March 14th
Ss Acepsimas, Bishop; Joseph, Priest; Aithilahas, Deacon (d. 380), Martyrs; Assyria
"I return You the greatest thanks I am able, Christ, the Son of God, who have granted me this mercy, and washed me with this second baptism of my blood, to wipe away my sins."
Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471), Confessor; Kempen, Germany
"Good Jesus, strength and power of a soul suffering tribulation, teach me to accept all criticism and reproof with a calm spirit, and let me never show resentment in defending myself because of complaints unjustly made against me. Rather, let me respond to them with gentle silence and, if I must speak, then let me answer my accusers in a pleasant and friendly tone."
St Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), Confessor, Founder; Assisi, Italy; Feast day October 4th
"Man should tremble, the world should quake, all Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest."
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
March 13th
St Euphrasia (380-410), Virgin; Constantinople
"Invincible emperor, having consecrated myself to Christ in perpetual chastity, I cannot be false to my engagement, and marry a mortal man, who will shortly be the food of worms. For the sake of my parents, be pleased to distribute their estates among the poor, the orphans and the church. Set all my slaves at liberty, and discharge my vassals and servants, giving them whatever is their due. Order my father's stewards to acquit my farmers of all they owe since his death, that I may serve God without let or hindrance and may stand before Him without the solicitude of temporal affairs. Pray for me, you and your empress, that I may be made worthy to serve Christ."
St Augustine (354-430), Confessor, Bishop, Father of the Church; Thagaste, Algeria; Feast day August 28th
"Late have I loved You, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved You! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness, I plunged into the lovely things which You created. You were with me, but I was not with You. Created things kept me from You; yet if they had not been in You they would have not been at all. You called, You shouted, and You broke through my deafness. You flashed, You shone, and You dispelled my blindness. You breathed Your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for You. I have tasted You, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for Your peace."
Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain
"Lord, give me the grace to love You as much as I can, so that by the strength of this love I may disdain every earthly love."
St Euphrasia (380-410), Virgin; Constantinople
"Invincible emperor, having consecrated myself to Christ in perpetual chastity, I cannot be false to my engagement, and marry a mortal man, who will shortly be the food of worms. For the sake of my parents, be pleased to distribute their estates among the poor, the orphans and the church. Set all my slaves at liberty, and discharge my vassals and servants, giving them whatever is their due. Order my father's stewards to acquit my farmers of all they owe since his death, that I may serve God without let or hindrance and may stand before Him without the solicitude of temporal affairs. Pray for me, you and your empress, that I may be made worthy to serve Christ."
St Augustine (354-430), Confessor, Bishop, Father of the Church; Thagaste, Algeria; Feast day August 28th
"Late have I loved You, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved You! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness, I plunged into the lovely things which You created. You were with me, but I was not with You. Created things kept me from You; yet if they had not been in You they would have not been at all. You called, You shouted, and You broke through my deafness. You flashed, You shone, and You dispelled my blindness. You breathed Your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for You. I have tasted You, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for Your peace."
Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain
"Lord, give me the grace to love You as much as I can, so that by the strength of this love I may disdain every earthly love."
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
March 12th
St Gregory the Great (540-604), Confessor, Pope, Doctor of the Church; Rome, Italy; Feast day March 12th
“My little children, I conjure you, by Christ, our good Master, love affectionately, and this is enough. Love will teach you what to do. The unction of the Holy Ghost will instruct you.”
St Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868), Confessor; Grenoble, France; Feast day August 2nd
"When a spark of the Eucharist is placed in a soul, a divine germ of life and of all the virtues is cast into that heart. This germ is sufficient of itself, so to say, to do much."
Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471), Confessor; Kempen, Germany
"Gentle Jesus, forgive me for having so often offended you, for so easily turning to vanities, and for not setting my heart on that which I have proposed to do. How often I look back on the amount of time I spent on so many things, all far from important, while I paid no attention to your Passion. You have preceded me along the narrow road, and with eyes dry I pass by as if your sorrows have no effect on me. Remember my foolish heart and instill in it a loving remembrance of your most bitter Passion."
St Gregory the Great (540-604), Confessor, Pope, Doctor of the Church; Rome, Italy; Feast day March 12th
“My little children, I conjure you, by Christ, our good Master, love affectionately, and this is enough. Love will teach you what to do. The unction of the Holy Ghost will instruct you.”
St Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868), Confessor; Grenoble, France; Feast day August 2nd
"When a spark of the Eucharist is placed in a soul, a divine germ of life and of all the virtues is cast into that heart. This germ is sufficient of itself, so to say, to do much."
Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471), Confessor; Kempen, Germany
"Gentle Jesus, forgive me for having so often offended you, for so easily turning to vanities, and for not setting my heart on that which I have proposed to do. How often I look back on the amount of time I spent on so many things, all far from important, while I paid no attention to your Passion. You have preceded me along the narrow road, and with eyes dry I pass by as if your sorrows have no effect on me. Remember my foolish heart and instill in it a loving remembrance of your most bitter Passion."
Monday, March 11, 2013
March 11th
St Eulogius (d.859), Priest, Confessor; Cordova, Spain
"Ah! if you could but conceive the reward which waits for those who persevere in the faith to the end, you would renounce your temporal dignity in exchange for it."
Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain
"Thine is the supreme and immutable good which is not contained by place, is not changed by novelties, does not pass away with time, and has no need of help from anyone. It is sufficient unto itself; of itself it can do all things and in itself it finds all its delight. Thine is that supreme goodness which is not reached by the senses because it is spiritual and eternal, but it is known with the intellect and enjoyed with the will and experienced with the heart. It is sought by devotion, found by hope, embraced by charity, and will be possessed forever in glory."
St Pius X (1835-1914), Pope, Confessor; Reise, Italy; Feast day September 3rd
"Devotion to the Eucharist is the noblest of devotions, because it has God as its object. It is the most profitable for salvation, because it gives us the Author of Grace. It is the sweetest, because the Lord is Sweetness Itself."
St Eulogius (d.859), Priest, Confessor; Cordova, Spain
"Ah! if you could but conceive the reward which waits for those who persevere in the faith to the end, you would renounce your temporal dignity in exchange for it."
Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain
"Thine is the supreme and immutable good which is not contained by place, is not changed by novelties, does not pass away with time, and has no need of help from anyone. It is sufficient unto itself; of itself it can do all things and in itself it finds all its delight. Thine is that supreme goodness which is not reached by the senses because it is spiritual and eternal, but it is known with the intellect and enjoyed with the will and experienced with the heart. It is sought by devotion, found by hope, embraced by charity, and will be possessed forever in glory."
St Pius X (1835-1914), Pope, Confessor; Reise, Italy; Feast day September 3rd
"Devotion to the Eucharist is the noblest of devotions, because it has God as its object. It is the most profitable for salvation, because it gives us the Author of Grace. It is the sweetest, because the Lord is Sweetness Itself."
Sunday, March 10, 2013
March 10th
Ss The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (d.320), Martyrs; Sebaste, Armenia
"Lord, we are forty who are engaged in this combat; grant that we may be forty crowned, and that not one be wanting to this sacred number."
St Ambrose (340-397), Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Present day Trier, Germany; Feast day December 7th
"We possess all things in Christ, or rather Christ is all things to us. If you would be healed of your wounds, He is a Physician; if you thirst, He is a living Fountain; if you fear death, He is your Life; if you are weary of the burden of sin, He is your Justification; if you hate darkness, He is uncreated Light; if you would reach Heaven, He is the Way; if you hunger, He is your Food."
Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain
"Let me love You with all my soul, O Infinite Beauty. Open my eyes that they may see Your beauty and close them to all things else. Let all creatures, Lord, be a mirror in which I contemplate You, an image in which I see You, a ladder by which I rise to You, and a book wherein I read of Your grandeurs."
"Open my eyes, O Lord, and anoint them with the balm of Your grace so that I may see some small spark of Your splendor."
Ss The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (d.320), Martyrs; Sebaste, Armenia
"Lord, we are forty who are engaged in this combat; grant that we may be forty crowned, and that not one be wanting to this sacred number."
St Ambrose (340-397), Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Present day Trier, Germany; Feast day December 7th
"We possess all things in Christ, or rather Christ is all things to us. If you would be healed of your wounds, He is a Physician; if you thirst, He is a living Fountain; if you fear death, He is your Life; if you are weary of the burden of sin, He is your Justification; if you hate darkness, He is uncreated Light; if you would reach Heaven, He is the Way; if you hunger, He is your Food."
Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain
"Let me love You with all my soul, O Infinite Beauty. Open my eyes that they may see Your beauty and close them to all things else. Let all creatures, Lord, be a mirror in which I contemplate You, an image in which I see You, a ladder by which I rise to You, and a book wherein I read of Your grandeurs."
"Open my eyes, O Lord, and anoint them with the balm of Your grace so that I may see some small spark of Your splendor."
Saturday, March 9, 2013
March 9th
St Frances of Rome (1384-1440), Widow, Foundress; Rome, Italy
"God's will is mine."
St Gregory of Nyssa (330-395), Bishop, Confessor; Cappadocia, Turkey
"Perfection consists in fearing, as the only thing to be dreaded, to lose the friendship of God; and in having only one desire, viz., of God's friendship, in which also man's spiritual life consists. This is to be obtained by fixing the mind only on divine and heavenly things."
St Pacian of Barcelona (310-391), Bishop, Confessor, Father of the Church; Barcelona, Spain
"Not I, but only God, who both blots out sin in baptism, and does not reject the tears of penitents. What I do is not in my own name, but in the Lord's. Wherefore whether we baptize, or draw to penance, or give pardon to penitents, we do it by Christ's authority. You must see whether Christ can do it, and did it, -- Baptism is the sacrament of our Lord's passion; the pardon of penitents is the merit of confession. All can obtain that, because it is the gratuitous gift of God; but this labour is but of a small number who rise after a fall, and recover by tears, and by destroying the flesh."
St Frances of Rome (1384-1440), Widow, Foundress; Rome, Italy
"God's will is mine."
St Gregory of Nyssa (330-395), Bishop, Confessor; Cappadocia, Turkey
"Perfection consists in fearing, as the only thing to be dreaded, to lose the friendship of God; and in having only one desire, viz., of God's friendship, in which also man's spiritual life consists. This is to be obtained by fixing the mind only on divine and heavenly things."
St Pacian of Barcelona (310-391), Bishop, Confessor, Father of the Church; Barcelona, Spain
"Not I, but only God, who both blots out sin in baptism, and does not reject the tears of penitents. What I do is not in my own name, but in the Lord's. Wherefore whether we baptize, or draw to penance, or give pardon to penitents, we do it by Christ's authority. You must see whether Christ can do it, and did it, -- Baptism is the sacrament of our Lord's passion; the pardon of penitents is the merit of confession. All can obtain that, because it is the gratuitous gift of God; but this labour is but of a small number who rise after a fall, and recover by tears, and by destroying the flesh."
Friday, March 8, 2013
March 8th
St John of God (1495-1550), Confessor, Founder; Montemayor-el-Novo, Portugal
"Give peace and quiet to my soul which greatly desires this. O most worthy Lord, may this creature of Yours serve and praise You. May I give my whole heart and mind to You."
"Then shall I truly live, when I shall be quite filled with You alone, and Your love; now I am a burden to myself, because I am not entirely full of You.”
St Bonaventure (1221-1274), Bishop, Doctor of the Church; Bagnoregio, Italy; Feast day July 14th
“If a person repeats often in his heart, Lord, when shall I love thee? he will feel an heavenly fire kindled in his soul much more than by a thousand bright thoughts or fine speculations on divine secrets, on the eternal generation of the Word, or the procession of the Holy Ghost.”
St John of God (1495-1550), Confessor, Founder; Montemayor-el-Novo, Portugal
"Give peace and quiet to my soul which greatly desires this. O most worthy Lord, may this creature of Yours serve and praise You. May I give my whole heart and mind to You."
St Augustine (354-430), Confessor, Bishop, Father of the Church; Thagaste, Algeria; Feast day August 28th
"Then shall I truly live, when I shall be quite filled with You alone, and Your love; now I am a burden to myself, because I am not entirely full of You.”
St Bonaventure (1221-1274), Bishop, Doctor of the Church; Bagnoregio, Italy; Feast day July 14th
“If a person repeats often in his heart, Lord, when shall I love thee? he will feel an heavenly fire kindled in his soul much more than by a thousand bright thoughts or fine speculations on divine secrets, on the eternal generation of the Word, or the procession of the Holy Ghost.”
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