June 23rd
St Bonaventure (1221-1274), Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Bagnoregio, Italy; Feast day July 14
"Great are the excellences of prayer, great its privileges. The heavens open before it and unveil therein their secrets, and to it are the ears of God ever attentive."
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787), Bishop, Confessor, Founder; Marianella, Italy; Feast day August 2nd
"Perhaps if God had given us greater talent, better health, a more personable appearance, we might have lost our souls! Great talent and knowledge have caused many to be puffed up with the idea of their own importance and, in their pride, they have despised others. How easily those who have these gifts fall into grave danger to their salvation!...'But one thing is necessary,' and it is not beauty, not health, not talent. It is the salvation of our immortal souls."
Monday, June 24, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
June 22nd
St Paulinus of Nola (353-431), Bishop, Confessor; Bourdeaux, France; Feast day June 22nd
"Is surprised me that anyone should look upon it as a great action for a man to purchase eternal salvation, the only solid good, with perishable pelf, and to sell the earth to buy heaven."
St John Fisher (1469-1535), Bishop, Martyr; Beverley, Yorkshire, England; Feast day June 22nd
"Christian people, I am come hither to die for the faith of Christ's Catholic Church, and I thank God hitherto my courage hath served me well thereto, so that yet hitherto I have not feared death; wherefore I desire you help me and assist me with your prayers, that at the very point and instant of my death's stroke, and in the very moment of my death, I then faint not in any point of the Catholic Faith for fear; and I pray God save the king and the realm, and hold His holy hand over it, and send the king a good counsel."
St Paulinus of Nola (353-431), Bishop, Confessor; Bourdeaux, France; Feast day June 22nd
"Is surprised me that anyone should look upon it as a great action for a man to purchase eternal salvation, the only solid good, with perishable pelf, and to sell the earth to buy heaven."
St John Fisher (1469-1535), Bishop, Martyr; Beverley, Yorkshire, England; Feast day June 22nd
"Christian people, I am come hither to die for the faith of Christ's Catholic Church, and I thank God hitherto my courage hath served me well thereto, so that yet hitherto I have not feared death; wherefore I desire you help me and assist me with your prayers, that at the very point and instant of my death's stroke, and in the very moment of my death, I then faint not in any point of the Catholic Faith for fear; and I pray God save the king and the realm, and hold His holy hand over it, and send the king a good counsel."
June 21st
St Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591), Confessor; Castiglione, Italy; Feast day June 21st
"I am a piece of twisted iron. I entered the religious life to get twisted straight."
"He who fears God, will do good."
"I want to be a prince in Heaven. It is hard for a sovereign to save his soul."
"Father, I leave myself entirely in your hands, you can do what you like with me; but I tell you positively that God has called me to the Society of Jesus, and in resisting my wishes you are resisting the will of God."
St Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641), Widow, Foundress; Dijon, France; Feast day August 21st
"The only thing which is absolutely indispensable to prayer is our heart and, though if this part of us be not committed all the rest is only a hollow mockery, nevertheless with heart alone given to prayer we never lack for anything."
St Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591), Confessor; Castiglione, Italy; Feast day June 21st
"I am a piece of twisted iron. I entered the religious life to get twisted straight."
"He who fears God, will do good."
"I want to be a prince in Heaven. It is hard for a sovereign to save his soul."
"Father, I leave myself entirely in your hands, you can do what you like with me; but I tell you positively that God has called me to the Society of Jesus, and in resisting my wishes you are resisting the will of God."
St Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641), Widow, Foundress; Dijon, France; Feast day August 21st
"The only thing which is absolutely indispensable to prayer is our heart and, though if this part of us be not committed all the rest is only a hollow mockery, nevertheless with heart alone given to prayer we never lack for anything."
Friday, June 21, 2013
June 20th
Bl Conor O'Devany (1532-1612), Priest, Martyr; Co. Down, Ireland; Feast day June 20th
"Come, my brave comrade, noble soldier of Christ, let us imitate as best we can the death of Him who was led to the slaughter as the sheep before the shearer."
Bl Peter O'Higgins (1602-1642), Priest, Martyr; Ireland; Feast day June 20th
"So here the condition on which I am granted my life. They want me to deny my religion. I spurn their offer. I die a Catholic and a Dominican priest. I forgive from my heart all who have conspired to bring about my death."
St Louis de Montfort (1673-1716), Priest, Confessor; Monfort-sur-Meu, France; Feast day April 28th
"The Most High, the Incomprehensible One, the Inaccessible One, He who is, deigned to come down to us poor earthly creatures who are nothing at all. How was this done? The Most High God came down to us in a perfect way through the humble Virgin Mary, without losing anything of His divinity or holiness. It is likewise through Mary that we poor creatures must ascend to almighty God in a perfect manner without having anything to fear."
Bl Conor O'Devany (1532-1612), Priest, Martyr; Co. Down, Ireland; Feast day June 20th
"Come, my brave comrade, noble soldier of Christ, let us imitate as best we can the death of Him who was led to the slaughter as the sheep before the shearer."
Bl Peter O'Higgins (1602-1642), Priest, Martyr; Ireland; Feast day June 20th
"So here the condition on which I am granted my life. They want me to deny my religion. I spurn their offer. I die a Catholic and a Dominican priest. I forgive from my heart all who have conspired to bring about my death."
St Louis de Montfort (1673-1716), Priest, Confessor; Monfort-sur-Meu, France; Feast day April 28th
"The Most High, the Incomprehensible One, the Inaccessible One, He who is, deigned to come down to us poor earthly creatures who are nothing at all. How was this done? The Most High God came down to us in a perfect way through the humble Virgin Mary, without losing anything of His divinity or holiness. It is likewise through Mary that we poor creatures must ascend to almighty God in a perfect manner without having anything to fear."
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
June 19th
St Philip Neri (1515-1595), Priest, Confessor, Founder; Florence, Italy; Feast day May 26th
"In order the better to gain souls, in visiting the sick, we ought to imagine that what we do for the sick man we are doing for Christ Himself; we shall thus perform this work of mercy with more love and greater spiritual profit."
"Nothing is more dangerous for beginners in the spiritual life, than to wish to play the master, and to guide and convert others. Beginners should look after their own conversion and be humble, lest they should fancy they had done some great thing, and so should fall into pride."
St Louis de Montfort (1673-1716), Priest, Confessor; Monfort-sur-Meu, France; Feast day April 28th
"He is so gentle and unobtrusive that you might often think that He is not present when you meet with accidents and contradictions. But, possessed of invincible power, He quietly but effectively brings all things to a happy issue in ways unknown to men."
St Philip Neri (1515-1595), Priest, Confessor, Founder; Florence, Italy; Feast day May 26th
"In order the better to gain souls, in visiting the sick, we ought to imagine that what we do for the sick man we are doing for Christ Himself; we shall thus perform this work of mercy with more love and greater spiritual profit."
"Nothing is more dangerous for beginners in the spiritual life, than to wish to play the master, and to guide and convert others. Beginners should look after their own conversion and be humble, lest they should fancy they had done some great thing, and so should fall into pride."
St Louis de Montfort (1673-1716), Priest, Confessor; Monfort-sur-Meu, France; Feast day April 28th
"He is so gentle and unobtrusive that you might often think that He is not present when you meet with accidents and contradictions. But, possessed of invincible power, He quietly but effectively brings all things to a happy issue in ways unknown to men."
June 18th
St Claude de la Colombiere (1641-1682), Priest, Confessor; Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon, France; Feast day February 15th
"Even if the Holy Spirit had not called blessed those who suffer, if every page of Scripture did not proclaim aloud the necessity of adversity, if we did not see that suffering is the normal destiny of those who are friends of God, we should still be convinced that it is of untold advantage to us. It is enough to know that the God who chose to suffer all the most horrible tortures the rage of man can invent rather than see us condemned to the slightest pain in the next life is the same God who prepares and offers us the chalice of bitterness we must drink in this world. A God who has so suffered to prevent us from suffering would not make us suffer today to give Himself cruel and pointless pleasure."
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787), Bishop, Confessor, Founder; Marianella, Italy; Feast day August 2nd
"Let us then abandon everything to God's good pleasure, because being infinitely wise, He knows what is best for us; and being all-good and all-loving -- having given His life for us -- He wills what is best for us."
St Claude de la Colombiere (1641-1682), Priest, Confessor; Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon, France; Feast day February 15th
"Even if the Holy Spirit had not called blessed those who suffer, if every page of Scripture did not proclaim aloud the necessity of adversity, if we did not see that suffering is the normal destiny of those who are friends of God, we should still be convinced that it is of untold advantage to us. It is enough to know that the God who chose to suffer all the most horrible tortures the rage of man can invent rather than see us condemned to the slightest pain in the next life is the same God who prepares and offers us the chalice of bitterness we must drink in this world. A God who has so suffered to prevent us from suffering would not make us suffer today to give Himself cruel and pointless pleasure."
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787), Bishop, Confessor, Founder; Marianella, Italy; Feast day August 2nd
"Let us then abandon everything to God's good pleasure, because being infinitely wise, He knows what is best for us; and being all-good and all-loving -- having given His life for us -- He wills what is best for us."
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
June 17th
St Augustine (354-430), Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Tagaste, Algeria; Feast day August 28th
"All that happens to us in this world against our will (whether due to men or to other causes) happens to us only by the will of God, by the disposal of Providence, by His orders and under His guidance; and if from the frailty of our understanding we cannot grasp the reason for some event, let us attribute it to divine Providence, show Him respect by accepting it from His hand, believe firmly that He does not send it us without cause."
St Claude de la Colombiere (1641-1682), Priest, Confessor; Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon, France; Feast day February 15th
"God is looking after us and yet we are full of anxiety! We trust ourselves to a doctor because we suppose he knows his business. He orders an operation which involves cutting away part of our body and we accept it. We are grateful ot him and pay him a large fee because we judge he would not act as he does unless the remedy were necessary, and we must rely on his skill. Yet we are unwilling to treat God in the same way! It looks as if we do not trust His wisdom and are afraid He cannot do His job properly. We allow ourselves to be operated on by a man who may easily make a mistake -- a mistake which may cost us our life -- and protest when God sets to work on us."
St Augustine (354-430), Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church; Tagaste, Algeria; Feast day August 28th
"All that happens to us in this world against our will (whether due to men or to other causes) happens to us only by the will of God, by the disposal of Providence, by His orders and under His guidance; and if from the frailty of our understanding we cannot grasp the reason for some event, let us attribute it to divine Providence, show Him respect by accepting it from His hand, believe firmly that He does not send it us without cause."
St Claude de la Colombiere (1641-1682), Priest, Confessor; Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon, France; Feast day February 15th
"God is looking after us and yet we are full of anxiety! We trust ourselves to a doctor because we suppose he knows his business. He orders an operation which involves cutting away part of our body and we accept it. We are grateful ot him and pay him a large fee because we judge he would not act as he does unless the remedy were necessary, and we must rely on his skill. Yet we are unwilling to treat God in the same way! It looks as if we do not trust His wisdom and are afraid He cannot do His job properly. We allow ourselves to be operated on by a man who may easily make a mistake -- a mistake which may cost us our life -- and protest when God sets to work on us."
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