Sacrifice's reward...

 “Trust all things to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament

and to Mary, Help of Christians, 

and you will see what miracles are." - St John Bosco 

 

“Take great care to go to Holy Mass,

even on weekdays;  and for such a cause

be willing to put up with some inconvenience.

Thereby you will obtain

every kind of blessing from the Lord.”

St John Bosco
Priest, Educator, Founder of Salesian Society
Click here: Mission - Salesian of Don Bosco - Office of Vocation

 Italy ~ Aug 16, 1815 - Jan 31, 1888
"Give me souls. Take away the rest." - St John Bosco
Canonized Easter Sunday, 1934, and given the title: 

"Father and Teacher of Youth"

Feast Day - January 31

 

 

“When tempted, invoke your Angel. 

He is more eager to help you 

than you are to be helped! 

Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him:

He trembles and flees at the sight of 

your Guardian Angel.” - St. John Bosc0

_____________________

"Whatever you do, 

think of the Glory of God as 

your main goal."- St John Bosco

Click here: St. John Bosco - YouTube

Click here: St. John Bosco: Conquering Souls for Christ

The Life Story of St. John Bosco (Biography of Don Bosco) | Salesian Family of Don Bosco (incl free download of book)

St John Bosco, pray for us!

Venerable Mama Margaret is the beloved and holy mother of St John Bosco. The sanctity and holiness of St John Bosco was first nurtured by a mother's prayer, a mother's example.  From Mama Margaret to her son:

"When you came into the world I consecrated you to the Blessed Virgin Mary. When you began your studies, I inculcated this devotion in you. Now I want you to belong totally to her. Make your companions those who are devoted to Mary; and if you reach ordination, never cease to inculcate and spread this devotion."

"I have nothing to say regarding your vocation, except that you should do what God inspires you to do. Do not be concerned on my behalf. You owe me nothing. Never forget that I was born in poor circumstances, have lived in poverty all my life; and I am happy to die poor; and I say this seriously to you: if you ever become  wealthy, I shall never set foot on your doorstep."

"Dear John, you have taken the priestly habit and I am as happy as any mother could be. But never forget that it is not the habit that matters, but the effort to progress in virtue. If you ever come to have doubts about your vocation, be sure you never dishonor that priestly garb. Put it aside immediately. I would rather a poor peasant son than a priest who neglected his sacred calling".

 

"John, you are now a priest; you will be saying Mass; so from henceforth you will be closer to Jesus. Remember that to begin to celebrate Mass means also to begin to suffer. You will not realize this immediately, but little by little you will see that what your mother has told you is the truth."

Holy Viaticum...

    Is any among you sick? Let him call for the presbyters of
the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with
oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith 
will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; 
and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. -  James 5:14-15





From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC):


1524  In addition to the Anointing of the Sick, the Church offers those who are about to leave this life the Eucharist as viaticum. Communion in the body and blood of Christ, received at this moment of "passing over" to the Father, has a particular significance and importance. It is the seed of eternal life and the power of resurrection, according to the words of the Lord: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." The sacrament of Christ once dead and now risen, the Eucharist is here the sacrament of passing over from death to life, from this world to the Father.


1525 Thus, just as the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist form a unity called "the sacraments of Christian initiation," so too it can be said that Penance, the Anointing of the Sick and the Eucharist as viaticum constitute at the end of Christian life "the sacraments that prepare for our heavenly homeland" or the sacraments that complete the earthly pilgrimage.





Continue reading about this beautiful Sacrament 
and gift of the Church
 Catechism of the Catholic Church - Sections 1499-1532


Please call a priest 
for this holy time 
of preparation and passage.





Viaticum angels - wood engraving, France - 1891

"The world's thy ship and 
not thy home." - St Thérèse of Lisieux

The final word...

    "The final word is love."- Dorothy Day

"It was not enough for Him that He should become 

one of ourselves by adopting a human nature like our own. 

It was not enough that He should share the 

hardships of a life like our own—that He should suffer 

and die and atone for our sins, in our name.

He loved us, and He would not rest until He 

should be completely united to us. And in His love 

He devised this most extraordinary method 

of union, in which He Himself becomes our food! 

Truly a tremendous lover!"

Dom Mary Eugene Boylan

This Tremendous Lover 

________________________________________

"Love is never finished." 

Pope Benedict XVI

The Eucharist signifies love, produces love...

 "The Eucharist is the sacrament of love:

it signifies love, it produces love." - St Thomas Aquinas

 "St Thomas Aquinas' greatest love was the Blessed Sacrament, of which he was to be the world's greatest witness.  He would spend hours at a  time, day and night, before the altar in adoration and meditation.  Here was his great school.  The Eucharistic Lord Himself was his Master. When he celebrated Mass, he was in raptures and often in tears.  After saying his own Mass he would serve another - or at least hear one. 

In December 1273, when he was forty-seven, he laid down his pen, determined to study and write no more, so that he might give himself to God entirely in meditation and prayer.  He was ordered by Pope Gregory X to go to Lyons to assist at the General Council.  Taken ill on the way, he was obliged to stop at the Cistercial Abbey of Fossa-Nouva. His first visit was to the Blessed Sacrament.  At Fossa-Nouva he lay seriously ill for a month.  He made his general confession. 

While Viaticum was being brought to him, he had himself taken from the bed and laid upon ashes on the floor.  The tears came to his eyes as he beheld the Host in the hand of the priest.  He made his profession of faith:

"I firmly believe that Jesus Christ, true God and true man, is present in this august Sacrament.  I adore You, my God and my Redemption, the Viaticum of my pilgrimage, for whose honor I have studied, labored, preached and taught."

From: Witnesses to the Eucharist, Fr Hugh F Blunt, LLD

St Thomas Aquinas

Italy ~ 1225-1274

Dominican monk

Theologian, philosopher, professor

Prolific writer, Hymn composer

Doctor of the Church

Feast Day - January 28

(Happy confirmation namesake day, Fr Howe!)

"The Sacrament of the Body of the Lord 

puts the demons to flight, 

defends us against the incentives to vice 

and to concupiscence, 

cleanses the soul from sin, 

quiets the anger of God, 

enlightens the understanding to know God, 

inflames the will and the affections with the love of God, 

fills the memory with spiritual sweetness, 

confirms the entire man in good, 

frees us from eternal death, 

multiplies the merits of a good life, 

leads us to our everlasting home, 

and re-animates the body to eternal life." 

St Thomas Aquinas

Click here: Fr. Barron comments on St. Thomas Aquinas - YouTube

 Click here: St. Thomas Aquinas - YouTube (2 mins)

Click here: Discovering our Saints - St. Thomas Aquinas - YouTube (3 mins)

Adoro Te Devote . . . (Pray and sing along!)

"Beware the man of one book." - St Thomas Aquinas

Painting:  The Yellow Books, Vincent Van Gogh

  St Thomas Aquinas, pray for us!

Pray...and get others to pray...

 "Consider that the devil doesn't sleep, 

but seeks our ruin in a thousand ways." 

 St Angela Merici

"Keep to the ancient way and custom of 

the Church, established and confirmed 

by so many Saints under 

the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  

...Pray and get others to pray, 

that God does not abandon His Church, 

but reform it as He pleases, and as He sees 

best for us, and more to His honor and glory."

St Angela Merici

Italy ~ 1470 -1540

Foundress:  Ursiline Order *

*For education of girls and for missions

First teaching Order of Nuns

outside confines of convent enclosure

Incorrupt

Feast Day - Jan 27

Photo: Holy Ghost Adoration Chapel: Bangladore, India

"Disorder in society is the result 

of disorder in the family."

St Angela Merici

_____________

"Be bound to one another 

by the bond of charity, 

treating each other with respect,

helping one another, bearing

with one another in Christ Jesus." 

St Angela Merici

Click here: St. Angela Merici - YouTube (2 mins)

Lessons from the Heart of St. Angela Merici - The Catholic Company®

St Angela Merici, pray for us!

The Mass: scattering its splendors...

   "Come, Thou, bread of angels 

and satisfy the cravings of my soul..." 

St Leonard of Port Maurice

 

"Mass is the sun of the human race,
scattering its splendors 

over good and wicked;

nor is there a soul so vile on earth who,

hearing holy Mass, doth not carry from it

some great good, often without asking,

often without even thinking of it."

According to St Leonard of Port Maurice 

these benefits apply to the priests who celebrate Mass, 

to the acolytes who serve the Mass,

and to the faithful who hear Mass with devotion.

So too hardened sinners will benefit from attending Mass.

Bishops

Feast Day:  January 26
_____________________

St. Timothy (d. 97), born in Galatia in Asia Minor, 
was baptized and later ordained to the priesthood by St. Paul. 
The young Galatian became Paul's missionary companion and his 
most beloved spiritual son. St. Paul showed his trust in this disciple 
by consecrating him bishop of the great city of Ephesus. 
St. Timothy was stoned to death thirty years after St. Paul's martyrdom 
for having denounced the worship of the goddess Diana.

St. Titus (d. 96), a convert from paganism, 
was a fellow laborer of St. Paul on many apostolic missions. 
St. Paul later made him bishop of Crete, a difficult charge because 
of the character of the inhabitants and the spread of erroneous 
doctrines on that island. St. Paul's writings tell us that St. Titus rejoiced 
to discover what was good in others and drew the hearts of men 
by his wide and affectionate sympathy.

"Sts Timothy and Titus, teach us to serve the Gospels 

with generosity, realizing that this also entails 

a service to the Church."  - Pope Benedict XVI

Sts Timothy and Titus, pray for us!