June 2nd
St John Chrysostom (347-407), Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Antioch; Feast day September 13th
"We ought not as soon as we retire from the Communion, to plunge into business unsuited to the Communion, but as soon as ever we get home, to take our bible into our hands, and call our wife and children to join us in putting together what we have heard, and then, not before, engage in the business of life."
St Bonaventure (1221-1274), Bishop, Doctor of the Church; Bagnoregio, Italy; Feast day July 14th
"Never will our Lord deny anything to those who have left all things for the Author of all things."
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
June 1st
St Justin (100-165), Martyr; Nablus, West Bank; Feast day June 1st
"But after you shall have known him with what inexpressible joy do you think you will be filled! How ardently will you love him who first loved you! And when you shall love him, you will be an imitator of his goodness. He who bears the burdens of others, assists all, humbles himself to all, even to his inferiors, and supplies the wants of the poor with what he has received from God, is truly the imitator of God. Then will you see on earth that God governs the world; you will know his mysteries, and will love and admire those who suffer for him: you will condemn the imposture of the world, and despise death, only fearing eternal death, in never-ending fire. When you know that fire, you will call those blessed who here suffer flames for justice. I speak not of things to which I am a stranger, but having been a disciple of the apostles, I am a teacher of nations."
"Christ's words possess a terrible power in themselves, and are sufficient to inspire those who turn aside from the path of rectitude with awe; while the sweetest rest is afford those who make a diligent practice of them."
"And this food is called among us Εὐχαριστία [the Eucharist]...For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Savior, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh."
St Hanibal Maria di Francia (1851-1927), Priest, Founder; Messina, Italy; Feast day June 1st
"What are these few orphans we attend to, these few people we bring the good news to, compared to the millions who are lost and abandoned as sheep without a shepherd?...I looked for an answer and I found a complete one in the words of Jesus: 'Beg the harvest master to send out laborers to gather his harvest.' I concluded then that I had found the secret key to all good works and to the salvation of countless souls."
St Justin (100-165), Martyr; Nablus, West Bank; Feast day June 1st
"But after you shall have known him with what inexpressible joy do you think you will be filled! How ardently will you love him who first loved you! And when you shall love him, you will be an imitator of his goodness. He who bears the burdens of others, assists all, humbles himself to all, even to his inferiors, and supplies the wants of the poor with what he has received from God, is truly the imitator of God. Then will you see on earth that God governs the world; you will know his mysteries, and will love and admire those who suffer for him: you will condemn the imposture of the world, and despise death, only fearing eternal death, in never-ending fire. When you know that fire, you will call those blessed who here suffer flames for justice. I speak not of things to which I am a stranger, but having been a disciple of the apostles, I am a teacher of nations."
"Christ's words possess a terrible power in themselves, and are sufficient to inspire those who turn aside from the path of rectitude with awe; while the sweetest rest is afford those who make a diligent practice of them."
"And this food is called among us Εὐχαριστία [the Eucharist]...For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Savior, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh."
St Hanibal Maria di Francia (1851-1927), Priest, Founder; Messina, Italy; Feast day June 1st
"What are these few orphans we attend to, these few people we bring the good news to, compared to the millions who are lost and abandoned as sheep without a shepherd?...I looked for an answer and I found a complete one in the words of Jesus: 'Beg the harvest master to send out laborers to gather his harvest.' I concluded then that I had found the secret key to all good works and to the salvation of countless souls."
May 31st
Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain
"Devout and humble prayer will afford us powerful aid in acquiring the virtue of prudence. For the principal office of the Holy Ghost being to enlighten the understanding with the gifts of knowledge, wisdom, and counsel, the greater the humility and devotion with which we present ourselves before this Divine Spirit, the greater will be the grace we shall receive."
"Be not too eager for rich apparel, for humility is incompatible with a love of display. One who is too solicitous about his dress is a slave to the opinions of men, for he certainly would not expend so much labor upon it if he thought he would not be observed. Beware, however, of going to the other extreme and dressing in a manner unsuited to your position. While claiming to despise the approbation or notice of the world, many secretly strive for it by their singularity and exaggerated simplicity."
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Roccasecca, Italy; Feast day March 7th
"God with patience and mercy awaits the sinner until his death in order to have pity upon him, should he, even in this last moment, regret his evil ways and turn toward Him. For the Lord who is merciful does not rejoice in the loss of the living."
Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain
"Devout and humble prayer will afford us powerful aid in acquiring the virtue of prudence. For the principal office of the Holy Ghost being to enlighten the understanding with the gifts of knowledge, wisdom, and counsel, the greater the humility and devotion with which we present ourselves before this Divine Spirit, the greater will be the grace we shall receive."
"Be not too eager for rich apparel, for humility is incompatible with a love of display. One who is too solicitous about his dress is a slave to the opinions of men, for he certainly would not expend so much labor upon it if he thought he would not be observed. Beware, however, of going to the other extreme and dressing in a manner unsuited to your position. While claiming to despise the approbation or notice of the world, many secretly strive for it by their singularity and exaggerated simplicity."
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Roccasecca, Italy; Feast day March 7th
"God with patience and mercy awaits the sinner until his death in order to have pity upon him, should he, even in this last moment, regret his evil ways and turn toward Him. For the Lord who is merciful does not rejoice in the loss of the living."
Thursday, May 30, 2013
May 30th
St Ferdinand III (1198-1252), King, Confessor; Leon, Spain; Feast day May 30th
"Thou, O Lord, who searchest the secrets of heart, knowest that I desire thy glory, not mine; and the increase of thy faith, and holy religion, not of transitory kingdoms."
Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain
"Seneca affirms that he who closed his heart to the claims of unruly desires was not inferior in wealth or happiness to Jupiter himself. By this he signified that as man's misery springs from unfulfilled desires, he may be said to be very near the summit of happiness who has learned to subdue his desires so that they cannot disturb him."
St Bernard (1090-1153), Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Fontaine-les-Dijon, France; Feast day August 20th
"Humility is contempt of self founded on a true knowledge of our baseness. The effect of this virtue is to pluck from our heart all the roots of pride as well as all love of earthly honors and dignities. It inspires us to seek the lowest place, persuading us that had another received the graces we enjoy he would have been more grateful and would have used them more profitably for the glory of God."
St Ferdinand III (1198-1252), King, Confessor; Leon, Spain; Feast day May 30th
"Thou, O Lord, who searchest the secrets of heart, knowest that I desire thy glory, not mine; and the increase of thy faith, and holy religion, not of transitory kingdoms."
Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain
"Seneca affirms that he who closed his heart to the claims of unruly desires was not inferior in wealth or happiness to Jupiter himself. By this he signified that as man's misery springs from unfulfilled desires, he may be said to be very near the summit of happiness who has learned to subdue his desires so that they cannot disturb him."
St Bernard (1090-1153), Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Fontaine-les-Dijon, France; Feast day August 20th
"Humility is contempt of self founded on a true knowledge of our baseness. The effect of this virtue is to pluck from our heart all the roots of pride as well as all love of earthly honors and dignities. It inspires us to seek the lowest place, persuading us that had another received the graces we enjoy he would have been more grateful and would have used them more profitably for the glory of God."
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
May 29th
St Conan and Sons (d. 275), Martyrs; Iconia, Turkey; Feast day May 29th
"Those who live according to the spirit of the world are fond of pleasures and ease; but those who live according to the Spirit of God,study to purchase the kingdom of heaven by pain and tribulation. As for me, my desire is to forfeit my life here, that I may for ever reign with Jesus Christ."
St Cyril (3rd cent.), Martyr, Ceasarea, Palestine; Feast day May 29th
"I rejoice in suffering reproaches for what I have done. God will receive me, with whom I shall be better than with my father. I cheerfully renounce earthly estates and house, that I may be made rich in heaven. I am not afraid of death, because it will procure me a better life."
St Bernard (1090-1153), Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Fontaine-les-Dijon, France; Feast day August 20th
" If we take away self-love, there will be no longer any reason for the existence of Hell."
St Conan and Sons (d. 275), Martyrs; Iconia, Turkey; Feast day May 29th
"Those who live according to the spirit of the world are fond of pleasures and ease; but those who live according to the Spirit of God,study to purchase the kingdom of heaven by pain and tribulation. As for me, my desire is to forfeit my life here, that I may for ever reign with Jesus Christ."
St Cyril (3rd cent.), Martyr, Ceasarea, Palestine; Feast day May 29th
"I rejoice in suffering reproaches for what I have done. God will receive me, with whom I shall be better than with my father. I cheerfully renounce earthly estates and house, that I may be made rich in heaven. I am not afraid of death, because it will procure me a better life."
St Bernard (1090-1153), Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Fontaine-les-Dijon, France; Feast day August 20th
" If we take away self-love, there will be no longer any reason for the existence of Hell."
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
May 28th
Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain
"Drive from your heart the bitterness of hatred and yield to the sweetness of fraternal charity. Independently of your eternal interests, which impose this duty upon you, there is nothing sweeter than love, and nothing more bitter than hatred, which preys like a cancer on the heart of it s victim, where it was first engendered."
St Bernard (1090-1153), Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Fontaine-les-Dijon, France; Feast day August 20th
"In regard to eating there are four things to be regulated: the time, the manner, the quantity, and the quality. The time should be limited to the usual hours of our repast; the manner should be free from that eagerness which makes us appear absorbed in what is set before us; the quantity and quality should not exceed what is granted others, except when a condition of health manifestly requires delicacies."
Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain
"Drive from your heart the bitterness of hatred and yield to the sweetness of fraternal charity. Independently of your eternal interests, which impose this duty upon you, there is nothing sweeter than love, and nothing more bitter than hatred, which preys like a cancer on the heart of it s victim, where it was first engendered."
St Bernard (1090-1153), Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Fontaine-les-Dijon, France; Feast day August 20th
"In regard to eating there are four things to be regulated: the time, the manner, the quantity, and the quality. The time should be limited to the usual hours of our repast; the manner should be free from that eagerness which makes us appear absorbed in what is set before us; the quantity and quality should not exceed what is granted others, except when a condition of health manifestly requires delicacies."
Monday, May 27, 2013
May 27th
St Bede (673-735), Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Northumbria, England; Feast day May 27th
"It is now time for me to return to Him who made me, and gave me a being when I was nothing. I have lived a long time; my merciful Judge most graciously foresaw and ordered the course of my life for me. The time of my dissolution draws near. I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. Yes; my soul desires to see Christ my king in His beauty."
"And I pray Thee, loving Jesus, that as Thou hast graciously given me to drink in with delight the words of Thy knowledge, so Thou wouldst mercifully grant me to attain one day to Thee, the fountain of all wisdom, and to appear forever before Thy face."
"Holy Scripture is above all other books not only by its authority because it is Divine, or by its utility because it leads to eternal life, but also by its antiquity and its literary form."
"Highest Father of lights, by whom every excellent thing is given and from whom every perfect gift descends, you have given me, the humblest of your servants, both the love and the aid to consider the wonders of your law, and have manifested to me, unworthy though I am, the grace to not only grasp the ancient offerings in the treasury of this prophetic book but also to discover new ones beneath the veil of the old and to bring them forth for the use of my fellow servants -- remember me with favor, oh my God."
"Christ is the morning star, who when the night of this world has passed, brings to his saints the promised light of life, and opens to them everlasting day. Amen."
"Whenever we enter the church and draw near to the heavenly mysteries, we ought to approach with all humility and fear, both because of the presence of the angelic powers and out of the reverence due to the sacred oblation. For as the angels are said to have stood by the Lord's body when it lay in the tomb, so we must believe that they are present in the celebration of the Mysteries of His most sacred Body at the time of consecration."
St Julius (d. 302), Martyr; Bulgaria; Feast day May 27th
"Lord Jesus, for whose name I suffer death, vouchsafe to receive my soul in the number of thy saints."
St Bede (673-735), Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Northumbria, England; Feast day May 27th
"It is now time for me to return to Him who made me, and gave me a being when I was nothing. I have lived a long time; my merciful Judge most graciously foresaw and ordered the course of my life for me. The time of my dissolution draws near. I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. Yes; my soul desires to see Christ my king in His beauty."
"And I pray Thee, loving Jesus, that as Thou hast graciously given me to drink in with delight the words of Thy knowledge, so Thou wouldst mercifully grant me to attain one day to Thee, the fountain of all wisdom, and to appear forever before Thy face."
"Holy Scripture is above all other books not only by its authority because it is Divine, or by its utility because it leads to eternal life, but also by its antiquity and its literary form."
"Highest Father of lights, by whom every excellent thing is given and from whom every perfect gift descends, you have given me, the humblest of your servants, both the love and the aid to consider the wonders of your law, and have manifested to me, unworthy though I am, the grace to not only grasp the ancient offerings in the treasury of this prophetic book but also to discover new ones beneath the veil of the old and to bring them forth for the use of my fellow servants -- remember me with favor, oh my God."
"Christ is the morning star, who when the night of this world has passed, brings to his saints the promised light of life, and opens to them everlasting day. Amen."
"Whenever we enter the church and draw near to the heavenly mysteries, we ought to approach with all humility and fear, both because of the presence of the angelic powers and out of the reverence due to the sacred oblation. For as the angels are said to have stood by the Lord's body when it lay in the tomb, so we must believe that they are present in the celebration of the Mysteries of His most sacred Body at the time of consecration."
St Julius (d. 302), Martyr; Bulgaria; Feast day May 27th
"Lord Jesus, for whose name I suffer death, vouchsafe to receive my soul in the number of thy saints."
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