He hath given His angels charge over us, to guide us, to guard and shelter us from dangers, to lead us safely through this world of sin and bring us to the throne prepared for us in heaven. Ever beside us our faithful angel stays. We heed him not; his spotless purity, his majestic dignity, checks us not in our career of sin; but could we see our guardian …
Saints
October 2, 2019
St Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church Kneeling at the grave of the Little Flower I gave myself into her hands to guide and to make me a saint. I promised her to make it the rule of my whole life, every day without exception, to seek in all things my greater mortification, to give all and to refuse nothing. I have made this resolution with great confidence …
October 1, 2019
St Jerome in the wilderness Don’t dwell on what you have not done, for I think that want of confidence in His willingness to forgive our shortcomings pains Him very much, but rather lift up your heart and think what you are going to do for Him now. You know the secret of making a short life very long in His eyes, and a life of few opportunities crammed …
September 30, 2019
St Michael the Archangel Today is the feast of St Michael, St Gabriel and St Raphael, the archangels, though it is not celebrated this year as it’s a Sunday. This feast was significant in Fr Doyle’s spiritual life, for he made a vow to the Sacred Heart on this very day 109 years ago during one of his late night vigils Here is the text of the vow: “Most …
September 29, 2019
St Vincent de Paul For fifteen years has Jesus been waiting for me to return to Him, to return to the fervour of my first year of religious life. During that time how many pressing and loving invitations has He not given me? What lights and inspirations, remorse of conscience, and how many good resolves which were never carried into effect. O my God, I feel now as if I …
September 27, 2019
You may make the most complete and absolute offering of yourself to God to bear every pain He may wish to send. Renew this frequently and place yourself in His hands as His willing victim to be immolated on the altar of sacrifice. But it is better not to ask directly for great sufferings; few of the saints did so. COMMENT: Today’s quote from Fr Doyle may perhaps be difficult …
September 24, 2019
St Pio of Pietrelcina It is indeed easy to condemn oneself to death, to make a generous offering of self-immolation; but to carry out the execution daily is more than most can do. . . . Go on bravely, don’t expect too much from yourself, for God often leaves one powerless in acts of self-conquest in order to make one humble and to have more recourse to Him. Remember above …
September 23, 2019
The Call of St Matthew by Caravaggio We must love God with our whole heart. Can He be loved otherwise? Is it too much that a finite heart should love infinite Beauty? I fail in this wholehearted love if I keep back anything from Him, if I am determined not to pass certain limits as proof of my love, if I absolutely refuse to sacrifice certain things which He asks, …
September 21, 2019
A devotion which does not consist in any special form of prayer nor in doing anything in particular more than to listen to inspirations, is devotion to the Holy Spirit of God. And does it not commend itself very specially to religious? For, as the work of Creation belongs preeminently to the Father and that of Redemption to the Son, so the work of our Sanctification and Perfection is the …
September 20, 2019
Try and remember that sanctification means daily, hourly, hard work, and this unflinchingly, when weariness comes. COMMENT: Fr Doyle engaged in this daily, hourly hard work in his ceaseless quest for sanctity, always knowing, however, that God loved him and supplied him with the grace he needed. Fr Doyle’s quote today brings to mind the famous prayer that St Pius X wrote to honour St Joseph. O Glorious St Joseph, …
September 19, 2019