Pope St. Pius X
by VP
Posted on Wednesday September 03, 2025 at 01:00AM in Saints
Pascendi Dominici Gregis ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS X ON THE DOCTRINES OF THE MODERNISTS
Pope Pius X
is convinced that on the character of the clergy mainly depend the
present welfare and the future hopes of religion. He is convinced that
in modern times the Church needs ministers of more than ordinary virtue,
men who are ever ready to spend themselves for Christ and to suffer
hard things for His sake. Hence he observes with alarm the growth of a
worldly spirit in some of the clergy - disregard for mental prayer,
indifference to spiritual reading, neglect of self-examination
- and he foretells with sorrow what will be the bitter fruits of such
worldliness. Sacred duties will be callously performed, the light of the
faith will be darkened, dangerous novelties will be preferred to sound
doctrine, human wisdom will be substituted for the Word of God, and
pride and contumacy will take the place of the humility and meekness of
Christ."
Source: The Priest of Today, His Ideals and His duties, by Thomas O'Donnell C.M. 1910
"The Pope had very special and peculiar difficulty in dealing with the Catholic Modernists; for Modernism was very insidious in its methods. The Modernists said: there may be difficulties about the dogmas of faith from the point of view of philosophy and historical criticism; they may not be philosophically and historically true; but, even so, their religious value remains, for they can be believed by faith. To the ordinary faithful Faith meant intellectual assent to truths on the authority of the word of God. It seemed, then, as if the Catholic Modernists were not impugning the intellectual truth of the dogmas of faith. But the Modernists meant by Faith the use of dogmas as rules of action; we should live and act, they said, as if Christ were God, as if He had arisen from the dead, as if He were really present in the Blessed Eucharist. There was then an equivocal use of the word "faith".
The true faith of the Church was being undermined. Intellectual assent to the dogmas of faith on the authority of God would be impossible if the dogmas themselves were philosophically or historically false. Thus Modernism was a formula or prescription for an easy imperceptible death to Christianity. But Pope Pius X. intervened, and saved his people from the poisoned prescriptions of the Modernists." The Catholic Book Bulletin, Vol 1 P33-34 1911, Modernism and the Old Faith by Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Goghlan, D.D.
Prayer for Priests (St. Pius X)
O Jesus, eternal High Priest, divine
Sacrificer, Thou who in an unspeakable burst of love for men, Thy
Brethren, didst cause the Christian Priesthood to spring forth from Thy
Sacred Heart, vouchsafe to pour forth upon Thy priests continual living
streams of infinite love.
Live in them, transform them in to
Thee; make them, by Thy Grace, fit instruments of Thy mercy; do Thou act
in them and through them, and grant, that they may become wholly one
with Thee by their faithful imitation of Thy Virtues; and, in Thy name
and by the strength of Thy spirit, may they do the works which Thou
didst accomplish for the salvation of the world.
Divine Redeemer
of souls, behold how great is the multitude of those who still sleep in
the darkness of error; reckon up the number of those unfaithful sheep
who stray to the edge of the precipice; consider the throngs of the
poor, the hungry, the ignorant and the feeble who groan in their
abandoned condition.
Return to us in the person of Thy priests;
truly live again in them; act through them and pass once more through
the world, teaching, forgiving, comforting, sacrificing and renewing the
sacred bonds of love between the Heart of God and the heart of man.
Amen.
St. Pius X (Raccolta 1907, Prayer 614. Rescript in his own hand. March 3, 1905 )
Saint Stephen of Hungary, KING AND CONFESSOR, A.D. 1038.
by VP
Posted on Tuesday September 02, 2025 at 01:00AM in Saints
St Stephen offers his crown to the Virgin Mary -
Painting behind the altar in the St Stephen basilica in Budapest by Gyula Benczúr:
"ST. STEPHEN was the first King of Hungary. His earliest care on taking the reins of government, was to settle a firm peace with the neighboring nations. He then labored to root out idolatry, and promote the reign of Christ in the hearts of all
his subjects. He invited into his dominions many holy priests and
religious men, who by their exemplary lives and zealous preaching, sowed
the seed of faith, and built many churches and monasteries. It is incredible with what ardor the holy king exhorted his people, especially his domestics, to the practice of all virtues. He provided for the poor throughout his whole kingdom, and took them under his special protection, especially the helpless orphans and widows. He lost no part of his time in vain amusements or idle company; but divided it between the duties of religion, and those of his
station. His alms-deeds, meekness, temperance, patience, and other
virtues, succeeding one another in their victories and repeated heroic
acts, sanctified his whole life, and made it, as it were, one uninterrupted sacrifice to God. There
is no saint whose virtue is not exercised by tribulation. Sickness
deprived St. Stephen of all his children. This affliction he bore with entire resignation, adoring it in the holy will of God; but it weaned his heart more and more from the world.
He endeavoured to redouble his fervour in all his religious exercises,
and directed his devotions and charities principally to obtain a happy
death. St. Stephen laboured for three years under a complication of painful distempers. Perceiving his last hour at length drawing near, he commended his kingdom to the patronage of the Blessed Virgin, and after having received the sacraments of Penance, the Holy Viaticum, and Extreme Unction, he happily expired on the Feast of the Assumption,
1038, being threescore years old. Pray for his nation, that it may be
preserved from errors and sins. Pray for all Christian princes, that
they may encourage justice, virtue, and truth. They have a difficult
charge; and being appointed for the good of all, ought to have the prayers of all." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
"Faith is the strength of Nations: A nation is never more prosperous and powerful than when its members are united in one and the same faith. Errors in religion entail errors and division, and, as a matter of course, weakness in policy.
This was fully understood by Stephen, the Vaivode of Hungary; and hence he did all in his power to continue the work inaugurated by his father for the conversion of Hungary. He often accompanied the missionaries while they were evangelizing, and when Christianity was at length solidly established, sent the monk Anastasius to the Sovereign Pontiff, to obtain full confirmation of what had been accomplished. Sylvester II, confirmed all that had been effected, and conferred on the pious Vaivode the title of "King". Stephen, out of respect, listened standing while the bulls from the head of the Church were being read out. Hungary having become Christian, and having been placed under the protection of the Holy Virgin, was civilized in due course, and has remained one of the most powerful nations in Europe. St. Stephen died in 1038, regretted by the people at large on account of his high courage, and venerated for his virtues.
Moral reflection: "Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it." (Psa. cxxvi. 1.)
Pictorial half hours with the saints by Rev. Fr. Auguste François Lecanu
For the Church and Civil Authorities by Archbishop Carroll
We pray Thee, O almighty and Eternal
God, Who through Jesus Christ Hast revealed Thy glory to all nations, to
preserve the works of Thy mercy; that thy Church, being spread through
the whole world, may continue, with unchanging faith, in the confession
of Thy name.
We pray Thee, who alone art good and holy, to endow
with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life our Pope
Francis, the vicar of our Lord Jesus Christ in the government of His
Church; our own bishop ...; all the other bishops, prelates, and pastors
of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise
among us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct Thy people
into the ways of salvation.
We pray Thee, O God of might,
wisdom, and justice, through whom authority is rightly administered,
laws are enacted, and judgments decreed, assist, with the Holy Spirit of
counsel and fortitude, the President of the United States, that his
administration may be
conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people,
over whom he presides, by
encouraging due respect for virtue and religion;
by faithful execution of the law in justice and
mercy; and by restraining vice
and immorality.
Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress,
and shine forth in all the
proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government;
so that they may tend to the preservation
of peace, the promotion of national happiness,
the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful
knowledge, and may
perpetuate to us the blessings of equal liberty.
We pray for his Excellency the Governor of
this State, for the members of the Assembly,
for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who
are appointed to guard our political welfare; that they may be enabled,
by Thy powerful protection, to discharge the duties
of their respective stations with honesty and
ability.
We
recommend likewise to Thy unbounded mercy all our brethren and fellow
citizens, throughout the
United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge, and sanctified
in the observance of Thy
most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace
which the world cannot give;
and, after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those
which are eternal.
Finally, we pray Thee, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of Thy
servants departed who are gone
before us with the sign of faith, and repose in the sleep of peace:
the souls of our parents, relations, and friends;
of those who, when living, were members of this
congregation; and particularly of such as are lately deceased;
of all benefactors who, by their
donations or legacies to this Church, witnessed their zeal for the
decency of divine worship,
and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance.
To these, O Lord, and to
all that rest in Christ, grant we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment,
light, and everlasting
peace, through the same Jesus, Our Lord and Savior.
Amen.
The Attacks Made by Heretics upon the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
by VP
Posted on Tuesday September 02, 2025 at 01:00AM in Quotes
Saint Catherine of Siena, Wake Forest NC
"The persecutions which the evil enemy has stirred up at various times against the most holy sacrifice of the Mass are a proof how sacred a thing it must be, and how obnoxious to the devil; otherwise he would not attack it with such violence. (...)
From the days of the apostles until the present time the holy sacrifice of the Mass has had no more vehement opponent than the unhappy Martin Luther, who not only attacked but decried this divine mystery. He did not do this of himself, nor when he first apostatized, but at a later period, and at the instigation of the devil. In fact the deluded man himself acknowledges in his writings that his teaching comes from the devil, and only at the suggestion of the evil one has he abolished the Mass as an act of idolatry, although he must have known full well that the devil is the hater of all that is good, and teaches mankind naught but what is evil."
(...)
If the people are ignorant of the great value of holy Mass they do not love and esteem it as they ought; they never go to Mass on week-days, and on Sundays and holidays they are too often indifferent, irreverent, superficial; they absent themselves on a mere pretext, and without the slightest scruple of conscience.
But if they understand the vast efficacy and value of
the holy Mass, they cannot fail to prize more highly this costly
treasure, to love it deeply, and assist at the divine oblation with
greater reverence. There is in the Catholic Church no mystery more
important, more consoling, more salutary, than this sublime mystery of
the altar. If this truth were recognized aright, we should certainly see
a larger attendance at Mass on week-days."
Source:Cochem's Explanation of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
Prayer for the Church and for France to Saint Giles
by VP
Posted on Monday September 01, 2025 at 01:00AM in Prayers
Mass of St. Giles, public domain
Most powerful Saint Giles, whose cult shines with new splendor in these days of anxiety and anguish, we come to implore your help, O you whom our fathers, in their gratitude, loved to proclaim one of the fourteen saints the most helpful in heaven: Come to our aid. As you can see, the waves are about to overwhelm Peter's boat, and like the apostles, we cry to heaven: "Save us, we are going to perish!" You who by your prayers calm the storms, calm the tempest that rumbles over the Church, you who have loved its leader so much, preserve for us our glorious Pontiff, deign to obtain for him calm and happy days, by the defeat of his enemies and the humble submission of all his children.
Saint Giles, who wanted to come to France to edify and sanctify it with your humility, your penance, your love for the Holy Church and all your admirable virtues, protect our country, victim of pride, indifference and of human respect. Obtain from the Lord, by your powerful prayers, that France no longer be afraid to pray to her God, to abjure error, to affirm her faith and to protect the Church, Amen.
Source: Vie et culte de Saint Gilles, Jules de Kerval 1875 (Prayer translated by CAPG)
KINDLINESS ONE TO ANOTHER
by VP
Posted on Sunday August 31, 2025 at 01:00AM in Sunday Sermons
"He that showed mercy to him . . . and Jesus said to him: Go and do thou in like manner."-LUKE X. 37.
1. How many neglect to do "in like manner."
2. Love one another in thought, word, and deed.
3. Even in small things, how blessed by peace of conscience and piety.
4. But the greatest blessing is, by practicing kindliness, we grow like our Lord.
"THE touching parable of this day's Gospel contains many lessons, and amongst others, it is an instruction how we should fulfill that command of our Blessed Savior, "Love one another as I have loved you" (John xiii. 34). And the necessity for us to study this lesson is impressed on us by the fact that so many neglect this duty. This we see from the parable, for our Lord tells us how the priest and the Levite, representing good people and those who should have known their duty, passed by the wounded man; and it was left to a poor Samaritan - an outcast, as the Jews considered him - to give us an example of brotherly love. The very lawyer who had cross-questioned our Blessed Lord sought to evade the command by asking, "Who is my neighbor?" But he brought on himself the rebuke which forced from him the answer that will teach mankind until the end of time. Jesus said to him, "Which of these three, in thy opinion, was neighbor to him that fell amongst robbers?" He was compelled to answer, " He that showed mercy to him."
Love for our neighbor is a duty by the command of God. To love God is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matt. xxii. 39). And the practice of this duty is inculcated and explained in this parable. Anyone needing kindly assistance is our neighbor, and we are bound, according to our ability, to help him. Even by thought we can be charitable, and study how to comfort the afflicted and the dying. A pitying thought would lead us to pray, and with prayers we can follow even the dying, and rescue them from purgatory. By word, by comforting, consoling, advising those in trouble. By deed, by bestowing alms, taking trouble to assist them, by visiting the sick and the dying.
Alas! our neighborly love is often weak and attenuated for want of practice. We are so engrossed with ourselves, with our own comforts and well-being, that we forget others, and begrudge a little sacrifice for them. To some, perhaps, we are a little charitable: their misery appeals to us. Others we pass by: their poverty, disease, surroundings are repulsive to us. We cannot bring ourselves to the practice of kindly charity to them. We shudder at the remembrance of what so many saints and pious people have done-visiting the hospitals, seeking out the afflicted in their homes, and attending to them in their wretchedness.
But how many other ways are there of being charitable, that do not call for such heroism! Begin with humble little practices, but let them be daily ones. A daily practice soon becomes a habit, and little kindnesses will nourish our thoughtfulness, our generosity, and presently we shall find ourselves showing mercy and being blessed by it. The least thing done for Christ's sake is worthy of reward-even "a cup of cold water" given in His name. The rich man, who was buried in hell, cried out to Abraham for a drop of cold water to cool his tongue. He was past all mercy. But the souls in purgatory are longing for a little alleviation; and how many are totally forgotten by their friends, perhaps even by those to whom they had been so kind in life! Perhaps some fond mother suffering now for being too indulgent to us, and we heartlessly forget her. "Show mercy," by prayers, masses, and do not begrudge a Holy Communion offered for them. How blessed will be the reward of our charity, and how grateful we shall be for having practiced it, when our time comes to be judged and punished!
Amongst the rewards for kindliness to others, who can tell the peace of conscience and happiness that result from works of mercy, or even from words of consolation, with which we have comforted others? The hard-hearted, the selfish, the haughty cannot picture to themselves what they miss, and the comforting, holy joy of which they deprive their souls.
But the greatest blessing for being kindly one to another is this, that day by day we are growing more like our Blessed Lord, Who went about doing good to all. His spirit is filling our souls, and our hard and selfish hearts are being subdued and taking up the yoke of Christ. "Love one another as I have loved you." This is the motive that urges us to be kind and charitable; to grow like to Him should be our daily endeavor. Therefore a peace, that the world cannot understand, envelops our daily life, and by degrees this world and its love and its pleasures lose their fascination for us; and with joy we feel that it is heaven and the Lord of heaven to Whom we are seeking to attain.
Practicing kindliness, in little ways day after day, transforms our lives, and from being selfish and hard we grow prompt and generous, ready for some great occasion, which may arise, when we can prove ourselves imitators of our divine Master, and ready for His sake to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others.
"Go and do thou in like manner." This He bids us do. Unless we attempt it, force ourselves to do it, we are disobeying; we are cowards. Self is our master; our Blessed Lord is ignored. No wonder our prayers are unheard; our passions unsubdued; the practice of piety repugnant. Our religion is merely an outward show; the spirit of Christ is not in our hearts; we hear, but heed not, His words, "Love one another as I have loved you."
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost Short Sermons on the Epistles & Gospels of the Sundays of the Year By Francis Paulinus Hickey
Saint Raymond Nonnatus, Cardinal and Confessor, A.D. 1240.
by VP
Posted on Sunday August 31, 2025 at 01:00AM in Saints
"He improved a pious education by learning; and being directed by heaven, entered into a religious Order, which had been then lately founded for the redemption of captives. In this state he gave proof of his wonderful charity, by going into Africa; and having purchased the liberty of many with money, he gave himself in exchange for others, whom he perceived to be in danger of renouncing their faith. He extended his charity likewise to the Mahometans; and having by his preaching converted many, he was cast into prison, and after many torments, had his lips bored, and fastened together with a lock. After a tedious suffering, returning home, he was made a cardinal; but while he accepted the dignity, he renounced the state, living in a private and humble way, till God called him from his captivity to perfect freedom. His death happened in the year 1240, the thirty-seventh of his age.
Pray for all Christians who are in slavery amongst infidels, that
God would give them patience and comfort in their troubles, and
constancy in their faith. If you cannot do them any other charity,
deprive them not of this. Pray for all who are in the worst slavery of sin and vicious passions. If you considered the tyranny of evil spirits, to which these are subject, their misery would move your compassion, and oblige you to importune heaven daily for
their liberty. See if you have no part in this misfortune; and labour
in time to disengage yourself, lest through neglect, your chains be
doubled upon you. If there be difficulty in breaking them, while they
are yet weak, will not this be still greater as they gain strength? And
yet broken they must be, if you think of being for ever happy. (...)" The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Collect for the Feast of Saint Raymond Nonnatus
O God, Who didst make blessed Raymund, Thy confessor, wonderful in delivering Thy faithful held in captivity by the infidels, grant us by his intercession that, being loosed from the bonds of our sins, we may with quiet minds perform those things which are pleasing to Thee. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen. (Source: Saint Andrew Daily Missal by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, Liturgical Apostolate, 1959.)
Novena Prayer to St. Raymond Nonnatus
Glorious St. Raymond filled with compassion for those who invoke thee and with love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, I cast myself at thy feet and humbly beg of Thee under thy special protection. Vouchsafe to recommend it to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and lay it before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted. Above all, obtain for me the grace of one day beholding my God face to face, and with thee and Mary and the saints praising and blessing for all eternity, Amen
Good St. Raymond pray for us and obtain our request.
Good St. Raymond pray for us and obtain our request.
Good St. Raymond pray for us and obtain our request.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father.
St. Rose of Lima, VIRGIN. A.D. 1617.
by VP
Posted on Saturday August 30, 2025 at 01:00AM in Saints
"WHEN the faith of Christ began to enlighten the vast regions of America, St. Rose appeared as the first fruits of its canonized saints. From her infancy, her patience in suffering, and love of mortification, were extraordinary. Whilst yet a child, she ate no fruit, fasted three days a week, and on other days took only unsavory herbs and pulse. Every incentive of pride and sensuality was to her an object of abhorrence. She triumphed over self-love by the most profound humility, and the most perfect obedience and denial of her own will. She never disobeyed the orders of her parents in the least thing; but gave proofs of her
scrupulous obedience and invincible patience under all pains, labor,
and contradictions, which surprised all who knew her. To comply more
easily with the vow she had made of holy virginity, she enrolled herself in the third Order of St. Dominic. She wore upon her head a thin circle, studded on the inside with little sharp nails, which wounded her head, in imitation of a crown of thorns. This she did to put her in mind of the Passion of Christ, which she desired to have always in her thoughts. Her ardent love of God appeared most sensibly, when she was in presence of the Blessed Sacrament; and when in receiving it she united her heart to her beloved in that wonderful fountain of his
love. God favored her with many extraordinary graces; but for her
humiliation, she suffered much from her relations, and many severe
interior trials. After long and painful sickness, she died at the age of thirty-one, in the year 1617.
Pray for all under the profession of virginity; that fixing their hearts on their heavenly Spouse, they may be ever ready to go forth to meet him. If you have children under your care, the charge is difficult, and requires particular grace to satisfy its duties. If you see not an early sense of heaven in them, take care that it be not your fault. They are then susceptible of all impressions; and will receive such as are good, if you are diligent in giving them." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
"When St. Rose of Lima went to communion she appeared like an angel; so that the priest was stupefied. If any one asked her what effect the Blessed Sacrament produced in her, she stammered and said she had no words to express them, but that she seemed to pass entirely into God, and was inundated with such joy that nothing in common life could be compared to it. This divine nourishment satisfied and strengthened her to such a degree that when she returned from Church, her step was firm and agile, whereas when she went to Church she was often obliged to stop to take breath, so exhausted was she by fasting, watching, and other mortifications. Her relations at once perceived the effects of the Blessed Sacrament upon her; for as soon as she came home, she went into her room, and remained there till night. In the evening when they asked her to eat something, she replied that she was so full she could not eat anything. Once she passed eight days without eating any thing; and whenever the Blessed Sacrament was exposed for the Forty Hours' adoration, she passed the whole of that time on her knees in adoration."Source: The Blessed Sacrament: or, The Works and the Ways of God by Fr. Frederick William Faber, 1855 p 390
Prayer to St. Rose of Lima
Admirable Saint Rose, you were truly a sweet flower blooming on a rugged soil; you were indeed a rose among thorns, bearing with meekness and patience the stings of envious tongues, and preserving perfect purity and modesty amid the alluring blandishments of a deceitful world. To the sufferings inflicted on you by others you added the voluntary tortures of fasting and watching, of the discipline, of the crown of thorns and of the hair shirt, to subdue the flesh and to make yourself like to your heavenly Spouse.
By the merits which you have thus gained with your divine Bridegroom, obtain for me the grace to bear my afflictions with patience, to remain pure and modest, to be meek and humble, to be faithful to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, and so to mortify my passions that I may be ever more pleasing and acceptable in the sight of my dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Who liveth and reigneth world without end. Amen
Source: The Catholic Girl's Guide: Counsels and Devotions for Girls in the Ordinary Walks of Life, and in Particular for the Children of Mary, Fr. Francis Xavier Lasance, 1906 p 609Saint Fiacre, Confessor
by VP
Posted on Saturday August 30, 2025 at 01:00AM in Saints
Saint Fiacre. Stained glass window, Notre-Dame, Bar-le-Duc, France, 19th century.
"Sanctify of Labor: Labor, which was imposed on man after the Fall by way of expiation, acts also as a preservative. Virtue and idleness do not dwell under the same roof; assiduous labor leaves no room for vice. This has been well understood by so many founders of religious orders, who enjoined labor on their monks as a positive duty.
St. Fiacre, an Irish monk, having come to France in the seventh century to seek out a solitude, established himself in the forest of Breuil, where he cleared and cultivated a plot of ground the produce whereof sufficed for his own maintenance, and for abundant alms to others. Combining with labor continual prayer and the rigor of penance, he ended by becoming the oracle and apostle of the neighboring regions, and a saint to whom God vouchsafed the gift of miracles. He died in 670, and since then his tomb has always been held in veneration. Princes, kings, prelates, and people have alike honored the poor solitary, who had learned the grand science of labor and prayer.
Moral reflection: Ye who love indolence, ponder well these words of the Great Apostle: "If any man will not work, neither let him eat." (2 Thes. iii. 10.)"
Prayer: Deign, Lord, to raise our souls to Thee, and form our hearts to the cultivation of Christian virtues and to the practice of doing good. We beg Thee, through the intercession of Blessed Saint Fiacre, to grant us the grace to persevere in the way of salvation, so that on the day of eternal justice, Thou may find us worthy of taking our place in the abode of the elect. Amen.
The Beheading of St. John Baptist
by VP
Posted on Friday August 29, 2025 at 01:00AM in Saints
Salome with the Head of John the Baptist, Caravaggio (London)
"A feast in memory of that day, when St. John Baptist, for reproving Herod's incestuous living with his brother's wife, was cast in prison; and his life being given for a reward to Herodias for her dancing, he was beheaded in prison, at her request.
See the reward of St. John's charity in reproving a public crime. And can you wonder that so very few have courage to undertake the task? How many live in the practice of scandalous crimes, who meet many flatterers and encouragers, but seldom find plain dealers who put them in mind of their unchristian method!
The apprehension of their displeasure, and of losing an interest in them, is a sufficient discouragement to such as lament their disorders, and desire their good. Is not this a sign that their self-love is greater than their charity; and that they have not courage enough to be good?
This is undoubtedly a business of difficulty, requiring great prudence, not fit for all persons, nor for all times; and inconsiderate zeal may be as mischievous as cowardice, or want of charity. Being therefore an affair of such nicety, it ought well to be considered and consulted before it is undertaken; so that the design of charity may not be frustrated by imprudence. But the greater number fall under the guilt of the other extreme; and it is a reproach to Christians, that this part of charity is so much abandoned by them.
Many offend through mere indiscretion, and are disposed enough for friendly advice; but continue in their disorders for want of such advice.
Observe how this dancing ends in cruelty and blood; and how a prophet is sacrificed to conclude the pastime. Dancing being exposed to great abuses, and snares being here too often laid to betray unwary souls, Christians should be very cautious how they engage in such diversion. To love them is dangerous, to embrace all offers, is running into temptation; and they give so much encouragement to all that is evil, that there is no engaging in them without great danger to innocence and virtue."
The Catholic Year or daily lessons on the feasts of the Church, by Rev. Fr. John Gother 1861
John the Baptist and the Meaning of Marriage by Fr. David Friel
“As a last act, the Baptist bears witness with his blood to his fidelity to God’s commandments, without giving up or turning back, thus fulfilling his mission to the end. St. Bede, a 9th century monk, in his Homilies says: St. John, for Christ, gave up his life, even though [his persecutor] had not demanded that he should deny Jesus Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth. And he did not keep silent about the truth, and thus he died for Christ who is the Truth. For love of the truth, he did not give in to compromises with those who were powerful, nor was he afraid to address strong words to the one who lost his way to God.
“Now we see this great figure — this force — in his passion, in his resistance against the powerful. We ask: where does this life come from, this interiority, which is so strong, so principled, so consistent, which is spent so totally for God and in preparing the way for Jesus? The answer is simple: from his relationship with God, from prayer, which is the guiding thread of his entire life. […]
“Dear brothers and sisters, celebrating the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist also reminds us — Christians in our own times — that we cannot give into compromise when it comes to our love for Christ, for his Word, for his Truth. The Truth is the Truth; there is no compromise. The Christian life requires, as it were, the “martyrdom” of daily fidelity to the Gospel; the courage, that is, to allow Christ to increase in us and to direct our thoughts and actions. But this can only occur in our lives if our relationship with God is strong.”
#6 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 August 28, 2025 at 01:00AM in Thursday Reparation
6. We adore Thee, O Immaculate Lamb, that takest away the sins of the world! And to repair all the irreverences, gazing at dangerous objects, and disrespectful postures during the time of Holy Mass, we offer to Thee the profound respect of the choir of Virtues. 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
