Quotes

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Ambrose of Sienna, Feast day October 8




Bl. Ambrose of Sienna
Bl. Ambrose of Sienna

Bl. Ambrose of Sienna was born on April 16, 1220.  He was born with a congenital deformity.  Cared for by a nurse, she took him to Mass at The Dominican Church of St. Mary Magdalene.

It was noticed that little Ambrose was always calm near the altar.  When they left the altar he would cry.  At about the age of a year while they were near the altar Ambrose distinctly pronounced the sacred name of Jesus.  He was instantly healed of his deformity.

Not surprisingly, Ambrose was a very pious child.  At the age of seven he spent his time in meditation and praying the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin.  His Father was an illuminator of books.  One of the gifts he gave Ambrose was a book of saints.  It became Ambrose favorite book.

At the age of 17 Ambrose joined the Dominican Friars.  He was sent to Paris to study with St. Albert the Great.  St. Thomas Aquinas was a fellow student.  Ambrose was influenced by the writing of St. Thomas Aquinas which convinced him to preach rather than write.

Bl. Ambrose preached in Germany, France and Italy, living a life of constant prayer.  He became known as a peacemaker.  He restored peace between Venice and Genoa and also Florence and Pisa.  He was sent on many peacemaking missions.

Bl. Ambrose was given the gift of ecstasy and vision.  After his death  miracles were reported at his tomb.

 

If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship,

he would keep it in port forever.

Quote of St. Thomas Aquinas;  Feast Day January 28

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

 

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Feast of the Most Holy Rosary, October 7




 

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Staute
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Staute

 

The Feast Day of the Most Holy Rosary is celebrated on October 7.  Originally, it was known as the Feast day of Our Lady of Victory in memory of the naval victory which took place called the Battle of Lepanto in the 16th century.  The Christian forces repelled a massive Turkish invasion after Pope St. Pius V urged Europe’s Christians to pray the Rosary.  In 1573, St. Pius V established the feast day.  It was extended to the universal church in 1716 by Pope Clement XI.

 

Devotion to the Rosary was begun by  St. Dominic.   The devotion  combines meditation on the life of Christ, with memorized prayer.   Tradition tells us that when Dominic became discouraged with the slow progress of his work of preaching against the Abligensian heresy, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him with a beautiful wreath of roses. She asked him to say the Rosary every day and to teach the people to say the Rosary. Soon the heresy began to disappear. The devotion of the rosary continues today.

The feast day of the Most Holy Rosary is a day we can take time to thank the Blessed Virgin Mary for all the times she has prayed and interceded for us.  Our faith teaches us that Mary is our spiritual mother.  Praying the rosary is actually a meditation on the life of Jesus.  It consists of four sets of mysteries:  The Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries.  Each set has five events in the life of Jesus to meditate on.

 

The Joyful Mysteries: 1. Annunciation 2. Visitation 3. Birth of Jesus 4. Presentation in the Temple 5. Finding the Child Jesus

The Luminous Mysteries: 1. Christ’s Baptism I the Jordan 2. Wedding at Cana 3. Proclamation of the Kingdom 4. Transfiguration 5. Institution of the Eucharist

Sorrowful Mysteries: 1. Agony in the Garden 2. Scourging at the Pillar 3. Crowning with Thorns 4. Carrying of the Cross 5. Crucifixion

Glorious Mysteries: 1. Resurrection 2. Ascension into Heaven 3. Descent of the Holy Spirit 4. Assumption 5. Crowning of Our Blessed Lady

 

When we pray the rosary we dedicate the prayer for a certain intention such as healing the sick, guiding someone in need or peace in our family.  It is a personal prayer based on the life of Jesus.    Thank you Mary for listening to us!

 

Praying the rosary is not difficult.  If you would like to learn how to pray the rosary, this article  will lead you through it.

Remember, Jesus loved Mary.  If we want to imitate Jesus we should honor His Mother.

 

 

“It could be said that each mystery of the rosary, carefully meditated,

sheds light on the mystery of man.”

Quote of Pope ;John Paul II;  Feast Day October 22

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Faustina, Feast Day October 5




St. Faustina
St. Faustina

 

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Faustina, Feast Day October 5

The feast day of St. Faustina is celebrated on October 5.  She is considered the Apostle of Mercy.

St. Faustina was baptized Helena Kowalska.   She was born into a very poor family of ten children  on August 25, 1905 in Glogowiec, Poland.  She lived on a farm receiving only three years of education.

St. Faustina worked as a housekeeper before joining the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1925 at the age of 20.  For 13 years she prayed in the convent and worked as a cook, gardener and porter.

St. Faustina grew in holiness.  She had a very mystical interior life.  She had the gifts of visions, prophecy, the stigmata , bi-location, the gift of reading hearts and mystical marriage.

The vision which impacted the world was a vision of Jesus.  She tells the story in her Diary.

 

“In the evening, when I was in my cell, I became aware of the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand was raised in blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From the opening of the garment at the breast there came forth two large rays, one red and the other pale. In silence I gazed intently at the Lord; my soul was overwhelmed with fear, but also with great joy. After a while Jesus said to me, ‘paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the inscription: Jesus, I trust in You.'”

Some time later, Our Lord again spoke to her:

“The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous; the red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the depths of My most tender Mercy at that time when My agonizing Heart was opened by a lance on the cross….Fortunate is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him.”

 

 

Divine Mercy
Divine Mercy

 

At the request of Jesus she willingly offered her sufferings in union with him to atone for the sins of others. He also asked her to remind the world of His Divine Mercy and He taught her a very special devotion to the Divine Mercy based on trust in Him.   She had a special devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Eucharist and the Sacrament of confession which strengthened her.

One of the vision she experienced was a visit to hell, which she shares in her diary.  She suffered greatly interiorly, however she only shared her suffering with her spiritual director.  At the request of Jesus and her confessors, St. Faustina kept a diary in which she shared her visions.

St. Faustina died of tuberculosis in Krakow, Poland at age 33 in 1938.  She was canonized by the first Polish Pope, Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000

Divine Mercy Sunday is now celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Easter.

 

“Jesus, I Trust In You”

Quote of St. Faustina

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

 

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Theodore Guerin, Feast Day October 3




St. Theodore Guerin
St. Theodore Guerin

The feast day of St. Theodore Guerin is celebrated on October 3.  She is the patron saint of the Diocese of Lafayette, Indiana.

 

St. Theodore Guérin’s birth name was Anne Thérése. She was born on Oct. 2, 1798 in Etables, France. Her father served in Napoleon’s navy. At the young age of 15 her father was murdered by bandits while traveling home for a visit.

Anne Thérése turned to God in the difficult years following his death. At the age of 25 she entered the Sisters of Providence to serve the poor, sick and dying. Anne Thérése became Sister Theodore. She was asked to lead a small missionary band of Sisters to the United States in Indiana.

Mother Théodore accepted the mission in spite of her fragile health. She could only consume soft, bland food and liquid. She traveled to the Unites States with five other sisters. After surviving a violent storm at sea in the trip Mother Théodore wrote the following:

 

“What strength the soul draws from prayer! In the midst of a storm, how sweet is the calm it finds in the heart of Jesus. But what comfort is there for those who do not pray?”

 

Mother Théodore established schools in Indiana and Illinois. She is described as saintly by people who knew her.

Sixteen years after coming to the United States she died. She is buried in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in St. Mary of the Woods, Indiana.

St. Théodore Guérin was beatified on Oct. 25, 1998 by Pope John Paul II.

St. Théodore Guérin was canonized on Oct. 15, 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI.

 

“If you lean with all your weight upon Providence,

you will find yourselves well supported,”

Quote of St. Theodore Guerin

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

 

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Feast of the Guardian Angels, Feast Day October 2




Gethsemane by Carl Bloch
Gethsemane
by Carl Bloch

 

The feast day of the Guardian Angels is celebrated on October 2.  The feast day was added to the Church Calendar in the year 1615 by Pope Paul V.

References to angels occur frequently in the bible.  Jesus himself refers to angels saying:

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly father. ( Matthew 18:10)

An angel is mentioned at least 17 times in the New Testament.  Two incidents which would indicate a guardian angel are the angel who delivered St. Peter from prison (Acts 5:19) and the angel who ministered to Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Luke 22:39)

THE ANGEL WITH ST. PETER

19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said,  “Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life.”  When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.

CHRIST PRAYING IN GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE

39 He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him.  When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”  Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength.

The function of the guardian angels is to strengthen,lead and guide us to the Kingdom of Heaven.

“Are not all angels spirits in the divine service went to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? “(Hebrews 1:14)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church declares in section 336 about guardian angels: “From infancy to death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.”

All of us at some time in our life need guidance and help during times of suffering and confusion.  We turn to Jesus in prayer to lead us to everlasting life.  Mary and the saints pray for us and are our role models.  But  we should also turn to  our guardian angel and be grateful for all the unknown times we have been led down the correct path.

Guardian Angel with Children
Guardian Angel with Children

 

The angels rejoice and celebrate with Christ over the return of the Lord’s sheep…He sought us on earth; let us seek Him in heaven.

Quote of St. Peter Chrysologus;  Feast day July 30

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

 

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Jerome, Feast Day September 30




 

St. Jerome and the Angel by Simon Vouet Public Domain Image
St. Jerome and the Angel
by Simon Vouet

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Jerome,

Feast Day September 30

The feast day of St. Jerome is celebrated on September 30.  He is the patron saint of Bible scholars.  He is considered one of the four great Doctors of the Church along with St. Ambrose, St. Augustine and St. Gregory of Nazianzus.

St. Jerome was born in Dalmatia around 340-342 A.D into a wealthy family.  His father was a Christian and made sure he was well educated.  His mother was a pagan.  At the age of 20 he visited Rome.  He enjoyed visiting the tombs of the martyrs and the Apostles and converted to Christianity.  He was baptized by Pope Liberius in 360.

St. Jerome studied theology and then began life as a hermit in the Syrian desert.  He was ordained a priest in Antioch at about the age of 40.  He then went to Constantinople where he met St. Gregory of Nazianzus.  He became the secretary for Pope Darnasus who commissioned him to translate the Bible.  This project took him 30 years.

While living in Rome he was known for his personal holiness, learning and integrity.  He was, however, disliked by many for his blunt sarcasm.  He left Rome and went to Bethlehem where he established a monastery.  He lived in prayer and study until the end of his life.

In art, St. Jerome is often shown with an angel with a trumpet.  He was believed to have had a dream when he was seriously ill.  In the dream he appeared before God’s judgment seat and was condemned for not being a Christian.

St. Jerome died peacefully on September 39, 420 after suffering from an illness for two years.

 

“The letters of the apostles are spiritual rain for us.”

Quote of St. Jerome

 

September is the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows

 

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