Tag: stsfranciscoandjacinta

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARTYRS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 February – ‘. I, Levi …’ Luke 5:27-32

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 20 February – Saturday after Ash Wednesday, Readings Isaiah 58: 9-14, Psalms 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, Luke 5:27-32 and the Memorial of St Elutherius of Tournai (c 456-532) Bishop and Martyr and Saints Francisco (1908-1919) and Jacinta (1910-1920)

“Those who are well, have no need of a physician but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” – Luke 5:31-32

REFLECTION – “The Apostle Paul said: “Take off the old self with its practices and put on the new self” (Col 3,9-10)… This was the work Christ accomplished when He called Levi; He refashioned him into a new man. Similarly, it is as a new person, that the former publican prepares a banquet for Christ since Christ takes pleasure in him and he himself, merits to have a share in happiness with Christ… He followed him now, happy, light-hearted and overflowing with joy.

“I have the aspect of a publican no more,” he said, “I don’t carry around the old Levi any longer; I put off Levi when I put on Christ. I flee from my earlier life; my Lord Jesus, you alone, who heal my wounds, I desire to follow. Who shall separate me from the love of God … ? tribulation? anguish? hunger? (Cf Rom 8,35). I am bound to You by faith as by nails, I am held fast by the worthy bonds of love. All Your commandments will be like a cautery that I will apply firmly to my wound; the remedy stings but it takes away the ulcerous infection. Lord Jesus, with Your powerful sword, cut away the corruption of my sins: come quickly, lance my hidden and varied passions. Purge away all infection in the new bath.

“Listen to me, you people who are fixed to the earth, you whose thoughts are intoxicated by your sins. I, Levi, was also wounded by similar passions. But I found a doctor who dwells in heaven and pours out His remedies on earth. He alone can cure my wounds since He Himself has none. He alone can remove the heart’s pain and the soul’s lethargy, for He knows everything that lies hidden.” – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan and Doctor of the Church – Commentary on Saint Luke’s Gospel, 5, 23.27

PRAYER – Come my all-powerful, ever-living God, look with compassion on our frailty and for our protection, stretch out to us Your strong right hand. Grant that by the prayers of Mary, our Mother and all your angels and saints we may change our ways, leave everything behind, proclaim the glory of Your kingdom and come safely home to You. St Eleutherius and Sts Jacinta and Francisco, pray for us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

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

Notre-Dame de Bolougn-sur-Mer / Our Lady of Bolougne-sur-Mer, France (633) and Memorials of the Saints – 20 February

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Notre-Dame de Bolougn-sur-Mer / Our Lady of Bolougn-sur-Mer, France (633) – 20 February:

In the year 636, a small group of people standing on the seashore witnessed a ship without oars or sails came into the harbour of Boulogne. It finally came to rest in the estuary, seemingly of its own accord. One of the witnesses boarded the boat and confirmed that there was no-one aboard and that the vessel had no rudder, oars or sails.
The ship, however, bore a luminous statue of Our Lady. Taking hold of it to bring it to land, a voice was heard saying, “I choose your City as a place of grace.” The citizens welcomed Mary to their city by erecting a Shrine to her, which reached its height of glory in the 12th Century.

King Henry VIII is reported to have stolen the Statue of Our Lady of Boulogne and taken it to England. After many negotiations, the French managed to get it back. The image had been stolen and hidden many other times but always saved and returned.
World War II almost completely destroyed the Statue. In modern times, four exact replicas of Our Lady of Boulogne toured France for more than seven years, as a symbol of French devotion to Mary. One of these was taken to Walsingham, England in 1948 and carried in procession by the “Cross-bearing pilgrimate” when many other Statues and images of the Virgin visited England.
Bologne was one of the most important Lady shrines of medieval France; among its noted pilgrims have been: Henry III, Edward II, the Black Prince, John of Gaunt.
Marian Feast Day, 10 July: The dedication of a new Church built in honour of Our Lady of Boulogne was consecrated in the year 1469 by Bishop Chartier of Paris. The confraternity of Our Lady of Boulogne was so celebrated, that six French kings have chosen to belong to it.

At the French Revolution, the Statue was burnt to ashes and the Church pulled down. A new Shrine and Statue was made in 1803 and pilgrimages began again. The image represents the Mother with the Child in her arms, standing in a boat, with an angel on either side. At the Marian Congress in Bolougne in 1938, a custom began to take replicas of this Statue “in turn” in France and abroad. A branch of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Compassion at Bolougne has been established for the reconciliation of the Church of England.
The Sanctuary Church at Bolougne was badly damaged during World War II and Mary’s image smashed but the return, the “Great Return” of one of the copies of the Statue which had been sheltered at Lourdes, took place in 1943 and the occasion will long be remembered by lovers of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The shrine of Our Lady of Boulogne-sur-Mer, built in 1866.

Most remarkable about the Grand Return was the unprecedented avalanche of graces, especially of conversions and penance. Thousands upon thousands of atheists, communists, freemasons and fallen-away Catholics converted on the spot when they saw Our Lady enter their village. One bishop described the effect on the faithful:

“The passing of Our Lady in my Diocese is the most extraordinary contemporary religious event of our times and the most significant. Crowds of people rose up, motivated and enthusiastic. In fact, the confessionals and communion rails were besieged during the holy vigils, while the recitation of the mysteries of the Rosary kept the faithful praying in the Churches. In some Parishes, there were tremendous conversions like never seen before on the missions.”

Young men of the French Boy Scouts, barefoot in the spirit of penance, carry Our Lady of the Grand Return in February 1946.

St Amata of Assisi OSC (Died c 1250)
St Bolcan of Derken
St Colgan
St Eleutherius of Tournai (c 456-532) Bishop and Martyr
St Eucherius of Orleans OSB (c 687-743)
About St Eucherius:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/20/saint-of-the-day-20-february-saint-eucherius-of-orleans-c-687-743/
St Falco of Maastricht
St Francisco Marto (1908-1919)
St Jacinta Marto (1910-1920)
Today (2021) is the Fifth Anniversary of their Canonisation: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/02/20/saints-of-the-day-20-february-saints-francisco-1908-1919-and-jacinta-marta-1910-1920
St Leo of Catania
St Nemesius of Cyprus
St Pothamius of Cyprus
St Serapion of Alexandria
St Silvanus of Emesa
Blessed Stanislawa/Julia Rodzinska OP (1899-1945) Martyr
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/02/20/saint-of-the-day-20-february-blessed-julia-rodzinska-op-1899-1945-martyr/
St Valerius of Courserans
St Wulfric of Haselbury
St Zenobius of Antioch

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 20 February

Posted on by AnaStpaul

St Amata of Assisi
St Bolcan of Derken
St Colgan
St Eleutherius of Tournai
St Eucherius of Orleans OSB (c 687-743)
St Falco of Maastricht
St Francisco Marto (1908-1919)
St Jacinta Marto (1910-1920)
Today (2020) is the Fourth Anniversary of their Canonisation: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/02/20/saints-of-the-day-20-february-saints-francisco-1908-1919-and-jacinta-marta-1910-1920

St Leo of Catania
St Nemesius of Cyprus
St Pothamius of Cyprus
St Serapion of Alexandria
St Silvanus of Emesa
Bl Stanislawa/Julia Rodzinska OP (1899-1945) Martyr
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/02/20/saint-of-the-day-20-february-blessed-julia-rodzinska-op-1899-1945-martyr/
St Valerius of Courserans
St Wulfric of Haselbury
St Zenobius of Antioch

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARTYRS, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 February – “Let us open ourselves, to the light of the Lord”

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One Minute Reflection – 20 February – Wednesday of the Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Year C – Gospel: Mark 8:22-26 and The First Memorial of Saints Francisco (1908-1919) and Jacinta (1910-1920) and Blessed Julia Rodzinska OP (1899-1945) Martyr

And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village….Then again he laid his hands upon his eyes;  and he looked intently and was restored and saw everything clearly.   And he sent him away to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”...Mark 8:22,25-26then again he laid his hands upon his eyes - mark 8 25-26 20 feb 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “They came, then, to Bethsaida, into the village of Andrew and Peter, James and John.   Bethsaida means “house of fishers” and, in truth, from this house, hunters and fishermen are sent into the whole world.   Ponder the text.   The historical facts are clear, the literal sense is obvious.   But we must now search into its spiritual message.   That He came to Bethsaida, that there was a blind man there, that He departed, what is there remarkable about all that?   Nothing, but what He did there is great;  striking, however, only if it should take place today, for we have ceased to wonder about such things.

How, then, is his house not in Bethsaida?   Note the text exactly.   If we consider the literal interpretation only, it does not make any sense.   If this blind man is found in Bethsaida and is taken out and cured and he is commanded:  “Return to your own house,” certainly, he is bid:   “Return to Bethsaida.”   If, however, he returns there, what is the meaning of the command:  “Do not go into the village?”   You see, therefore, that the interpretation is symbolic.   He is led out from the house of the Jews, from the village, from the law, from the traditions of the Jews.   He, who could not be cured in the law, is cured in the grace of the gospel.   It is said to him, “Return to your own house” — not into the house that you think, the one from which he came out but into the house that was also the house of Abraham, since Abraham is the father of those who believe.”… St Jerome (343-420) Father & Doctor of the Church – Tractate on the Gospel of Mark, Homily 79.he is led out from the house of the jews - mark 8 25-26 20 feb 2019 st jerome.jpg

“Our lives are sometimes similar to that of the blind man who opened himself to the light, who opened himself to God, who opened himself to His grace.  Today, we are invited to open ourselves to the light of Christ in order to bear fruit in our lives, to eliminate unchristian behaviours;  we are all Christians but we all, everyone, sometimes has unchristian behaviours, behaviours that are sins.   We must repent of this, eliminate these behaviours in order to journey well along the way of holiness, which has its origin in baptism.   We, too, have been “enlightened” by Christ in baptism, so that, as St Paul reminds us, we may act as “children of light” (Eph 5:8), with humility, patience and mercy.
Let us ask ourselves about the state of our own heart?   Do I have an open heart or a closed heart?   It is opened or closed to God?   Open or closed to my neighbour?   We are always closed to some degree, which comes from original sin, from mistakes, from errors.   We need not be afraid!
Let us open ourselves, to the light of the Lord, He awaits us always in order to enable us to see better, to give us more light, to forgive us.   Let us not forget this!”…Pope Francis – Angelus, 30 March 2014

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, just as the little children, Francisco and Jacinta and Blessed Julia Rodzinska, were chosen to be bearers of Your message, grant we pray, that by their prayers on our behalf, we too may Your bearers of light.   Be with us, holy Mother, during our journey to the eternal glory of your Son, help us to become like little children and in that new purity, shine with His Light.   Through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.sts-francisco-jacinta-20-feb-2018.jpg

bl julia rodzinska pray for us 20 feb 2019 no 2.jpg

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, ON the SAINTS, PAPAL SERMONS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 20 February 2018 -The First Memorial of Saints Francisco (1908-1919) and Jacinta (1910-1920) – “The Shepherds of Fatima”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 20 February 2018 -The First Memorial of Saints Francisco (1908-1919) and Jacinta (1910-1920) – “The Shepherds of Fatima”

“We were burning in that light
which is God and we were not consumed.
What is God like?
It is impossible to say.
In fact, we will never be able to tell people”

St Francisco Marto of Fatima (1908-1919)we-were-burning-in-that-light-st-francisco-marto-20-feb-2018

“Speak ill of no-one and avoid the company
of those who talk (ill) about their neighbours.”

St Jacinta Marto of Fatima (1910-1920)speak-ill-of-no-one-st-jacinta-20-feb-2018.jpg

“Father, to You I offer praise, for you have revealed these things to the merest children”. Today Jesus’ praise takes the solemn form of the beatification of the little shepherds, Francisco and Jacinta.   With this rite the Church wishes to put on the candlelabrum these two candles which God lit to illumine humanity in its dark and anxious hours. …Father, to You I offer praise for all Your children, from the Virgin Mary, Your humble Servant, to the little shepherds, Francisco and Jacinta. May the message of their lives live on forever to light humanity’s way!”

St Pope John Paul (1920-2005) on the Beatification of Francisco and Jacinta, 13 May 2000the church wishes to put on the candlelabrum - st john paul - 20 feb 2018

Posted in LENT, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL SERMONS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 February 2018 – Tuesday of the First Week of Lent and The First Memorial of Saints Francisco (1908-1919) and Jacinta (1910-1920)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 20 February 2018 – Tuesday of the First Week of Lent and The First Memorial of Saints Francisco (1908-1919) and Jacinta (1910-1920)

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit..” …John 12:24

REFLECTION – “In Lucia’s account, the three chosen children found themselves surrounded by God’s light as it radiated from Our Lady.   She enveloped them in the mantle of Light that God had given her.   According to the belief and experience of many pilgrims, if not of all, Fatima is more than anything this mantle of Light that protects us, here, as in almost no other place on earth.   We need but take refuge under the protection of the Virgin Mary and to ask her, as the Salve Regina teaches: “show unto us… Jesus”.the three chosen children - pope francis canonisation homily - 20 feb 2018
“The Lord, who always goes before us, said this and did this (Jn 12:24).   Whenever we experience the cross, He has already experienced it before us.   We do not mount the cross to find Jesus.   Instead it was He who, in His self-abasement, descended even to the cross, in order to find us, to dispel the darkness of evil within us and to bring us back to the light.”…Pope Francis at the Canonisation of Saints Francisco and Jacinta on 14 May 2017

the lord, who always goes before us - pope francis - 20 feb 2017 - sts francisco and jacinta

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, just as the little children, Francisco and Jacinta, were chosen to be bearers of Your message, grant we pray, that by their prayers on our behalf, we too may Your bearers of light.   Be with us, holy Mother, during our Lenten journey to the Resurrection of your Son, help us to become like little children and in that new purity, shine with His Light.   Through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.sts francisco & jacinta - 20 feb 2018