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Sunday, August 31, 2014

September 18

St Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555), Bishop, Confessor; Fuentellana, Spain; Feast day September 18

"O man, look on that cross, on those torments, and that cruel death, which Jesus Christ has suffered for you:  after so great and so many tokens of his love, you can no longer entertain a doubt that he loves you, and loves you exceedingly."


Saturday, August 30, 2014

August 30

St Rose of Lima (1586-1617); Virgin; Lima, Peru; Feast day August 30

"Lord, increase my sufferings, and with them increase Your love in my heart."

Abbot Macarius, as quoted by St Alphonsus:

"When you are tempted in times of dryness to give up praying because you seem to be wasting your time, say:  Since I cannot pray, I will be satisfied just to remain on watch here in my cell for the love of Jesus Christ!"

St John of Avila (1500-1569); Priest, Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Almodovar del Campo, Spain; Feast day May 10.

"O nails, leave those innocent hands of my Lord, and come and pierce my heart with compassion and love!  For you, my Jesus, did die, as St Paul says, in order to gain dominion over the living and the dead, not by means of chastisements, but by love."

Thursday, August 28, 2014

August 29
The Beheading of St John the Baptist

Ut Queant Laxis

So that these your servants can, with all their voice, to sing your wonderful feats, clean the blemish of our spotted lips, O St John!

An angel came from the heavens to announce to your father the greatness of our birth, dictating your name and destination.

He doubted of these divine promises and was deprived of the use of the speech; but when you were born he recovered his lost voice.

Still locked in your mother's breast, you felt the King's presence housed in the vestal womb.  And prophet before being born, you revealed this mystery to your parents.

Glory be to the Father and to the engendered Son; glory similar to the Holy Spirit that is knot of both, for every century.  Amen.

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Wednesday, August 27, 2014

August 28

St Augustine of Hippo (354-430); Bishop, Doctor of the Church; feast day August 28

“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee."

“And men go abroad to admire the heights of mountains, the mighty waves of the sea, the broad tides of rivers, the compass of the ocean, and the circuits of the stars, yet pass over the mystery of themselves without a thought.”

“Belatedly I loved thee, O Beauty so ancient and so new, belatedly I loved thee. For see, thou wast within and I was without, and I sought thee out there. Unlovely, I rushed heedlessly among the lovely things thou hast made. Thou wast with me, but I was not with thee. These things kept me far from thee; even though they were not at all unless they were in thee. Thou didst call and cry aloud, and didst force open my deafness. Thou didst gleam and shine, and didst chase away my blindness. Thou didst breathe fragrant odors and I drew in my breath; and now I pant for thee. I tasted, and now I hunger and thirst. Thou didst touch me, and I burned for thy peace.”

“You never go away from us, yet we have difficulty in returning to You. Come, Lord, stir us up and call us back. Kindle and seize us. Be our fire and our sweetness. Let us love. Let us run.”

“Too late came I to love you, O Beauty both so ancient and so new! Too late came I to love you - and behold you were with me all the time . . .” 

“You called and shouted and burst my deafness. You flashed, shone, and scattered my blindness. You breathed odors, and I drew in breath and panted for You. I tasted, and I hunger and thirst. You touched me, and I burned for Your peace.” 

“Give me yourself, O my God, give yourself back to me. Lo, I love you, but if my love is too mean, let me love more passionately. I cannot gauge my love, nor know how far it fails, how much more love I need for my life to set its course straight into your arms, never swerving until hidden in the covert of your face. This alone I know, that without you all to me is misery, woe outside myself and woe within, and all wealth but penury, if it is not my God.” 

"O God, Who art always the same!  May I know myself, may I know Thee."




Tuesday, August 26, 2014

August 27

St Joseph Calasanctius (1557-1648), priest, founder; feast day August 27

"My work was done solely for the love of God."

St John Chrysostom (347-407), bishop, doctor of the Church; feast day September 13

"...God stands continually waiting, if any of his servants should perchance call Him and never, when we have called as we ought, hath He refused to hear."