April 9th
St Mary of Egypt (d. 421), Penitent, Hermit; Egypt
"Often the tyranny of my old passions seemed ready to drag me out of the desert: at those times I threw myself on the ground and watered it with my tears, raising my heart continually to the Blessed Virgin till she procured me comfort: and she has never failed to show herself my faithful protectress."
Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471), Confessor; Kempen, Germany
"So forcibly were You nailed to the Cross that Your body's veins suddenly burst open and streams of Your precious blood flowed freely from Your various wounds. So harshly were You stretched, both lengthwise and in breadth -- similar to the skin membrane on a drum -- that all the joints in Your body gave way and Your every bone could be counted. You allowed Your hands and feet to be transfixed by evil men, and in this way Your sacred hands, while nailed to the Cross, paid back the heavy debt incurred by Adam, who had extended his deadly hands to the forbidden tree. By Your precious blood You wiped away that long-standing debt."
"Do not place too much trust in men. There are few who, in the time of need, prove faithful, and loyal friends are rare. Do not be surprised at this nor take it amiss. Christ knew what it was to be deserted by friends and to be surrounded by enemies. He, who always did good to others, received gross ingratitude in return."
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
April 8th
St Dionysius of Corinth (d. 171), Bishop, Confessor; Corinth, Greece
"You also by this instruction have mingled together the Romans and Corinthians, who are the planting of Peter and Paul. For they both came to our Corinth and planted us, and taught alike; and alike going to Italy and teaching there, were martyred at the same time."
Padre Pio (1887-1968), Confessor, Stigmatic; Pietrelcina, Italy; Feast day September 23rd
"The harm that comes to souls from the lack of reading holy books makes me shudder . . . What power spiritual reading has to lead to a change of course, and to make even worldly people enter into the way of perfection."
Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471), Confessor; Kempen, Germany
"For a small reward, a man will hurry away on a long journey; while for eternal life, many will hardly take a single step."
St Dionysius of Corinth (d. 171), Bishop, Confessor; Corinth, Greece
"You also by this instruction have mingled together the Romans and Corinthians, who are the planting of Peter and Paul. For they both came to our Corinth and planted us, and taught alike; and alike going to Italy and teaching there, were martyred at the same time."
Padre Pio (1887-1968), Confessor, Stigmatic; Pietrelcina, Italy; Feast day September 23rd
"The harm that comes to souls from the lack of reading holy books makes me shudder . . . What power spiritual reading has to lead to a change of course, and to make even worldly people enter into the way of perfection."
Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471), Confessor; Kempen, Germany
"For a small reward, a man will hurry away on a long journey; while for eternal life, many will hardly take a single step."
Sunday, April 7, 2013
April 7th
St Mary Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), Virgin; Glogowiec, Russian Empire (now Poland); Feast day October 5th
"He who knows how to forgive prepares for himself many graces from God. As often as I look upon the cross, so often will I forgive with all my heart."
"All for you, Jesus. I desire to adore Your mercy with every beat of my heart and to the extent that I am able, to encourage souls to trust in that mercy, as You Yourself have commanded me, O Lord."
"If only souls would become recollected, God would speak to them at once, for dissipation drowns out the word of the Lord."
"I rejoice that God dwells within me; here I abide with Him unendingly; it is here that my greatest intimacy with Him exists; here I dwell with Him in safety; here is a place not probed by the human eye."
"Now I understand that what unites our souls most closely with God is self-denial; that is, joining our will to the will of God. This is what makes the soul truly free, contributes to profound recollection of the spirit, and makes all life's burdens light, and death sweet."
St Albert the Great (1206-1280), Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Lauingen, Bavaria; Feast day November 15th
"The Eucharist produces impulses of angelic love and has the singular capacity of effecting in souls a holy, instinctive tenderness for the Queen of the Angels. She has given us Flesh of her flesh and Bone of her bone, and in the Eucharist she continues to give us this sweet, virginal, Heavenly Food."
St Mary Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), Virgin; Glogowiec, Russian Empire (now Poland); Feast day October 5th
"He who knows how to forgive prepares for himself many graces from God. As often as I look upon the cross, so often will I forgive with all my heart."
"All for you, Jesus. I desire to adore Your mercy with every beat of my heart and to the extent that I am able, to encourage souls to trust in that mercy, as You Yourself have commanded me, O Lord."
"If only souls would become recollected, God would speak to them at once, for dissipation drowns out the word of the Lord."
"I rejoice that God dwells within me; here I abide with Him unendingly; it is here that my greatest intimacy with Him exists; here I dwell with Him in safety; here is a place not probed by the human eye."
"Now I understand that what unites our souls most closely with God is self-denial; that is, joining our will to the will of God. This is what makes the soul truly free, contributes to profound recollection of the spirit, and makes all life's burdens light, and death sweet."
St Albert the Great (1206-1280), Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Lauingen, Bavaria; Feast day November 15th
"The Eucharist produces impulses of angelic love and has the singular capacity of effecting in souls a holy, instinctive tenderness for the Queen of the Angels. She has given us Flesh of her flesh and Bone of her bone, and in the Eucharist she continues to give us this sweet, virginal, Heavenly Food."
Saturday, April 6, 2013
April 6th
St Celestine I (d. 432); Pope, Confessor; Rome, Italy
"We are deservedly to blame if we encourage error by silence."
Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain
"To the worldly, virtue wears a forbidding look; to sacrifice their worldly pleasures for her would be to buy her at too dear a rate. But when they draw near they see how lovely she is, and when they have once tasted the sweetness she possesses they cheerfully surrender all they have to win her friendship and love. How gladly did the man in the gospel hasten to sell all he had to purchase the field which contained a treasure!
"Why, then, do Christians make so little effort to obtain this inestimable good? If a companion assured you that a treasure lay hidden in your house, you would not fail to search for it, even though you doubted its existence. Yet though you know, on the infallible word of God, that you can find a priceless treasure within your own breast, you do nothing to discover it. Oh! That you would realize its value! Would that you knew how little it costs to obtain it, and how 'nigh is the Lord unto all them that call upon him, that call upon him in truth.'"
St Celestine I (d. 432); Pope, Confessor; Rome, Italy
"We are deservedly to blame if we encourage error by silence."
Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain
"To the worldly, virtue wears a forbidding look; to sacrifice their worldly pleasures for her would be to buy her at too dear a rate. But when they draw near they see how lovely she is, and when they have once tasted the sweetness she possesses they cheerfully surrender all they have to win her friendship and love. How gladly did the man in the gospel hasten to sell all he had to purchase the field which contained a treasure!
"Why, then, do Christians make so little effort to obtain this inestimable good? If a companion assured you that a treasure lay hidden in your house, you would not fail to search for it, even though you doubted its existence. Yet though you know, on the infallible word of God, that you can find a priceless treasure within your own breast, you do nothing to discover it. Oh! That you would realize its value! Would that you knew how little it costs to obtain it, and how 'nigh is the Lord unto all them that call upon him, that call upon him in truth.'"
Friday, April 5, 2013
April 5th
St Vincent Ferrer (1357-1419), Priest, Confessor; Valencia, Spain
"Do you desire to study to your advantage? Let devotion accompany all your studies, and study less to make yourself learned than to become a saint. Consult God more than your books, and ask Him, with humility, to make you understand what you read. Study fatigues and drains the mind and heart. Go from time to time to refresh them at the feet of Jesus Christ under His cross. Some moments of repose in His sacred wounds give fresh vigour and new lights. Interrupt your application by short, but fervent and ejaculatory prayers: never begin or end your study but by prayer. Science is a gift of the Father of Lights: do not therefore consider it as barely the work of your own mind or industry."
"For whosoever will proudly dispute or contradict, will always stand without the door. Christ, the master of humility, manifests His truth only to the humble, and hides Himself from the proud."
St Maria Crescentia Hoss (1682-1744), Virgin; Kaufbeuren, Bavaria
"God wants the monastery rich in virtue, not in temporal goods."
St Augustine (354-430), Confessor, Bishop, Father of the Church; Thagaste, Algeria; Feast day August 28th
"A single tear shed at the remembrance of the Passion of Jesus is worth more than a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, or a year of fasting on bread and water."
St Vincent Ferrer (1357-1419), Priest, Confessor; Valencia, Spain
"Do you desire to study to your advantage? Let devotion accompany all your studies, and study less to make yourself learned than to become a saint. Consult God more than your books, and ask Him, with humility, to make you understand what you read. Study fatigues and drains the mind and heart. Go from time to time to refresh them at the feet of Jesus Christ under His cross. Some moments of repose in His sacred wounds give fresh vigour and new lights. Interrupt your application by short, but fervent and ejaculatory prayers: never begin or end your study but by prayer. Science is a gift of the Father of Lights: do not therefore consider it as barely the work of your own mind or industry."
"For whosoever will proudly dispute or contradict, will always stand without the door. Christ, the master of humility, manifests His truth only to the humble, and hides Himself from the proud."
St Maria Crescentia Hoss (1682-1744), Virgin; Kaufbeuren, Bavaria
"God wants the monastery rich in virtue, not in temporal goods."
St Augustine (354-430), Confessor, Bishop, Father of the Church; Thagaste, Algeria; Feast day August 28th
"A single tear shed at the remembrance of the Passion of Jesus is worth more than a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, or a year of fasting on bread and water."
Thursday, April 4, 2013
April 4th
St Gaetano Catanoso (1879-1973), Priest, Confessor; Chorio, Italy
"The Holy Face is my life. He is my strength."
Padre Pio (1887-1968), Confessor, Stigmatic; Pietrelcina, Italy; Feast day September 23rd
"It is quite true, we are not worthy of such a gift [the Blessed Sacrament]. However, to approach the Blessed Sacrament in a state of mortal sin is one thing, and to be unworthy is quite another. All of us are unworthy, but it is He who invites us. It is He who desires it. Let us humble ourselves and receive Him with a heart contrite and full of love."
"Every experienced merchant in this world not only keeps track throughout the day of whether he has lost or gained on each sale. In the evening, he does the bookkeeping for the day to determine what he should do on the morrow. It follows that it is indispensable to make a rigorous examination of conscience, brief but lucid, every night."
St Paul of the Cross (1694-1775), Confessor; Ovada, Italy; Feast day April 28th
"The holy sufferings of Jesus is a sea of sorrows, but it is also a sea of love. Ask the Lord to teach you to fish in this sea. Immerse yourself in it, and, no matter how deeply you go, you will never reach the bottom. Allow yourself to be penetrated with love and sorrow. In this way you will make the sufferings of the gentle Jesus your own. Fish for the pearls of the virtues of Jesus. This holy fishing is done without words."
St Gaetano Catanoso (1879-1973), Priest, Confessor; Chorio, Italy
"The Holy Face is my life. He is my strength."
Padre Pio (1887-1968), Confessor, Stigmatic; Pietrelcina, Italy; Feast day September 23rd
"It is quite true, we are not worthy of such a gift [the Blessed Sacrament]. However, to approach the Blessed Sacrament in a state of mortal sin is one thing, and to be unworthy is quite another. All of us are unworthy, but it is He who invites us. It is He who desires it. Let us humble ourselves and receive Him with a heart contrite and full of love."
"Every experienced merchant in this world not only keeps track throughout the day of whether he has lost or gained on each sale. In the evening, he does the bookkeeping for the day to determine what he should do on the morrow. It follows that it is indispensable to make a rigorous examination of conscience, brief but lucid, every night."
St Paul of the Cross (1694-1775), Confessor; Ovada, Italy; Feast day April 28th
"The holy sufferings of Jesus is a sea of sorrows, but it is also a sea of love. Ask the Lord to teach you to fish in this sea. Immerse yourself in it, and, no matter how deeply you go, you will never reach the bottom. Allow yourself to be penetrated with love and sorrow. In this way you will make the sufferings of the gentle Jesus your own. Fish for the pearls of the virtues of Jesus. This holy fishing is done without words."
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
April 3rd
St Richard (1197-1253), Bishop, Confessor; Doitwich, England
"Lord Jesus Christ, I thank Thee for all the blessings Thou hast given me, and for all the sufferings and shame Thou didst endure for me, on which account that pitiable cry of sorrow was Thine: "Behold and see, if there was any sorrow like unto My sorrow!" Thou knowest, Lord, how willing I should be to bear insult, and pain, and death for Thee; therefore have mercy on me, for to Thee do I commend my spirit. Amen."
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Haute Savoie, France; Feast day, January 29th
"But especially I commend earnest mental prayer to you, more particularly such as bears upon the Life and Passion of our Lord. If you contemplate Him frequently in meditation, your whole soul will be filled with Him, you will grow in His Likeness, and your actions will be molded on His. He is the Light of the world; therefore in Him, by Him, and for Him we shall be enlightened and illuminated."
Padre Pio (1887-1968), Confessor, Stigmatic; Pietrelcina, Italy; Feast day September 23rd
"If you do not succeed in meditation well, do not give up doing your duty. If the distractions are numerous, do not be discouraged; do the meditation in patience, and you will still profit. Decide upon the length of your meditation, and do not leave your place before finishing, even if you have to be crucified. Why do you worry so much because you do not know how to meditate as you would like? Meditation is a means to attaining God, but it is not a goal in itself. Meditation aims at the love of God and neighbor. Love God with all your soul without reserve, and love your neighbor as yourself, and you will have accomplished half of your meditation."
St Richard (1197-1253), Bishop, Confessor; Doitwich, England
"Lord Jesus Christ, I thank Thee for all the blessings Thou hast given me, and for all the sufferings and shame Thou didst endure for me, on which account that pitiable cry of sorrow was Thine: "Behold and see, if there was any sorrow like unto My sorrow!" Thou knowest, Lord, how willing I should be to bear insult, and pain, and death for Thee; therefore have mercy on me, for to Thee do I commend my spirit. Amen."
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Haute Savoie, France; Feast day, January 29th
"But especially I commend earnest mental prayer to you, more particularly such as bears upon the Life and Passion of our Lord. If you contemplate Him frequently in meditation, your whole soul will be filled with Him, you will grow in His Likeness, and your actions will be molded on His. He is the Light of the world; therefore in Him, by Him, and for Him we shall be enlightened and illuminated."
Padre Pio (1887-1968), Confessor, Stigmatic; Pietrelcina, Italy; Feast day September 23rd
"If you do not succeed in meditation well, do not give up doing your duty. If the distractions are numerous, do not be discouraged; do the meditation in patience, and you will still profit. Decide upon the length of your meditation, and do not leave your place before finishing, even if you have to be crucified. Why do you worry so much because you do not know how to meditate as you would like? Meditation is a means to attaining God, but it is not a goal in itself. Meditation aims at the love of God and neighbor. Love God with all your soul without reserve, and love your neighbor as yourself, and you will have accomplished half of your meditation."
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