*Know what He has done..........March 22

"The piercing nail has become a key to unlock the door, that I may see the good will of the Lord. And what can I see as I look through the hole? Both the nail and the wound cry out that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself...Through these sacred wounds we can see the secret of His heart, the great mystery of love."

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Translation of the French words:
At the top:
"The Cross -- or the virginal bed of the child of Mary."

At the bottom:
"Remembrance of his (her) sojourn upon the Earth and of her departure for Heaven!"

*Gaze on Him.............March 21

"We are in the age of the media

and the media are more interested in novelty than in truth. Let us concentrate on the mystery

that we are celebrating...

'To fix one's gaze on the pierced side of Christ..."

Father Cantalamessa



Translation of French words:

[At the top:]

"The fragrance of myrrh from the spouses of Jesus Christ."

[Above the cross:]

"He is the Angel of Great Counsel. He is the Book of the Elect."

[Below the cross:]

"I love Thee, o Lord, my Strength."

[At the bottom:]

"(From Isaiah 53:5) He has taken upon Himself our chastisements, and with His wounds He has healed us.(From Exodus 25:40) See that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain."

*Sorrowful Mary........March 20

"Human beings will never comprehend sufficiently the anguish and immensity of Mary's sorrows.

Very few Christians partake of those sufferings and even fewer offer any consolation to her."

St. Bridget

*St. Joseph Feast Day..........March 19

How we wish we could learn more about St. Joseph, husband of Mary and foster-father to Jesus.

But Scripture has left us with the most important knowledge: who he was --

"a righteous man".

Matthew 1:18

St. Joseph, pray for us.

*Mary with Crown of Thorns.,,,,,..March 18

We are united to Him,

we are one,

and it is when His Passion becomes real to us,

through experience and love,

that we grow aware of His presence in us.

Caryll Houselander

*St. Patrick Feast Day.............March 17

"Christ beside me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ within me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me. "

St. Patrick

*Lenten Fast..........March 16

O Lord,
may your grace bring us the fruitful effects
of our devoted love,
for the Lenten fast that we observe
will be of profit to us only it it pleases you.

T

Translation of the card's French words:

At the top - INSULTS AND REPARATION

Around the Holy Face - Apostasy ... Ingratitude ... Scandals ... Abandonment ... Indifference ... Contempt ... Blasphemy ...

At the bottom - A DAILY OFFENSE!

*Learned by the Heart..........March 15

There are some things

that can be learned by the head...

Christ crucified

can only be learned by the heart.

*Ecce Homo..........March 14

"The purpose of Lent
is not to escape the conscience,
but to create a healthy hatred for evil,
a heartfelt contrition for sin,
and a passionately felt need for grace.

This continuous movement of faith from a
sense of sin to grace and forgiveness
ends only when the spirit is ultimately released."

Edna Hong

*Tears of Mary at Crucifixtion.............March 13

"My daughter, whatever I am asked through the tears of My Mother, I shall give lovingly."

Our Lords words to Sister Amalia on November 8, 1929 .....from catholictradition.org

*Thy Cup to Drink............March 12

"My father,
if this cup cannot pass away
unless I drink it,
Thy will be done."


O Jesus,
let me help you drink of the cup
by my Lenten sacrifices.
I see your courage and I continue with you
on the Way of the Cross.

*Can You Die of Grief? ........... March 11

The pain in her soul
is so great that surely
if not for the grace of God,
she would have died of grief
a thousand times over that day.
O Poor Sweet Holy Mother!

O Almighty God,
the dignity of our human nature
has been undermined by self-indulgence.
Strengthen it again through the practice
of salutary self-denial.

*Face of Christ..........March 10

"He was a lamb in accepting death,
a lion in bringing death to naught."

Saint Augustine

Face ("Vultus") of the "Man of the Shroud"

*Christ's Blood..........March 9

"God chose the sign of blood
because no other sign suggests
a person's total involvement so eloquently."

Pope John Paul II

*What the Cross Means..........March 8

"The cross means
there is no shipwreck without hope;
there is no dark
without dawn;
nor storm without haven."

Pope John Paul II

*Mortify our Senses..........March 7

O Lord,
mercifully fill our hearts with your grace.
We mortify our bodies
by abstaining from food;
may we also guard our senses
from the danger of unbridled pleasures.

Meaning of most of the Dutch words on the card:[At the top:]"If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me."[On the great cross:]"I am weighed down by all of your sins."[Some of the words on the small crosses:]"Scrupulosity, Disgrace, Ignorance, Sadness, Torments, Injuries, Severity, Contempt, Poverty, Humiliations, Adversity, Sorrow, Loss of Friends, Illnesses, Trials, Crimes, Disfavor, Misdeeds, Loss of Goodness, Lukewarmness, Prosecutions, Insults"

*Fasting and Prayer........March 6

O Lord, help us by your grace
to be diligent in fasting and prayer,
that we may be shielded against
the enemies of our soul and body.

*Healing Wounds..........March 5

Believers know that the presence of evil
is always accompanied by the presence of good,
by grace...
Where evil grows,
there the hope for good also grows...
In the love that pours forth
from the heart of Christ,
we find hope for the future of the world.
Christ has redeemed the world:
"By His wounds we are healed."

(Isaiah 53:5)

*I Am Love................March 4

I Am Merciful Love

Look at Me,
See how ardently I love Thee;
See what my love for Thee has cost Me.
Unite thyself to Me,
Offer Me,
Invite Me,
Love Me

*The Cross of Love..........March 3

O God, each year you purify the Church
through the Lenten observance.
May the good works of your Church
obtain for us the grace we ask for
through our self-denial.

Here is the meaning of the card's Latin words:
"He who wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me."

*Look to the Cross..........March 2

"It is good for us now and then to have some troubles and adversities......

Such things are often an aid to humility and keep us from vainglory."

IMITATION OF CHRIST by Thomas A. Kempis

Translation of French words.

"THE LAMENT OF THE EXILED SOUL.

Lord! ... my soul is burning and perishing from being unable to fly off to Thy beautiful Heaven!"

*Child Jesus with Cross..........March 1

"Ingratitude is the enemy of our immortal souls. Ingratitude empties our souls of merit, scatters their virtues, and deprives them of graces."

St. Bernard

Thank you Jesus for what you did and what you do for me.

*Meditate..........February 28

"Jesus told me that I please Him best
by meditating on His sorrowful Passion,
and by such meditation
much light falls upon the soul."

Saint Maria Faustina

On the card are words written by Abbe (Father) Henri Perreyve, a French priest who suffered and died at about age 34 in 1865:"I adore Thee, Lord Jesus, expiring on the cross for the salvation of all men. I adore Thee and I love Thee, dying for my salvation."

*Spiritual Visit....................February 27

Keep HIM company this Lent

"When you awake in the night,

transport yourself quickly

IN SPIRIT

before the Tabernacle,

saying: Behold, my God,

I come to adore You,

to praise, thank, and love you,

and to keep your company

with all the Angels."

St. John Vianney

(At the top:)"The meeting-place of reverent souls"(At the bottom:)"Come to me, all you who toil and collapse under the burden of your sorrows, and I will give you relief!"

*Charity..........February 26

" It is by the path of love,

which is charity,

that God draws near to man, and man to God.

But where charity is not found,

God cannot dwell.

If, then, we possess charity,

we possess God,

for "God is Charity" (1John 4:8)

St. Albert the Great

*Ash Wednesday..........February 25

Encore, Repeat, Again, Once More

first used February 6, 2008

"Let us receive them (ashes) in a spirit of humility and penance, that by this powerful sacramental we may obtain from almighty God the blessings which the Church implores in the act of blessing them. For, truly, "God overlooks the sins of men for the sake of repentance."

Picture and words above taken from THE SAINT ANDREW MISSAL

*The Dormition of Mary..........February 24

"Mary is my great treasure.

She is my All after Jesus.

She is my honor, my tenderness,

and the storehouse of my virtues!

I do everything in and through her."

St. Louis Grignion de Montfort

Prayer - O Mary, you are our greatest treasure after Jesus. Help me to prize you above everything, remain united with you, and reach your Son Jesus through you.

Above taken from MARY DAY BY DAY.

*Be Ready....................February 23

"A man must always be ready,

for death comes when and where
God wills it."

St. John Nepomucen Neumann

(At the top:)
"CHRISTIAN TEARS"
(At the bottom:)
"I believe, Lord, that Thou art the Resurrection and the Life ... and that he who believes in Thee will live, even if he should die ... and that whoever believes in Thee will not die forever ... . Yes, Lord, like Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, I believe this, and, like them, I confess, by shedding tears over this beloved grave, that Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, Who has come into this world to save us and to provide a glorious Resurrection."

*Respect Human Life...........February 22

O Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Holy Family of Nazareth, model of all Christian family life, protect family life today.

May our families abide by your laws, O Lord, and say as your Mother did..."Let it be done to me as you say."

Lord, grant to mankind the wisdom to respect human life at every stage of its development. Grant to our families the knowledge that riches, the values of this world, are not what is essential for temporal and eternal happiness.

Excerpts from A WORLD AT PRAYER

*Holy Spirit..........February 21

Father, Son and Holy Spirit

The inspiration of the Holy Spirit

is heard only in silence.

*Prayer for Priests..........February 20

Prayer for Priests

..........Give us truly holy priests who,

inflamed with the fire of Thy divine love,

seek nothing but Thy greater glory

and the salvation of our souls.

And thou, Mary, good Mother of priests,

help all priests in their trials and difficulties

and with the loving hand of a Mother,

guide them through the changes of their holy vocation.

Amen

Latin words mean, "You are a priest for ever."

*Guardian Angelsl..........February 19

"We are like children ,

who stand in need of masters

to enlighten us and direct us;

and God has provided for this,

by appointing His angels

to be our teachers and guides."

St. Thomas Aquinas

The German quotation is a translation of Psalm 91, verse 11: "For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways." [RSV]The German quotation is a translation of Psalm 91, verse 11: "For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways." [RSV]

*Value Christ..........February 18

Christ is not valued at all

unless He is valued above all.

St. Augustine

French words: (At the top:) " The

Eucharistic Life of Jesus through the eyes

of faith"

(Around the halo:) "Father, Friend, Counselor, Light, Physician, Priest, Victim, Savior, Helper, Advocate,Confidante, Spouse, ): I am here...to console Thy Heart, to cheer Thy spirit, to strengthen Thy weakness...and especially to be Thy helper in Thy duties toward my Father...toward Thyself."

*True Light of Jesus..........February 17

The Mother of God, the most pure Virgin

carried the True Light in her arms and brought Him

to those who lay in darkness.

We too should carry a light for all to see

and reflect the radiance of the True Light

as we hasten to meet Him.

St. Sophronius

*Presidents Day..........February 16

"To sin by silence

when they should protest

makes cowards of men."

Abraham Lincoln

The words on the card come from Psalm 76:8

and are referring to the judgement

of God.

*Eucharist..........February 15

"In prayer

it is better to have

a heart without words,

than words without a heart."

John Bunyan

*Valentine's Day...............February 14

Happy Valentine's Day to All

Today, let us give our hearts to Mary.

She will then give them to Jesus.

All for Jesus, through Mary,

for world peace

Queen of Peace,

pray for us.

*Queen of Peace..........February 13

"There is no doubt whatever

that all the praises we address to the Mother

are also addressed to the Son and vice versa.

We cannot do honor to the Son

without at the same time

giving glory to the Mother.

St. Bernard

*Temptation..........February 12

"The trouble with opportunity is

that it only knocks.

Temptation kicks the door in.

Anonymous

*Our Lady of Lourdes..........February 11

"In no other spot as much as Lourdes do we feel so impelled toward prayer, forgetfulness of self, and charity. The most fervent are attracted to a life more totally offered to God's service.

The less fervent become aware of their tepidity and rediscover the way of prayer. Hardened sinners and unbelievers are often touched by grace."

Pope Pius XII

Words spoken by Mary at Lourdes

*Indwelling Christ..........February 10

"Salt, when dissolved in water, may disappear, but it does not cease to exist. We can be sure of its presence by tasting the water.

Likewise, the indwelling Christ, though unseen, will be made evident to others from the love which He imparts to us."

Sadhu Sundar Singh

*Sacrament..........February 9

Two holy cards commemorating the receiving of two sacraments. First Holy Communion and Confirmation.

What is a sacrament?

A sacrament is an outward sign, instituted by Christ, to give grace.

(double click picture to enlarge)

*El Greco's Madonna...........February 8

"Mary has a great desire to be invoked by us so that she may dispense her favors to us in greater abundance.

So true is this that she is offended not only by those who speak ill of her but also by those who neglect to ask for her graces."

St. Bonaventure

Holy Family-Detail of Madonna

El Greco (1541-1614 Greek)

*I Know Not...............February 7

I know not by what methods rare,

But this I know, God answers prayer.

I know not when he sends the word,

That tells us fervent prayer is heard;

I know it cometh, soon or late;

Therefore, we need to pray and wait.

I know not if the blessing sought,

Will come in the way I thought;

I leave my prayers with Him alone,

Whose will is wiser than my own.

Author - Eliza M Hickok

THE GREAT PHYSICIAN by Ernest C. Wilson

Thanks to a comment given by Anonymous.

Click on "comments" to read the entry.

*Feast of St. Paul Miki..........February 6

Nagasaki, Japan Martyrs

"The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ. I thank God it is for this reason that I die. I believe that I am telling the truth before I die. I know you believe me and I want to say to you all once again: Ask Christ to help you become happy. I obey Christ. After Christ's example, I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain. "

( St. Paul Miki)

God our Father, source of strength for all your saints, you led Paul Miki and his companions through the suffering of the cross to the joy of eternal life. May their prayers give us the courage to be loyal until death in professing our faith.

*Feast of St. Agatha........February 5

Endowed with great beauty.

Resisting the solicitations of the governor her breasts were

torn by his order but healed by St. Peter, who appeared to her in her prison.

Her body was then rolled on pieces of broken poetery and on burning coals. She prayed after they returned her to her cell and then expired.

After death the virginal veil which covered her tomb held up the torrents of burning lava rushing down from Etna threatening to ruin the town.

"Invoke St. Agatha to preserve our homes from fire and to extinguish through the spirit of penitience, the impure flames that consume our bodies and our souls."

Taken from St. Andrew Daily Missal

*Global Mission..........February 4

"We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God."

John Stott

*My Wishes..........February 3

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

French words:[In Our Lady's halo:]

"Her power is as great as her love."

[At the bottom, based on the words of Jacob to the angel that wrestled him, in Genesis 32:26 ...]

"O very holy Mother, I will not let you go, unless you bless me."

*Presentation of the Lord..........February 2

ENCORE, REPEAT, AGAIN

This is a post that fit the bill the first time

around and I thought it should simply

"come around again"

Mary, wishing to obey the Mosaic law, had to go to Jerusalem forty days after the birth of Jesus to offer the prescribed sacrifice.

O almighty and everlasting God, we humbly beseech Thy majesty; that as Thine only begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in the substance of our flesh, so too Thou wouldst grant us to be presented unto Thee with purified souls.

Picture and words above taken from THE SAINT ANDREW DAILY MISSAL

*Beuron, Salve Regina..........February 1

Hail, Holy Queen enthroned above,

O Maria!

Hail, Mother of mercy and of love,

O Maria!

Triumph all ye cherubim!

Sing with us ye seraphim!

Heaven and earth resound the hymn!

Salve, salve, salve, Regina!