Posted in BLESSED TRINITY PRAYERS, DOCTORS of the Church, FEBRUARY - THE BLESSED TRINITY (Traditional), POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, ST FRANCIS de SALES, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The SIGN of the CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 4 June – Trinity Sunday

Quote/s of the Day – 4 June – Trinity Sunday

In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
By St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368)

Father & Doctor of the Church

Father, keep us from vain strife of words.
Grant to us constant profession of the Truth!
Preserve us in a true and undefiled faith
so that we may hold fast to that
which we professed
when we were Baptised
in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
that we may have You for our Father,
that we may abide in Your Son
and in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Amen

An Act of Oblation
to the Holy Trinity
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

Doctor of Charity

I vow and consecrate to God
all that is in me,
my memory and my actions,
to God the Father;
my understanding and my words,
to God the Son;
my will and my thoughts,
to God the Holy Spirit.
I consecrate my heart, my body,
my tongue, my senses
and all my sorrows
to the Sacred Humanity of Jesus Christ,
who consented to be betrayed
into the hands of wicked men
and to suffer the torment
of the Cross for me.
Amen

The Sign of the Cross
In the Name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Ghost.

(50 Days. 100 Days if made with Holy Water
Blessed Pope Pius IX, 1865.)

WHENE’ER across this sinful flesh of mine
I draw the Holy Sign,
All good thoughts stir within me and renew
Their slumbering strength divine,
Till there springs up a courage high and true
To suffer and to do.

And who shall say but hateful spirits around,
For their brief hour unbound,
Shudder to see and wail their overthrow?
While on far heathen ground
Some lonely Saint hails the fresh odour, though
Its source he cannot know.

John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Oxford – 25 November 1832

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, INDULGENCES, POETRY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 2 October – The Holy Guardian Angel

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.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/02/quotes-of-the-day-2-october-holy-angels/

Posted in GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on NATURE - GOD'S CREATION, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The KINGDOM of GOD, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 November – ‘ … Destroy what we see, that it may pass and be transformed into what we believe…’

One Minute Reflection – 26 November – “Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Readings: Daniel 7: 2-14; Daniel 3: 75-81; Luke 21: 29-33 – The Memorial of St Sylvester Gozzolini OSB Silv. (1177– 1267)

Consider the fig tree” – Luke 21:29

REFLECTION – “The earth that we see does not satisfy us; it is but a beginning; it is but a promise of something beyond it; even when it is gayest, with all its blossoms on and shows most touchingly what lies hid in it, yet it is not enough. We know much more lies hid in it than we see. A world of Saints and Angels, a glorious world, the palace of God, the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, the heavenly Jerusalem, the throne of God and Christ, all these wonders, everlasting, all-precious, mysterious, and incomprehensible, lie hid in what we see. What we see is the outward shell of an eternal Kingdom and on that Kingdom we fix the eyes of our faith.

Shine forth, O Lord, as when, on Thy Nativity, Thine Angels visited the shepherds; let Thy glory blossom forth, as bloom and foliage on the tree,; change with Thy mighty power this visible world into that divine world, which, as yet we see not, destroy what we see, that it may pass and be transformed into what we believe. Bright as is the sun and the sky and the clouds; green as are the leaves and the fields; sweet as is the singing of the birds – we know that they are not all and we will not take up with a part, for the whole. They proceed from a centre of Love and Goodness, which is God Himself but they are not His Fullness; they speak of Heaven but they are not Heaven; they are but as stray beams and dim reflections of His Image; they are but crumbs from the table!” – St John Henry Newman C.O. (1801-1890),Priest, Theologian (The Invisible World » PPS, vol. 4, no.13)

PRAYER – Lord God, creator of all Light and creator of all good, grant that we may look up to You always and know that by Your Light and your goodness we are safe in this world of corruption. May the Light of our Lord Jesus, make the path He has set out bright and clear and may the prayers of St Sylvester Gozzolini be a help in our struggle. Lead us, Lord, in Your kindness and mercy to our heavenly home. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on WATCHING, The HOLY NAME, The REDEMPTION, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 November – ‘… Your redemption is at hand.’

Quote/s of the Day – 25 November – Readings: Daniel 6: 12-28; Psalm: Daniel 3: 68-74; Luke 21: 20-28

Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.

Luke 21:28

So everyone who acknowledges me
before men,
I also will acknowledge
before my Father,
who is in heaven…

Matthew 10:32

Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day
nor the hour.

Matthew 24:13

Sheltered under the name of
Jesus Christ,
I do not fear these pains ….

St Lawrence (Died 258)
Martyr

When insults have no effect on us,
when persecutions and penalties,
have no terror for us,
when prosperity or adversity,
has no influence on us,
when friend and foe,
are viewed in the same light…
do we not come close,
to sharing, the serenity of God?

St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)
St Bernard of the North

Be vigilant at all times and pray
that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.

Luke 21:36

Life is short,
Death is certain
and the world to come is everlasting.

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOOD FRIDAY, HOLY WEEK, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The SECOND COMING

Quote/s of the Day – 2 November – ‘Death is then no cause for mourning … ‘

Quote/s of the Day – 2 November – All Souls Day – Readings: Wisdom 3: 1-9; Romans 5: 5-11 or Romans 6: 3-9; Gospel: John 6: 37-40

We should have a daily
familiarity with death,
a daily desire for death.
By this kind of detachment,
our soul must learn to free itself
from the desires of the body.
It must soar above earthly lusts,
to a place where they cannot come near,
to hold it fast.
It must take on the likeness of death,
to avoid the punishment of death!

Death is then no cause for mourning,
for it is the cause of mankind’s salvation.
Death is not something to be avoided,
for the Son of God
did not think it beneath His dignity,
nor did He seek to escape it.

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

We should consider how much good
our Lord did us,
by His first coming
and how much more He will do for us,
by His second.
This thought will help us,
to have a great love
for that first coming of His
and a great longing for His return.

St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)

Keep a clear eye toward life’s end.
Do not forget your purpose
and destiny as God’s creature.
What you are in His sight,
is what you are and nothing more.
Remember that when you leave this earth,
you can take nothing that you have received…
but only what you have given – a full heart
enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.

St Francis of Assisi (c 1181-1226)

Do now,
what you wish to have done,
when your moment
comes to die.

St Angela Merici (1474-1540)

Sabbatum Sanctum
By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

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

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 October – Bearing Christ in our hearts

One Minute Reflection – 9 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: : Joel 4: 12-21; Psalm 97: 1-2, 5-6, 11-12; Luke 11: 27-28

He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” – Luke 11:28

REFLECTION – “Mary was more blessed in accepting the faith of Christ than in conceiving the flesh of Christ. To someone who said, “Blessed is the womb that bore you,” He replied, “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” Finally, for His brothers, His relatives according to the flesh, who did not believe in Him, of what advantage was that relationship? Even her maternal relationship would have done Mary no good unless she had borne Christ, more happily in her heart, than in her flesh.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of Grace (Holy Virginity, 3).

PRAYER – “O my God, whatever is nearer to me than You, things of this earth and things more naturally pleasing to me, will be sure to interrupt the sight of You, unless Your grace interfere. Keep You my eyes, my ears, my heart, from any such miserable tyranny. Keep my whole being fixed on You. Let me never lose sight of You and while I gaze on You, let my love of You grow more and more every day.” … St John Henry Newman (1801-1890) May we run the race in obedience and love of the Will of our God, always seeking Your Face in those who are the leastg. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, MARTYRS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Lady of Good Help (1859) USA and Memorials of the Saints – 9 October

Our Lady of Good Help (1859) USA – 9 October :
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/09/feast-of-our-lady-of-good-help-and-memorials-of-the-saints-9-october/
Sr Adele’s life and mission here:
http://catholicism.org/first-approved-marian-apparition-in-the-us-champion-wisconsin.html

St Denis of Paris (Died c 258) and Companions – the First Bishop of Paris, Martyr, Confessor (Optional Memorial) One of the 14 Holy Helpers
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/09/saint-of-the-day-9-october-saint-denis-of-paris-died-c-258-and-companions-martyrs/

St John Leonardi (1541-1609) (Optional Memorial)
Priest, Founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of Lucca, wherein he assumed the name of “Giovanni of the Mother of God”, Confessor, Reformer, Apostle of the Holy Eucharist and Eucharistic Adoration, Marian devotee.
Biography here:

https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/10/09/saint-of-the-day-9-october-st-john-leonardi-1541-1609/

Bl Aaron of Cracow
St Abraham the Patriarch
St Alfanus of Salerno
St Andronicus of Antioch
St Athanasia of Antioch
Bl Bernard of Rodez
St Demetrius of Alexandria
St Deusdedit of Montecassino
St Domninus
St Dorotheus of Alexandria
St Donnino of Città di Castello (Died 610) Lay Hermit
St Eleutherius
St Geminus
St Gislenus
St Goswin
Bl Gunther

St John Henry Newman Cong. Orat. (1801-1890) “A Mind Alive,” Priest, Cardinal, Theologian, Philosopher, Prolific Preacher, Writer and Poet.
St John Henry:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/10/09/saint-of-the-day-blessed-cardinal-john-henry-newman-1801-1890-a-mind-alive/

St Lambert

St Louis Bertrand OP (1526-1581) “Apostle of South America” – Dominican Priest, Missionary, Preacher, Confessor, Teacher, Spiritual Director, Miracle-Worker.
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/09/saint-of-the-day-9-october-st-louis-bertrand-o-p-1526-1581-apostle-of-south-america/

St Publia
St Rusticus
St Sabinus of the Lavedan
St Valerius

Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War – Martyrs of Astoria – (9 saints): Also known as Martyrs of Turon: A group of Brothers of the Christian Schools and a Passionist priest martyred in the persecutions during the Spanish Civil War. They are –
• Aniceto Adolfo
• Augusto Andrés
• Benito de Jesús
• Benjamín Julián
• Cirilo Bertrán
• Inocencio de la Immaculada
• Julián Alfredo
• Marciano José
• Victoriano Pío
They were martyred on 9 October 1934 in Turón, Spain and Canonised on 21 November 1999 by St Pope John Paul II.

Martyrs of Laodicea – (3 saints): Three Christians martyred together in Laodicea, but no other information about them has survived but their names – Didymus, Diodorus and Diomedes. They were martyred in Laodicea, Syria.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, ROSARY QUOTES, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Quote/s of the Day – 7 October – The Holy Rosary

Quote/s of the Day – 7 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Memorial of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary/Our Lady of Victory

The greatest method
of praying,
is to pray
the Rosary.

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

The salvation of the whole world
began with the “Hail Mary.”
Hence, the salvation of each person
is also attached to this prayer.

St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

Those who say the Rosary daily
and wear the Brown Scapular
and who do a little more,
will go straight to Heaven
.”

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

And so we contemplate
all the great mysteries of His life
and His birth in the manger
and so too, the mysteries of His suffering
and His glorified life.
But even Christians,
with all their knowledge of God,
have usually more awe than love of Him
and the special virtue of the Rosary,
lies in the special way,
in which it looks at these mysteries,
for with all our thoughts of Him
are mingled thoughts of His Mother
and in the relations between Mother and Son,
we have set before us the Holy Family,
the home in which God lived.

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

If our age in its pride laughs at
and rejects Our Lady’s Rosary,
a countless legion of the most saintly men
of every age and of every condition,
have not only held it most dear
and have most piously recited it
but, have also used it at all times,
as a most powerful weapon
to overcome the devil,
to preserve the purity of their lives,
to acquire virtue more zealously,
in a word, to promote peace among men.

Pope Pius XI (1857-1939)

There is no surer means
of calling down God’s blessing
upon the family,
than the daily recitation
of the Rosary.

Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-october-on-the-rosary-by-the-popes-pre-vatican-ii/

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 2 October – My Oldest Friend

Our Morning Offering – 2 October – The Memorial of the Guardian Angels

My Oldest Friend
By St 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.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MARTYRS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 July – ‘Look around you, my brethren, on every side … ‘

One Minute Reflection – 6 July – “Month of the Precious Blood” – Readings: Genesis 32: 23-33, Psalms 17: 1b, 2-3, 6-7ab, 8b and 15, Matthew 9: 32-38 and the Memorial of St Maria Goretti

And seeing the multitudes, he had compassion on them because they were distressed and living like sheep without a shepherd.” – Matthew 9:36

REFLECTION –Look around you, my brethren, on every side … Look around, I say and answer why it is that there is so much change, so much strife, so many parties and sects, so many creeds? because men are dissatisfied and restless; and why restless, with everyone his psalm, his doctrine, his tongue, his revelation, his interpretation? they are restless because they have not found … It has not yet brought them into the Presence of Christ, in which “is fulness of joy” and “pleasure for evermore” (Ps 16[15]:11).

Had they been fed with the bread of life (Jn 6:35) and tasted of the honeycomb, their eyes, like Jonathan’s (1 Sam 14:27), had been enlightened, to acknowledge the Saviour of men but having no such real apprehension of things unseen, they have still to seek and are at the mercy of every rumour from without.

O sad and pitiable spectacle, when the people of Christ wander on the hills as “sheep which have no shepherd;” and instead of seeking Him in His ancient haunts and His appointed home, busy themselves in human schemes, follow strange guides, are taken captive by new opinions, become the sport of chance, or of the humour of the hour, or the victims of self-will, are full of anxiety and perplexity,and jealousy and alarm, “tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” (Eph 4:14) —and all because, they do not seek the “one body” and the “one Spirit,” and the “one hope of their calling,” the “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all,” (Eph 4:5-6) and “find rest for their souls” (Mt 11:29)! – St John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Cardinal, Founder of the Oratory in England, Theologian, Writer, Poet, Hymnist – Sermon “Invisible Presence of Christ” Sermons on Subjects of the Day, no 21

PRAYER – True Light of the world, Lord Jesus Christ, as You enlighten all men for their salvation, give us grace, we pray, to herald Your coming, by preparing Your ways of justice and of peace. We lift our hearts and eyes in prayer and beg of You that we may always offer You the souls of those in need of You. And may the prayers of Bl At Maria Goretti, strengthen us on our journey. Who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – “It is I, Myself.”

Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – The Third Suday of Easter, Readings: First: Acts 3: 13-15, 17-19,salm: Psalms 4: 2, 4, 7-8, 9 (7a), Second: First John 2: 1-5a
Gospel: Luke 24: 35-48

“It is I, Myself.”

Luke 24:39

“Elizabeth says:
‘Blessed are you because you have believed.’
You also are blessed,
because you have heard and believed.
A soul that believes,
both conceives and brings forth
the Word of God
and acknowledges His works.”

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

“Have faith and the One
you cannot see,
is with you.”

“The Lord is near
do not be anxious
about anything.”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Jesus is happy to come with us,
as Truth is happy to be spoken,
as Life to be lived,
as Light to be lit,
as Love is to be loved,
as Joy to be given,
as Peace to be spread.”

St Francis of Assisi (1181/2–1226)

“Only by faith is He known to be present…
He removed His visible presence
and left but a memorial of Himself.
He vanished from sight,
that He might be present in the Sacrament
and in order to connect
His visible presence
with His presence invisible … ”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE

Our Morning Offering – 16 April – I Will Put Myself In Your Hands

Our Morning Offering – 16 April – Friday of the Second Week of Easter

I Will Put Myself In Your Hands
By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

O my God, I will put myself
without reserve ,into Your hands.
Wealth or woe,
joy or sorrow,
friends or bereavement,
honour or humiliation,
good report or ill report,
comfort or discomfort.
Your presence or the
hiding of Your Countenance,
all is good,
if it comes from You.
You are Wisdom
and You are Love –
what can I desire more.
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY SPIRIT, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY SPIRIT

Our Morning Offering – 15 April – Nunc, Sancte, nobis Spiritus

Our Morning Offering – 15 April – Thursday of the Second Week of Easter

Nunc, Sancte, nobis Spiritus
By St Ambrose (340-397)
Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One

Trans St John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Trans 1836

Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One
Art with the Father and the Son.
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls possess
With Thy full flood of holiness.

In will and deed, by heart and tongue,
With all our powers, Thy praise be sung.
And love light up our mortal frame,
Till others catch the living flame.

Almighty Father, hear our cry
Through Jesus Christ our Lord most high,
Who with the Holy Ghost and Thee
Doth live and reign eternally.

Posted in HOLY WEEK, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 2 April – The Angel of the Agony

Our Morning Offering – 2 April – Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord

The Angel of the Agony
St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Jesu! by that shuddering dread which fell on Thee;
Jesu! by that cold dismay which sicken’d Thee;
Jesu! by that pang of heart which thrill’d in Thee;
Jesu! by that mount of sins which crippled Thee;
Jesu! by that sense of guilt which stifled Thee;
Jesu! by that innocence that girded Thee;
Jesu! by that sanctity that reign’d in Thee;
Jesu! by that Godhead which was one with Thee;
Jesu! spare those souls which are so dear to Thee;
Who in prison, calm and patient, wait for Thee;
Hasten, Lord, their hour and bid them come to Thee;
To that glorious Home, where they shall ever gaze on Thee.
Amen

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, LENT 2021, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, LENTEN THOUGHTS, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 14 February – LENTEN THOUGHTS

Quote/s of the Day – 14 February – Readings: Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46, Psalms 32:1-2, 5, 11, 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1, Mark 1:40-45

LENTEN THOUGHTS

“You can make me clean”

Mark 1:40

“It is the greatest punishment to commit sin,
though we may remain unpunished –
it is the greatest honour and repose to live virtuously,
though we may be punished.”

St John Chrysostom (345-407)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“I have hidden My glory and,
out of My great love for you,
have freely made My richness poor.
For you, I suffered hunger, thirst, fatigue.
I roamed the mountains, ravines and valleys
looking for you, my lost sheep.
I took the name of Lamb, to bring you back,
calling you with My shepherd’s voice.
And I want to give My life for you,
to tear you away from claws of the wolf.
I bear everything so that you may cry out :
“Blessed are You, the one who comes to call Adam.”

St Romanus the Melodist (c 490-c 556)

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

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

Cast Upon Us a Look of Mercy
By Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)

O Jesus!
Cast upon us a look of mercy,
turn Your Face towards each of us
as You did to Veronica,
not that we may see it with our bodily eyes,
for this we do not deserve
but turn it towards our hearts,
so that, remembering You,
we may ever draw from this fountain of strength,
the vigour necessary to
sustain the combats of life.
Amen

“… Recollect, that heavy Cross
is the weight of our sins.
As it fell upon His neck and shoulders,
it came down with a shock.
Alas! what a sudden, heavy weight
have I laid upon Thee, O Jesus.
… Ah! how great a misery is it
that I have lifted up my hand
against my God.”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Posted in Uncategorized

Quote/s of the Day – The Weekdays of Advent, 18 December – Blessed be the Most Holy Name of Jesus without end!

Quote/s of the Day – The Weekdays of Advent, 18 December O Adonai/O Lord
Jeremiah 23:5-8, Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19, Matthew 1:18-24

“Only let it be in the name of Jesus Christ,
that I may suffer together with Him!
I endure everything
because He Himself,
Who is perfect man, empowers me.”

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35 – 107)
Father of the Church, Martyr

“And you shall call His name Jesus,
because in His Name we adore
the entire majesty of the Godhead.
All who dwell in the heavens,
those who abide upon the earth
and everyone of those
who are held in the depths of hell,
bow down prostate to this Name.
This is the Name which gave sight to the blind,
hearing to the deaf,
agility to the lame,
speech to the mute
and life to the dead,
The power of this Name
forced the mastery of the devil entirely,
from the bodies of the possessed.”

St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“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 Churc
h

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

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

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

“There is just one Name in the whole world that lives –
it is the Name of One who passed His years in obscurity
and who died a malefactor’s death.
(Two thousand yeas) have gone by since that time
but still It has It’s hold upon the human mind.
It has possessed the world and It maintains possession.
Amid the most various nations,
under the most diversified circumstances,
in the most cultivated, in the rudest races and intellects,
in all classes of society,
the Owner of that great Name reigns.
High and low, rich and poor, acknowledge Him.
Millions of souls are conversing with Him,
are venturing at His word,
are looking for His presence.
Palaces, sumptuous, innumerable,
are raised to His honour.
His image, in it’s deepest humiliations,
is triumphantly displayed in the proud city,
in the open country,
at the corners of streets, on the tops of mountains.
It sanctifies the ancestral hall, the closet and the bedchamber,
it is the subject for the exercise
of the highest genius in the imitative arts.
It is worn next to the heart in life,
it is held before the failing eyes in death.”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Blessed be the Most Holy Name of Jesus without end!

Posted in OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, POETRY, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on the FAMILY, ROSARY QUOTES, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT

Quote/s of the Day – 26 October – “Month of the Most Holy Rosary”

Quote/s of the Day – 26 October – “Month of the Most Holy Rosary”

“The Rosary is a treasure of graces”

Pope Paul V (1550-1621)

“The Rosary is the most powerful weapon
to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer,
who loves His Mother.”

-St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

“And so we contemplate
all the great mysteries of His life
and His birth in the manger
and so too, the mysteries of His suffering
and His glorified life.
But even Christians,
with all their knowledge of God,
have usually more awe than love of Him
and the special virtue of the Rosary,
lies in the special way,
in which it looks at these mysteries,
for with all our thoughts of Him
are mingled thoughts of His Mother
and in the relations between Mother and Son,
we have set before us the Holy Family,
the home in which God lived.”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Praise of the Rosary
From a sermon of St Francisco Coll

… Oh Rosary!
You are a book, brief yes
but that teaches the holiest
and most sacred of our Religion.
You are an ark, that conceals a very rich treasure
worthy of all men seeking it with great eagerness.
You are a gift from Heaven,
that you reveal to us the elements of religion,
the principles,
the motives
and the practice of all the virtues,
you light us in charity and love
towards that God
Who so deigned to do and suffer for us.
You wake up the drowsy,
enflame the lukewarm,
you push the lazy,
you embrace the righteous,
you convert sinners,
you reduce or confuse heretics,
you frighten the devil,
you tremble to hell or, to put it better,
you are a devotion
that includes
and contains
all the devotions.”

“Is this not a work of God
and admirable in our eyes?
Yes, yes, it is the work of God
and given to the world,
by the merits of my Father Saint Dominic.”

St Francisco Coll y Guitart OP (1812-1875)
“The Apostle of Modern Times”

“There is no surer means
of calling down God’s blessing
upon the family,
than the daily recitation
of the Rosary.”

Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

“The Rosary is the best therapy for these
distraught, unhappy, fearful and frustrated souls,
precisely because it involves,
the simultaneous use of three powers –
the physical, the vocal and the spiritual
and in that order.

Venerable Fulton J Sheen (1895-1979)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on WATCHING, The LAST THINGS, The PASSION, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 21 October – ‘This then is to watch …’

Quote/s of the Day – 21 October – Wednesday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ephesians 3:2-12, Responsorial Psalm: Isaiah 12:2-3, 4,5-6, Luke 12:39-48

“Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day
nor the hour.”

Matthew 24:13

“Be vigilant at all times and pray
that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Luke 21:36

“Life is short, Death is certain and the world to come is everlasting.”

“If we would God discern
The world we must despise,
His love and hate must learn,
See all things with His eyes.
And we must self forgo
If God we would attain,
His grace must in us grow
And ease us from all pain.
So shall we sing His praise
And be at one with Him,
In peace our voices raise
In the celestial hymn,
That with quadruple harmony
And all mellifluous melody,
In Heaven resounds eternally.”

(The Seven Steps of the Ladder of Spiritual Love)

Bl John van Ruysbroeck (c 1293-1382)

“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. ”

“He watches with Christ,
whoever commemorates and renews,
in his own person,
Christ’s Cross and Agony
and gladly takes up that mantle of affliction
which Christ wore here
and left behind Him,
when He ascended.”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Watch over your thoughts because they become words.

Watch over your words because they become actions.

Watch over your actions because they become habits.

Watch over your habits because they become your character.

Watch over your character because it becomes your destiny.

Unknown Author

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, SAINT of the DAY, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 October – “Watch” Luke 12:39-48

One Minute Reflection – 21 October – Wednesday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ephesians 3:2-12, Responsorial Psalm: Isaiah 12:2-3, 4,5-6, Luke 12:39-48 and the Memorial of Blessed Karl of Austria (1887 – 1922)

“You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” – Luke 12:40

REFLECTION“Watch!”
Our Saviour gave this warning when He was leaving this world—leaving it, that is, as far as His visible presence is concerned. He looked forward to the many hundred years which were to pass before He came again. He knew His own purpose and His Father’s purpose gradually to leave the world to itself, gradually to withdraw from it the tokens of His gracious presence. He contemplated, as contemplating all things, the neglect of Him, which would spread, even among his professed followers … He foresaw the state of the world and the Church, as we see it this day, when His prolonged absence has made it practically thought, that He never will come back in visible presence.

Today, He mercifully whispers into our ears, not to trust in what we see, not to share in that general unbelief, not to be carried away by the world but to “take heed, watch and pray,” (Lk 21:34.36) and look out for His coming. Surely this gracious warning should be ever in our thoughts, being so precise, so solemn, so earnest.

Our Saviour foretold His first coming, yet He took His Church by surprise when He came; much more will He come suddenly the second time and overtake men, now that He has not measured out the interval before it, as then He did but left our watchfulness to the keeping of faith and love … We are not simply to believe but to watch; not simply to love but to watch; not simply to obey but to watch; to watch for what? for that great event, Christ’s coming … we seem to see a special duty enjoined on us … – most of us have a general idea what is meant by believing, fearing, loving and obeying but, perhaps we do not contemplate or apprehend what is meant by “watching.” St John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Cardinal, Founder of the Oratory in England, Theologian – Sermon “ Watching ” PPS, t. 4, n° 22

PRAYER – Holy Father, grant me an operative faith, a faith that will move mountains. Enlighten my soul with Your Light, Goodness, Power and Wisdom. Let my faith be an image of You by lively deeds and love and by conforming myself to Your Will in all things. Blessed Karl of Austria, amidst the fineries of your earthly kingship, you longed only to serve the God of all and searched for complete closeness and abandonment to Him, teach us by your prayer, to serve God alone with upright hearts and thus manifest a true faith, through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

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

One Minute Reflection – 16 October – “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ” … Luke 12:1

One Minute Reflection – 16 October – Friday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ephesians 1:11-14Psalms 33:1-24-5,12-13Luke 12:1-7 and the Memorial of St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) “Apostle of the Sacred Heart” and St Gall (c 550–c 646) Missionary to Switzerland

“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ” … Luke 12:1

REFLECTION – “Christ told His friends, that is, His disciples, to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and scribes, meaning, by leaven, their false pretense.
Hypocrisy is hateful to God and humanity. It does not bring a reward and it is utterly useless for the salvation of the soul. It is rather the cause of its damnation.
Although sometimes it may escape detection for a little while, before long, it is sure to be uncovered and bring disgrace on them. It is like an unattractive woman when she is stripped of that external embellishment which she produced by artificial means.” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Known as ‘The Pillar of Faith,”Archbishop of Alexandria (Commentary on Luke, Homily 86)

“How sensible is Our Lord’s warning to us … to be beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy – professing without practising. He warns us against it, as leaven, as a subtle insinuating evil which will silently spread itself throughout the whole character …
He warns us that the pretence of religion never deceives beyond a little time …
Let us remember, that all who follow God with but a half heart, strengthen the hands of His enemies, … perplex inquirers after truth and bring reproach upon their Saviour’s name ….
Woe unto the deceiver and self-deceived! ….
God give us grace to flee from this woe while we still have time!
Let us examine ourselves, to see if there be any wicked way in us. …
And, let us pray God to enlighten us and to guide us and, to give us the will to please Him and the power.” – St John Henry Newman C.Orat (1801-1890)

PRAYER – Lord Jesus Christ, You wondrously revealed all of the deep treasures of Your Heart to St Margaret Mary. May her merits and example win us the grace to love You above all things and in all things so that we may make our abode in Your own Sacred Heart. St Margaret Mary, pray for us that we may live in the Sacred Heart of Christ our Lord and may the prayer of St Gall lead us to be lights of the truth. Through You, Lord Jesus, who live and reign forever, in union with God our Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, HYMNS, I BELIEVE!, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 12 October – ‘Firmly I Believe..’

Quote/s of the Day – 12 October – Monday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31, 5:1, Psalms 113:1-2, 3-4, 5 and 6-7, Luke 11:29-32

“Behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

Luke 11:32

Born as a son,
led forth as a lamb,
sacrificed as a sheep,
buried as a man,
He rose from the dead as a God,
for He was by nature God and man.

He is all things:
He judges and so He is Law,
He teaches and so He is Wisdom,
He saves and so He is Grace,
He begets and so He is Father,
He is begotten and so He is Son,
He suffers and so He is Sacrifice,
He is buried and so He is man,
He rises again and so He is God.
This is Jesus Christ,
to whom belongs glory for all ages.

Saint Melito, Bishop of Sardis (Died c 180)
Early Church Father
In Praise of Christ

Firmly I Believe and Truly
By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Firmly I believe and truly
God is three and God is One
And I next acknowledge duly
Manhood taken by the Son.
And I trust and hope most fully
In that Manhood crucified
And each thought and deed unruly
Do to death, as He has died.
Simply to His grace and wholly
Light and life and strength belong
And I love, supremely, solely,
Him the holy, Him the strong.

And I hold in veneration,
For the love of Him alone,
Holy Church, as His creation,
And her teachings, as His own.
And I take with joy whatever
Now besets me, pain or fear
And with a strong will I sever
All the ties which bind me here.
Adoration aye be given,
With and through the angelic host,
To the God of earth and heaven,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 9 October – St Louis Bertrand OP, St John Leonardi OMD, St John Henry Newman C.Orat

Quote/s of the Day – 9 October – The Memorial of St Louis Bertrand OP (1526-1581) “Apostle of South America”, St John Leonardi OMD (1541-1609), Founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God and St John Henry Newman C.Orat (1801-1890)

“If, because of your preaching,
men lay aside enmities,
forgive injuries,
avoid occasions of sin and scandals
and reform their conduct,
you may say that the seed has fallen on good ground.
But to God alone give all the glory
and acknowledge yourselves
ever unprofitable servants.”

St Louis Bertrand (1526-1581)

“The medicine of God,
is Jesus Christ,
Crucified and Risen,
the measure of all things.”

“Christ first of all,
Christ in the centre of the heart,
in the centre of history
and of the cosmos.
Humanity needs Christ intensely
because, He is our “measure.”
There is no realm,
that cannot be touched
by His strength;
there is no evil,
that cannot find remedy in Him,
there is no problem,
that cannot be solved in Him.
Either Christ or nothing!”

St John Leonardi (1541-1609)

St John Henry Newman Quotes here:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/10/09/quotes-of-the-day-9-october-the-memorial-of-blessed-john-henry-newman-1801-1890/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/09/quote-s-of-the-day-9-october-the-memorial-of-blessed-john-henry-newman-1801-1890/

Posted in JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 9 October – O Heart of Jesus, All Love

Our Morning Offering – 9 October – Friday of the Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of St John Henry Newman C.Orat (1801-1890)

O Heart of Jesus, All Love
By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

O Heart of Jesus all love,
I offer You these humble prayers for myself
and for all those,
who unite themselves with me in spirit to adore You.
O holiest Heart of Jesus most lovely,
I intend to renew and to offer to You,
these acts of adoration and these prayers,
for myself, a wretched sinner
and for all those, who are associated with me
in Your adoration,
through all moments which I breathe,
even to the end of my life.
I recommend to You, O my Jesus,
Holy Church, Your dear spouse
and our true Mother,
all just souls and all poor sinners,
the afflicted, the dying and all mankind.
Let not Your Blood be shed for them in vain.
Finally, deign to apply it in relief
of the souls in Purgatory
and of these in particular
…………………..….
Amen

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Feast of Our Lady of Good Help (1859) USA and Memorials of the Saints – 9 October

St Denis of Paris (Died c 258) and Companions – the First Bishop of Paris, Martyr (Optional Memorial) One of the 14 Holy Helpers

St John Leonardi (1541-1609) (Optional Memorial)
Biography here:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/10/09/saint-of-the-day-9-october-st-john-leonardi-1541-1609/

Our Lady of Good Help (1859) USA – 9 October:
I am the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners.
Such is the way the Mother of God introduced herself to a twenty-eight-year-old Belgian immigrant, Adele Brise, on 9 October 1859.
The pious young woman was on her eleven mile walk home to Robinsonville (now Champion), Wisconsin, after attending Mass in Bay Settlement. Adele was travelling at the time with two companions, her sister and another woman, as well as a male guardian who was working for the Holy Cross Fathers at the Settlement. Our Lady had appeared earlier to Adele the day before and, again, that same morning at the same spot but she had not spoken. Her companions did not see or hear anything.
The young woman was told by Heaven’s Queen that she must pray for the conversion of sinners and warn them, for if they do not convert, her Son was going to punish them. She was told to gather together the children in this remote area and teach them the truths they must know for their salvation; teach them the catechism; teach them how to bless themselves with the Sign of the Cross; and teach them how to approach the sacraments.
Our Lady ended by telling Adele, whose faith was strong but simple, to fear nothing and be confident in her help.
For the next thirty-seven years of her life, until her death in 1896, Sister Adele Brise was faithful to this mission.

Sr Adele’s life and mission here:
http://catholicism.org/first-approved-marian-apparition-in-the-us-champion-wisconsin.html

Bl Aaron of Cracow
St Abraham the Patriarch
St Alfanus of Salerno
St Andronicus of Antioch
St Athanasia of Antioch
Bl Bernard of Rodez
St Demetrius of Alexandria
St Deusdedit of Montecassino
St Domninus
St Dorotheus of Alexandria
St Donnino of Città di Castello
St Eleutherius
St Geminus
St Gislenus
St Goswin
Bl Gunther

Bl John Henry Newman Cong. Orat. (1801-1890)
SAINT John Henry now:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/10/09/saint-of-the-day-blessed-cardinal-john-henry-newman-1801-1890-a-mind-alive/

St Lambert
St Louis Bertrand OP (1526-1581)
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/09/saint-of-the-day-9-october-st-louis-bertrand-o-p-1526-1581-apostle-of-south-america/
St Publia
St Rusticus
St Sabinus of the Lavedan
St Valerius

Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War – Martyrs of Astoria – (9 saints): Also known as Martyrs of Turon: A group of Brothers of the Christian Schools and a Passionist priest martyred in the persecutions during the Spanish Civil War. They are –
• Aniceto Adolfo
• Augusto Andrés
• Benito de Jesús
• Benjamín Julián
• Cirilo Bertrán
• Inocencio de la Immaculada
• Julián Alfredo
• Marciano José
• Victoriano Pío
They were martyred on 9 October 1934 in Turón, Spain and Canonised on 21 November 1999 by St Pope John Paul II.

Martyrs of Laodicea – (3 saints): Three Christians martyred together in Laodicea, but no other information about them has survived but their names – Didymus, Diodorus and Diomedes. They were martyred in Laodicea, Syria.

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 October – “Many prophets and kings desired to see what you see” … Luke 10:24

One Minute Reflection – 3 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Saturday of the Twenty Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17, Psalms 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130, Luke 10:17-24

“Many prophets and kings desired to see what you see” … Luke 10:24

REFLECTION – “From the time of His birth we may suppose He held communion with the spirits of the Old Fathers, who had prepared His coming and prophesied of it. On one occasion He was seen all through the night, conversing with Moses and Elias, and that conversation was about His Passion. What a field of thought is thus opened to us, of which we know how little. When He passed whole nights in prayer (…) Who could support and (so to say) re-invigorate the Divine Lord better than that “praiseworthy number” of Prophets of which He was the fulfilment and antitype? Then He might talk with Abraham who saw His day (Jn 8:56), or (…) David and Jeremias; or with those who spoke most of Him, as Isaias and Daniel. And here was a fund of great sympathy. When He came up to Jerusalem to suffer, He might be met in spirit by all the holy priests, who had offered sacrifices in shadow of Him.” … St John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Cardinal, founder of the Oratory in England, Theologian – Meditations and Devotions: Part III, 2, 2, “Our Lord refuses sympathy”

PRAYER – Amidst this world’s changes, help us, by his prayers, to set out hearts always on You. Heavenly Father, let me realise that You guide our lives through Your Providence, Your Word and Sacraments. Help me to be obedient to the rules for my state in life and so be obedient to Your will for me. Grant that the prayers of our Blessed Mother, the Holy Virgin of the Rosary, may assist us as we strive to grow in humility. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 2 October – My Oldest Friend

Our Morning Offering – 2 October – The Memorial of the Guardian Angels

My Oldest Friend
By Saint 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.

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, DOCTORS of the Church, DOGMA, ENCYCLICALS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, QUEENSHIP of MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Quotes of the Day – 22 August – The Memorial of the Queenship of Mary

Quotes of the Day – 22 August – The Memorial of the Queenship of Mary

“Every Saint belongs
to the court
of the Queen of All Saints.”

St John Eudes (1501-1680)

“Let all the children of the Catholic Church,
who are so very dear to us, hear these words of ours.
With a still more ardent zeal for piety, religion and love,
let them continue to venerate,
invoke and pray to the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, conceived without original sin.
Let them fly with utter confidence
to this most sweet Mother of mercy and grace
in all dangers, difficulties, needs, doubts and fears.
Under her guidance,
under her patronage,
under her kindness and protection,
nothing is to be feared; nothing is hopeless.
Because, while bearing toward us a truly motherly affection
and having in her care, the work of our salvation,
she is solicitous about the whole human race.
And since, she has been appointed by God,
to be the Queen of heaven and earth
and is exalted above all the choirs of angels and saints
and, even stands at the right hand,
of her only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
she presents our petitions in a most efficacious manner.
What she asks, she obtains.
Her pleas can never be unheard!”

Bl Pius IX (1792-1878)

Ineffabilis Deus
(which proclaimed the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December 1854)

“To serve the Queen of Heaven
is already to reign there
and to live under her commands,
is more than to govern.”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

“She is more Mother than Queen.”

St Therese of the Child Jesus (1873-1897)
Doctor of the Church

“With the certainty of faith,
we know that Jesus Christ is king in the full,
literal and absolute sense of the word;
for He is true God and man.
This does not, however, prevent Mary
from sharing His royal prerogatives,
though in a limited and analogous manner;
for she was the Mother of Christ
and Christ is God and she shared
in the work of the divine Redeemer,
in His struggles against enemies
and in the triumph He won over them all.
From this union with Christ the King
she assuredly obtains so eminent a status
that she stands high above all created things
and upon this same union with Christ
is based that royal privilege,
enabling her to distribute the treasures
of the kingdom of the divine Redeemer.”

Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

Excerpted from Ad Caeli Reginam

Mary … as the Mother of our Lord,
comes nearer to Him
than any angel,
nearer even than the Seraphim
who surround Him and cry continuall,
“Holy Holy Holy” …
The Blessed Mother of God
has hosts of angels who do her service
and she is their Queen.”

“Her Son will deny her nothing that she asks
and herein lies her power.
While she defends the Church,
neither height nor depth,
neither men nor evil spirits,
neither great monarchs,
nor craft of man,
nor popular violence,
can avail to harm us;
for human life is short
but Mary reigns above,
a Queen forever.”

St John Henry Newman CO (1801-1890)

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/08/22/quote-s-of-the-day-22-august-from-the-fathers-on-the-queenship-of-mary/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, I BELIEVE!, POETRY, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on FAITH, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The SIGN of the CROSS, The WORD, Uncategorized

Quote/s of the Day – 20 July – Firmly I Believe

Quote/s of the Day – 20 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Monday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year “A”, Readings: Micah 6:1-4, 6-8, Psalm 50:5-6, 8-9, 16-17, 21, 23, Matthew 12:38-42

And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said,
“Why does this generation seek a sign?

Mark 8:12

“But for what sign from heaven were they asking?
Maybe that He should hold back the sun,
or curb the moon,
or bring down thunderbolts,
or change the direction of the wind,
or something like that?
In Pharaoh’s time there was an enemy
from whom deliverance was needed.
But for one who comes among friends,
there should be no need of such signs.”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)

Father & Doctor of the Church

mark 8 12 why does this generation seek a sign -but for what sign from heaven were they asking - st john chrysostom 20 july 2020

Firmly I Believe and Truly
St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Firmly I believe and truly
God is three and God is One
And I next acknowledge duly
Manhood taken by the Son.
And I trust and hope most fully
In that Manhood crucified
And each thought and deed unruly
Do to death, as He has died.
Simply to His grace and wholly
Light and life and strength belong
And I love, supremely, solely,
Him the holy, Him the strong.

And I hold in veneration,
For the love of Him alone,
Holy Church, as His creation,
And her teachings, as His own.
And I take with joy whatever
Now besets me, pain or fear
And with a strong will I sever
All the ties which bind me here.
Adoration aye be given,
With and through the angelic host,
To the God of earth and heaven,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

firmly i believe and truly st john henry newman 29 oct 2019 and this one 20 july 2020

“… Only by faith is He known to be present…
He removed His visible presence
and left but a memorial of Himself.
He vanished from sight that He might be present
in a Sacrament and, in order to connect His visible presence
with His presence invisible,
He for one instant, manifest Himself to their open eyes;
manifested Himself, if I may so speak,
while He passed from His hiding-place
of sight without knowledge,
to that of knowledge without sight.”

luke-24-30-broke-the-bread-only-by-faith-knowledge-without-sight-st-john-henry-newman-15-apil-2020 and 20 july 2020

The Sign of the Cross

WHENE’ER across this sinful flesh of mine
I draw the Holy Sign,
All good thoughts stir within me and renew
Their slumbering strength divine,
Till there springs up a courage high and true
To suffer and to do.

And who shall say but hateful spirits around,
For their brief hour unbound,
Shudder to see and wail their overthrow?
While on far heathen ground
Some lonely Saint hails the fresh odour, though
Its source he cannot know.

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

the-sign-of-the-cross-st-john-henry-newman-poem-10-april-2020-good-friday and 20 juy 2020

Posted in MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN Saturdays, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 18 July – O Mother of Jesus and my Mother By Bl John Henry Newman

Our Morning Offering – 18 July – Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time and a Marian Saturday

O Mother of Jesus and my Mother
By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

O Mother of Jesus and my Mother,
let me dwell with you, cling to you
and love you with ever-increasing love.
I promise the honour,
love and trust of a child.
Give me a mother’s protection,
for I need your watchful care.
You know better than any other
the thoughts and desires of the Sacred Heart.
Keep constantly before my mind
the same thoughts,
the same desires,
that my heart may be filled with zeal
for the interests of the Sacred Heart
of your Divine Son.
Instil in me a love of all that is noble,
that I may no longer be easily turned to selfishness.
Help me, dearest Mother,
to acquire the virtues that God wants of me,
to forget myself always,
to work solely for Him,
without fear of sacrifice.
I shall always rely on your help
to be what Jesus wants me to be.
I am His; I am yours, my good Mother!
Give me each day your holy and maternal blessing
until my last evening on earth,
when your Immaculate Heart
will present me to the heart of Jesus in heaven,
there to love and bless you
and your divine Son for all eternity.
Ameno mother of jesus and my mother - 12 oct 2019 john henry newman

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 13 July – “Whoever loses his life, for my sake, will find it.” Matthew 10:39

Quote/s of the Day – 13 July – “Month of the Precious Blood” – Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Isaiah 1:10-17, Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23, Matthew 10:34–11:1

“Whoever finds his life, will lose it
and whoever loses his life, for my sake, will find it.”

Matthew 10:39

matthew 10 29 whoever finds hislife will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sake - 13 july 2020

“Do not say,
this happened by chance,
while this came to be of itself.”
In all that exists’
there is nothing disorderly,
nothing indefinite,
nothing without purpose,
nothing by chance …
How many hairs are on your head?
God will not forget one of them.
Do you see how nothing,
even the smallest thing,
escapes the gaze of God?”

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

do-not-say-this-happened-by-chance-st-basil-the-great-13-july-2019-no-2 and 13 july 2020

“The Lord is near,
do not be anxious
about anything!”

St Augustine (354-430)
Great Western Father and Doctor of Grace

An excerpt from his Sermon 171

the lord is near do not be anxious about anything - st augustine 13 july 2020

“In God’s name let us go on bravely.”

St Joan of Arc (1412-1431)

in-gods-name-st-joan-of-arc-30-may-2020 and 13 july 2020

“We must offer ourselves to God,
like a clean, smooth canvas
and not worry ourselves,
about what God
may choose to paint on it
but at each moment,
feel only the stroke of His brush.”

Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade (1675-1751)

we must offer ourselves to god like a clean smooth canvas - st jean pierre de causade abandonment div prov-11may 2020

“Consider the shortness of time,
the length of eternity
and reflect how everything here below
comes to an end and passes by.
Of what use is it, to lean upon,
that which cannot give support?”

St Gerard Majella (1726-1755)

consider-the-shortness-of-time-st-gerard-majella-16-oct-2019 and 13 july 2020

“We are blind,
left to ourselves,
we should take the wrong way, 
we must leave it to Him.”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

we are blind - st john henry newman 13 july 2020

“I trust in God
and wish nothing else
but His will.”

St Zygmunt Szcesny Felinski (1822-1895)

i-trust-in-god-st-zygmunt-felinski-17-sept-2019-1 and 13 july 2020

“Do not be preoccupied
with the future,
God is in charge of it.”

St Léonie Françoise De Sales Aviat (1844-1914)

do-not-be-preoccupied-with-the-future-st-leonie-aviat-10-jan-2020 and 13 July 2020

“The glance of God is like a fortifying dew,
a luminous ray, which fertilises and expands –
let us work without noise and without rest,
let us work before God’s eyes,
before God alone!”

Bl Luigi Orione (1872-1940)

the glance of god - bl luigi orione 13 july 2020

“My past, O Lord, to Your mercy,
my present, to Your love,
my future, to Your Providence.”

St Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968)

my-past-o-lord-to-your-mercy-st-pio-23-sept-2019 and 13 july 2020