Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The LAST THINGS, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 March – Lazarus, come forth!

One Minute Reflection – 15 March – “The Month of St Joseph” – St Clement Mary Hofbauer CSsR (1751-1820) “The Apostle of Vienna” –Friday of the Fourth Week in Lent – 3 Kings 17:17-24; John 11:1-45 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Lazarus, come forth! And at once he who had been dead came forth, bound feet and hands with bandages and his face was tied up with a cloth. ”- John 11:43-44

REFLECTION – “Here we have a man past the prime of life, a corpse, decaying, swollen, in fact, already in a state of dissolution, so that even his own relatives did not want the Lord to draw near the tomb because the decayed body enclosed therein, was so offensive . And yet, he is brought into life by a single call, confirming the proclamation of the resurrection, that is to say, that expectation of it, as universal, that we learn by a particular experience to entertain. For as in the regeneration of the universe, the Apostle tells us that “the Lord Himself will descend with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel” and by a trumpet sound, raise up the dead to incorruption — so now too, he who is in the tomb, at the Voice of command, shakes off death as if it were only sleep. He rids himself of the corruption that had come on his condition of a corpse, leaps forth from the tomb whole and sound, not even hindered as he leaves by the bonds of the grave cloths round his feet and hands.” … St Gregory of Nyssa (c335–c395) Father of the Church (On the Making of Man, 25).

PRAYER – From all perils of soul and body defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, and by the intercession of blessed and gloriosus ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of Thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and of blessed N.St Clement Mary Hofbauer and all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace that all adversities and errors being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, SAINT of the DAY

Gaudete Sunday – The Third Sunday of Advent, The Second Day of the Christmas Novenas / Our Lady of the Earthquake, Basilicata, Italy (1857)and Memorials of the Saints – 17 December

Christmas Novena to the Divine Infant Jesus
By St Alphonsus – The Second Day:
HERE:

https://anastpaul.com/2022/12/17/christmas-novena-to-the-divine-infant-jesus-by-st-alphonsus-the-secvond-day-17-december/

The Monthly Novena to the Infant of Prague
The Second Day

Gaudete Sunday – The Third Sunday of Advent

St Begga of Ardenne (c613-693) Widow
St Briarch of Bourbriac
St Judicaël
St Maxentiolus
St Modestus of Jerusalem

Bl Peter of Spain

St Tydecho

St Yolanda

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 July – “Lord, I believe”

One Minute Reflection – 29 July – Monday of the Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Martha, Gospel: John 11:19–27

“Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.” … John 11:27

REFLECTION – “Christ went to raise Lazarus and the fame of that miracle was the immediate cause of His seizure and crucifixion (Jn 11,46)…   He felt that Lazarus was wakening to life at His own sacrifice, that He was descending into the grave which Lazarus left.   He felt that Lazarus was to live and He to die, the appearance of things was to be reversed, the feast was to be kept in Martha’s house (Jn 12,1f.) but the last passover of sorrow remained for Him.   And Jesus knew that this reverse was altogether voluntary with Him.   He had come down from His Father’s bosom to be an Atonement of blood for all sin and, thereby, to raise all believers from the grave, as He was then about to raise Lazarus and to raise them, not for a time, but for eternity…

Contemplating then the fullness of His purpose, while now going about a single act of mercy, He said to Martha, “I am the Resurrection and the Life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live and whosoever lives and believes in Me, shall never die.”   Let us take to ourselves these comfortable thoughts, both in the contemplation of our own death, or upon the death of our friends.   Wherever faith in Christ is, there is Christ Himself.   He said to Martha, “Believe thou this?”   Wherever there is a heart to answer, “Lord, I believe,” there Christ is present.   There our Lord vouchsafes to stand, though unseen—whether over the bed of death or over the grave, whether we ourselves are sinking, or those who are dear to us.   Blessed be his name! nothing can rob us of this consolation, we will be as certain, through His grace, that He is standing over us in love, as though we saw Him.   We will not, after our experience of Lazarus’s history, doubt an instant that He is thoughtful about us and that he stands at our side.” … Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Cardinal, founder of the Oratory in England, theologian – Sermon “ The Tears of Christ at the Grave of Lazarus ” PPS, vol. 3, no.10john 11-27 yes lord i believe - st martha - he had come down - bl john henry newman  29 july 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Almighty ever-living God, Your Son graciously came as a guest to the home of St Martha and was the friend of her family. Martha in her sorrow was moved to declare her total faith in Him, grant we pray, that in our trials and sorrows, we too may prove our love for You.   By her prayers give us grace to serve Christ faithfully in our brethren and bring us to Your home in heaven.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, amen.st-martha-pray-for-us-2-29 july 2017.jpg