Thursday, March 12, 2026

Truth Himself speaks truly...

 "Do not doubt whether this is true, but rather 
receive the words of the Savior in faith, for 
since He is the truth, He cannot lie." - St. Cyril 


    "An argument was once made use of by a pious painter named Leonardo.  He one day met in an inn two men, one of whom was a Lutheran and the other a Calvinist.  They were ridiculing the Catholic doctrine about the Blessed Sacrament.  
    The Calvinist pretended that by these words, 'This is My Body,' it was only meant that the bread signifies the Body of Christ; the Lutheran, on the other hand, asserted that this was not true, but that they meant that bread and wine, in the moment of their reception, became, by the faith of the recipient, the Body and Blood of Christ. 
    While this dispute was going on, Leonardo took a piece of paper and drew the image of Our Lord Jesus Christ, with Luther on the right hand and Calvin on the left.  Under the image of our Saviour, he wrote the words: 'This is My Body.' Under the figure of Calvin he wrote: 'This signifies My Body'; and under that of Luther: 'This becomes My Body in the moment that you eat it.'  
    Then handing the paper to the two disputants, he said: 'Which of these three is right, our Saviour, or Calvin, or Luther?'  They were struck at the force of the argument, and ceased to scoff at the Catholic doctrine."

Excerpt from The Blessed Eucharist: Our Greatest Treasure
by Fr Michael Muller, C.S.S.R. 
First published 1868.  Reprinted 1973, 1994.
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Novena to St Joseph - Day 3



Wednesday, March 11, 2026

His glance follows us every moment...


Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight
Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the 
eyes of him to whom we must give account. - Hebrews 4:13


“Make use of devotion to the Blessed Sacrament
as a means of persevering in the practice of virtue.
Let us go to Him toward evening
and tell Him about our shortcomings,
let us ask Him for help and forgiveness.
Our Lord loves us, constantly, and His glance
follows us every moment of the day.”
Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val
Servant of God
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"Every path towards conversion begins by 
allowing the word of God to touch our hearts and 
welcoming it with a docile spirit." - Pope Leo XIV
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"... when the door starts closing a bit because 
of our weakness and sins, confession 
reopens it." - Pope Francis


 "Put aside your hatred and animosity. Take pains to 
refrain from sharp words.  If they escape your lips, do not 
be ashamed to let your lips produce the remedy,
 since they have caused the wounds. Pardon one another 
so that later on you will not remember the injury. 
The recollection of an injury is itself wrong.  
It adds to our anger, nurtures our sin and hates what 
is good. It is a rusty arrow and poison for the soul
It puts all virtue to flight."- St. Francis of Paola
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"In failing to confess, Lord, I would only hide 
You from myself, not myself from You." 
 St Augustine
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Novena to St Joseph - Day 2

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Graces abound...

"He who loves the Mass is already 
in paradise." St Philip Neri


"Time is full of eternity.
As we use it, so shall we be.
Every day has its opportunities,
every hour its offer of grace."

Henry Edward Cardinal Manning
 (1883)

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Novena to St Joseph begins today 

Monday, March 9, 2026

Consider the angels...

 "The angels surround and help the priest 
when he is celebrating Mass."
St Augustine

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"The heavens open and multitudes of angels
come to assist in the Holy Sacrifice
of the Mass." - St Gregory the Great
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"When Mass is being celebrated, the sanctuary
is filled with countless angels who adore the
Divine Victim immolated on the altar."
St John Chrysostom

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"All of Paradise is close to the altar
when I say Mass. ...
The angels around the altar 
adore and love."
St Padre Pio
                                                                                                                                                                                   

"How happy is that guardian angel
who accompanies a soul to Holy Mass!"
St John Vianney
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Quotes in honor of remembering ...
St Frances of Rome
Italy ~ 1384 -1440
Wife, mother, monastic, mystic
Great devotion to Passion and faith in angels
Given gift to see Guardian angel in bodily form
Oft said by St Frances, "God's Will is mine."
Feast Day - March 9

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 "It is most laudable in a married woman to be 
devout, but she must never forget she is a housewife.  
And sometimes she must leave God at the altar 
to find Him in her housekeeping." - St Frances of Rome


St Frances of Rome, pray for us!

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Tasteless or sweetness: Third Sunday of Lent...

 Third Sunday of Lent
The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, 
that I may never be thirsty or have to 
keep coming here to draw water."  - John 4:15

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"Although Jesus asked this woman for a drink, 
His real thirst was for her faith."
St Augustine


"Hence the loftier were the words of the Son of God, 
the more tasteless they were to the impure
as happened when He preached the sovereign 
and loving doctrine of the Holy Eucharist; 
for many turned away (Jn 6:60-61, 67).
Those who do not relish this language 
God speaks within them must not think 
on this account that others do not taste it.  
St Peter tasted it in his soul when he said to Christ:  
Lord, where shall we go; 
You have the words of eternal life (Jn 6:68).  
And the Samaritan woman forgot the water pot 
because of the sweetness of God's words (Jn 4:28)."
St John of the Cross (+1591)  
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St Photina (Woman at the Well - Feast Day: March 20)
pray for us!