stmaximilliankolbe – AnaStpaul

DOGMA, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MARTYRS, SAINT of the DAY, THE ASSUMPTION

The Vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Memorials of the Saints – 14 August

Posted on August 14, 2021August 13, 2021 by AnaStpaul

The Vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 14 August:

Mention is made of this vigil, with fasting, by Pope Nicolas I, who was the Pope in the year 858. It is recorded that on this day, Angels were heard, near the City of Soissons, singing this anthem:

“Felix namque es, sacra Virgo Maria, et omni laude dignissima, quia ex te ortus est Sol justitiae, Christus Deus noster.”

Vigils were kept on the evening before each feast day from the earliest days of the Church. On that evening all of the faithful would gather together to prepare themselves for the feast they were about to celebrate. This might also include listening to readings from the Scriptures and a sermon on the topic by a Priest. Mass would then be celebrated on the feast day and the fast would be broken. It is said that both Saint Augustine and Saint Jerome practiced and fully supported, the idea of the vigil. The Vigil of the Assumption would have been one of the Church’s most important vigils.

“Of the glory and felicity of the Saints in the beatific vision Saint Paul says with Isaias (I Cor. 2,9; Is. 64, 4), that neither have mortal eyes seen, nor ears heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him and who hope in Him. In accordance with this Catholic truth, we should not wonder at what is related of Saint Augustine, the great light of the Church, that, in setting out to write a book on the glory of the blessed, he was visited by his friend, Saint Jerome, who had just died and entered into the glory of the Lord and was admonished by his visitor, that he would not be able to compass his design; since no tongue or pen of man could describe the least part of the blessings enjoyed by the Saints in the Beatific Vision. Such is the testimony of Saint Jerome; and if through holy Scriptures we had no other information than that this glory is eternal, it would be beyond all our comprehension. For, however much of our intellect may expand, it will never comprehend eternity and ,as this is infinite and boundless, it is inexhaustible and incomprehensible, how much soever it may be known and loved. Just as God, the Infinite and the Almighty, created all things, without being thereby exhausted and even if He had created endless worlds ever anew, would remain still infinite and immutable; so also, although seen and enjoyed by countless Saints, He will remain an infinite source of new knowledge and love; for in creation and in glory, all creatures participate in Him only to a limited extent, each according to its condition, while He, in Himself, is without limitation or end.

If on this account the glory even of the least of the Saints is ineffable, what shall we say of the glory of the most Blessed Mary, since among the Saints she is the most holy and she by Herself is more like to her Son than all the Saints together, and since her grace and glory, exceed those of all the rest, as those of an Empress or Sovereign over her vassals?” – From the writings of Abbot Giovanni Battista Orsini (c 1450-1503) (the 39th Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller from 1467 to 1476).

St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity” (Memorial)
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/14/saint-of-the-day-14-august-st-maximilian-kolbe-priest-and-martyr-1894-1941-prisoner-16670/
And more here:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/saint-of-the-day-14-august-st-maximillian-kolbe-ofm-conv-martyr-of-charity-and-apostle-of-consecration-to-mary/

Bl Aimo Taparelli
St Antony Primaldo

St Arnold/Arnulf of Soissons (1040-1087) Bishop, Monk, Abbot
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/08/14/saint-of-the-day-14-august-saint-arnold-of-soissons-1040-1087/

St Athanasia of Timia
St Callistus of Todi
St Demetrius of Africa
St Domingo Ibáñez de Erquicia
St Eberhard of Einsiedeln
St Eusebius of Palestine

St Eusebius of Rome (Died 357) Priest, Confessor. “At Rome, the birthday of the blessed Priest Eusebius, who for the defence of the Catholic Faith, was shut up in a room of his own house by the Arian Emperor, Constantius, where constantly persevering in prayer for seven months, he rested in peace. His body was removed by the Priests, Gregory and Orosius and buried in the cemetery of Cllistus on the Appian Way.” – Roman Martyrology.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/14/saint-of-the-day-14-august-saint-eusebius-of-rome-died-357-priest-confessor/

St Fachanan of Ross
St Francisco Shoyemon
Bl Juliana Puricelli
St Marcellus of Apamea
Bl Sanctes Brancasino
St Ursicius of Nicomedia
St Werenfridus OSB (Died c 780) Priest, Monk, Missionary
__

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: 11 Beati
• Blessed Ángel de la Red Pérez
• Blessed Antonio María Martín Povea
• Blessed Basilio González Herrero
• Blessed Ezequiél Prieto Otero
• Blessed Joaquín Frade Eiras
• Blessed Jocund Bonet Mercadé
• Blessed José García Librán
• Blessed Ricardo Atanes Castro
• Blessed Segundo Pérez Arias
• Blessed Vicente Rubiols Castelló

"Follow Me", FATHERS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL

Quote/s of the Day – 13 August – St Maximus

Posted on August 13, 2021August 13, 2022 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 13 August – The Memorial of St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Father of the Church

“Food is not evil – but gluttony is.
Childbearing is not evil – but fornication is.
Money is not evil – but avarice is.
Glory is not evil – but vainglory is.
Indeed, there is no evil in existing things – but only in their misuse!”

“To harbour no envy, no anger,
no resentment against an offender,
is still not to have charity for him.
It is possible, without any charity,
to avoid rendering evil for evil.
But, to render, spontaneously, good for evil –
such belongs to a perfect spiritual love.”

“In conformity with
the philosophy of Christ,
let us make of our life,
a training for death.”

St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662)
Father of the Church

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/13/quote-s-of-the-day-13-august-st-maximus-the-confessor/

ADVENT, CONSECRATION Prayers, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, DOGMA, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, PAPAL APOSTOLIC LETTERS, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 8 December

Posted on December 8, 2020December 7, 2020 by AnaStpaul

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 8 December – Patronages – barrel makers, coopers, cloth makers, cloth workers, soldiers of the United States, Spanish infantry, tapestry workers, upholsterers, Argentina, Brazil, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Guam, Nicaragua, Panama, Portugal, Tanzania, Tunisia, United States, 68 dioceses, 8 cities.

Celebrating Almighty God’s Preservation of the Blessed Virgin Mary From Original Sin

On 8 December 1854, Blessed Pope Pius IX officially declared the Immaculate Conception a Dogma of the Church, which means that all Christians are bound to accept it as true.

The Infallible Teaching of the Catholic Church, as the Holy Father wrote in the Apostolic Constitution Ineffabilis Deus, on the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

“Wherefore, in humility and fasting, we unceasingly offered our private prayers as well as the public prayers of the Church, to God the Father through His Son, that He would deign to direct and strengthen our mind by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In like manner did we implore the help of the entire heavenly host as we ardently invoked the Paraclete.

Accordingly, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, for the honour of the Holy and undivided Trinity, for the glory and adornment of the Virgin Mother of God, for the exaltation of the Catholic Faith and for the furtherance of the Catholic religion, by the authority of Jesus Christ our Lord, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and by our own:

We declare, pronounce and define, that the Doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her Conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a Doctrine revealed by God and, therefore, to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.
Hence, if anyone shall dare — which God forbid! — to think otherwise than as has been defined by us, let him know and understand that he is condemned by his own judgment, that he has suffered shipwreck in the faith, that he has separated from the unity of the Church and that, furthermore, by his own action, he incurs the penalties established by law if he should dare to express in words or writing, or by any other outward means, the errors he think in his heart.”

Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878), Ineffabilis Deus, 8 December 1854

“That one woman is both Mother and Virgin, not in spirit only but even in body. In spirit she is mother, not of our Head, who is our Saviour Himself—of whom all, even she herself, are rightly called children of the bridegroom—but plainly she is the mother of us, who are His members, because by love, she has cooperated, so that the faithful, who are the members of that Head, might be born in the Church. In body, indeed, she is the Mother of that very Head”

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

Act of Consecration
By St Maximillian Kolbe (1894-1941)

O Immaculate, Queen of heaven and earth,
Refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother,
God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to You,
I, an unworthy sinner, cast myself at Your feet,
humbly imploring You
to take me with all that I am and have,
wholly to Yourself as Your possession and property.
Please make of me,
of all my powers of soul and body,
of my whole life, death and eternity,
whatever pleases You.
If it pleases You,
use all that I am and have without reserve,
wholly to accomplish what has been said of You:
“She will crush your head”,
and “You alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world.”
Let me be a fit instrument in Your immaculate
and most merciful hands for introducing and increasing Your glory
to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls
and thus help extend as far as possible,
the blessed Kingdom of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
For, wherever You enter,
You obtain the grace of conversion and sanctification,
since it is through Your hands,
that all graces come to us.
from the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

V. Allow me to praise You, O most holy Virgin.

R. Give me strength against Your enemies.
Amen

GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY SPIRIT

One Minute Reflection – 22 October – “I have come to set the earth on fire” – Luke 12:49-53

Posted on October 22, 2020October 23, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 22 October – Thursday of the Twent Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ephesians 3:14-21, Psalms 33: 1-2, 4-5,11-12, 18-19, Luke 12:49-53 and the Memorial of St Donatus of Fiesole (Died 874) Bishop

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

REFLECTION – “Everything we are about to do, even if it were a supremely heroic action destroying the foundations of all evil on earth, that act will have no value, except to the extent, with which our will accords with the will of the Immaculate and, through her, with the will of God …
It is love in all it’s profundity (beyond feelings, even though that is also beautiful) that must transform us … It should consume us and, through us, set fire to the world and destroy and burn all the evil it finds there.
This is the fire of which the Saviour said: “I have come to cast fire on the earth and what how I wish that it were already burning!” (Lk 12:49).
Consumed by this fire of divine love (I repeat, it is not a question here of sweet tears or of feelings but of the will, even in the midst of disgust and antipathy), we will set the whole world ablaze!
Love never rests but spreads like fire that burns everything.
And all of us human beings should tend towards being set alight by this fire of love and that it may burn all souls that are and will be in the world.
This is the ideal towards which we should tend.
We must remember the words of Jesus: “I have come to set the earth on fire” (Lk 12:49). On our part we should do all we can to make this fire light up more and more everyday.” – St Maximilian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Priest, Martyr – Conferences

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

St Donatus of Fiesole, Pray for us!

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FRANCISCAN OFM, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ANGELS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 14 August – St Maximillian Kolbe

Posted on August 14, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 14 August – The Memorial of Blessed St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941)

“If angels could be jealous of men,
they would be so, for one reason:
HOLY COMMUNION.”

“Let us remember,
that love lives through sacrifice
and is nourished by giving.
Without sacrifice, there is no love.”

“When we dedicate ourselves to Mary,
we become instruments in her hands,
just as she is an instrument in God’s hands.
Let us then be guided by her,
for she will provide for the needs
of body and soul and overcome
all difficulties and anxieties.”

“Jesus honoured her before all ages
and will honour her for all ages.
No-one comes to Him,
nor even near Him,
no-one is saved or sanctified,
if he too will not honour her.
This is the lot of Angels and of men.”

“Modern times are dominated by Satan
and will be more so in the future.
The conflict with hell cannot be engaged by men,
even the most clever.
The Immaculata alone, has from God,
the promise of victory over Satan.
However, assumed into Heaven,
the Mother of God now requires our co-operation.
She seeks souls, who will consecrate themselves entirely to her,
who will become in her hands effective instruments
for the defeat of Satan
and the spreading of God’s kingdom upon earth.”

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/08/14/quote-s-of-the-day-14-august-st-maximillian-kolbe/

St Maximillian Kolbe (1894 -1941)

CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on MARRIAGE, MARRIED LOVE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – And the two shall become one flesh’ … Matthew 19:5

Posted on August 14, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ezekiel 16:1-15, 60, 63, Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6, Matthew 19:3-12 and the Memorial of Blessed St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941)

‘And the two shall become one flesh’ … Matthew 19:5

REFLECTION – “Lord our God,
look with kindness on N. and N.,
whom You have united in marriage,
and pour out Your blessings upon them,
may they be united in one love
as they progress together
towards one holiness of life.
May they rejoice to share in Your creative love
and bring up their children together.
May they live in justice and charity,
showing Your light to all who seek You.
May their household be ever open to the service of their brothers and sisters and may they be always ready to answer to their needs.
May they be strengthened by the joys and sacrifices of their life together and bear witness to the Gospel.
May they have a long life together, without misfortune or sickness
and may the work of both be blessed.
May they see their children grow up in peace
and enjoy the support of a happy family.
May they come at last, with all those who have gone before them,
to the dwelling where their love will last eternally.

N. and N. and all you who are present here,
may God the all-powerful bless you,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” … The Roman Missal – Ritual of Marriage : Solemn blessing

PRAYER – Almighty Father, let Your light so penetrate our hearts and minds, that walking by Your commandments, we may always follow You, our teacher and our guide. Grant that the prayers of St Maximillian Kolbe may continue to strengthen us. Through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. st max pray for us 14 aug 2020

SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 14 August

Posted on August 14, 2020August 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity” (Memorial)
St Max!
https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/14/saint-of-the-day-14-august-st-maximilian-kolbe-priest-and-martyr-1894-1941-prisoner-16670/
And more here:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/saint-of-the-day-14-august-st-maximillian-kolbe-ofm-conv-martyr-of-charity-and-apostle-of-consecration-to-mary/

Bl Aimo Taparelli
St Antony Primaldo
St Arnold/Arnulf of Soissons (1040-1087)
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/08/14/saint-of-the-day-14-august-saint-arnold-of-soissons-1040-1087/
St Athanasia of Timia
St Callistus of Todi
St Demetrius of Africa
St Domingo Ibáñez de Erquicia
St Eberhard of Einsiedeln
St Eusebius of Palestine
St Eusebius of Rome (Died 357) Priest
St Fachanan of Ross
St Francisco Shoyemon
Bl Juliana Puricelli
St Marcellus of Apamea
Bl Sanctes Brancasino
St Ursicius of Nicomedia
St Werenfridus
__

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CONSECRATION Prayers, DOCTORS of the Church, DOGMA, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MARY, MATER ECCLESIAE, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Thought for the Day – 9 December – On the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Posted on December 9, 2019December 7, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 9 December – The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Infallible Teaching of the Catholic Church

On the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“Wherefore, in humility and fasting, we unceasingly offered our private prayers as well as the public prayers of the Church, to God the Father through His Son, that He would deign to direct and strengthen our mind by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In like manner did we implore the help of the entire heavenly host as we ardently invoked the Paraclete.

Accordingly, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, for the honour of the Holy and undivided Trinity, for the glory and adornment of the Virgin Mother of God, for the exaltation of the Catholic Faith and for the furtherance of the Catholic religion, by the authority of Jesus Christ our Lord, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and by our own:

We declare, pronounce and define, that the Doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her Conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a Doctrine revealed by God and, therefore, to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.
Hence, if anyone shall dare — which God forbid! — to think otherwise than as has been defined by us, let him know and understand that he is condemned by his own judgment, that he has suffered shipwreck in the faith, that he has separated from the unity of the Church and that, furthermore, by his own action, he incurs the penalties established by law if he should dare to express in words or writing, or by any other outward means, the errors he think in his heart.”

Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878), Ineffabilis Deus, 8 December 1854

Saint Augustine (354-430)

Father and Doctor of the Church

Act of Consecration
By St Maximillian Kolbe (1894-1941)

V. Allow me to praise You, O most holy Virgin.

R. Give me strength against Your enemies.
Amen act-of-consecration-8-dec-2017 and 9 dec 2019.jpg

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Day Eight – 8 December

Posted on December 8, 2019December 7, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Day Eight – 8 December

By St Maximillian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr

OPENING PRAYER

How fair you are, 0 Mary!
The original stain is not in you.
You are the boast of Jerusalem,
You are the joy of Israel.
You are the pride of our people.
You are the advocate of sinners.
0 Mary!
You are the wisest of virgins.
You are the kindest of mothers.
Pray for us.
Intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Holy Virgin, you were spotless
from the very moment of your conception.
Because you bore His Son, pray to the Father for us.
Through the spotless conception of the Virgin, 0 God,
You made ready a dwelling place worthy of Your Son.
In anticipation of Your Son’s death,
You preserved her from every stain.
Please purify us by her intercession,
so that we might find our way to You.
We ask this through Christ our lord.
Amen

Daily Readings and Meditations for each day of the Novena are given here, followed by two closing Novena Prayers for each day.

Day 8: The Immaculata’s Fruitfulness

Reading:
God sends to us the one who personifies His love – Mary, the spouse of the Spirit—a spirit of maternal love—immaculate, all beautiful, spotless, even though she is our sister, a true daughter of the human race. God confides to her the communication of His mercy to souls. He makes of her the Mediatrix of the graces merited for us by her divine Son, for she is full of grace, the mother of all souls born of grace, reborn and always being reborn, becoming ever more godlike (Commentary on MI “Act of Consecration,” 1940).

Meditation:
Productivity is one of the chief “virtues” upheld by modern society as a measure of worldly success. May the Immaculata give witness to each of us that her (and our) ongoing spiritual fruitfulness, in bearing Christ to others, is a far greater achievement than material productivity.

Closing prayers

Novena Prayer to the Immaculata

I greet you, ever-blessed Virgin,
Mother of God throne of grace,
miracle of almighty power!
I greet you, sanctuary of the most Holy Trinity
and Queen of the universe,
Mother of mercy and refuge of sinners!
Most loving Mother,
attracted by your beauty and sweetness
and by your tender compassion,
I confidently turn to you
and beg of you, to obtain for me of your dear Son
the favour I request in this novena
………………………… (here mention you request).
Obtain for me also, Queen of Heaven,
the most lively contrition for my many sins
and the grace to imitate closely,
those virtues which you practised so faithfully,
especially humility, purity and obedience.
Above all I beg you to be my mother
and protectress,
to receive me into the number of your devoted children
and to guide me from your high throne of glory.
Do not reject my petitions, Mother of mercy!
Have pity on me and do not abandon me
during life or at the moment of my death.

Daughter of the Eternal Father,
Mother of the Eternal Son,
Spouse of the Holy Spirit,
Temple of the adorable Trinity,
pray for me.
Immaculate and tender Heart of Mary,
refuge of the needy and hope of sinners,
filled with the most lively respect, love and gratitude,
I devote myself forever to your service
and I offer you my heart,
with all that I am and all that belongs to me.
Accept this offering,
sweet Queen of Heaven and earth
and obtain for me of your dear Son, Jesus Christ,
the favours I ask through your intercession in this novena.
Obtain for me also a tender, generous, constant love of God,
perfect submission to His adorable will,
the true spirit of a Christian
and the grace of final perseverance.
Amen

Closing Prayer of Identification with the Immaculata

O Immaculate Conception, Mary, my Mother,
live in me, act in me, speak in and through me.
Think your thoughts in my mind,
love through my heart.
Give me your own dispositions and feelings.
Teach, lead and guide me to Jesus.
Correct, enlighten and expand my entire personality and life.
Replace me with yourself.
Incline me to constant adoration and thanksgiving,
pray in and through me.
Let me live in you
and keep me in this union always.
Amen

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Day Seven – 7 December

Posted on December 7, 2019December 7, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Day Seven – 7 December

By St Maximillian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr

OPENING PRAYER

Daily Readings and Meditations for each day of the Novena are given here, followed by two closing Novena Prayers for each day.

Day 7: The Immaculata’s Discipleship

Reading:
The Immaculata is God’s instrument. With full consciousness and total willingness she allows God to govern her, she consents to His will, desires only what He desires and acts according to His will in the most perfect manner, without failing, without ever turning aside from His will. She makes perfect use of the powers and privileges God has given her, so as to fulfil, always and in everything, whatever God wants of her, purely for love of God, One and Three. This love of God reaches such a peak that it bears the divine fruits proper to God’s own love. Her love for God brings her to such a level of union with Him that she becomes the Mother of God. The Father confides to her His Son, the Son descends into her womb and the Holy Spirit fashions out of her perfectly pure body, the very body of Jesus! (“Sketches for a book,” 1940).

Meditation:
The only way to guarantee that we are on the “right track” in our everyday activities is to listen to God’s Word and live it out. That’s discipleship! May the Immaculata’s discipleship of total conformity to God’s Word inspire us to be similar instruments of his will.

Closing prayers

Novena Prayer to the Immaculata

Closing Prayer of Identification with the Immaculata

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Day Six – 6 December

Posted on December 6, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Day Six – 6 December

By St Maximillian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr

OPENING PRAYER

Daily Readings and Meditations for each day of the Novena are given here, followed by two closing Novena Prayers for each day.

Day 6: The Immaculata’s Sinlessness

Reading:
Who then are you, 0 Immaculate Conception? Not God, of course, because He has no beginning. Not an angel, created directly out of nothing. Not Adam, formed out of the dust of the earth (Gn 2:7). Not Eve, moulded from Adam’s rib (Gn 2:21). Not the Incarnate Word, who exists before all ages and of Whom we should use the word “conceived” rather than “conception.” Humans do not exist before their conception, so we might call them created “conceptions.” But you, 0 Mary, are different from all other children of Eve. They are conceptions stained by original sin, whereas you, are the unique, Immaculate Conception (“Sketches for a book,” 17 February 1941).

Meditation:
Confronting the reality of sin is one of the fundamental struggles that we face in daily life. May the Immaculata, the sinless New Eve, confirm our hope in the victorious liberation from sin which Christ, the New Adam, won for each of us.

Closing prayers

Novena Prayer to the Immaculata

Closing Prayer of Identification with the Immaculata

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Day Five – 5 December

Posted on December 5, 2019December 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Day Five – 5 December

By St Maximillian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr

OPENING PRAYER

Daily Readings and Meditations for each day of the Novena are given here, followed by two closing Novena Prayers for each day.

Day 5: The Immaculata’s Dignity as a Human Person

Reading:
The Mother of God is a creature. It follows that all she is, she has from God. But she is God’s most perfect creature. For this reason, the homage paid to her is, by the very nature of the case, paid to God Himself. If we admire a statue, we honour the artist who created this masterpiece. If we honour Mary most holy we honour God. The more we pay homage to the divine perfections found in Mary, the more perfect is our homage to God, this is perfectly in order, since God created her in the highest state of perfection (Conference, 9 April 1938).

Meditation:
The greatness of every work of art is directly proportionate to the mastery of the artist who forms it. Accordingly, the dignity of every human person derives from God who has created each of us in His image. May the Immaculata teach us always, to mirror, as she did, the dignity and perfection of our God.

Closing prayers

Novena Prayer to the Immaculata

Closing Prayer of Identification with the Immaculata

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Day Four – 4 December

Posted on December 4, 2019December 3, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Day Four – 4 December

By St Maximillian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr

OPENING PRAYER

Daily Readings and Meditations for each day of the Novena are given here, followed by two closing Novena Prayers for each day.

Day 4: The Immaculata’s Self-Understanding

Reading:
When our Blessed Mother was asked by Bernadette to tell her name, she answered, “I am the Immaculate Conception,” this is the Immaculata’s definition of herself (Conference, 26 July 1931). By these luminous words (at Lourdes) she tells us not only that she was immaculate in her conception but beyond this that she is the Immaculate Conception as such. Something white is one thing; the whiteness of a thing is some-thing else. Something perfect is one thing; the perfection of a thing is something else. When God said to Moses, “I am the one who is,” God was telling him: “What is proper to my essence is that I should always be, by my very nature, of myself, with no other principle of being.” The Immaculate Virgin, of course, was created by God; she is a creature; she is a conception; still, she is the Immaculate Conception! What depths of mystery lie hidden in those words! (Miles Immaculatae, I, 1938, p. 294).

Meditation:
In our contemporary world, great emphasis is placed on the importance of getting to “know one-self.” May the Immaculata’s example of authentic self-understanding lead each of us to find our own true meaning as participants in the very being of God.

Closing prayers:

Novena Prayer to the Immaculata

Closing Prayer of Identification with the Immaculata

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Day Three – 3 December

Posted on December 3, 2019December 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Day Three – 3 December

By St Maximillian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr

OPENING PRAYER

Daily Readings and Meditations for each day of the Novena are given here, followed by two closing Novena Prayers for each day.

Day 3: The Immaculata’s Place in God’s Plan of Creation and Salvation

Reading:
The Immaculata appears in this world, without the least stain of sin, the masterpiece of God’s hands, full of grace. God, the most Holy Trinity, beholds the lowliness (i.e., the humility, the root of all her other virtues) of His handmaid and “does great things” for her (cf. Lk 1:49). God the Father gives her, His own Son to be her Son, God the Son descends into her womb and God the Holy Spirit forms the Body of Christ in the womb of this most pure virgin. “And the Word was made flesh” (Jn 1:14). The Immaculata becomes the Mother of God.

The fruit of the love of God in His Trinitarian life and of Mary the Immaculata, is Christ, the God-man. Henceforth, all the other sons of God must be modelled after this first Son of God, the God-man, the infinite One. They must reproduce His traits, by imitating Christ, souls reach sanctity. . . . This is the union brought about by the spousal love of the soul for Christ, through its resemblance to Him and by God’s action.

But if anyone does not wish to have Mary Immaculate for his Mother, he will not have Christ for his Brother. . . . Since the firstborn Son, the God-man was conceived only with the specific consent of the most Blessed Virgin, the same must hold true for all men, who must be conformed to their first model in all things (“Sketches for a book,” 1940).

Meditation:
From all eternity, God has designed a unique plan for each one of us, no two being identical. His ultimate aim, is that we all be fully united to the Lord. May the Immaculata, from her unique position in God’s plan, foster our growing conformity to Christ.

Closing prayers:

Novena Prayer to the Immaculata

Closing Prayer of Identification with the Immaculata

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, FRANCISCAN OFM, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY SPIRIT, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Day Two – 2 December

Posted on December 2, 2019December 1, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Day Two – 2 December

By St Maximillian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr

OPENING PRAYER

Daily Readings and Meditations for each day of the Novena are given here, followed by two closing Novena Prayers for each day.

Day 2: The Immaculata as Spouse of the Holy Spirit

Reading:
United to the Holy Spirit as His Spouse, the Immaculata is one with God in an incomparably more perfect way than can be predicated of any other creature. What sort of union is this? It is above all an interior union, a union of her essence with the “essence” of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in her, lives in her. This was true from the first instant of her existence. It was always true, it will always be true.

In what does this life of the Spirit in Mary consist? He himself is uncreated Love in her, the Love of the Father and of the Son, the Love by which God loves Himself, the very love of the most Holy Trinity. He is a fruitful love, a “Conception.” Among creatures made in God’s image the union brought about by married love is the most intimate of all (cf. Mt 19:6). In a much more precise, more interior, more essential manner, the Holy Spirit lives in the soul of the Immaculata, in the depths of her very being. He makes her fruitful, from the very first instant of her existence, all during her life and for all eternity (“Sketches for a book,” 17 February 1941).

Meditation:
To grow in daily awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence within us is a constant challenge that God gives to each and all of us. May the Immaculata’s perfect life in the Holy Spirit, cause a sharpening, of our own attentiveness, to His presence at the core of our inner selves.

Closing prayers:

Novena Prayer to the Immaculata

Daughter of the Eternal Father,
Mother of the Eternal Son,
Spouse of the Holy Spirit,
Temple of the adorable Trinity,
pray for me.
Immaculate and tender Heart of Mary,
refuge of the needy and hope of sinners,
filled with the most lively respect, love and gratitude,
I devote myself forever to your service
and I offer you my heart,
with all that I am and all that belongs to me.
Accept this offering,
sweet Queen of Heaven and earth
and obtain for me of your dear Son, Jesus Christ,
the favours I ask, through your intercession in this novena.
Obtain for me also a tender, generous, constant love of God,
perfect submission to His adorable will,
the true spirit of a Christian
and the grace of final perseverance.
Amen

Closing Prayer of Identification with the Immaculata

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Day One – 1 December

Posted on December 1, 2019November 30, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Day One – 1 December

By St Maximillian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr

OPENING PRAYER

Daily Readings and Meditations for each day of the Novena are given here, followed by two closing Novena Prayers for each day.

Day 1: The Immaculata’s Relationship to the Trinity

Reading:
From all eternity the Father begets the Son and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and Son. This life of the most Holy Trinity is re-echoed in numberless and various ways, by the creatures that issue from God’s hands. . . . Every act of love in God comes forth from the Father through the Son and the Holy Spirit.
God creates, maintains in existence, gives life and growth in the natural as well as in the supernatural order. In His love, God supports in existence all His innumerable limited created resemblances and the love-reaction that is provoked in the creature, can return to the Father only through the Holy Spirit and the Son.. .
Among creatures, the summit of this love that goes back to God is the Immaculata, the one being totally without any stain of sin, all beautiful, all divine. At no time did her will ever deviate from God’s will. With all its strength, her will was always at one with His. In her there came about the marvellous union of God with creation.
(Kolbe’s “Sketches for a Book,” 1940).

Meditation:
Cultivating a personal relationship with each member of the Holy Trinity is an obligation for every individual. May the Immaculata’s love-response to each of the Three Divine Persons, serve as a model and stimulus for each of us.

Closing prayers:

Novena Prayer to the Immaculata

I greet you, ever-blessed Virgin,
Mother of God throne of grace,
miracle of almighty power!
I greet you, sanctuary of the most Holy Trinity
and Queen of the universe,
Mother of mercy and refuge of sinners!
Most loving Mother,
attracted by your beauty and sweetness
and by your tender compassion,
I confidently turn to you
and beg of you, to obtain for me of your dear Son
the favour I request in this novena
………………………… (here mention you request).
Obtain for me also, Queen of Heaven,
the most lively contrition for my many sins
and the grace to imitate closely,
those virtues which you practiced so faithfully,
especially humility, purity and obedience.
Above all I beg you to be my mother
and protectress,
to receive me into the number of your devoted children
and to guide me from your high throne of glory.
Do not reject my petitions, Mother of mercy!
Have pity on me and do not abandon me
during life or at the moment of my death.

Closing Prayer of Identification with the Immaculata

ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 October – ‘There are two means – prayer and detachment from self.’

Posted on October 22, 2019October 22, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 22 October – Tuesday of the Twenty Ninth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel Luke 12:35–38 and the Memorial of St Pope John Paul II (1920-2005)

Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes ... Luke 12:37

REFLECTION – “What are we to do if we are to overcome our weakness of soul? There are two means – prayer and detachment from self. Our Lord Jesus counsels us to watch. We must be on the watch if we want our heart to be pure but our watching must be peaceful if our heart is to be touched. Because it can be moved by good things or bad, within or without. Thus we need to watch carefully.
As a general rule God’s inspiration is an unobtrusive grace, we mustn’t turn it away… if our heart’s aren’t awake, grace turns back. Divine inspiration is very exact, just as a writer guides his pen, so the grace of God, guides the soul. So let us try hard to attain greater interior recollection.
Our Lord wants us to desire to love Him. The watchful soul notices when it falls and realises that, of itself, it cannot reach it’s destination. That is why it experiences the need for prayer. Our petition is founded on the conviction that we can do nothing of ourselves but God can do all. Prayer is needed to obtain light and strength.” … Saint Maximilian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr – Conference of 13/2/1941 luke-12-37-blessed-are-those-servants-st max kolbe - what are we to do to overcome - 22 oct 2019

PRAYER – Lord God, strengthen in our hearts the faith You have given us, so that no trials may quench the fire Your Spirit has kindled within us. May Your Light shine through our lives and be constantly lit to lead us ready for the day the Lord Jesus calls. St John Paul, by your prayers, may our way be made holy. Through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen. st john paul II pray for us 18 may 2019 his birthday 99 years old

FRANCISCAN OFM, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 14 August – ‘Let us love our loving Father with all our hearts.’

Posted on August 14, 2019August 14, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 14 August – Memorial of Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”

Apostolic Zeal for the Salvation and Sanctification of Souls

An excerpt from the Letters of Saint Maximilian Kolbe

“The burning zeal for God’s glory that motivates you fills my heart with joy. It is sad for us to see in our own time that indifferentism in its many forms is spreading like an epidemic not only among the laity but also among religious. But God is worthy of glory beyond measure and, therefore, it is of absolute and supreme importance, to seek that glory with all the power of our feeble resources. Since we are mere creatures we can never return to Him all that is His due.

The most resplendent manifestation of God’s glory is the salvation of souls, whom Christ redeemed by shedding His blood. To work for the salvation and sanctification of as many souls as possible, therefore, is the preeminent purpose of the apostolic life. Let me, then, say a few words that may show the way toward achieving God’s glory and the sanctification of many souls.

God, who is all-knowing and all-wise, knows best what we should do to increase His glory. Through hHs representatives on earth, He continually reveals His will to us, thus it is obedience and obedience alone, that is the sure sign to us of the divine will. A superior may, it is true, make a mistake but it is impossible for us to be mistaken in obeying a superior’s command. The only exception to this rule is the case of a superior commanding something, that in even the slightest way, would contravene God’s law. Such a superior would not be conveying God’s will.

God alone is infinitely wise, holy, merciful, our Lord, Creator and Father; He is beginning and end, wisdom and power and love, He is all. Everything other than God, has value to the degree, that it is referred to Him, the maker of all and our own redeemer, the final end of all things. It is He who, declaring His adorable will to us through His representatives on earth, draws us to Himself and whose plan is, to draw others to Himself through us and to join us all to Himself in an ever-deepening love.

Look, then, at the high dignity that by God’s mercy belongs to our state in life. Obedience raises us beyond the limits of our littleness and puts us in harmony with God’s will. In boundless wisdom and care, His will guides us to act rightly. Holding fast to that will, which no creature can thwart, we are filled with unsurpassable strength.

Obedience is the one and the only way of wisdom and prudence, for us to offer glory to God . If there were another, Christ would certainly have shown it to us by word and example. Scripture, however, summed up His entire life at Nazareth in the words: He was subject to them, Scripture set obedience as the theme of the rest of His life, repeatedly declaring that He came into the world, to do His Father’s will.

Let us love our loving Father with all our hearts. Let our obedience increase that love, above all, when it requires us to surrender our own will. Jesus Christ crucified is our sublime guide toward growth in God’s love.

We will learn this lesson more quickly through the Immaculate Virgin, whom God has made the dispenser of His mercy. It is beyond all doubt, that Mary’s will represents to us, the will of God Himself. By dedicating ourselves to her, we become in her hands, instruments of God’s mercy even as she was such an instrument in God’s hands. We should let ourselves be guided and led by Mary and rest quiet and secure in her hands. She will watch out for us, provide for us, answer our needs of body and spirit, she will dissolve all our difficulties and worries.”

St Maximillian Kolbe, Pray for Us!

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FRANCISCAN OFM, MARIAN QUOTES, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on INDIFFERENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 14 August – St Maximillian Kolbe

Posted on August 14, 2019August 14, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 14 August – The Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”

“A man cannot rise any higher than this.
The Immaculate is the highest degree
of perfection and sanctity of a creature.
No man will ever attain this celestial summit of grace,
for the Mother of God is unique.
However, he who gives himself without limits,
to the Immaculate, will in a short time,
attain a very high degree of perfection
and procure for God, a very great glory.”

“We do not limit ourselves in love.
We want to love the Lord Jesus,
with her heart,
or rather, that she would love the Lord,
with our heart.”

“Let us not forget,
that Jesus not only suffered
but also rose in glory;
so, too, we go to the glory
of the Resurrection,
by way of suffering
and the Cross.”

“The most deadly poison of our times is indifference.
And this happens, although the praise of God
should know no limits.
Let us strive, therefore, to praise Him
to the greatest extent of our powers!”

“Be a Catholic!
When you kneel before an altar,
do it in such a way that others
may be able to recognise
that you know before Whom you kneel.”

St Maximillian Kolbe (1894 -1941)

FATHERS of the Church, FRANCISCAN OFM, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – “There am I in the midst of them.”

Posted on August 14, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – Wednesday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time Year C, Gospel: Matthew 18:15–20 and the Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” … Matthew 18:20

REFLECTION – “The Lord said: “If two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
These words prove that much is given not to the mere number but to the unanimity of those who pray. “If two of you agree on earth,” He says, putting unanimity and peaceful concord first, teaching us to agree firmly and loyally. But how can one man agree with another when he disagrees with the body of the Church itself, with the whole brotherhood?… The Lord’s words were spoken about His own Church and addressed to members of the Church. If they are agreed, if, as He commanded but two or three are gathered together and pray with one mind, then, although they are but two or three, they can obtain from the divine majesty what they ask.

“Where two or three are gathered, I (he said) am with them.” That means, of course, with the single-hearted and peaceable, with those who fear God and keep His command-ments. With these, though but two or three, He declared His presence, as He was present also with the Three Children in the fiery furnace and, because they continued single-hearted and of one mind, refreshed them with the breath of dew as the flames surrounded them (Dn 3,50); or as He was present with the two apostles in prison, because they were single-hearted and of one mind and Himself opened the prison gates (Acts 25,25)… So when Christ lays down with authority: “Where two or three are gathered, I am with them,” He is not separating men from the Church which He founded and created. But He rebukes the faithless for their discord and with His own voice commends peace to the faithful.” … Saint Cyprian of Carthage, (c 200- c 258) Bishop and Martyr, Father of the Church – On the Unity of the Church

PRAYER – My Lord and my God, You who are the fruit of Mary’s blessed womb and the most Divine Son of our Father, grant that we may always have recourse to You, through her who bore You and through Your Holy Church. Grant that she may help and comfort us me and lead us to You. Mary, Holy and loving Mother of God, pray for us all. Grant O Lord, that through the intercession of St Maximillian, we may entrust ourselves to You through Your and our blessed Mother, amen. st-maximillian-pray-for-us-14-aug-2017 2018 2019

CONSECRATION Prayers, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 14 August – Daily Consecration to the Immaculata

Posted on August 14, 2019August 13, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 14 August – The Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”

Daily Consecration Renewal to the Immaculata
By St Maximillian Kolbe

Immaculata,
Queen and Mother of the Church,
I renew my consecration to you for this day
and for always, so that you might use me
for the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus
in the whole world.
To this end, I offer you all my prayers,
actions and sacrifices of this day.
Amen daily-consecration-renewal-to-the-immaculata-by-st-maximillian-kolbe 14 aug 2017.jpg

FRANCISCAN OFM, SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 14 August

Posted on August 14, 2019August 13, 2019 by AnaStpaul

St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity” (Memorial)
Dearest St Max!
https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/14/saint-of-the-day-14-august-st-maximilian-kolbe-priest-and-martyr-1894-1941-prisoner-16670/
And more here:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/saint-of-the-day-14-august-st-maximillian-kolbe-ofm-conv-martyr-of-charity-and-apostle-of-consecration-to-mary/

Bl Aimo Taparelli
St Antony Primaldo
St Arnold/Arnulf of Soissons (1040-1087)
St Athanasia of Timia
St Callistus of Todi
St Demetrius of Africa
St Domingo Ibáñez de Erquicia
St Eberhard of Einsiedeln
St Eusebius of Palestine
St Eusebius of Rome
St Fachanan of Ross
St Francisco Shoyemon
Bl Juliana Puricelli
St Marcellus of Apamea
Bl Sanctes Brancasino
St Ursicius of Nicomedia
St Werenfridus
__

CONSECRATION Prayers, DOGMA, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 8 December – Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Conception

Posted on December 8, 2018December 7, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 8 December – Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Conception in-the-presence-of-god-almight-act-of-consecration-immaculate-conception-8-dec-2017

Act of Consecration
By St Maximillian Kolbe (1894-1941)

V.Allow me to praise You, O most holy Virgin.

R. Give me strength against Your enemies.
Amen act-of-consecration-8-dec-2017

DOCTORS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY CROSS, THOMAS a KEMPIS

Quote/s of the Day – 14 September – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Posted on September 14, 2018September 14, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 14 September – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

“In the Cross is salvation;
in the Cross is life;
in the Cross is protection against our enemies;
in the Cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness;
in the Cross is strength of mind;
in the Cross is joy of spirit;
in the Cross is excellence of virtue;
in the Cross is perfection of holiness.
There is no salvation of soul,
nor hope of eternal life,
save in the Cross.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) The Inner Life

“The road is narrow.
He who wishes to travel it more easily
must cast off all things and use the cross as his cane.
In other words, he must be truly resolved
to suffer willingly for the love of God in all things.”

St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church

The everlasting God has in His wisdom
foreseen from eternity the cross He now
presents to you as a gift from His inmost heart.
The cross He now sends you
He has considered
with His all-knowing eyes,
understood with His divine mind,
tested with His wise justice,
warmed with loving arms
and weighed with His own hands
to see that it is not one inch too large
nor one ounce too heavy for you.
He has blessed it with His holy name,
anointed it with His grace,
perfumed it with His consolation,
taken one last glance at you and your courage
and then sent it to you from heaven,
a special greeting from God to you,
an alms of the all-merciful love of God.

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

Camillus wanted to have on his habit the Sign of the Cross
in order ‘to demonstrate that this is a religion of the Cross…
so that those who want to follow our way of life will get ready…
to follow Jesus Christ unto death’.
He wanted it to be dark red
‘because more like the true wood of the most holy Cross
on which the Redeemer of the World died and was appended’.

St Camillus de Lellis (1550-1614)

“Oh cherished cross!
Through thee my most bitter trials
are replete with graces!”

St Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

“Everything is a reminder of the Cross.
We ourselves are made in the shape of a cross.”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

“Let us not forget,
that Jesus not only suffered
but also rose in glory;
so, too, we go to the glory
of the Resurrection,
by way of suffering
and the Cross.”

St Maximillian Kolbe (1894 -1941)

“There is line from the illuminator of the St John’s Bible that states:
“We have to love our way out of this.”
There is nothing wimpy or namby-pamby
or blind about this conviction.
When we love extravagantly,
we are not purposely blinding ourselves to moral realities—
just the contrary.

Love is not a sentiment, but “a harsh and dreadful thing,”
as Dostoevsky said.

This is just what Jesus shows on His terrible cross.
And this is just what we, His followers, must imitate.
Taking up the cross means, not just being willing to suffer
but being willing to suffer as He did,
absorbing violence and hatred through our forgiveness and nonviolence.”

Bishop Robert Barron

DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL Apostolic EXHORTATIONS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 2 September – Today’s Gospel: Mark 7:1–23

Posted on September 2, 2018September 2, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 2 September – Today’s Gospel: Mark 7:1–23 – Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

‘This people honours me with their lips but their heart is far from me…”…Mark 7:6

“The interior life is primordial… The active life is the consequence of the interior life and has no value unless it depends upon it. We should like to do everything to the best of our ability, perfectly. But if it isn’t linked to our interior life it is to no purpose. All the value of our life and activity stems from our interior life, the life of love for God and the Virgin Mary, the Immaculata – not in theories or sweetness but in the practice of a love that consists in the union of our will with the will of the Immaculate Virgin.

Above and over all we must deepen this interior life. If it is truly a case of spiritual life then supernatural means are required. Prayer, prayer and prayer alone is what is needed to undertake the interior life and its flowering. Interior recollection is necessary.

Let us not be anxious about unnecessary things but gently, peacefully, let us try to preserve recollection of spirit and be attentive to God’s grace. That is why silence helps us.”…St Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941) Martyr prayer prayer and prayer alone - st maximillian kolbe - 2 sept 2018

“You must, so to speak, tear off your own skin, which Saint Paul calls the old man, in order to be clothed with the Spirit of Jesus Christ, which is, according to the same Apostle, the new man.”

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

“So let me ask you – are there moments when you place yourself quietly in the Lord’s presence, when you calmly spend time with Him, when you bask in His gaze? Do you let His fire inflame your heart? Unless you let Him warm you more and more with His love and tenderness, you will not catch fire. How will you then be able to set the hearts of others on fire by your words and witness?

Pope Francis Gaudete et Exscultate

And you Immaculata, who are our example, who are our constant intercessor, pray for us!

DOCTORS of the Church, DOCTRINE, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, Uncategorized

Quote/s of the Day – 22 August – The Memorial of The Queenship of Mary, Holy Mother of God

Posted on August 22, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 22 August – The Memorial of The Queenship of Mary, Holy Mother of God – Today’s Gospel: Luke 1:26–38

“She has surpassed the riches of the virgins,
the confessors, the martyrs, the apostles,
the prophets, the patriarchs and the angels,
for she herself is the first-fruit of the virgins,
the mirror of confessors, the rose of martyrs,
the ruler of apostles, the oracle of prophets,
the daughter of patriarchs, the queen of angels.

St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Seraphic Doctor

“Mary has the authority over the angels
and the blessed in heaven.
As a reward for her great humility,
God gave her the power and mission of assigning to saints
the thrones made vacant by the apostate angels
who fell away through pride.
Such is the will of the almighty God who exalts the humble,
that the powers of heaven, earth and hell,
willingly or unwillingly, must obey the commands
of the humble Virgin Mary.
For God has made her queen of heaven and earth,
leader of his armies, keeper of his treasure,
dispenser of his graces, mediatrix on behalf of men,
destroyer of his enemies and faithful associate
in his great works and triumphs.

St Louis Marie de Montfort (1673-1716)

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

St John Marie Vianney (1786-1859)

“No one has access to the Almighty
as His mother has – none has merit such as hers.
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.”

“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 for ever.”

Bl Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

“Prayer is powerful beyond limits
when we turn to the Immaculata
who is Queen even of God’s heart.”

St Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941)

CONSECRATION Prayers, FRANCISCAN OFM, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, ON the SAINTS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 14 August – The Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941)

Posted on August 14, 2018August 14, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 14 August – The Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”and “Apostle of Consecration to Mary”

“Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:13

That verse certainly comes to mind whenever I think of St Maximilian Kolbe, whose feast we celebrate today. So it’s not surprising to read that these were the opening words of the papal decree introducing his Beatification. St Maximilian Kolbe was arrested in Poland in February of 1941 and in May sent to the Auschwitz death camp. As prisoner #16670, he eventually laid down his life for another prisoner on 14 August 1941, at the young age of 47.

Father Kolbe’s death was not a sudden, last-minute act of heroism. His whole life had been a preparation. His holiness was a limitless, passionate desire to convert the whole world to God. And his beloved Immaculata, was his inspiration.

St Maximillian is the patron saint of families, prisoners, journalists, political prisoners, drug addicts and the pro-life movement. St John Paul II declared him to be “the patron saint of our difficult century.” The evils which made the twentieth century so difficult were not left behind as we moved into the twenty-first century.

Let us continue to call upon the intercession of this saint and continue to come to Jesus through His mother, Mary, the Immaculata.

Daily Consecration Renewal to the Immaculata
By St Maximillian Kolbe

Immaculata, Queen and Mother of the Church,
I renew my consecration to you for this day
and for always, so that you might use me
for the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus in the whole world.
To this end, I offer you all my prayers,
actions and sacrifices of this day.
Amen daily-consecration-renewal-to-the-immaculata-by-st-maximillian-kolbe-14 aug 2017

Mary, Immaculata, Pray for us!
St Maximillian Kolbe, pray for us!

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FRANCISCAN OFM, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 14 August – The Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941)

Posted on August 14, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 14 August – The Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”and “Apostle of Consecration to Mary”

“Be a Catholic!
When you kneel before an altar,
do it in such a way that others
may be able to recognise
that you know before Whom you kneel.”

“My aim is to institute
Perpetual Adoration,
for this is the the most
important activity.”

“Let us remember,
that love lives through sacrifice
and is nourished by giving.
Without sacrifice,
there is no love.”

“Let us not forget,
that Jesus not only suffered
but also rose in glory;
so, too, we go to the glory
of the Resurrection,
by way of suffering
and the Cross.”

“Let us give ourselves
to the Immaculata.
Let her prepare us,
let her receive Him
in Holy Communion.
This is the manner most perfect
and pleasing to the Lord Jesus
and brings great fruit to us.”
Because “the Immaculata
knows the secret,
how to unite ourselves totally
with the heart of the Lord Jesus…”

“We do not limit ourselves in love.
We want to love the Lord Jesus,
with her heart,
or rather, that she would love the Lord,
with our heart.”

St Maximillian Kolbe (1894 -1941)

FRANCISCAN OFM, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – The Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe (1894 -1941)

Posted on August 14, 2018August 13, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – The Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”and “Apostle of Consecration to Mary”

For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed…Luke 1:48

REFLECTION – “A man cannot rise any higher than this. The Immaculate is the highest degree of perfection and sanctity of a creature. No man will ever attain this celestial summit of grace, for the Mother of God is unique. However, he who gives himself without limits, to the Immaculate, will in a short time attain a very high degree of perfection and procure for God, a very great glory.”…St Maximillian Kolbe for behold - luke 1 48 - a man cannot rise any higher than this - st max kolbe - 14 august 2018

PRAYER – My Lord and my God, You who are the fruit of Mary’s blessed womb and the most Divine Son of our Father, grant that we may always have recourse to You, through her who bore You. Grant that she may help and comforus me and lead us to You. Mary, Holy and loving Mother of God, pray for us all. Grant O Lord, that through the intercession of St Maximillian, we may entrust ourselves to You through Your and our blessed Mother, amen. mary immaculate holy mother of god - pray for us - 28 may 2018 st-maximillian-pray-for-us-14 aug 2017

FRANCISCAN OFM, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 14 August – The Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”

Posted on August 14, 2018August 13, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 14 August – The Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”

The Day was Long
By St Maximillian Kolbe (1894 -1941) Martyr

The day was long,
The burden I had borne
Seemed heavier than I could longer bear
And then it lifted
but I did not know
Someone had knelt in prayer;
Had taken me to God that very hour,
And asked the easing of the load
and He,
In infinite compassion,
had stooped down
And taken it from me.
We cannot tell how often as we pray
For some bewildered one,
Hurt and distressed,
The answer comes,
But many times,
those hearts find sudden peace and rest.
Someone had prayed
and faith, a reaching hand,
Took hold of God
and brought Him down that day!
So many, many hearts have need of prayer.
Oh, let us pray!
Amen the day was long - st maximillian kolbe - 14 august 2018

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St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662)Father of the Church

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St Maximillian Kolbe (1894 -1941)

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The Infallible Teaching of the Catholic Church

On the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878), Ineffabilis Deus, 8 December 1854

Saint Augustine (354-430)

Father and Doctor of the Church

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By St Maximillian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr

Day 8: The Immaculata’s Fruitfulness

Closing prayers

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By St Maximillian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr

Day 7: The Immaculata’s Discipleship

Closing prayers

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By St Maximillian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr

Day 6: The Immaculata’s Sinlessness

Closing prayers

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By St Maximillian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr

Day 5: The Immaculata’s Dignity as a Human Person

Closing prayers

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By St Maximillian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr

Day 4: The Immaculata’s Self-Understanding

Closing prayers:

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By St Maximillian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr

Day 3: The Immaculata’s Place in God’s Plan of Creation and Salvation

Novena Prayer to the Immaculata

Closing Prayer of Identification with the Immaculata

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By St Maximillian Kolbe OFM (1894-1941) Martyr

Day 2: The Immaculata as Spouse of the Holy Spirit

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Apostolic Zeal for the Salvation and Sanctification of Souls

An excerpt from the Letters of Saint Maximilian Kolbe

St Maximillian Kolbe, Pray for Us!

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St Maximillian Kolbe (1894 -1941)

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Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) The Inner Life

St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church

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

St Camillus de Lellis (1550-1614)

St Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

St Maximillian Kolbe (1894 -1941)

Bishop Robert Barron

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And you Immaculata, who are our example, who are our constant intercessor, pray for us!

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St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Seraphic Doctor

St Louis Marie de Montfort (1673-1716)

St John Marie Vianney (1786-1859)

Bl Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

St Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941)

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Mary, Immaculata, Pray for us! St Maximillian Kolbe, pray for us!

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St Maximillian Kolbe (1894 -1941)

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St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662)
Father of the Church

On the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary, Immaculata, Pray for us!
St Maximillian Kolbe, pray for us!