The Miracles of St Francis Xavier by Peter Paul Rubens c. 1617.On the left hand side you can see plague victims being blessed by St Francis. The Novena of Grace, to the great Jesuit Saint Francis Xavier starts on March 4 and runs until March 12. This novena has a long history. It originated in Naples, Italy in 1643, when a Jesuit, Matteo Mastrilli, was cured through the intercession of …
Prayer
March 3, 2020
A habit of ejaculatory prayer is a sign of nearness to God, for our own holiness will be in proportion to our love and thought of Him all day long. COMMENT: St Paul tells us to pray always. The great saints and mystics lived constantly in God’s presence, almost unconsciously making everything they did a prayer. Yet, unless they have received many graces, it is unlikely that they started out …
February 25, 2020
You seem to be a little troubled at finding yourself cold at prayer and as if our Lord had abandoned you. Were it otherwise I should feel uneasy; for this is one of the best signs that you are really pleasing to God, since He puts your fidelity to the test by sending desolation. There is no happiness to be compared to the sweets one tastes at times in prayer; …
February 10, 2020
Some of Fr Doyle’s favourite aspirations: l. My Crucified Jesus, help me to crucify myself. 2. Lord, teach me how to pray and pray always. 3. Jesus, Thou Saint of saints, make me a saint. 4. Blessed be God for all things. 5. My loving Jesus within my heart unite my heart to Thee. 6. Heart of Jesus, give me Your zeal for souls. 7. My God, Thou art omnipotent, …
February 6, 2020
Eloise-Azélie Holt in utero Recently we asked for prayers through Fr Doyle’s intercession for a miracle for Eloise Azélie Holt, an unborn baby who has some serious health difficulties. Jack and Emily Holt, her parents, have written a new update, seeking more urgent prayers. I just wanted to update you and ask for an updated prayer request. We had another ultrasound and Eloise’s limbs are measuring even farther behind than …
February 5, 2020
St Thomas Aquinas As to any practice of piety there is a double danger: recommending it as infallible, or condemning it as useless. I always make a point of saying that all things are not for all people. Characters differ so much. COMMENT: Here we see the wonderful balance of Fr Doyle. He was a man of very definite personal devotion, but he was equally convinced that his way was …
January 28, 2020
Last night I rose at 1am and went down to the church, renewing before the crucifix my desire and promise absolutely to surrender all human comfort and embrace instead every possible pain and discomfort. With my arms round the cross, I begged Jesus to give me His courage and strength to do what He asks from me. I realised that if I prayed when tempted to give in, grace would …
January 27, 2020
Each look of love to the Tabernacle causes a beat of grace-laden love in the Sacred Heart. COMMENT: The Lord awaits us in the Tabernacle. Fr Doyle drew much strength from regular prayer before the Lord – often he could be found in prayer right through the night, especially when he was busy preaching a retreat. It seems that the busier he was, the more he approached the …
January 27, 2020
Jesus wants me to work with might and main to acquire the ‘interior union’ so that not for one moment would I forget His presence within me.
January 25, 2020
St Francis de Sales There is nothing better than the practice of aspirations, steadily growing in number. Keep a little book and enter them once a day. . . . I would like you to keep count of these little acts like the aspirations, but don’t go too fast; build up and do not pull down. COMMENT: The use of spiritual aspirations – short heartfelt prayers which remind us …
January 24, 2020