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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 1, 2020 22:44:49 GMT
JANUARY 1 Weakness Becomes Strong
He lies in the manger, but contains the world; He nurses at the breasts, but feeds the angels; He is wrapped in swaddling clothes, but vests us with immortality; He found no place in the inn, but makes for Himself a temple in the hearts of believers. In order that weakness might become strong, strength became weak. - Sermon 190, 4
Prayer. My faith prays to Thee, Lord, the faith Thou gave me, and inspired in me by the Incarnation of Thy Son and the mission of Thy preacher.
- Confessions 1, 1
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 3, 2020 3:43:34 GMT
JANUARY 2 The Church of Faith
Mary gave birth to your head and the Church gave birth to you. The Church too is a mother and a virgin - mother because she is made of love, virgin because of the integrity of her faith.
- Sermon 192, 2
Prayer. May I seek Thee, Lord, by praying to Thee, and let me pray to Thee by believing in Thee.
- Confessions 1, 1
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 4, 2020 3:54:52 GMT
JANUARY 3 The Humble Person
Why does a person always praise the Lord? Because that person is humble. What does it mean to be humble? It means to be unwilling to be praised in oneself. Those who wish to be praised in themselves are proud. Those who are not proud are humble.
- Commentary on Psalm 33 (2), 5
Prayer. Lord, how exalted Thou are and yet the humble of heart are Thy dwelling. - Confessions 11, 31
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 5, 2020 5:13:31 GMT
JANUARY 4 Whoever Comes to Me Becomes Humble
I came in humility, I came to teach humility, I came as a model of humility. Whoever comes to Me is incorporated in Me. Whoever comes to Me becomes humble; whoever adheres to My will will be humble, for such a person does not perform his or her own will, but the will of God. And therefore he or she will not be cast out. - Sermon on John 25, 16
Prayer. Lord, Thou exist without care for Thy own security, but are full of concern for us. - Confessions 9, 3
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 5, 2020 5:17:16 GMT
JANUARY 5 The Virgin Mary
The Virgin Mother gave birth from Her fruitful womb and inviolate body to Him Who became visible for us, to Him by Whom while He was invisible She had been created. While conceiving, She was a virgin, while giving birth She was a virgin, a virgin in Her pregnancy, a virgin while carrying Her Son, a virgin forever. - Sermon 186, 1
Prayer. O Lord God, give us Thy Christ, let us know Thy Christ, let us see Thy Christ, not as the Jews saw Him, and then crucified Him, but as the angels see Him and rejoice. - Commentary on Psalm 84, 9
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 6, 2020 19:10:11 GMT
JANUARY 6 A Man in Time
He so loved us that, for our sake, He was made man in time, although through Him all times were made. He was made man, Who made man.
He was created of a mother whom He created. He was carried by hands that He formed. He cried in the manger in wordless infancy, He the Word, without Whom all human eloquence is mute. - Sermon 188, 2
Prayer. I realize what I am and praise Thee for it. Come to my aid, that I may not stray from the way of salvation.
- Sermon 67, 9
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 8, 2020 3:58:21 GMT
JANUARY 7 The Source of Light
Obviously, if you could be enlightened by yourself, you would never be in the dark, because you are always with yourself. Do not believe that you are a light to yourself. The Light is that which illumines every person coming into this world.
- Commentary on Psalm 25 (2), 11
Prayer. Happiness is joy in the truth because it is joy in Thee, O Lord, Who are truth, my light, my salvation, my God.
- Confessions 10, 23
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 9, 2020 4:31:56 GMT
JANUARY 8 Without Humility Pride Will Win
Grasp the truth of God by using the way He Himself provides, since He sees the weakness of our footsteps. That way consists first, of humility, second, of humility, and third, of humility. Unless humility precede, accompany, and follow up all the good we accomplish, unless we keep our eyes fixed on it, pride will snatch everything right out of our hands. - Letter 118, 22
Prayer. I acknowledge Thee, O Lord, in Thy humility, that I may not fear Thee in Thy glory. I embrace Thee in Thy lowliness, that I may yearn for Thee in Thy loftiness, for to those who desire Thee, Thou come with clemency.
- Psalm 66, 10
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 9, 2020 21:14:13 GMT
JANUARY 9 The Root of Friendship
You did not look down on being the friend of the humble and returning the love that was shown you. For what else is friendship but this? It gets its name from love alone, is faithful only in Christ, and in Him alone can it be eternal and happy. - Against Two Pelagian Letters 1, 1
Prayer. Lord, heal and open my eyes that I may recognize Thy will. Show me the road I must travel that I may see Thee.
- Soliloquies 1, 5
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 11, 2020 3:29:51 GMT
JANUARY 10 Men and Women Aching for God
Everything could well have been done by an angel, but the standing of the human race would have been devalued if God had seemed unwilling to let humans act as agents of His word to others. On top of that, charity itself, which binds people together in the tight knot of unity, would have no means of expressing itself, by pouring out, and as it were mixing together the souls of humans, if human beings could learn nothing from others.
- Christian Doctrine, Preface 6
Prayer. I call upon Thee, my God, my Mercy, my Creator. I had forgotten Thee, but Thou held me ever in Thy sight.
- Confessions 13, 1
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 12, 2020 4:30:02 GMT
JANUARY 11 The Hymn of Love
A love that strains after the possession of the loved object is desire; and the love that possesses and enjoys that object is joy. The love that shuns what opposes it is fear, while the love that feels that opposition when it happens is grief. Consequently, these feelings are bad, if the love is bad, and good if the love is good. - City of God 14, 7
Prayer. O Lord, I love Thee. I love, I burn, I pant for Thee; I trample under foot all that gives here delight. I want to go to Thee. - Sermon 159, 8
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 12, 2020 20:17:57 GMT
JANUARY 12 Change People, and Times Will Be Changed
You say, the times are troublesome, the times are burdensome, the times are miserable. Live rightly and you will change the times. The times have never hurt anyone. Those who are hurt are human beings; those by whom they are hurt are also human beings. So, change human beings and the times will be changed. - Sermon 344, 8
Prayer. Let my soul rouse itself, Lord, from weariness, lean on Thy creation and hobble toward Thee Who made it all. For in Thee we are remade and find true strength. - Confessions 58, 1
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 14, 2020 3:06:26 GMT
JANUARY 13 Conceive Christ by Faith
In Mary holy virginity gave birth to Christ; in Anna, aged widowhood recognized Christ in the child; in Elizabeth, conjugal chastity did service for Christ. All ranks of the faithful have contributed to the Head according to their ability. Therefore, since Christ is Truth and Peace and Justice, conceive Him by faith, bring Him forth by works, so that what the womb of Mary did in the flesh of Christ your heart may do in the law of Christ. - Sermon 192, 2
Prayer. Father, a closed heart cannot keep out They gaze. Thou open it as Thou please in mercy or in justice. Nothing can hide from Thy heart. - Confessions 5, 1
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 15, 2020 3:40:05 GMT
JANUARY 14 Dreams and Reality
A beggar, lying on the bare ground and trembling from cold, falls asleep and dreams of treasures; in his dream he rejoices and grows arrogant, and will not even spare a glance for his own father who is clothed in rags. As long as he has not awakened he is rich; but the greater the empty joy he experiences in sleep, the more, when he awakens, will he suffer from reality. - Sermon 345, 1
Prayer. O happy home! O land of safety! May I dwell there in security! - Sermon 217, 2
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 16, 2020 3:47:12 GMT
JANUARY 15 Be Like the Deer
Charity makes us support one another in bearing our burdens. When the deer have to cross a river, each one of them carries on its back the head of the one following while it rests its head on the back of the one preceding. In that way, supporting and helping each other, they are able to cross safely wide rivers, until they reach together the stability of the land. - Eighty-three Diverse Questions, 71, 1
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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