Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Burning with love and great heartedness...

May my prayer be set before you like incense; 
may the lifting up of my hands be 
like the evening sacrifice.  - Psalm 141:2
____________________________

"St Mary Magdalene seeks the Lord, and when she finds 
Him, she adores Him ... Adoration takes first place.  
Mary Magdalene reminds us of the need 
to recover the primacy of adoration in the 
life of the Church and in the liturgical celebration."
- Cardinal Robert Sarah, Essay on Saint Mary Magdalene


 "Yes, I am happy, perfectly happy; 
and do you wish to know where I find true happiness?
 At the feet of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. …
I would strongly urge that, even as the Magdalene 
anointed the Lord’s feet with tears and perfumed oil, you 
too would pour out the perfume of constant prayer 
and contemplation at the foot of the tabernacle.

I should like the Eucharist to become a burning flame
for your soul, so that, immersed in that flame, it might 
emerge burning with love and great-heartedness. 
I should like to see this Eucharistic altar, on which 
Jesus is sacrificed, accept your offering too, so that 
you may become a victim of love, whose perfume 
rises to the throne of the Eternal God!"
Fr Augustine Mary of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Carmelite priest  (1821 to 1871)
Photo:  St Joseph Catholic Church ~ Ogden, Utah. USA

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Remembering ...
St Mary Magdalene
Disciple of Jesus
"Apostle to the Apostles"
"apostola apostolorum"(in Latin)
first formally used by St Thomas Aquinas
Feast Day – July 22



    “The story of Mary of Magdala reminds us all of a fundamental truth.
A disciple of Christ is one who, in the experience of human weakness,
has had the humility to ask for His help, has been healed by Him 
and has set out following closely after Him, becoming a witness of the 
power of His merciful love that is stronger than sin and death.”
 Pope Benedict XVI
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A must read! - Saint Mary Magdalene, 
Prophetess of Eucharistic Love
- Fr Sean Davidson (2017) - Ignatius Press


Painting:  Forgiven - Daniel Gerhartz  

St Mary Magdalene, pray for us!

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

A privilege indeed!...

"The privilege of receiving the Holy Eucharist  from the Hands of Jesus Himself was experienced by a number of saints, including St Lawrence of Brindisi, a Capuchin, whose unusual talents and rare virtue were called upon by Pope Clement VIII for several unusual missions.  One of these was his chaplaincy to the Imperial army of Prague. ...


With the Turks still menacing nearby Christian countries, the Imperial army of 18,000 men assembled to do battle with the Turks, who numbered 80,000.  Vastly outnumbered, the Christians appealed to St Lawrence for advice and encouragement.  After delivering a rousing discourse, the saint, despite his mature years, mounted a horse and with the cross held high in his hands led the troops against the infidels.  The crushing defeat of the Turks was attributed by all to the prayers and inspiration of the saint. 


It is told that on his return from the campaign he joined his brethren at Goriziawhere Our Lord appeared to them and gave them all Holy Communion with His own Hand."  From Eucharistic Miracles - Joan Carroll Cruz

St Lawrence of Brindisi
1559-1619 ~ Italy
Capuchin priest
Preached in 8 languages fluently
Doctor of the Church
Feast Day - July 21


"All things are possible for him who believes, 
more to him who hopes, 
even more to him who loves."
St Lawrence of Brindisi

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=2977

St Lawrence of Brindisi, pray for us!

Monday, July 20, 2026

Enlarging our hearts by confidence in God...

"Those whose hearts are enlarged by confidence 
in God run swiftly on the path of perfection. 
They not only run, they fly." - St Alphonsus Liguori


"Trust in the power of the 
Holy Eucharist and Our Blessed Lady. 
Do what you can and leave the rest to God."
Saint John Bosco
______________
Madonna of the Grapes - Pierre Mignard
Overseer of the Eucharistic Life

Sunday, July 19, 2026

Jesus speaks to our souls...

 "Faith is the strength by which a shattered world

shall emerge into the light." - Helen Keller



"If we love Jesus, we shall always receive 
from Him the light and counsel which we need
His enlightenment is clear and 
His counsel satisfies fully the needs of our hearts.
How can we have this light and this counsel?

Jesus speaks to our souls in many ways.
He speaks to us when we read the pages of the Gospel; 
when we recollect ourselves in His presence during meditation
when we visit Him in the Tabernacle and speak to Him 
really and truly present under the Eucharistic species and, 
when we ask Him, in all our difficulties, for holy inspiration 
which will guide us and direct us towards what is good.

God will never deny His light and counsel to a 
humble supplicant. Nobody can speak to our souls 
with greater efficacy than Jesus Christ.
'Listen to the interior Master,' wrote St Margaret Mary Alacoque.
'Never do anything without seeking His advice.'"
Antonio Cardinal Baccio

Saturday, July 18, 2026

Dusting off the soul...

 ... I was sick and you looked after me ... 
Matthew 25:36c

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"St Camillus de Lellis never celebrated 
Holy Mass without first going to Confession, 
because he wanted at least "to dust off" his soul.  
Once at sundown in a public square in Livorno, before taking 
leave of a priest of the same religious order, foreseeing that 
he would not have a priest to confess to on the following 
morning before his Mass, the Saint paused, 
took off his hat, made the sign of the Cross and went 
to Confession right there in the square to his confrere."

From Jesus Our Eucharistic Love 
by Fr Stefano M Manelli, FFI


St Camillus de Lellis
Italy ~ 1550-1614
Encouraged to priesthood by St Philip Neri
Founder of Order: Fathers of Good Death
Patron of hospitals, nurses and the sick
Feast Day - July 18
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The Camellians took the vow to "devote themselves to 
material and spiritual care of the sick and needy". 
St. Camillus honored the poor and sick as living images 
of Christ. His reverence in their presence was as great 
as if he were really and truly in the presence of his Lord.


 “The poor and the sick are the heart of God. 
In serving them, we serve Jesus the Christ. 
...We want to assist the sick with the same love 
that a mother has for her only sick child."
  Saint Camillus de Lellis


The figure on this crucifix, which is venerated in the Church of Mary Magdalene in Rome
is the one which in 1582 detached its arm and comforted St.Camillus de Lellis with these words "Take Courage, faint-hearted one. Continue the work you have begun. 
I will be with you because it is My work." Camillus was very discouraged at the time 
because of opposition to his health care reforms. Our Lord's words were instrumental 
in the Saint pushing ahead and founding the Order of the Ministers of the Sick.

Crucifix image above from Miraculous Images of Our Lord, by Joan Carroll Cruz, TAN Books (1993)

St Camillus, pray for us!