Heaven-bound!...

The Lord's Day is the lord of days... 

but also remembering today...

St John Chrysostom

 "The waters have risen and severe storms are upon us, 

but we do not fear drowning, for we stand firmly upon a rock.  

Let the sea rage, it cannot break the rock.  Let the waves rise, 
they cannot sink the boat of Jesus." - St John Chrysostom

St John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, in a homily on the words of Eucharistic institution at the Last Supper in Matthew 26, speaks most powerfully on the reality of the Body and Blood of Christ. ... Imagine the great bishop standing in the cathedral church of Constantinople before the altar and saying the following:

    "How many there are who still say, "I want to see His shape, His image, His clothing, His sandals.'  Behold you do see Him, you touch Him, you eat Him!  You want to see His clothing.  He gives Himself to you, not just to be seen but to be touched, to be eaten, to be received within.

    Let all of you be ardent, fervent, enthusiastic.  If the Jews stood, shoes on, staff in hand, and eating in haste, how much more vigilant should you be. They were about to go Palestine; you are about to go to heaven."  (Homily 82 on the Gospel of Matthew)

Excerpt from In the Presence of Our Lord:

The History, Theology and Psychology of Eucharistic Devotion

- Fr Benedict J Groeschel, CFR, and James Monti

St John Chrysostom

Chrysostomos - 'golden-mouthed'

Syria ~ 347- 407

Archbishop of Constantinople

Doctor of the Church

Patron of orators and preachers

Feast Day - September 13

Photo: Victory Angel (Sussex)

"The bee is honored more than other animals, 
not because she labors, but because
she labors for others.”  - St John Chrysostom

  Click here: Saint John Chrysostom - YouTube (25 mins - excellent!)  

Click here: Early Church Fathers: St. John Chrysostom - YouTube (4 mins)

St John Chrysostom, pray for us!

O name of Mary! Joy in the heart...

"O name of Mary! Joy in the heart,

 honey in the mouth, 

melody to the ear of Her devout clients!" 

 St Anthony of Padua

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 Feast of the Most Holy Name 
of the Blessed Virgin Mary

September 12

O amor mei nomen matris Dei ~ St. Anselm
"Oh, name of the mother of God, thou art my love."

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We venerate that name of Mary because it belongs to her who is the Mother of God, the holiest of creatures, Queen of heaven and earth, the Mother of Mercy. In accordance with Jewish custom our Lady's parents named her eight days after her birth and were inspired to call her Mary. The feast of the Holy Name of Mary follows that of her Birthday, as the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus follows Christmas. Our salvation begins when an archangel speaks the name of Mary.  To be Christian is to carry on that Annunciation unceasingly.  

Annunciation ~ Benedetto Bonfigli

"I want what is good for myself; I beg the same for you. 

Now there is no other way to bring this about than to ask the 

Virgin Mary constantly to come to you with her glorious Son. 

Be bold! Ask her to give you her Son, 

who in the Blessed Sacrament 

of the altar is truly food of your soul.  ...  

Readily will she give Him to you, still more readily 

will He come to you, giving you strength to make 

your way fearlessly through this dark wood.  In it large numbers 

of our enemies lie in wait, but they cannot reach us if they see us 

relying on such powerful help. " - St. Cajetan (+1547)

Artist: Jean Auguste D0minique Ingres

"God the Father gathered all the waters together and called them the seas or maria [Latin, seas]. He gathered all His grace together and called it Mary or Maria . . .This immense treasury is none other than Mary whom the Saints call the 'treasury of the Lord.' From Her fullness all men are made rich."

 St. Louis de Montfort (+1716)

"This most holy, sweet and worthy name was 'eminently fitted to so holy, sweet and worthy a virgin.  For Mary means a bitter sea, star of the sea, the illuminated or illuminatrix. Mary is interpreted Lady. Mary is a bitter sea to the demons; to men She is the Star of the sea; to the Angels She is illuminatrix, and to all creatures She is Lady." 

 St. Bonaventure (+1274)

“Well may all, shepherds and flock alike, fly with fullest confidence to the protection of the Blessed Virgin.  Let them not fail to call upon her name with one voice, beseeching her as God’s mother, publicly and in private by praise, by prayer, by the ardour of their desire: ‘Show thyself our Mother.’ 

 Pope Leo XIII - Adiutricem populi, Sept. 5, 1895

"Saint Bernard says, and we say with him:  Look to the star of the sea, call upon Mary ...  in danger, in distress, in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary.  May her name never be far from your lips, or far from your heart ...  If you follow her, you will not stray; if you pray to her, you will not despair; if you turn your thoughts to her, you will not err.  If she holds you, you will not fall; if she protects you, you need not fear; if she is your guide, you will not tire; if she is gracious to you, you will surely reach your destination." 

Benedict XVI, address at Heiligenkreuz Abbey, 9 September 2007

More on the Name of Mary...

Click here: ~ The Most Holy Name of Mary Devotion ~

Click here: THE HOLY NAME OF MARY

Pray the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Mary.

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Jesus - Mary - Jesus - Mary - Jesus - Mary

"The invocation of the sacred names of Jesus and Mary is a short prayer which is as sweet to the mind, and as powerful to protect those who use it against the enemies of their salvation, as it is easy to remember." 

 St. Thomas a Kempis

Life well spent...

   Teach us to number our days aright,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom. – Psalm 90:12

"Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
is half my life.

The other half consists in loving Jesus

and winning souls for Him." 

St. Mary Hermana Grivot

Martyr and Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Nun

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Photo above:  Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Annandale, VA

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25 years

09/11/01 - 09/11/26

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Eternal rest grant unto Charlie Kirk, O Lord.

One year anniversary

Source of all strength - to change the world...

   "Love tends to union with the object loved."  

St Alphonsus Ligouri

 "Everything can be borne between two Masses. 

If every morning we eat the Bread of saints,

we will be able to face any kind of day. ...

Communion is the union of man's soul with God. 

The source of all strength,

our Communions could change the world

if the fire of the Holy Spirit

were really allowed to fall on the earth,

and to renew it through you and me."

Catherine de Hueck Doherty

Servant of God 

To love as we ought...

 "Blessed is the influence of one 

truly loving human soul on another." 

George Eliot

"To love God as

He ought to be loved,

we must be detached from all temporal love.

We must love nothing but Him,

or if we love anything else,

we must love it only for His sake."

St Peter Claver
Native of Spain ~ 25 June 1581– 8 Sept 1654
Jesuit, missionary to South America

Apostolate to Africans on slave ships,
sailors and traders 
Estimated to have baptized 300,000 +

Feast Day - Sept 9

 Peter Claver understood that concrete service like 

the distributing of medicine, food or brandy to 

his black brothers and sisters could be as effective a 

communication of the word of God as mere 

verbal preaching. Peter said of the slaves, 

"We must speak to them with our hands 

by giving, before we try to 

speak to them with our lips."

Click here: Saint Peter Claver - YouTube (2 mins)

St Peter Claver, pray for us!