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Post by Elizabeth on Jun 2, 2019 2:11:48 GMT
JUNE 1 Head in Heaven, Body on Earth
Ascending into heaven on the fortieth day, our Lord Jesus Christ commended to us His Body where it would continue to lie, because He saw that many would honor Him for His ascent into heaven. He saw that their honoring Him is useless if they trample upon His members who are here on earth. And lest anyone should err in this regard, He told us that His members would be here. - Sermon on 1 John 10, 9
Prayer. Be a protecting God for me. I will not be saved unless it is in Thee. Unless Thou were my rest, my sickness would not be healed. Lift me up from the ground. Let me lie on Thee so that I may arise in a fortified place.
- Commentary on Psalm 70 (1), 5
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Post by Elizabeth on Jun 2, 2019 18:12:24 GMT
JUNE 2 Christians in Name Only
Many call themselves Christian, but that they certainly are not! They are not what their title signifies-not in their life, not in their morals, not in their faith, not in their hope, and not in their charity. - Sermon on 1 John 4, 4
Prayer. Lord, my God, I am helpless and poor, but Thou are generous to all who call upon Thee, and Thou take complete care of us. Guard my lips, both those of my body and those of my mind, from any rashness and from any lie.
- Confessions 11, 2
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Post by Elizabeth on Jun 3, 2019 17:57:55 GMT
JUNE 3 God, Creator of Rich and Poor
God made both the rich and the poor. So the rich and the poor are born alike. You meet one another as you walk on the way together. Do not oppress or defraud anyone. One may be needy and another may have plenty. But the Lord is the maker of them both. Through the person who has, He helps the one who needs; and though the person who does not have, He tests the one who has. - Sermon 35, 7
Prayer. Lord, Thou are the light of my heart and the bread in the mouth of my soul! Thou are the virtue dwelling in my mind and the hiding place of my thoughts! - Confessions 1, 13
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Post by Elizabeth on Jun 4, 2019 15:06:55 GMT
JUNE 4 Pride Can Destroy
Paradoxically, it is good, in a way, for those who observe continence and are proud of it to fall, so that they may be humbled in that very thing on which they pride themselves. What benefit is continence for us if pride holds sway over our lives? A humble married woman is to be preferred to a proud virgin. - Sermon 354, 9
Prayer. Lord, my God, how great Thou are, and Thou make Thy home in the humble of heart! It is Thou who lift up the downtrodden, and Thou are their grandeur. - Confessions 11, 31
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Post by Elizabeth on Jun 6, 2019 2:07:21 GMT
JUNE 5 The Gift of Celibacy
Those to whom the gift of celibacy is not given either are unwilling or do not fulfill their will, whereas those to whom it is given order their will in such a way as to accomplish what they wish. In order, therefore, that this message, which is not received by all persons, may yet be received by some, God's grace and their free will combine in securing to them the gift. - Grace and Free Will, 1, 4
Prayer. Lord, Thou truly gave me free will, but without Thee my effort is worthless. Thou give help since Thou are the One Who created, and Thou do not abandon Thy creation. - Commentary on Psalm 26 (2), 17
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Post by Elizabeth on Jun 6, 2019 17:48:20 GMT
JUNE 6 Gift for the Clergy
Realize, my brothers and sisters, that if you wish to give anything to the clerics, you are not to do so in such a way as to add fire to their vices, acting against me. Offer whatever you wish to the community as a whole; offer of your own goodwill. What is in the common store will be distributed to each according to need. - Sermon 356, 13
Prayer. Thou, Who always are, both before we were and before the world existed, have become for us a refuge in which we have turned to Thee. - Commentary on Psalm 89, 3
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Post by Elizabeth on Jun 8, 2019 0:52:05 GMT
JUNE 7 The Catholic Church
We are the holy Church. But I do not say "we" as though to indicate only we who are here, you who have just been listening to me. I mean all of us who are here and by the grace of God faithful Christians in this church, that is, in this city; the sea, all those in the whole world. Such is the Catholic Church, our true mother, the true spouse of so great a husband. - Sermon 213, 7
Prayer. O Body of Christ, holy Church, let all your bones say, "Lord, who is there like Thee?"
- Commentary on Psalm 34, 14
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Post by Elizabeth on Jun 9, 2019 0:13:06 GMT
JUNE 8 The Spirit Gives Life
You have received the law, and you wished to keep it but were unable to do so. You have fallen through pride, and you realized your weakness. Run to the Physician and wash your face. Long for Christ, confess Christ, and believe in Christ. The Spirit will be added to the letter, and you will be saved. If you take away the Spirit the letter kills, and then what hope will remain? But the Spirit gives life. - Sermon 136, 5
Prayer. O Truth, light of my life, let me not be my own life for I lived badly on my own power and was deadly to myself. In Thee, however, I live again. - Confessions 12, 10
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Post by Elizabeth on Jun 9, 2019 17:56:02 GMT
JUNE 9 The Spirit of Love
Excellent guest that He is, the Spirit finds you empty and fills you; He finds you hungry and thirsty and satisfies you abundantly. God the Holy Ghost, Who comes from God, when He enters into people, draws them to the love of God and neighbor. Indeed, He is love itself. - Sermon 225, 4
Prayer. Cling to the Lord with love, that your life may grow in the last days. Hold fast as well to the faithful, great, certain, and everlasting promises of God, and to the unshakable and ineffable gift of His forbearance. - Letter 248, 1
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Post by Elizabeth on Jun 11, 2019 1:03:31 GMT
JUNE 10 Receive What You Are
Now when you receive communion, you receive the mystery of your own communion in love. Being many, you are one body. Many grapes hang on the vine, but the juice of grapes is mingled into oneness. Therefore, be what you see, and receive what you are. - Sermon 272
Prayer. O Sacrament of love, sign of our unity and bond of our fraternity, all who long for life have here its very source! Let them come here and believe; unite with Thee and live. - Sermons on John 26, 13
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Post by Elizabeth on Jun 12, 2019 1:47:14 GMT
JUNE 11 Sing and March
Come, my brothers and sisters, let us sing. Not for our delights, as we rest, but to cheer us in our labor. As pilgrims on the way, sing in hope, but keep on marching. Are we making progress in good works, in true faith, in right living? We are in the right way. So don't rest for the sake of singing, but sing and march in the hope of eternal rest. - Sermon 256, 3
Prayer. As long as we are here, let us ask God not to deprive us of our prayer and His mercy, so that we may pray with perseverance and He may have mercy with perseverance. - Commentary on Psalm 65, 24
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Post by Elizabeth on Jun 12, 2019 17:56:05 GMT
JUNE 12 The Call of Augustine to Ministry
I, whom you see, with God's grace, as your bishop-I came as a young man to this city. I did what I could to seek salvation in a humble position rather than be in danger in high office. But a slave may not contradict his Lord. I came to this city to see a friend. I felt secure, for the place already had a bishop. I was seized. I was made a priest, and from there I became your bishop. - Sermon 355, 2
Prayer. Heal and open my eyes that I may recognize Thy will. Put to flight my foolishness that I may know Thee.
- Soliloquies 1, 1
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Post by Elizabeth on Jun 14, 2019 1:25:45 GMT
JUNE 13 The Church Cries Out for Help
Scattered about the entire earth, your mother the Church is tormented by the assaults of error. She is also afflicted by the laziness and indifference of so many of the children she carries around in her bosom as well as by the sight of so many of her members growing cold, while she becomes less able to help her little ones. Who then will give her the necessary help she cries for if not other children and other members to whose number you belong? - Letter 243, 8
Prayer. O Lord my God, pay heed to my prayer. Look with mercy on my desire, which is not concerned with myself alone but with my neighbor's good as well. - Confessions 11, 2
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Post by Elizabeth on Jun 15, 2019 2:56:57 GMT
JUNE 14 The Spirit Within
Brothers and sisters, we are part of one Body, and we have one Head, in heaven. Our two physical eyes do not see one another, but they know each other in virtue of the love that knits them together. Together they meet in and are directed to one object. Their aim is one; their places are diverse. If then all who with you love God have one aim with you, it is of no significance that in the Body you are separated in place. You have the eyesight of your heart fixed alike on the light of truth. - sermon on 1 John 6, 10
Prayer. I ask Thee, my God, to reveal me to myself. - Confessions 10, 1
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Post by Elizabeth on Jun 16, 2019 3:12:32 GMT
JUNE 15 The Body of Christ
Your Lord is seated at the Father's right hand in heaven. How then is the bread His Body? And the chalice, or rather its content, how is it His Blood? These elements are called Sacraments, because in them one thing is perceived by the senses and another thing by the mind. What is seen has a bodily appearance; what the mind perceives produces spiritual fruit. You hear the words "The Body of Christ," and you answer "Amen." - Sermon 272
Prayer. O food and bread of angels, the angels take their fill of Thee. They are satisfied by Thee but never tire of Thee.
- Sermon 196, 13
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