had suffered so much for my sins. Sorrow, love and the desire to sacrifice everything for Him filled my soul.”
About this time God harkened to the earnest desire of the penitent – her mother died, then her husband and soon afterwards, all her children. These tragic events were very painful to her but she made the sacrifice with resignation to the will of God. Being freed from these ties, she dispossessed herself of all her temporal goods with the consent of her confessor, a Franciscan friar named Arnoldo, so that being poor herself, she might walk in the footsteps of her poor Saviour. It was to Arnoldo that she dictated her account of her conversion, now known as the ‘Memoriale,’ or the ‘Book of Visions and Instructions.’ She also entered the Third Order of St Francis and presently found herself the superior and guide of other,s who followed in her path. Many women joined her, even to the point of taking the three vows. She encouraged them in works of charity, in nursing the sick and in going personally from door to door to beg for the needs of the poor. Meanwhile, Angela became still more immersed in the contemplation of the Passion of Christ and she chose the Sorrowful Mother and the faithful disciple John as her patrons. The sight of the wounds which her Lord suffered for her sins, urged her to the practice of still greater austerities. Once Our Lord showed her that His Heart is a safe refuge in all the storms of life. She was soon to be in need of such a refuge. God permitted her to be afflicted with severe temptations. The most horrible and loathsome representations distressed her soul. The fire of concupiscence raged so furiously that she said: “I would rather have beheld myself surrounded with flames and permitted myself to be continually roasted, than to endure such things.” Still, she called out to God, “Glory be to Thee, O Lord! Thy cross is my resting place.” These painful trials lasted over two years but then, the purified and tried servant of the Lord, was filled with great consolation. She obtained a marvellous insight into divine things and was very frequently found in ecstasy. For a time she had the stigmata and for many years Holy Communion was her only food, until at last, completely purified, she entered into the eternal joy of the Supreme Good on 4 January 1310. Pope Innocent XII approved the continual devotion paid to her at her tomb in Foligno, where many miracles were attributed to her. He Beatified her in 1693. Her Canonisation was an equipollent Canonisation in 2013. Blessed Angela of Foligno said, “To know oneself and to know God, that is the perfection of man; without this knowledge, visions and the greatest gifts are of no account.” St Angela’s Biography here: https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/04/saint-of-the-day-4-january-saint-angela-of-foligno-tosf-1248-1309/
The Translation of the Relics of Saint Mark, the Evangelist
St Abraham of Abela Bl Adamnan of Coldingham St Aedan of Ferns St Aiden St Athanasius of Modon St Bobinus of Troyes St Eusebius of Saint Gall St Francesco Saverio Maria Bianchi/Francis Xavier Bianchi CRSP (1743-1815) “Apostle of Naples” About St Francesco: https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/31/saint-of-the-day-31-january-saint-francis-xavier-bianchi-crsp-1743-1815-apostle-of-naples/ St Geminian of Modena Bl John Angelus St Julius of Novara Bl Louise degli Albertoni Bl Luigi Talamoni St Madoes St Marcella Bl Maria Cristina di Savoia St Martin Manuel St Nicetas of Novgorod St Tryphaena of Cyzicus St Tysul St Ulphia of Amiens St Waldo of Evreux St Wilgils —
Martyrs of Corinth – 14 saints: A group of Christians tortured and martyred together in Corinth, Greece in the persecutions of Decius. We know nothing about them except some names – Anectus, Claudius, Codratus, Crescens, Cyprian, Diodorus, Dionysius, Nicephorus, Papias, Paul, Serapion, Theodora, Victor and Victorinus.
Martyrs of Canope: Athanasia Cyrus the Physician Eudoxia John the Physician Theoctista Theodotia Martyred in Alexandria, Egypt Cyriacus Metranus Saturninus Tarskius Thyrsus Victor Zoticus
Martyred in Alexandria, Egypt: Cyriacus Metranus Saturninus Tarskius Thyrsus Victor Zoticus
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: José Acosta Alemán Juan José Martínez Romero Pedro José Rodríguez Cabrera
Martyrs of Korea: Thousands of people were murdered in the anti-Catholic persecutions in Korea. • Saint Agatha Kwon Chin-i • Saint Agatha Yi Kyong-I • Saint Augustinus Park Chong-Won • Saint Magdalena Son So-Byok • Saint Maria Yi In-Dok • Saint Petrus Hong Pyong-Ju
Quote/s of the Day – 12 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Friday of the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 1 Kings 19:9, 11-16, Psalm 27:7-9, 13-14, Matthew 5:27-32
Speaking of: Sin
” It is better for you to lose one of your members, than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.”
Matthew 5:29
“The dragon sits by the side of the road, watching those who pass. Beware lest he devour you. We go to the Father of Souls but it is necessary to pass by the dragon.”
St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387)
Father and Doctor of the Church
“Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation, for there is no conflict without an enemy, no victory without strife.”
St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
Father and Doctor of the Church
“When God forgives a sinner who humbly confesses his sin, the devil loses his dominion over the heart he had taken.”
St Bernard (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor
“Let the enemy rage at the gate; let him knock, pound, scream, howl; let him do his worst. We know for certain, that he cannot enter our soul, except by the door of our consent.”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity
“We are generally, the carpenters of our own crosses.”
St Philip Neri (1515-1595)
“The power of evil men lives on the cowardice of the good.”
“Do not try to excuse your faults, try to correct them.”
“Fly from bad companions as from the bite of a poisonous snake.”
“Act today in such a way, that you need not blush tomorrow.”
St John Bosco (1815-1888)
“That conversation… was as dirty as a sewer! It is not enough for you to take no part in it. You must show your repugnance for it strongly!”
St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975)
“For the sinner, hell begins on this earth!”
“The Sacrament of Penance, is our plank of salvation in the shipwreck of sin.”
Our Morning Offering – 24 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Seventh Sunday of Easter and the Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians
She, who stands at the Altar of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, without many of us today, will always be our help, most especially in these times of ‘lockdown.’ Though deprived of the Sacraments, we will never be deprived of her perpetual succour.
Prayer to Our Lady, Help Of Christians By St John Bosco (1815-1888)
Most Holy Virgin Mary,
Help of Christians,
how sweet it is to come to your feet
imploring your perpetual help.
If earthly mothers cease not
to remember their children,
how can you,
the most loving of all mothers, forget me?
Grant then to me, I implore you,
your perpetual help in all my necessities,
in every sorrow and especially in all my temptations.
I ask for your unceasing help
for all who are now suffering.
Help the weak,
cure the sick,
convert sinners.
Grant through your intercession,
many vocations to the religious life.
Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians,
that having invoked you on earth
we may love and eternally thank you in heaven.
Amen
One Minute Reflection – 31 January – Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 2 Samuel 11:1-10, 13-17, Psalm 51:3-7, 10-11, Mark 4:26-34 and the Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier Bianchi CRSP (1743-1815) “Apostle of Naples” and St John Bosco (1815-1888)
“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed…” … Mark 4:30-31
REFLECTION – “The Word of God is like a grain of mustard seed, before cultivation it looks extremely small. But when it is cultivated in the right way, it grows so large, that the highest principles of both sensible and intelligible creation, come like birds to revive themselves in it. For the principles – or inner essences of all things, are embraced by the Word but the Word is not embraced by anything. Hence, the Lord has said, that whoever has faith like a grain of mustard seed, can move a mountain by a word of command (cf. Mt 17:20), that is, he can destroy the devil’s dominion over us and remove it from its foundation.
The grain of mustard seed is the Lord, who by faith is sown spiritually in the hearts of those who accept Him. Whoever diligently cultivates the seed by practising the virtues, moves the mountain of earthbound pride and, through the power thus gained, expels the obdurate habit of sin. In this way, the activity of the principles and qualities, or divine powers, present in the commandments, is revived as though they were birds. (…) Those who seek the Lord should not look for him outside themselves. On the contrary, they must seek Him, within themselves, through faith made manifest in action.
For it is written, “The word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart” (Rm 10:8), that is, the word of faith, Christ, being Himself, the word that is sought.” … Saint Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Monk and Theologian – Second Century on Theology, nos. 10-11, 35
PRAYER – Almighty Father, we bless You Lord of life, through whom all living things tend. You are the source of all, our first beginning and our end! Grant holy Father, that we may allow the Word to enter our hearts and grow by Your grace, so that we may always live for Your glory. May the intercession of St Francis Xavier Bianchi and St John Bosco, who consistently tended Your seed, grant us strength and zeal. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 31 January – Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time, Year A and the Memorial of St John Bosco (1815-1888) Founder of the Society of St Francis de Sales now known as the Salesians
Come, O Spirit, from on High! A Salesian Morning Invocation
Come, O Spirit, from on high!
Shine upon our inward eye,
Pierce the blindness of our sight!
Come, O Kinsman, to our aid.
Come with gifts that never fade,
Come and bathe us in Thy light!
Come, Consoler Spirit best,
Troubled Soul’s most welcome Guest,
Soothing hand on fevered brow!
Restful ease in toil and stress,
Cooling wind when heats oppress,
Comfort in all grief art Thou!
Light of lights in darkness shine,
Flood our hearts with light divine,
Burn within us, living Fire!
Amen!
St John Bosco “Don Bosco” SDB (1815-1888) (Memorial) Founder of the Society of St Francis de Sales now known as the Salesians All about beautiful Don Bosco:
St Abraham of Abela
Bl Adamnan of Coldingham
St Aedan of Ferns
St Aiden
St Athanasius of Modon
St Bobinus of Troyes
St Eusebius of Saint Gall St Francesco Saverio Maria Bianchi/Francis Xavier Bianchi CRSP (1743-1815) “Apostle of Naples”
St Geminian of Modena
Bl John Angelus
St Julius of Novara
Bl Louise degli Albertoni
Bl Luigi Talamoni
St Madoes
St Marcella
Bl Maria Cristina di Savoia
St Martin Manuel
St Nicetas of Novgorod
St Tryphaena of Cyzicus
St Tysul
St Ulphia of Amiens
St Waldo of Evreux
St Wilgils
—
Martyrs of Corinth – 14 saints: A group of Christians tortured and martyred together in Corinth, Greece in the persecutions of Decius. We know nothing about them except some names – Anectus, Claudius, Codratus, Crescens, Cyprian, Diodorus, Dionysius, Nicephorus, Papias, Paul, Serapion, Theodora, Victor and Victorinus.
Martyrs of Canope:
Athanasia
Cyrus the Physician
Eudoxia
John the Physician
Theoctista
Theodotia
Martyred in Alexandria, Egypt
Cyriacus
Metranus
Saturninus
Tarskius
Thyrsus
Victor
Zoticus
Martyred in Alexandria, Egypt:
Cyriacus
Metranus
Saturninus
Tarskius
Thyrsus
Victor
Zoticus
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
José Acosta Alemán
Juan José Martínez Romero
Pedro José Rodríguez Cabrera
Martyrs of Korea: Thousands of people were murdered in the anti-Catholic persecutions in Korea.
• Saint Agatha Kwon Chin-i
• Saint Agatha Yi Kyong-I
• Saint Augustinus Park Chong-Won
• Saint Magdalena Son So-Byok
• Saint Maria Yi In-Dok
• Saint Petrus Hong Pyong-Ju
Our Morning Offering – 8 January – Third day after Epiphany and the Memorial of Blessed Titus Zeman SDB (1915-1969) Priest and Martyr
As today is the Memorial of the Priest and Martyr, Blesssed Titus Zeman of the Salesians of St John Bosco – a man whose life is an excellent example of faithfulness to Don Bosco’s cause, especially through the zeal and love that he showed to save the vocations of young Salesians under the Communist regime of Czechoslovakia, let us pray St John Bosco’s prayer to Our Lady Help of Christians, to whom Blessed Titus gave all the honour of his work.
Our Lady, Help Of Christians By St John Bosco (1815-1888)
Most Holy Virgin Mary,
Help of Christians,
how sweet it is to come to your feet
imploring your perpetual help.
If earthly mothers cease not
to remember their children,
how can you,
the most loving of all mothers forget me?
Grant then to me, I implore you,
your perpetual help in all my necessities,
in every sorrow and especially in all my temptations.
I ask for your unceasing help
for all who are now suffering.
Help the weak,
cure the sick,
convert sinners.
Grant through your intercession,
many vocations to the religious life.
Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians,
that having invoked you on earth
we may love and eternally thank you in heaven.
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 2 October – The Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
“Be ever more convinced, that your guardian angel is really present, that he is ever at your side. St Frances of Rome always saw him standing before her, his arms clasped at his breast, his eyes uplifted to Heaven but at the slightest failing, he would cover his face as if in shame and at times, turn his back to her.”
St John Bosco (1815-1888)
“Do you not greet warmly, all the people you love and speak to them cordially? — Well, you and I are going to greet Jesus, Mary and Joseph and our Guardian Angels, many times a day. “
Our Morning Offering – 24 May “Mary’s Month” – Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians and Friday of the Fifth week of Easter, C
Our Lady, Help Of Christians By St John Bosco (1815-1888)
Most Holy Virgin Mary,
Help of Christians,
how sweet it is to come to your feet
imploring your perpetual help.
If earthly mothers cease not
to remember their children,
how can you,
the most loving of all mothers forget me?
Grant then to me, I implore you,
your perpetual help in all my necessities,
in every sorrow and especially in all my temptations.
I ask for your unceasing help
for all who are now suffering.
Help the weak,
cure the sick,
convert sinners.
Grant through your intercession,
many vocations to the religious life.
Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians,
that having invoked you on earth
we may love and eternally thank you in heaven.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 31 January -The Memorial of St John Bosco (1815-1888)
On 19 September 1840, John Bosco was ordained sub-deacon at Turin, the diaconate followed on the Saturday of Passion week (27 March) 1841. On 26 May, he went into retreat at the Vincentian House in Turin, in preparation for his ordination to the priesthood. The notes of his retreat contain the nine resolutions which he made at this solemn moment of his life. They can be set down without commentary, for they speak for themselves and their punctual execution for the rest of his days, is added testimony to his determination in taking them.
1. I will take no unnecessary walks.
2. I will make exactingly careful use of my time.
3. When the salvation of souls is at stake, I will be always ready to suffer, to act and to humble myself.
4. May the charity and gentleness of St Francis de Sales, inform my every action.
5. I will always be content with the food set before me, unless it is really harmful to my health.
6. I will always add water to my wine and drink it only for reasons of health, that is, on such days ain such measure as health requires.
7. Since work is a powerful weapon against the enemies of my salvation, I will take only five hours sleep a night. During the day, especially after dinner, I will take no rest, except in case of illness.
8. Every day, I will devote some time to meditation and spiritual reading. During the day, I will make a short visit, or at any rate a prayer, to the Blessed Sacrament. My preparation for Mass, shall last at least a quarter of an hour and so shall my thanksgiving.
9. Outside the confessional and save in cases of strict necessity, I will never stop to talk with women. *
(the only commentary is in regard to this point * – just remember the times in which St John lived).
We would do well to adopt some of these resolutions for our own spiritual growth!
AnaStpaul 
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