...the never-ceasing silent appeal of the Tabernacle...

 In him and through faith in him we may approach God

with freedom and confidence. – Ephesians 3:12

J.R.R. Tolkien's personal piety was simple: Confession before Mass, Mass every day and Rosary before bed. The sole ultimate focus of his devotion was the Blessed Sacrament.

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Here is the conclusion of a very moving letter 

he wrote to his son, Michael, in 1941:

''Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament... There you will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth..." (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, no. 43)

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In another moving letter, written 22 years later 
to the same son, Tolkien writes:

''But I fell in love with the Blessed Sacrament from the beginning - and by the mercy of God never have fallen out again: but alas! I indeed did not live up to it...Out of wickedness and sloth I almost ceased to practice my religion - especially at Leeds, and at 22 Northmoor Road. Not for me the Hound of Heaven, but the never-ceasing silent appeal of the Tabernacle, and the sense of starving hunger. I regret those days bitterly (and suffer for them with such patience as I can be given); most of all because I failed as a father.

Now I pray for you all, unceasingly, that the Healer (the Hælend as the Saviour was usually called in Old English) shall heal my defects, and that none of you shall  ever cease to cry Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.'' (Ibid. no. 250).

He gives His all...

    "To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; 

to seek Him, the greatest adventure;

to find Him, the greatest human achievement."

 St Augustine 

"God in His omnipotence could not give more, 

in His wisdom knew not how to give more,

in His riches had not more to give, 
than the Eucharist."

St Augustine

North Africa ~ 354-430

Bishop, Doctor of the Church

Powerful intellect, stirring orator, prolific writer
Feast Day - August 28
 

“If you believe what you like in the gospel, 
and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel 
you believe, but yourself." - St Augustine of Hippo
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Click here: St. Augustine - YouTube  (2 mins)
33 Powerful Saint Augustine Quotes on Love, Beauty, God, Sin, Time, Wisdom, Hope, Patience, and More | The Unbounded Spirit
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"In 397, or twelve years after his conversion, Augustine wrote his Confessions, the greatest spiritual autobiography ever written. It is the work of a teacher who  explains, a philosopher who thinks, and a theologian who instructs. It is the  work of a poet who achieves chaste beauty in the writing, and a mystic who pours out thanks for having found himself in peace. " - Ven Fulton J. Sheen in his  biographical work,  St Augustine of Hippo

Confessions by Saint Augustine of Hippo (FULL Audio Book)

Excerpt (Confessions 10.27): "Too late have I loved You, O Beauty
so ancient and so new, too late have I loved You. You have called to me,
and have cried out, and have shattered my deafness. 
You have blazed forth with light and have put my blindness to flight!
You have sent forth fragrance, and I have drawn in my breath,
and I pant after You. I have tasted You, and I hunger and thirst after You.
You have touched me, and I have burned for Your peace." 

St Augustine, pray for us!

Let it be said - of you and of me...

 My heart is steadfast, O God ... - Psalm 108, 1a

 

St Augustine has left us this praise of his mother, St Monica:

"She did not let a day pass

without being present

at the Divine Sacrifice

before Your altar, O Lord."

St Monica

North Africa ~ 333-387

Mother of St Augustine

Patroness of Married women and Mothers

Feast Day - August 27

"Nothing is far from God." - St Monica

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As recounted by Augustine... 

before his mother died she told him...

"There was indeed one thing for which I wished 

to tarry a little in this life, and that was 

that I might see you a Catholic before I died. 

My God hath answered this more than 

abundantly, so that I see you are now made 

His servant and spurning all earthly happiness. 

What more am I to do here?"

   Click here: St. Monica - YouTube (2 mins)

 

Prayer for St Monica's intercession

Exemplary mother of the great Augustine, you perseveringly 

pursued your wayward son not with wild threats but with 

prayerful cries to heaven. Intercede for all mothers in our day so 

that they may learn to draw their children to God. Teach them 

how to remain close to their children, even the prodigal 

sons and daughters who have sadly gone astray. Amen.

St Monica, pray for us!

Co-workers of Christ...

  “I know I would not be able to work one week 

if it were not for that continual force coming from 
Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.” 

 St Teresa of Calcutta

"Each one of us is a co-worker of Christ 

- we must labor hard to carry Him to the hearts 

where He has not yet been known and loved... But, 

unless we have Jesus, we cannot give Him; 
that is why we need the Eucharist. 

Spend as much time as possible in front 

of the Blessed Sacrament and He will 

fill you with His strength and power." 

St Teresa of Calcutta

nee Albania 

 Anniversary of birth 08/26/1910
Foundress - Missionaries of Charity

Painting:  Young Woman Praying in Church - Jules Breton

"Joy is prayer -

Joy is strength  - Joy is love - 

Joy is a net of love by

which you can catch souls."

St Teresa of Calcutta

St Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us!

Christ's Word - sufficient...

 ... so is my word that goes out from my mouth: 

It will not return to me empty, but will 

accomplish what I desire and achieve the 

purpose for which I sent it. - Isaiah 55:11 

    In the person of St Louis IX were the qualities which form a great king, a hero of romance, and a saint!  With his death, the century of knights ended.  
    One day a messenger, breathless with haste, burst in upon the king with surprising and exciting news. "Your majesty," he cried, "hasten to the Church!  A great miracle is occurring there.  A priest is saying holy Mass, and after the consecration, instead of the host there is visible on the altar Jesus Himself in His human figure.  Everybody is marveling at it.  Hurry before it disappears."

    To the astonishment of the messenger, the saintly monarch calmly replied:  "Let them go to see the miracle who have any doubt regarding the Real Presence of our Lord in the Holy Sacrament.  As for me, even if I saw Jesus on the altar in His visible form, and touched Him with my hand, and heard His voice, I should not be more convinced than I now am, that He is present in the consecrated Host. The word of Christ is sufficient for me.  I need no miracle."

Louis Kaczmarek

Hidden Treasure, the Riches of the Eucharist

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King St Louis IX
France ~ 1214-1270

Good and generous king, model father
Wife: Margaret of Provence

Father of eleven children

Feast Day - August 25

 

From St Louis' mother...

"Never forget that sin is the only great evil in the world. 

No mother could love her son more than I love you. 

But I would rather see you lying dead at my feet 

than know that you had offended God by one mortal sin."

Click here: Last Words of Saint Louis IX, 1270 - YouTube (7:44 mins)

Click here: Louis IX - The Crusader King - YouTube (15:44 mins)

King St Louis IX, pray for us!