Fifth Sunday of Lent: Passion Sunday
by VP
Posted on Sunday March 22, 2026 at 12:00AM in Tradition
A cross veiled during Passiontide in Lent (Pfarrkirche St. Martin in Tannheim, Baden Württemberg, Germany).
Passion Sunday: This Sunday is called Passion Sunday because the Church begins on this day to make the Sufferings of our Redeemer her chief thought. It is called also Judica from the first word of the Introit of the Mass and again Neomania that is the Sunday of the new or the Easter moon, because it always falls after the new moon, which regulates the Feast of Easter Day. Dom Gueranger.
Roman Missal: “In the Dioceses of the United States, the practice of covering crosses and images throughout the church from [the fifth] Sunday [of Lent] may be observed. Crosses remain covered until the end of the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, but images remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil.”
Source: Why Passion Sunday and Palm Sunday were once two different Sundays (Aletia)
On Passion Sunday.
"The whole Lent is consecrated particularly to honor and commemorate the adorable sufferings and death of our Divine Redeemer, which are indeed at all times, by His express institution and command, the daily great object in all our devotions, which can only be made acceptable through this great mystery; and the Holy Mass and Communion are nothing else but its unbloody exhibition. But the two last weeks of Lent, and particularly the latter, being the annual commemoration of these most adorable of all mysteries, the church makes them the entire object of her public office. To conform to her pious views, we must in them redouble our fervor, especially in our spirit of holy mourning and penance, adapted to this season. Before the first vespers of Passion Sunday, the cross, and all pictures and images in the churches are covered with purple, or at least dark colored veils, on which no image ought to be represented. By this nakedness in her ornaments the church appears more solemnly mournful. It is likewise represented, that Christ, before His passion, did not walk in public; but lay for some time hid for fear of His enemies, as we read in the Gospel on Passion Sunday. The church also omits the Gloria Patri, and the like doxologies, in many parts of her public office, to express the excess of her mourning, and excite her children to attend on her solemn prayers in the most serious spirit of compunction, that, bowed down under the weight of our sorrows and iniquities, (Baruch. ii.) we may offer to God the sacrifice of our tears, which are as it were the blood of the heart, immolated by holy grief, and poured forth before God, according to the beautiful expression of S. Austin. In proportion to the fervor of our penitence, will be the earnestness of our desires and endeavors to rise from sin, in which we shall spare no pains or care to destroy it in our hearts, and exert our strength in our utmost efforts, in waging war against, and in subduing our irregular appetites, and in crying to God for mercy, in the words of the royal penitent and prophet. (Ps. vi.; xxxiv.) The soul which sees herself the object of His anger, and considers, that though His very essence is goodness and mercy, and His divine heart nothing but love and charity itself; yet by sin He is frozen toward her, and His omnipotence armed to take revenge on her rebellions, by which she has provoked His indignation, must be alarmed and terrified. Therefore, she must be solicitous, especially at this holy time, by every means which God in His infinite mercy has instituted, to engage Him to reinstate her in His favor, and to enrich her with His most precious graces, through the mediatorship of Christ, and through His holy sufferings and death, which the church now especially commemorates, and by which pardon and all graces are purchased for us, and offered to us." Source: The Moveable Feasts, Fasts, and Other Annual Observances of the Catholic Church by Rev. Alban Butler 1839
Saint Benedict, Abbot and Confessor A.D. 543.
by VP
Posted on Saturday March 21, 2026 at 03:00AM in Saints
"Having received a good education, and observed the corruption of the world, he resolved to withdraw from it. He entered into a deep cave, and continued there for three years in prayer, mortification and fasting. No one was acquainted with his retreat, but one religious man, whose care it was to supply him with bread. Offer up your prayers for all who are engaged in the corruptions of the world, and beseech God to inspire them with the thoughts of retiring from it. Though all cannot hide themselves in deserts, there are none who have it not in their power to withdraw from so much of the world, at least, as is to them an occasion of sin.
Being discovered at length in that retirement, he was obliged to quit it; but still lived in solitude, with his usual rigours. God permitted him to be assaulted with most violent temptations; but being truly apprehensive of the danger in which he was, he resolved to repel force by force, and going into a field, laid himself down in the midst of nettles and briars, till the pain had extinguished that fire which his enemy had kindled; and thus the wounds of his body became the eure of his soul: for from that time he was never molested with the like temptations. Pray for all in these difficulties, that God would be their protector and comfort. And if you are at present in peace, prepare at least, against the day of battle.
This holy man was, after this, importuned by some religious to be their abbot. But they, not relishing the discipline in which he obliged them to live, resolved to remove.him by putting poison into his drink. But God was pleased to disappoint their malice, and deliver his servant by miracle; for, upon his making the sign of the cross over the glass, it fell in pieces. St. Benedict therefore took leave of them, and going into a desert, was soon followed by many holy men, and after having established a rule, which has since brought forth many great bishops and popes, and having wrought many miracles, he made a happy end in the year 543. Give God thanks for his favours to this his servant, and pray for all the religious of his order, that the example of their founder may be the rule of their lives, and that the discipline which he established may be exactly preserved among them." The Catholic Year by Rev. Fr. John Gother
"THE AVOIDANCE OF SIN.-We are here "to live in all purity," by which he means the avoiding not only of all grave sin, but of even those which are usually looked upon as mere trivial defects. Without this, bodily abstinence will be but little worth. Therefore, in these days of Lent, let the Monk repress the curiosity of his eyes; the itching of his ears to catch whatever news may be afloat; the volubility of his tongue in speech; the affection of his heart to cling to creatures. Let him look to his sluggishness in obedience, reluctance of will to submit, and rebellion of heart against the ordinances of rule.
THE DOING OF GOOD.—This is the time in which to devote himself more especially to his duty of prayer, and to banish from it all the defects which have been suffered to creep in. It must not be a sleepy, listless, inattentive, distracted prayer, but energetic, vigilant, absorbing the whole mind in the intensity of its fervour. By tearful prayer, St. Benedict does not mean that we should weep material tears, but that our tears should be the tears of the heart; a sorrow founded upon reason; not evanescent, but abiding in the fixed resolve never again to betray Jesus Christ. Besides giving himself up to prayer, the Monk must apply his mind to reading, in order to acquire that sound doctrine which will save him from error, and fill his mind with a store of learning profitable alike both to himself and to others. In prayer he speaks to God; but while reading, it is God Who speaks to him, and whispers into the ear of his heart the suggestions of the Holy Spirit, by Whose guidance he is led onward from one degree of perfection to another, till at last he stands upon the topmost round of the ladder which enables him to reach the gate of heaven." The Teaching of St. Benedict by Rev. Fr. Francis Cuthbert Doyle 1887
PRAYER OF SAINT BENEDICT
O Lord, I place myself in your hands and dedicate myself to you. I pledge myself to do your will in all things: To love the Lord God with all my heart, all my soul, all my strength.
Not to kill. Not to steal. Not to covet. Not to bear false witness. To honor all persons. Not to do to another what I would not wish done to myself. To chastise the body. Not to seek after pleasures. To love fasting. To relieve the poor. To clothe the naked. To visit the sick. To bury the dead. To help in trouble. To console the sorrowing. To hold myself aloof from worldly ways. To prefer nothing to the love of Christ.
Not to give way to anger. Not to foster a desire for revenge. Not to entertain deceit in the heart. Not to make a false peace. Not to forsake charity. Not to swear, lest I swear falsely. To speak the truth with heart and tongue. Not to return evil for evil. To do no injury: yea, even to bear patiently any injury done to me. To love my enemies. Not to curse those who curse me, but rather to bless them. To bear persecution for justice's sake.
Not to be proud. Not to be given to intoxicating drink. Not to be an over-eater. Not to be lazy. Not to be slothful. Not to be a murmurer. Not to be a detractor. To put my trust in God.
To refer the good I see in myself to God. To refer any evil in myself to myself. To fear the Day of Judgment. To be in dread of hell. To desire eternal life with spiritual longing. To keep death before my eyes daily. To keep constant watch over my actions. To remember that God sees me everywhere. To call upon Christ for defense against evil thoughts that arises in my heart.
To guard my tongue against wicked speech. To avoid much speaking. To avoid idle talk. To read only what is good to read. To look at only what is good to see. To pray often. To ask forgiveness daily for my sins, and to seek ways to amend my life. To obey my superiors in all things rightful. Not to desire to be thought holy, but to seek holiness.
To fulfill the commandments of God by good works. To love chastity. To hate no one. Not to be jealous or envious of anyone. Not to love strife. Not to love pride. To honor the aged. To pray for my enemies. To make peace after a quarrel, before the setting of the sun. Never to despair of your mercy, O God of Mercy. Amen.
"The Medal of St. Benedict: This highly indulgenced medal bears a likeness of the great "Father of the Monastic Life." In his right hand is a cross, beside which are the words: "Crux Patric Benedicti" (The Cross of the Father Benedict"); in his left hand is the book of the Benedictine rule. At his feet are represented a chalice and a raven, symbols of the priesthood and of hermit life. Around the edge are the words: "Ejus in Obitu Nostro Praesentia Muniamur" ("At our death may we be fortified by his presence"). On the reverse side is a cross, on the vertical bar of which are the initial letters of the words "Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux" ("The holy Cross be my light"); on the horizontal bar are the initials of "Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux" ("Let not the Dragon be my guide"); and around are other letters signifying other Latin mottoes. At the top is usually the word "Pax" ("Peace") or the monogram IHS.
This form of the Benedict medal commemorates the 1400th anniversary of the birth of St. Benedict, celebrated in 1880. (...)
The medal of St. Benedict was first approved by Benedict XIV in 1741, an further indulgences were granted by Pius IX in 1877 and by Pius X in 1907."
Source:The Externals of the Catholic Church, By Rev. Fr. John Francis Sullivan from the Diocese of Providence p 226. 1918
The Medal Or Cross of St. Benedict: Its Origin, Meaning, and Privileges by Prosper Guéranger
Day 32. Lent with the Cure d'Ars: Catechism on the Word of God
by VP
Posted on Saturday March 21, 2026 at 02:00AM in Lenten Sermons
"My Children, the Word of God is of no little importance! These were Our Lord's first words to His Apostles: "Go and teach" . . to show us that instruction is before everything.
My children, what has taught us our religion? The instructions we have heard. What gives us a horror of sin? What makes us alive to the beauty of virtue, inspires us with the desire of Heaven? Instructions. What teaches fathers and mothers the duties they have to fulfill towards their children and children the duties they have to fulfill towards their parents? Instructions.
My children, why are people so blind and so ignorant? Because they make so little account of the Word of God. There are some who do not even say a Pater and an Ave to beg of the good God the grace to listen to it attentively, and to profit well by it. I believe, my children, that a person who does not hear the Word of God as he ought, will not be saved; he will not know what to do to be saved. But with a well-instructed person there is always some resource. He may wander in all sorts of evil ways; there is still hope that he will return sooner or later to the good God, even if it were only at the hour of death. Instead of which a person who has never been instructed is like a sick person - like one in his agony who is no longer conscious: he knows neither the greatness of sin nor the value of virtue; he drags himself from sin to sin, like a rag that is dragged in the mud.
See, my children, the esteem in which Our Lord holds the Word of God; to the woman who cries, "Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the paps that gave Thee suck!" He answers, "Yea, rather blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it!" Our Lord, who is Truth itself, puts no less value on His Word than on His Body. I do not know whether it is worse to have distractions during Mass than during the instructions; I see no difference. During Mass we lose the merits of the Death and Passion of Our Lord, and during the instructions we lose His Word, which is Himself. St. Augustine says that it is as bad as to take the chalice after the Consecration and to trample it underfoot.
My children, you make a scruple of missing holy Mass, because you commit a great sin in missing it by your own fault; but you have no scruple in missing an instruction. You never consider that in this way you may greatly offend God. At the Day of Judgment, when you will all be there around me, and the good God will say to you, "Give Me an account of the instructions and the catechisms which you have heard and which you might have heard," you will think very differently.
My children, you go out during the instructions, you amuse yourselves with laughing, you do not listen, you think yourselves too clever to come to the catechism . . . Do you think, my children, that things will be allowed to go on so? Oh no, certainly not! God will arrange matters very differently. How sad it is! We see fathers and mothers stay outside during the instruction; yet they are under obligation to instruct their children; but how can they teach them? They are not instructed themselves. . . . All this leads straight to Hell. . . . It is a pity!
My children, I have remarked that there is no moment when people are more inclined to sleep than during the instructions. . . . You will say, I am so very sleepy. . . . If I were to take up a fiddle, nobody would think of sleeping; everybody would be roused, everybody would be on the alert. My children, you listen when you like the preacher; but if the preacher does not suit you, you turn him into ridicule. . . . We must not think so much about the man. It is not the body that we must attend to. Whatever the priest may be, he is still the instrument that the good God makes use of to distribute His holy Word. You pour liquor through a funnel; whether it be made of gold or of copper, if the liquor is good it will still be good.
There are some who go about repeating everywhere, "Priests say just what they please. " No, my children, priests do not say what they please; they say what is in the Gospel. The priests who came before us said what we say; those who shall come after us will say the same thing. If we were to say things that are not true, the Bishop would very soon forbid us to preach. We say only what Our Lord has taught.
My children, I will give you an example of what it is not to believe what priests tell you. There were two soldiers passing through a place where a mission was being given; one of the soldiers proposed to his comrade to go and hear the sermon, and they went. The missionary preached upon Hell. "Do you believe all that this priest says?" asked the least wicked of the two. "Oh, no!" replied the other, "I believe it is all nonsense, invented to frighten people. " "Well, for my part, I believe it; and to prove to you that I believe it, I shall give up being a soldier, and go into a convent. " "Go where you please; I shall continue my journey. " But while he was on his journey, he fell ill and died. The other, who was in the convent, heard of his death, and began to pray that God would show him in what state his companion had died. One day, as he was praying, his companion appeared to him; he recognized him, and asked him, "Where are you?" "In Hell; I am lost!" "O wretched man! do you now believe what the missionary said?" "Yes, I believe it. Missionaries are wrong only in one respect; they do not tell you a hundredth part of what is suffered here. "
My children, I often think that most of the Christians who are lost for want of instruction - they do not know their religion well. For example, here is a person who has to go and do his day's work. This person has a desire to do great penances, to pass half the night in prayer; if he is well instructed, he will say, "No, I must not do that, because then I could not fulfill my duty tomorrow; I should be sleepy, and the least thing would put me out of patience; I should be weary all the day, and I should not do half as much work as if I had rested at night; that must not be done. "
Again, my children, a servant may have a desire to fast, but he is obliged to pass the whole day in digging and ploughing, or whatever you please. Well, if this servant is well instructed, he will think, "But if I do this, I shall not be able to satisfy my master." Well, what will he do? He will eat his breakfast, and mortify himself in some other way. That is what we must do - we must always act in the way that will give most glory to the good God.
A person knows that another is in distress, and takes from his parents what will relieve that distress. He would certainly do much better to ask than to take it. If his parents refuse to give it, he will pray to God to inspire a rich person to give the alms instead of him. A well-instructed person always has two guides leading the way before him - good counsel and obedience."
Source: The Blessed Curé of Ars in His Catechetical Instructions, 1951
Prayer for Lent: O Lord who, for our sake, didst fast forty days and forty nights; give us grace to use such abstinence that, our flesh being subdued to the spirit, we may worthily lament and acknowledge our wretchedness, and may obtain perfect remission and forgiveness of Thee, the God of all mercy, who livest and reignest with the Father and Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen
Source: Lent with the Cure d'Ars Compiled by the CAPGThe Divine Office
by VP
Posted on Saturday March 21, 2026 at 12:00AM in Quotes
" If Priests and Religious did all recite the Office as it ought to be recited, the Church would not behold herself in the miserable state to which she is reduced. How many sinners would be delivered from the slavery of the devil, and how many souls would love God with much greater fervor! And how would priests themselves not find themselves ever the same, imperfect, irritable, jealous, attached to their own interests, and led away by vanities! Our Lord has promised to hear every one who prays to him. (Luke xi. 10).
And how comes it that a priest offering up so many prayers in a day, were it only in the Office which he recites, is yet never heard? He is always the same, as weak and prone as ever to fall not only into slight sins (to which he is habituated, and takes neither pains nor care to correct himself of them,) but into grievous sins against charity, justice, or chastity; hence when he recites the Office, he pronounces sentence of condemnation against himself, in these words: Maledicti qui declinant a mandatis tuis. And what is still worse, he feels little remorse, excusing himself as being of the same flesh and blood as other men, and not able to restrain himself.
But if he said the Office with fewer distractions and less negligence, accompanying with his heart the many prayers which he offers to God in reciting it, he certainly would not be so weak but would acquire fortitude and strength to resist all temptations, and to lead a holy life, such as becometh a Priest of God."
Source: Sacerdos sanctificatus; or, Discourses on the Mass and Office by Saint Alphonse de Liguori
St. Cuthbert, Bishop and Confessor, A.D. 687
by VP
Posted on Friday March 20, 2026 at 03:00AM in Saints
The Journey by Fenwick Lawson, showing the
coffin of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne being carried by 6 monks,
eventually to Durham, UK.
"This saint was particularly devoted from his childhood to the love and service of God. While keeping sheep on the mountains of Northumberland, he saw one night a multitude of angels carrying up to heaven the soul of St. Aidan, bishop of Lindisfarne, which had just departed. This vision moved him to great compunction, and a strong desire of quitting the world. He soon after took the monastic habit in the monastery of Mailros. Here he applied himself continually to reading, working, watching, and praying; wholly abstaining from wine and all strong drink. After some time he was chosen prior; and afterwards prior of a larger monastery at Lindisfarne. He was a man of extraordinary patience, preserving a cheerful countenance under all adversities. He was a great lover of watching and praying, often passing nights together without sleep, employed in praying, singing psalms, and working.
Aspiring to a closer union with God, St. Cuthbert built himself a cell in the uninhabited island of Farne, intending to dedicate the remainder of his days to divine contemplation. But he was called from his solitude, and consecrated bishop of Lindisfarne. He adorned this dignity by every episcopal virtue, without changing his former method of life, being as sparing to himself as ever, whilst he was liberal to others, in feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and exercising all other duties of his station. After governing the church of Lindisfarne for two years in a most saintly manner, he resigned his bishopric, and returned to his beloved cell in the island of Farne; and after two months he was seized with his last illness, and gave up his soul, intent on the divine praises, to take her flight to heavenly joys, on the 20th of March, 687.
Pray for your country, and all the pastors of it; that being watchful in the concerns of their flocks, and their own souls, they may live to edification, and do good to all. Imitate the spirit of prayer of St. Cuthbert, whose life was a continual prayer. Whatever he saw seemed to speak to him of God, and invite him to his holy love." The Catholic Year by Rev. Fr. John Gother
- "So devout and zealous was he in his desire after heavenly things, that when saying Mass, he could never come to the conclusion thereof without a plentiful shedding of tears. When celebrating the mysteries of our Lord's Passion, he would, very appropriately, imitate the action that he was performing, ie. in contrition of heart he would sacrifice himself to the Lord; and he exhorted those present to "lift up their hears," and " to give thanks to the Lord," more by raising up his heart than his voice, and more by his groans then his singing."
A Prayer to Saint Cuthbert
Hail, father of thy country! Hail, man of renown! Hail, thou who often bestowest upon the miserable the comforts of health! Hail, lovely glory! Hail, great hope of thy servants! Farewell merit of our own! Do thou act, thou man of piety! To thee be praise! To thee let worthy honour, to thee let thanks be given, who frequently bestowest blessings upon me, undeserving though I be. Thou art my mighty help; often hast thou been my glory. Always dost thou cherish me with thy sweetly-flowing love. Oh from how many evils, from what enemies and dangers, my father, hast thou rescued me, and still nourishest thou me in prosperity! What worthy return can I make to thee, my father? Oh thou pious Bishop! Oh Father! Oh merciful Pastor! give me thy aid. As it pleases thee, O Father, and as thou knowest my wants, give help to thy petitioner. I pray thee to remember me, thou sweet friend of God.
Day 31. Lent with the Cure d'Ars: Catechism on Frequent Communion
by VP
Posted on Friday March 20, 2026 at 02:00AM in Lenten Sermons
"My children, all beings in creation require to be fed, that they may live; for this purpose God has made trees and plants grow; it is a well-served table, to which all animals come and take the food which suits each one. But the soul also must be fed. Where, then, is its food? My brethren, the food of the soul is God. Ah! what a beautiful thought! The soul can feed on nothing but God. Only God can suffice for it; only God can fill it; only God can satiate its hunger; it absolutely requires its God! There is in all houses a place where the provisions of the family are kept; it is the store-room. The church is the home of souls; it is the house belonging to us, who are Christians. Well, in this house there is a store-room. Do you see the tabernacle? If the souls of Christians were asked, "What is that?" your souls would answer, "It is the store-room. "
There is nothing so great, my children, as the Eucharist! Put all the good works in the world against one good Communion; they will be like a grain of dust beside a mountain. Make a prayer when you have the good God in your heart; the good God will not be able to refuse you anything, if you offer Him His Son, and the merits of His holy death and Passion. My children, if we understood the value of Holy Communion, we should avoid the least faults, that we might have the happiness of making it oftener. We should keep our souls always pure in the eyes of God. My children, I suppose that you have been to confession today, and you will watch over yourselves; you will be happy in the thought that tomorrow you will have the joy of receiving the good God into your heart. Neither can you offend the good God tomorrow; your soul will be all embalmed with the precious Blood of Our Lord. Oh, beautiful life!
O my children, how beautiful will a soul be in eternity that has worthily and often received the good God! The Body of Our Lord will shine through our body, His adorable Blood through our blood; our soul will be united to the Soul of Our Lord during all eternity. There it will enjoy pure and perfect happiness. My children, when the soul of a Christian who has received Our Lord enters paradise, it augments the joy of Heaven. The Angels and the Queen of Angels come to meet it, because they recognize the Son of God in that soul. Then will that soul be rewarded for the pains and sacrifices it will have endured in its life on earth. My children, we know when a soul has worthily received the Sacrament of the Eucharist, it is so drowned in love, so penetrated and changed, that it is no longer to be recognized in its words or its actions. . . . It is humble, it is gentle, it is mortified, charitable, and modest; it is at peace with everyone. It is a soul capable of the greatest sacrifices; in short, you would not know it again.
Go, then, to Communion, my children; go to Jesus with love and confidence; go and live upon Him, in order to live for Him! Do not say that you have too much to do. Has not the Divine Savior said, "Come to Me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you"? Can you resist an invitation so full of love and tenderness? Do not say that you are not worthy of it. It is true, you are not worthy of it; but you are in need of it. If Our Lord had regarded our worthiness, He would never have instituted His beautiful Sacrament of love: for no one in the world is worthy of it, neither the saints, nor the angels, nor the archangels, nor the Blessed Virgin; but He had in view our needs, and we are all in need of it. Do not say that you are sinners, that you are too miserable, and for that reason you do not dare to approach it. I would as soon hear you say that you are very ill, and therefore you will not take any remedy, nor send for the physician.
All the prayers of the Mass are a preparation for Communion; and all the life of a Christian ought to be a preparation for that great action. We ought to labor to deserve to receive Our Lord every day. How humbled we ought to feel when we see others going to the holy table, and we remain motionless in our place! How happy is a guardian angel who leads a beautiful soul to the holy table! In the primitive Church they communicated every day. When Christians had grown cold, they substituted blessed bread for the Body of Our Lord; this is both a consolation and a humiliation. It is indeed blessed bread; but it is not the Body and Blood of Our Lord!
There are some who make a spiritual communion every day with blessed bread. If we are deprived of Sacramental Communion, let us replace it, as far as we can, by spiritual communion, which we can make every moment; for we ought to have always a burning desire to receive the good God.
Communion is to the soul like blowing a fire that is beginning to go out, but that has still plenty of hot embers; we blow, and the fire burns again. After the reception of the Sacraments, when we feel ourselves slacken in the love of God, let us have recourse at once to spiritual communion. When we cannot come to church, let us turn towards the tabernacle: a wall cannot separate us from the good God; let us say five Paters and five Aves to make a spiritual communion. We can receive the good God only once a day; a soul on fire with love supplies for this by the desire to receive Him every moment.
O man, how great thou art! fed with the Body and Blood of a God!
Oh, how sweet a life is this life of union with the good God! It is Heaven upon earth; there are no more troubles, no more crosses! When you have the happiness of having received the good God, you feel a joy, a sweetness in your heart for some moments. Pure souls feel it always, and in this union consists their strength and their happiness."
Source: The Blessed Curé of Ars in His Catechetical Instructions, 1951
Prayer for Lent: O Lord who, for our sake, didst fast forty days and forty nights; give us grace to use such abstinence that, our flesh being subdued to the spirit, we may worthily lament and acknowledge our wretchedness, and may obtain perfect remission and forgiveness of Thee, the God of all mercy, who livest and reignest with the Father and Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen
Source: Lent with the Cure d'Ars Compiled by the CAPGSaint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Confessor
by VP
Posted on Thursday March 19, 2026 at 03:00AM in Saints
St. Joseph, (Mother of Mercy Catholic Church, Washington, NC)
"On the festival of this saint, let virgins pray for the divine protection against all temptations and snares. Let all married persons pray for conjugal chastity; let all parents pray for grace, for the faithful discharge of all duties towards their children. Let all who have the care of families pray that they may not be wanting in any part of their charge, that discipline may be preserved by their care, and virtue encouraged by their good example.
St. Joseph was chosen by Almighty God to be the chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and under the reputation of father, to have the care of the Son of God made man; to protect him in his infancy, and secure both Mother and Son against the cruel designs of Herod. It was he, whose great virtues were rewarded, even in this life, by his being made an eye-witness of the virtues of the divine Jesus, in possessing him under his roof for many years; and seeing him, whom kings and prophets had desired to see, but it was not granted them. He was recompensed not only in seeing, but in hearing, in carrying him in his arms, in embracing and feeding him, and being made the depository of those divine secrets which were committed to no other. His life has not been written by men, but by the Holy Ghost himself; who has left his most considerable actions recorded in the gospel. And it will be our happiness on this festival, if we can learn some of those great lessons, which we are taught by his example.
Since the care of Jesus was by the Eternal Wisdom left to an humble tradesman, have not here all of that degree, as also all house-keepers, a great instruction, that sanctity and perfection are not to be thought the exclusive property of ecclesiastics and religious, but that their condition also is capable of these, and that in the new Law they are expected of them? In this they see that the daily toil of a laborious life is no exclusion to Jesus; but that he may dwell in the midst of them, while with the sweat of their brows they are working for bread, and the provision of their families. Nay, since they see him make choice of such an abode, they cannot doubt but in this all their labours are not only approved, but consecrated by him; and that he has declared a laborious life to be a holy life. Let it be only their care to join innocence with their toil, to season it with daily prayer, and sanctify it by a repeated oblation to Almighty God, in the faithful discharge of the duties of the state to which they are called; and they can have no just reason to complain of their unhappy circumstances, but rather rejoice. For they see their life to be a penitential life, even a performing of the penance enjoined by Almighty God himself on the sons of Adam at their exclusion from Paradise.
It cannot be questioned but that such persons stand much fairer for the pardon of their sins, in undergoing the punishment, than those others who, living at their ease, feed on the toil of others, and wholly dispense with themselves as to this part of their penance. Nay, since these may observe that those primitive Christians, who studied the greatest perfection, took in this laborious and penitential part, and since the apostle gloried in it, they cannot apprehend their most painful labours and daily employments to be a hindrance to salvation, but rather one part of a Christian life, and very proper for gaining a happy eternity. It is with such that the divine Jesus delights to dwell. And if he be not always with them, they may be assured that it is not their labours that drive him thence, but either their love of idleness in neglecting these, or because not content to depend on their industry and pains, they make use of lies, frauds, and injustices, whereby to overreach their neighbour, and enrich themselves by wronging him. Were it not for these unwarrantable methods, no state might be more favoured by heaven than that of labouring Christians. If they would but renounce these practices, be faithful in their callings, observe their times of prayer and spiritual duties, they might be so many families of saints, and have Jesus their companion here, and reward hereafter." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
To St. Joseph for a Particular Priest
Saint Joseph, I present to you this day
Father [name], priest of Jesus Christ, and beg you to be to him advocate
and defender, counselor and friend. Open your heart to him as you
opened your home to the Virgin Mother in her hour of need. Protect his
holy priesthood as you protected the life of the Infant Christ
threatened by cruel Herod. In darkness bring him light; in weakness,
strength, and in fear the peace that passes understanding.
For
the sake of the tender love that bound you to the Virgin Mary and the
Infant Christ, be for him, Saint Joseph, a constant intercessor and a
shield against every danger of body, mind, and soul so that, in spite of
his weaknesses and sins, his priesthood may bring glory to Christ and
serve to increase the beauty of holiness in his bride the Church. Amen
Day 30. Lent with the Cure d'Ars: Catechism on the Holy Priesthood
by VP
Posted on Thursday March 19, 2026 at 02:00AM in Lenten Sermons
"My children, we have come to the Sacrament of Orders. It is a Sacrament which seems to relate to no one among you, and which yet relates to everyone. This Sacrament raises man up to God.
What is a priest! A man who holds the place of God - a man who is invested with all the powers of God. "Go, " said Our Lord to the priest; "as My Father sent Me, I send you. All power has been given Me in Heaven and on earth. Go then, teach all nations. . . . He who listens to you, listens to Me; he who despises you despises Me. " When the priest remits sins, he does not say, "God pardons you"; he says, "I absolve you. " At the Consecration, he does not say, "This is the Body of Our Lord;" he says, "This is My Body. "St. Bernard tells us that everything has come to us through Mary; and we may also say that everything has come to us through the priest; yes, all happiness, all graces, all heavenly gifts.
If we had not the Sacrament of Orders, we should not have Our Lord. Who placed Him there, in that tabernacle? It was the priest. Who was it that received your soul, on its entrance into life? The priest. Who nourishes it, to give it strength to make its pilgrimage? The priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, by washing that soul, for the last time, in the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest - always the priest. And if that soul comes to the point of death, who will raise it up, who will restore it to calmness and peace? Again the priest. You cannot recall one single blessing from God without finding, side by side with this recollection, the image of the priest.
Go to confession to the Blessed Virgin, or to an angel; will they absolve you? No. Will they give you the Body and Blood of Our Lord? No. The Holy Virgin cannot make her Divine Son descend into the Host. You might have two hundred angels there, but they could not absolve you. A priest, however simple he may be, can do it; he can say to you, "Go in peace; I pardon you. " Oh, how great is a priest! The priest will not understand the greatness of his office till he is in Heaven. If he understood it on earth, he would die, not of fear, but of love.
The other benefits of God would be of no avail to us without the priest. What would be the use of a house full of gold, if you had nobody to open you the door! The priest has the key of the heavenly treasures; it is he who opens the door; he is the steward of the good God, the distributor of His wealth. Without the priest, the Death and Passion of Our Lord would be of no avail. Look at the heathens: what has it availed them that Our Lord has died? Alas! they can have no share in the blessings of Redemption, while they have no priests to apply His Blood to their souls!
The priest is not a priest for himself; he does not give himself absolution; he does not administer the Sacraments to himself. He is not for himself, he is for you. After God, the priest is everything. Leave a parish twenty years without priests; they will worship beasts. If the missionary Father and I were to go away, you would say, "What can we do in this church? there is no Mass; Our Lord is no longer there: we may as well pray at home. " When people wish to destroy religion, they begin by attacking the priest, because where there is no longer any priest there is no sacrifice, and where there is no longer any sacrifice there is no religion.
When the bell calls you to church, if you were asked, "Where are you going?" you might answer, "I am going to feed my soul. " If someone were to ask you, pointing to the tabernacle, "What is that golden door?" "That is our storehouse, where the true Food of our souls is kept. " "Who has the key? Who lays in the provisions? Who makes ready the feast, and who serves the table?" "The priest. " "And what is the Food?" "The precious Body and Blood of Our Lord. " O God! O God! how Thou hast loved us! See the power of the priest; out of a piece of bread the word of a priest makes a God. It is more than creating the world. . . . Someone said, "Does St. Philomena, then, obey the Curé of Ars?" Indeed, she may well obey him, since God obeys him.
If I were to meet a priest and an angel, I should salute the priest before I saluted the angel. The latter is the friend of God; but the priest holds His place. St. Teresa kissed the ground where a priest had passed. When you see a priest, you should say, "There is he who made me a child of God, and opened Heaven to me by holy Baptism; he who purified me after I had sinned; who gives nourishment to my soul. " At the sight of a church tower, you may say, "What is there in that place?" "The Body of Our Lord. " "Why is He there?" "Because a priest has been there, and has said holy Mass. "
What joy did the Apostles feel after the Resurrection of Our Lord, at seeing the Master whom they had loved so much!
The priest must feel the same joy, at seeing Our Lord whom he holds in his hands. Great value is attached to objects which have been laid in the drinking cup of the Blessed Virgin and of the Child Jesus, at Loretto. But the fingers of the priest, that have touched the adorable Flesh of Jesus Christ, that have been plunged into the chalice which contained His Blood, into the pyx where His Body has lain, are they not still more precious? The priesthood is the love of the Heart of Jesus.
When you see the priest, think of Our Lord Jesus Christ."
Source: The Blessed Curé of Ars in His Catechetical Instructions, 1951
Prayer for Lent: O Lord who, for our sake, didst fast forty days and forty nights; give us grace to use such abstinence that, our flesh being subdued to the spirit, we may worthily lament and acknowledge our wretchedness, and may obtain perfect remission and forgiveness of Thee, the God of all mercy, who livest and reignest with the Father and Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen
Source: Lent with the Cure d'Ars Compiled by the CAPG#7 Acts of Adoration Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament in reparation for all the offenses committed against Him by mankind
by VP
Posted on Thursday March 19, 2026 at 01:00AM in Thursday Reparation
7. We adore Thee, O source and origin of all sanctity and innocence! And to repair the abominations committed by wicked priests, who consecrate and receive Thee in the state of mortal sin, we offer up to Thee the profound adoration and holiness of the Powers. Eternal praise and thanksgiving be to the Most Holy and Most Divine Sacrament.
O Queen of heaven and earth, hope of mankind, who adores thy Divine
Son incessantly! We entreat thee, that, since we have the honor to be of
the number of thy children, thou would interest thyself in our behalf
and make satisfaction for us, and in our name, to our Eternal Judge, by
rendering to Him the duties which we ourselves are incapable of
performing. Amen
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church (315-386)
by VP
Posted on Wednesday March 18, 2026 at 03:00AM in Saints
"The accomplishment of Prophecies: St. Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem, is one of the greatest prelates that the Church has ever possessed; pious and learned in all sciences human and divine; inflexible in the doctrines of faith, and, for that reason, twice sent into exile; benevolent and charitable beyond measure, abounding with a zeal truly apostolic, such, in brief, was this holy bishop.
His episcopate was marked by two great events, first, the appearance of a luminous cross above Mount Calvary, which was visible to the whole of Judea and Samaria; and next, the accomplishment of the prophecy of Jesus Christ relative to the temple of Jerusalem.
Julian the Apostate, having wished to rebuild it in order to set the Gospel at naught, the Jews were all jubilant and the Christians borne down with dread; but Cyril reassured them, and scoffed at the enterprise. In fact, on the last stone being torn from the foundations, flames burst forth, which trice consumed the separate relays of workmen. The apostate having died, the undertaking was suspended, and since then never has there been a stone upon a stone. St. Cyril died in 386.
Moral reflection: If our faith grow timid, those words of the Divine Master should suffice to calm our disquietude, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not fail." (Matt. XXIV. 35) Source: Pictorial half hours with the saints, by Rev. Fr. Auguste François Lecanu 1865
