March 21st
St Benedict (480-547), Confessor, Founder; Norcia, Italy
"My words are addressed to thee, whoever thou art, that, renouncing thine own will, dost put on the strong and bright armour of obedience in order to fight for the Lord Christ, our true king."
"Let the sick be served in very deed as Christ himself."
"We have written this Rule, that by observing it in monasteries, we may shew ourselves to have some degree of goodness in life and a beginning of holiness. But for him who would hasten to the perfection of religion, there are the teachings of the holy Fathers, the following whereof bringeth a man to the height of perfection."
St Serapion (d. 370), Bishop, Confessor; Egypt
"The mind is purified by spiritual knowledge, (or by holy meditation and prayer,) the spiritual passions of the soul by charity, and the irregular appetites by abstinence and penance."
St Nicholas of Flue (1470-1487), Confessor; Sachseln, Switzerland
"My Lord and my God, take from me everything that distances me from you.
"My Lord and my God, give me everything that brings me closer to you.
"My Lord and my God, detach me from myself to give my all to you."
Bl Maria Candida of the Eucharist (1884-1949), Virgin; Cantanzaro, Italy
"When I receive Jesus in Communion, Mary is always present. I want to receive Jesus from her hands, she must make me one with Him. I cannot separate Mary from Jesus. Hail, O Body born of Mary! Hail, Mary, dawn of the Eucharist!"
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
March 20th
St Cuthbert (634-687), Bishop, Confessor; Dunbar, Scotland
"Miserable men that we are, whilst we are resigning ourselves to sleep and idleness, we take no thought to behold the light of God's holy angels, who never sleep."
"You see, my beloved brethren, how great is the grace of God to him who hopes and trusts in the Lord."
"Dearest brethren, as often as you hear the mysteries of the heavenly kingdom preached to you, you should listen with attentive heart and with watchful feelings, lest the devil, who has a thousand ways of harming you, prevent you by superfluous cares from hearing the word of salvation."
"What are you doing, my brethren, in thus reviling those whom you see hurried to destruction? Would it not be better and more humane to entreat the Lord in their behalf, than thus to take delight in their misfortunes?"
St Photina, (d. 1st cent.), Martyr; Samaria
"Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."
St Maria Josefa of the Heart of Jesus (1842-1912), Virgin, Foundress; Vitoria, Spain
"I was born with a religious vocation."
"In the Divine Heart of Jesus is the center of our communication with Him. We can speak with Him as frequently as we desire without disturbing anyone, speaking intimately with Him."
St Cuthbert (634-687), Bishop, Confessor; Dunbar, Scotland
"Miserable men that we are, whilst we are resigning ourselves to sleep and idleness, we take no thought to behold the light of God's holy angels, who never sleep."
"You see, my beloved brethren, how great is the grace of God to him who hopes and trusts in the Lord."
"Dearest brethren, as often as you hear the mysteries of the heavenly kingdom preached to you, you should listen with attentive heart and with watchful feelings, lest the devil, who has a thousand ways of harming you, prevent you by superfluous cares from hearing the word of salvation."
"What are you doing, my brethren, in thus reviling those whom you see hurried to destruction? Would it not be better and more humane to entreat the Lord in their behalf, than thus to take delight in their misfortunes?"
St Photina, (d. 1st cent.), Martyr; Samaria
"Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."
St Maria Josefa of the Heart of Jesus (1842-1912), Virgin, Foundress; Vitoria, Spain
"I was born with a religious vocation."
"In the Divine Heart of Jesus is the center of our communication with Him. We can speak with Him as frequently as we desire without disturbing anyone, speaking intimately with Him."
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
March 19th
St Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868), Confessor; Grenoble, France; Feast day August 2nd
"Jesus has prepared not just one Host, but One for every day of our life. The Hosts for us are ready. Let us not lose the benefits we can gain by neglecting to receive even One of Them."
Cure of Ars (1786-1859), Confessor; Dardilly, France; Feast day August 8th
"Every consecrated Host is made to burn Itself up with love in a human heart."
"Oh, how bitterly shall we regret at the hour of death the time we have given to pleasures, to useless conversations, to repose, instead of having employed it in mortification, in prayer, in good works, in thinking of our poor misery, in weeping over our poor sins; then we shall see that we have done nothing for Heaven. Oh, my children, how sad it is! Three-quarters of those who are Christians labor for nothing but to satisfy this body, which will soon be buried and corrupted, while they do not give a thought to their poor soul, which must be happy or miserable for all eternity. They have neither sense nor reason: it makes one tremble."
St Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868), Confessor; Grenoble, France; Feast day August 2nd
"Jesus has prepared not just one Host, but One for every day of our life. The Hosts for us are ready. Let us not lose the benefits we can gain by neglecting to receive even One of Them."
Cure of Ars (1786-1859), Confessor; Dardilly, France; Feast day August 8th
"Every consecrated Host is made to burn Itself up with love in a human heart."
"Oh, how bitterly shall we regret at the hour of death the time we have given to pleasures, to useless conversations, to repose, instead of having employed it in mortification, in prayer, in good works, in thinking of our poor misery, in weeping over our poor sins; then we shall see that we have done nothing for Heaven. Oh, my children, how sad it is! Three-quarters of those who are Christians labor for nothing but to satisfy this body, which will soon be buried and corrupted, while they do not give a thought to their poor soul, which must be happy or miserable for all eternity. They have neither sense nor reason: it makes one tremble."
Monday, March 18, 2013
March 18th
St Cyril of Jerusalem (313-386), Confessor, Bishop, Doctor of the Church; Palestine
"Do not look upon the bread and wine as bare and common elements, for they are the Body and Blood of Christ, as our Lord assures us. Although thy sense suggest this to thee, let faith make thee firm and sure. Judge not of the thing by the taste, but be certain from faith that thou hast been honored with the gift of Christ's Body and Blood. When he has pronounced and said of the bread: 'This is my body,' who will, after this, dare to doubt? and when he has assured and said, 'This is my blood,' who can ever hesitate, saying it is not his blood?"
Padre Pio (1887-1968), Confessor, Stigmatic; Pietrelcina, Italy; Feast day September 23rd
"It is to your advantage to commit yourself to the sufferings that Jesus will send to you. Jesus cannot tolerate seeing you afflicted and He will come to you and comfort you, blessing you with many graces for your soul."
St Lawrence Giustiniani (1381-1486), Bishop, Confessor; Venezia, Italy; Feast day September 5th
"No human tongue can enumerate the favors that trace back to the Sacrifice of the Mass. The sinner is reconciled with God; the just man becomes more upright; sins are wiped away; vices are uprooted; virtue and merit increase; and devil's schemes are frustrated."
Sunday, March 17, 2013
March 17th
St Gertrude (626-659), Virgin; Nivelles, Belgium
"I have chosen for my spouse Him, from Whose eternal beauty all creatures derive their glory, Whose riches are immense, and Whom the angels adore."
St Patrick (387-493), Bishop, Confessor; Kilpatrick, Scotland
"I now entrust my soul to God, Who is most faithful and for Whom I am an ambassador in my humble station....What return can I make to Him for all His goodness to me? What can I say or what can I promise to my Lord since any ability I have comes from Him? Suffice it for Him to look into my heart and mind; for I am ready and indeed greatly desire it that He should give me His cup to drink, as He gave it to others who loved Him....I ask God for perseverance, to grant that I remain a faithful witness to Him for His own sake until my passing from this life."
"Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
"I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of Christ.
May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us."
St Gertrude (626-659), Virgin; Nivelles, Belgium
"I have chosen for my spouse Him, from Whose eternal beauty all creatures derive their glory, Whose riches are immense, and Whom the angels adore."
St Patrick (387-493), Bishop, Confessor; Kilpatrick, Scotland
"I now entrust my soul to God, Who is most faithful and for Whom I am an ambassador in my humble station....What return can I make to Him for all His goodness to me? What can I say or what can I promise to my Lord since any ability I have comes from Him? Suffice it for Him to look into my heart and mind; for I am ready and indeed greatly desire it that He should give me His cup to drink, as He gave it to others who loved Him....I ask God for perseverance, to grant that I remain a faithful witness to Him for His own sake until my passing from this life."
"Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
"I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of Christ.
May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us."
Saturday, March 16, 2013
March 16th
Saint Julian of Cilicia (305), Martyr; Antioch
"Who shall separate us from the love of Jesus Christ?"
Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain
"O unhappy people, senseless deluded victims of this world! Whither are you hastening? What is the object of your search? Why will you not seek happiness at it source? 'Taste and see that the Lord is sweet; blessed is the man that hopes in Him.'"
Padre Pio (1887-1968), Confessor, Stigmatic; Pietrelcina, Italy; Feast day September 23rd
"If men were to understand the value of Holy Mass, for every Mass such crowds would come to church that police would be needed to keep order."
Friday, March 15, 2013
March 15th
St Louise de Marillac (1591-1660), Widow, Foundress; Oise, France
"Love the poor and honor them as you would honor Christ Himself."
"Certainly, it is the great secret of the spiritual life to abandon to God all that we love by abandoning ourselves to all that He wills."
Saint Abraham (d. 360), Hermit; Mesopotamia
"Most merciful God, look down on my weakness; assist me with Thy grace, that Thy name may be glorified. Despise not the works of Thy own hands."
St Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1771), Confessor; Porto Maurizio, Italy; Feast day November 27th
"O you deluded people, what are you doing? Why do you not hasten to the churches to hear as many Masses as you can? Why do you not imitate the angels, who, when a Holy Mass is celebrated, come down in myriads from Paradise and take their stations about our altars in adoration to intercede for us?"
St Philip Neri (1515-1595), Confessor; Firenze, Italy; Feast day May 26th
"With prayer we ask graces from God; in the Holy Mass we constrain God to give them to us."
St Louise de Marillac (1591-1660), Widow, Foundress; Oise, France
"Love the poor and honor them as you would honor Christ Himself."
"Certainly, it is the great secret of the spiritual life to abandon to God all that we love by abandoning ourselves to all that He wills."
Saint Abraham (d. 360), Hermit; Mesopotamia
"Most merciful God, look down on my weakness; assist me with Thy grace, that Thy name may be glorified. Despise not the works of Thy own hands."
St Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1771), Confessor; Porto Maurizio, Italy; Feast day November 27th
"O you deluded people, what are you doing? Why do you not hasten to the churches to hear as many Masses as you can? Why do you not imitate the angels, who, when a Holy Mass is celebrated, come down in myriads from Paradise and take their stations about our altars in adoration to intercede for us?"
St Philip Neri (1515-1595), Confessor; Firenze, Italy; Feast day May 26th
"With prayer we ask graces from God; in the Holy Mass we constrain God to give them to us."
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