Complete offering, in imitation...

 "Nothing created has ever been able

 to fill the heart of man. God alone can 

fill it infinitely." - St. Thomas Aquinas

"In 1875 Fr Sharbel was granted permission to live as a hermit nearby his monastery at St. Peter and Paul hermitage. His 23 years of solitary life were lived in a spirit of total abandonment to God. Sharbel's companions in the hermitage were the Sons of God, as encountered in the Scriptures and in the Eucharist, and the Blessed Mother. The Eucharist became the center of his life. He consumed the Bread of his Life and was consumed by it. Though this hermit did not have a place in the world, the world had a great place in his heart. Through prayer and penance he offered himself as a sacrifice so that the world would return to God. It is in this light that one sees the importance of the following Eucharistic prayer in his life: 

Father of Truth, behold Your Son 

a sacrifice pleasing to You, 

accept this offering of Him who died for me... 

On December 16, 1898 while reciting the "Father of Truth" prayer at the Holy Liturgy Sharbel suffered a stroke. He died on Christmas Eve at the age of 70. Through faith this hermit received the Word of God and through love he continued the Ministry of Incarnation."  

From  http://www.catholicculture.org/

 St Sharbel Makhluf

Lebanon ~ 1828-1898

Priest and Hermit

Perfume of Lebanon

Incorrupt

More miracles attributed to his intercession 

than any other saint

Feast Day - July 24

When Sharbel was canonized (1977), Bsp Francis Zayek, 

head of the U.S. Diocese of St. Maron, wrote a pamphlet 

entitled “A New Star of the East.” Bishop Zayek wrote:

“St. Sharbel is called the second St. Anthony of the Desert, 

the Perfume of Lebanon, the first Confessor of the East to be 

raised to the Altars according to the actual procedure of the 

Catholic Church, the honor of our Aramaic Antiochian Church, 

and the model of spiritual values and renewal. Sharbel is like a 

Cedar of Lebanon standing in eternal prayer, on top of a mountain.”

____________________________

Click here: St. Sharbel Makhlouf - YouTube (2mins)

How St. Charbel attracts pilgrims across the world (Photos)

https://saintcharbel.net.au/miracles/st-charbel-heals-people-from-various-countries-religions-and-backgrounds/

St Sharbel, pray for us!

***************************************

Lord, infinitely Holy and Glorified in Your Saints,

You have inspired Charbel, the saint monk,

to lead the perfect life of a hermit.

We thank You for granting him the blessing

and the strength to detach himself from the world

so that the heroism of the monastic virtues of poverty,

obedience, and chastity, could triumph in his hermitage.

We beseech You to grant us 

the grace of loving and serving You,

following his example.

Almighty God, Who has manifested

the power of St. Charbel’s intercession

through his countless miracles and favours, grant us ...

[Mention your intention here]

through his intercession.

Amen.

*********************************************

Remedy and consolation for our souls...

    "Blessed may you be, my Lord Jesus Christ. 

For our salvation you allowed Your side and heart 

to be pierced with a lance and from that side water 

and Your precious blood flowed out abundantly 

for our redemption.” - St. Bridget of Sweden

"Oh Jesus! Sweetness of hearts,

delight of the spirit, by the 

bitterness of the vinegar and gall which

Thou didst taste on the Cross of Love for us,

grant us the grace to receive worthily

Thy Precious Body and Blood during our life

and at the hour of our death,

that they may serve as a remedy

and consolation for our souls.  Amen.”

St Bridget (Birgitta) of Sweden

Wife, Widow, Religious, Foundress

Mystic and Visionary

1303-1373

Patroness: Sweden.  Co-patroness: Europe

Mother of eight, including St Catherine of Sweden

Founded religious order, Brigittines*

*distinctive skull cap over veil

Feast Day – July 23

Artist unknown for sketch

 

"The world would have peace if only 

men of politics would follow the Gospels."

- St. Bridget of Sweden

Click here: St. Bridget of Sweden - YouTube (2 mins)

TOP 9 QUOTES BY BRIDGET OF SWEDEN | A-Z Quotes

St Bridget of Sweden, pray for us!

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

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

___________________________________

Click here: St. Mary Magdalene - YouTube

St. Anselm’s beautiful prayer to St. Mary Magdalene

15 Modern women celebrate St. Mary Magdalene - (2016)

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!

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 Gorizia, where 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

Click here: St. Lawrence of Brindisi - YouTube  (2 mins)
Click here: Feast of St Lawrence of Brindisi (13:49 mins)

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

St Lawrence of Brindisi, pray for us!

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

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

Dusting off the soul...

 ... I was sick and you looked after me ... 

Matthew 25:36c

"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

Click here: Order of St. Camillus

Patron of hospitals, nurses and the sick

Feast Day - July 18

_________________________

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

 Click here: PRAYER TO ST CAMILLUS - YouTube (1:45 mins)
St. Camillus De Lellis - YouTube

Click here: St. Camillus de Lellis, Rash Vows, and Sanctity’s Daily Grind 

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!