He provides, we trust...

"Catch, then, O catch the transient hour; 

Improve each moment as it flies!" - St Jerome

"If Christ did not want to dismiss the Jews

without food in the desert for fear

that they would collapse on the way,

it was to teach us that it is

dangerous to try to get to heaven

without the Bread of Heaven." - St Jerome 

 

St Jerome
c. 331- 420

Early Church Father, Doctor of the Church
Brilliant and thorough scholar and writer 

Translated Scripture into Latin (Vulgate) 

Consultant to Popes and Bishops

Feast Day - September 30

Bartolomeo Cavarozzi ~ St Jerome

 "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." - St Jerome

"Be at peace with your own soul, then heaven and earth 
will be at peace with you." - St Jerome

Click here: St. Jerome - YouTube (2 mins)
10 Witty quotes from Saint Jerome
Top 9 quotes of ST. JEROME

St Jerome, pray for us!

Guardians of power and love...

Feast of Archangels

St Michael~St Gabriel~St Raphael

September 29

"O, angelic spirits, 
who guard our tabernacles, wherein lies 
the adorable treasure of the Holy Eucharist,

defend it from profanation 
and preserve it for our love."

St Josemaria Escriva 

"Michael and his Angels battled against the dragon...

Satan, the seducer of the whole world, was driven out."

Revelation 12:7, 9

The Three Archangels and Tobias, Francesco Botticini, 1470

A Sermon of Pope Saint Gregory 
From the Third Nocturne of Matins of the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel

We speak of nine orders of Angels, because we know, by the testimony of Holy Scripture, that there are the following: Angels, Archangels, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Dominations, Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim. It must be realized that "Angel" is the name of their office, not of their nature. For the holy Spirits of the heavenly homeland are always Spirits, but they cannot always be called Angels; they are Angels only when they are announcing something. Those who announce less important things are called Angels, and those who announce the highest things are called Archangels. And so not any Angel but the Archangel Gabriel was sent to Mary; for this ministry, it was fitting to have the highest Angel, since he was to announce the greatest news of all. These Archangels are also given special names to describe their particular virtue. For Michael means "Who is like to God?" Gabriel means "Strength of God," and Raphael "Medicine of God."

Whenever something is to be done needing great power, Michael is sent forth so that from his action and his name we may understand that no one can do what God can do. Hence that old enemy who through pride desired to be like God is shown at the end of the world, left to his own strength and about to undergo the final punishment, as destined to fight with Michael the Archangel, as John says, "There was a battle with Michael the Archangel." Similarly, Gabriel was sent to Mary; he who is called "Strength of God" came to announce Him who deigned to appear in humility to conquer the powers of the air. And Raphael is interpreted, as we said, "Medicine of God," for when he touched the eyes of Tobias to do the work of healing, he dispelled the "night of his blindness."

Click here: The Archangels - YouTube (1:30 mins)

St Michael, St Gabriel, St Raphael, 
pray for us

and defend us in battle!

What could it mean?...

 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, 

full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, 

glory as of the only Son from the father. - John 1:14

"A cloud of incense was rising on high;

the people suddenly all bowed low; what could it mean?

The truth flashed on him, fearfully yet sweetly;

it was the Blessed Sacrament - it was the Lord Incarnate

who was on the altar, who had come 

to visit and bless His people. 

It was the Great Presence, which makes a Catholic Church

different form every other place in the world, 

which makes it, as no other place can be - holy."

Saint John Henry Newman

Loss and Gain:  The Story of a Convert

Linked in life and in death...

 

Cosmas and Damian: Two of the martyrs in the ancient Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I) 

In communion with those whose memory we venerate, especially the glorious ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, + and blessed Joseph, her Spouse, your blessed Apostles and Martyrs, Peter and Paul, Andrew, (James, John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Jude; Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian) and all your saints; we ask that through their merits and prayers, in all things we may be defended by your protecting help. (Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)

"It is beautiful to think that although we hardly know anything of these saints' lives on earth, we are forever recalling these glorious martyrs at the Supper of the Lamb. While we may not have intimate portrayals of their human lives, we do know these saints very intimately. How can we not, when you are together at the heavenly meal every week? Sharing meals together, seated around the same table provides closeness and intimacy, and that is what we are doing together at every Mass. They are part of our family, and the witnesses of the Heavenly Banquet "who had been slain for the Word of God and for the witness they had borne" (Rev. 6:9). This excerpt from the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church reinforce this view of the Liturgy and our connection with the martyrs:

Our union with the Church in heaven is put into effect in its noblest manner especially in the sacred Liturgy, wherein the power of the Holy Spirit acts upon us through sacramental signs. Then, with combined rejoicing we celebrate together the praise of the divine majesty; then all those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and gathered together into one Church, with one song of praise magnify the one and triune God. Celebrating the Eucharistic sacrifice therefore, we are most closely united to the Church in heaven in communion with and venerating the memory first of all of the glorious ever-Virgin Mary, of Blessed Joseph and the blessed apostles and martyrs and of all the saints (Lumen Gentium, 50d).  ...

It is through the blood of the martyrs that the Church expanded and continues to grow. What a blessing to have this intimate connection with the roll call of martyrs at the Roman Canon. We are continually reminded of belonging and participating in the family of Christ. Let us remember to invoke these blessed martyrs today, and all the saints of the Canon so that  in our death we may join our brothers and sisters in the Heavenly Supper of the Lamb."

St Cosmas and St Damian performing miraculous cure by transplantation of a leg.  Painting attributed to the Master of Los Balbases, c. 1495

St Cosmas and St Damian

Nee: Arabia

Died: c 287 (Syria)

Twin brothers, physicians

Practiced medicine without charge

Worked together in life, together in martyrdom, together in eternity

Patron of Doctors (along with St Luke), surgeons and pharmacists.

Feast Day - September 26

Saints Cosmas and Damian Prayer for Healing
Saint Cosmas and Damian 09-26 - YouTube (1:24 mins)

St Cosmas and St Damian, pray for us!

Crux, Hostia, Virgo...

" O sacrament of devotion! O sign of unity!
O bond of charity!" - St Augustine

 

 

"There is nothing littler, meeker or more silent

than Christ present in the Host.

This little piece of bread embodies the humility and perfect silence of God,

His tenderness and His love for us.

 

If we want to grow and

to be filled with the love of God,

it is necessary to plant our life firmly on three great realities:

the Cross, the Host, and the Virgin:

crux, hostia, et virgo. ...

These are three mysteries that God gave to the world in order to

structure, fructify, and sanctify our interior life and lead us to Jesus.

These three mysteries are to be contemplated in silence."

 

Robert Cardinal Sarah

in The Power of Silence

Against the Dictatorship of Noise (57)

__________________________

 

Painting: The Virgin with the Host ~ Jean Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 1860, France

All things, made new...

He who was seated on the throne said, 

"I am making everything new!"  

Then he said, "Write this down, for these words

are trustworthy and true." - Rev 21:5

 

 

During a visit to the Philippines, Sister Gertrude from the Sacred Hearts Community

in Hawaii relayed this story (when she was over seventy) to Msgr Josefino (Pepe)

 Ramirez.  He passes it on in a Chapter of his book, Letters to a Brother Priest:

 

"When (Sr Gertrude) was a young nun, one of the old nuns was dying. The custom at that time was for the community to gather in prayer around the one dying. ... the nun was breathing her last breaths. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, stretched forth her arms and exclaimed: "O my Beloved."

Then she sat up and gazed lovingly at the Blessed Sacrament, which she had permission to have in her room since she had been too weak to go to the chapel. What happened next had never been told, until Sister Gertrude shared it with me. The old, wrinkled nun changed to a strikingly attractive young woman, radiantly aglow with a countenance that put the rest of the nuns into ecstasy just looking at her. After what seemed like a minute or two, the transformed nun went back against her pillow, turning old again and died. When the Sisters came out of their ecstasy, they were stunned to discover that this extraordinary event lasted for more than one or two minutes. The Sisters were in ecstasy for over thirteen hours! ...

If only we could see the change that takes place in us at each Holy Hour we make. We are made new in the Eternal Youth of Christ. We are made innocent, without blemish, as we are cleansed in His Precious Blood, in the folly of His surpassing love. "

_________________________

 

Photo: University of Steubenville, Ohio

Giving free rein to the heart...

"Prayer is the oxygen of the soul." - St Padre Pio 

"Kneel down and render the tribute
of your presence and devotion to Jesus 

in the Blessed Sacrament. 

Confide all your needs to Him, 

along with those of others.

Speak to Him with filial abandonment, 

give free rein to your heart, 

and give Him complete freedom 

to work in you as He thinks best."

St Padre Pio of Pietrelcino

Priest, Stigmatist, Mystic

Italy ~ 1887-1968

Patron of Eucharistic Adorers

Feast Day - Sept 23

"When I am close to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, 

I feel as if my heart is bursting out of my chest." - St Padre Pio

Click here: St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina - YouTube (2:30 mins)

Click here: St. Padre Pio - YouTube (2 mins)

Click here: 12 Quotes from the Great Saint of Pietrelcina | TOM PERNA

St Padre Pio, pray for us!

Choice paths...

"God dwells in our midst, in the Blessed Sacrament

of the altar.” – St Maximilian Kolbe

 

 

“When there are two roads

which will bring me to some place, I take the one

with more churches so as to be nearer the Blessed Sacrament.

 

When I see a place where my Jesus is,

I could not be happier, and I say, 

“You are here, my God and my All.”

 

Venerable J.J. Olier