Saint Cyril, Martyr
by VP
Posted on Thursday May 29, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
THE HOLINESS OF CHILDHOOD.-A philosopher has said; "A man is trained on his mother's knees." In like manner it might be said, it is at the knees of the mother that saints are formed. The young Cyril had learned from his mother to pronounce the name of Jesus, to love the sweet Saviour, and to long for the advantages of Heaven. But his father, hardened in idolatry, drove him from his roof, that he might no longer hear repeated a name which provoked his anger. The governor of Cæsarea, informed of these facts, caused Cyril to be brought before him, and strove to gain him over by caresses and promises; but perceiving how vain were his efforts, he had him led to the place of execution, where the instruments of torture were placed before his eyes. The child was overjoyed at being at length able to die so as to go to Heaven; when he was led before the judge; "I do not fear death," he exclaimed, "and I wish for Heaven; you could never make up to me on earth for the advantages I should lose by your sparing me. To the work then speedily, for I am a Christian, and intend always to remain one.' The judge thereupon delivered him to the executioners. The martyrdom is generally believed to have occurred under the reign of the emperor Decius.
MORAL REFLECTION.-Parents should keep in memory that it is "out of the mouths of babes and sucklings that God has perfected praise."-(Psa. viii. 3.)
The Ascension: Festival of Encouragement
by VP
Posted on Thursday May 29, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
"The Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven." MARK XVI. 19.
1. Reconstruction of the event.
2. He had been the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
3. He ascended to claim the Kingdom for Himself and all who believe in Him.
4. Remembrance of this day, the hope and strength of His disciples.
"THE Ascension is the grand finale of the drama of Christ's life on earth. Short as are the accounts of it in the gospels and Acts of the Apostles, we can reconstruct devoutly the events of this blessed day. St. Luke tells us that "He led them out as far as Bethania." What tender condescension of our Blessed Lord! For the last time He wended His way along the lower slopes of Mount Olivet, accompanied by the disciples and His holy Mother. He loved His friends to the end; and we are told in the gospel that Jesus loved Martha and Mary. So He passed by their home in Bethania with a last, loving look; and at the grave of Lazarus and the house of Simon the leper where He had supped, and mounted the gentle rise to Olivet. There He had spent many a night in prayer; from there He had looked down upon Jerusalem and begun His humble triumph on Palm Sunday, and lower down He had commenced His sacred Passion six weeks before. Now that all things had been accomplished by the Son of Man, how befitting to rise hence and to enter into His glory. Picture the touching scene of His last farewell. Each of those favoured ones received a look of ineffable love; words of encouragement, to be treasured all life long; they were permitted to kiss His sacred feet, and the hand of blessing was laid upon their heads bowed down in adoration. It is beyond us to realize the farewell of the Mother and the Son! The Mother's heart would yearn never to be parted, but, according to His Will, that Mother gave up her divine Son to become the Mother of the infant Church. Her presence was needed to encourage the Apostles: to be a model to them, and to be a living proof that the Saviour, though departed to enter into His glory, had been a real Man born of the Virgin Mary; Who had lived for us; died for us on the Cross; and had risen again, immortal and glorified, to prove that He was not only Man, but God!
"And the Lord Jesus was taken up to heaven.” He had declared Himself thus: "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John xiv. 6). The way of salvation He had shown to men by His obedience to His heavenly Father; by doing good to all; by being meek and humble of heart; by forgiving His enemies; by dying on the Cross for our salvation.
The truth He had taught them. He had renewed the commandments of old and explained and amplified them. He had taught them that the blessedness of life was to be found in poverty, in suffering, in peace, in cleanliness of heart, in suffering persecution for justice' sake.
The life! For from whence could man draw the power to obey the truth, to follow the way, but from that loving God made man, Who made us partakers of His own strength, endurance, and immortality; Who crowns our endeavours in this short life on earth with a never-ending life of glory?
And thus, when our Lord ascended into heaven, the Apostles did not lose Him, He only went before themtheir Leader, the Victor-to claim that heaven which He had won for us. On ascending, He had lifted up His hands and bestowed such a blessing upon them that their faith rose superior to His departure, and their hearts rejoiced. They had not lost Him! He had associated them with Himself in His triumph, as the Church sings this day, "Ascendo ad Patrem Meum" (I ascend to My Father and to your Father; to My God and to your God).
What a divine encouragement this vision of their beloved Master ascending to His Kingdom was to the Apostles! They had now to return, wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, and then commence their labours. Yes, their labours, their persecutions, their martyrdom before their glory. As their Master, so they themselves. And He had said to them before His departure, "Thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead" (Luke xxiv. 46).
How the remembrance of the Ascension has been the source of the heroism of the saints! Not only to the Apostles, a vivid, lifelong remembrance; but to the martyrs amidst their tortures; to the hermits and fathers of the desert amidst trials and temptations; to the inmates of cloisters, during the slow martyrdom of obedience and unchanging monotony of life. It was heavenly sunshine to them, that lifted up their souls, and made them hopefully and bravely cling to their King and Master, Christ. Aye, and amongst the poor, unknown faithful, amidst their daily trials and labour and sorrows, the memory that Christ, their Lord, has won the Kingdom for them, has prepared a home for them, is waiting with the welcome on His lips, till they have fought the good fight and been faithful. Oh, how many have persevered through this blessed remembrance !
St. Augustin of Canterbury, Apostle of England, Bishop and Confessor, A.D. 604
by VP
Posted on Wednesday May 28, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
"ST. AUGUSTIN was sent to preach the Gospel to our Saxon ancestors by the Pope St. Gregory the Great, in the sixth century. At that time, King Ethelbert was the powerful king of Kent, and had extended his dominions as far as the river Humber. When he had been informed of the object of the saint's visit to England; he received him very graciously. He invited him and his companions to his capital city of Canterbury, and was full of admiration at the innocence of their lives, and the miracles with which it pleased God to confirm their doctrine.
The holy men came to him at first in the Isle of Thanet, in procession, carrying for their banner a silver cross, and an image of our Saviour painted on a board; and singing the litany as they walked, made humble prayer for themselves, and for the souls of those to whom they came. The king listened to them attentively; but answered that their words and promises indeed were fair, but new and to him uncertain: however, that since they had come a great way for his sake, they should not be molested, nor hindered from preaching to his subjects.
St. Augustin and his companions imitated the lives of the apostles, serving God in prayer, watching and fasting; despising the things of this world, as persons who belonged to another, and ready to suffer or die for the faith which they preached.
King Ethelbert was after some time converted, and the greater part of the people followed his example, and became Christians; and the holy missionaries had leave to go every where, and build churches wherever they could. St. Augustin was consecrated bishop, and afterwards appointed by the pope, archbishop of Canterbury; and received also from St. Gregory a fresh supply of holy men to assist in his glorious work. At length, having laboured successfully, and seen the faith of Christ widely diffused on every side, St. Augustin ended his days in peace, and passed to life eternal on the 26th of May, in the year 604.
Give thanks to God for the happy conversion of our forefathers, by which we also have been blessed with the true faith. Pray to the holy apostle of your country to intercede still in its behalf, that the faith which he planted may again flourish among us, and that all in error and sin may happily return to the paths of truth and virtue." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Prayer:
O Jesus, our Risen Lord! You are the Life of Nations, as you are the Life of our souls. You bid them know and love and serve you, for they have been given to you for your inheritance, and at your own appointed time each of them is made your possession (Psalm ii. 8). Our own dear country was one of the earliest to be called and, when on your Cross, you looked with mercy on this far island of the West. In the second Age of your Church you sent to her the heralds of your Gospel, and again in the Sixth, Augustine, your Apostle, commissioned by Gregory, your Vicar, came to teach the way of Truth to the new pagan race that had made itself the owner of this highly favoured land. How glorious, dear Jesus, was your reign in our fatherland! You gave her Bishops, Doctors, Kings, Monks and Virgins whose virtues and works made the whole world speak of her as the “Island of Saints,” and it is to Augustine, your disciple and herald, that you would have us attribute the chief part of the honour of so grand a conquest. Long indeed was your reign over this people whose faith was lauded throughout the whole world. But, alas, an evil hour came and England rebelled against you. She would not have you to reign over her (Luke xix. 14). By her influence she led other nations astray. She hated you in your Vicar. She repudiated the greater part of the truths you have revealed to men. She put out the light of Faith and substituted in its place the principle of Private Judgement which made her the slave of countless false doctrines. In the mad rage of her heresy, she trampled beneath her feet and burned the relics of the Saints who were her grandest glory. She annihilated the Monastic Order to which she owed her knowledge of the Christian Faith. She was drunk with the blood of the Martyrs. She encouraged apostasy and punished adhesion to the ancient Faith as the greatest of crimes
She, by a just judgement of God, has become a worshipper of material prosperity. Her wealth, her fleet, and her colonies —these are her idols and she would awe the rest of the world by the power they give her. But the Lord will, in His own time, overthrow this Colossus of power and riches and as it was in times past when the mightiest of kingdoms was destroyed by a stone which struck it on its feet of clay (Daniel ii. 35), wo will people be amazed when the time of retribution comes to find how easily the greatest of modern nations was conquered and humbled. England no longer forms a part of your kingdom, O Jesus! She separated herself from it by breaking the bond that had held her so long in union with your Church. You have patiently waited for her return, yet she returns not. Her prosperity is a scandal to the weak, so that her own best and most devoted children feel that her chastisement will be one of the severest that your Justice can inflict. Meanwhile, your mercy, O Jesus, is winning over thousands of her people to the Truth, and their love of it seems fervent in proportion to their having been so long deprived of its beautiful light. You have created a new people in her very midst, and each year the number is increasing. Cease not your merciful workings that thus these faithful ones may once more draw down upon our country the blessing she forfeited when she rebelled against your Church.
Your mission, then, O holy Apostle
Augustine, is not yet over. The number of the Elect is not filled up and
our Lord is gleaning some of these from amid the tares that cover the
land of your loving labours. May your intercession obtain for her
children those graces which enlighten the mind and convert the heart.
May it remove their prejudices and give them to see that the Spouse of
Jesus is but One, as He Himself calls her (Canticles vi. 8), that the
Faith of Gregory and Augustine are still the Faith of the Catholic
Church at this day, and that [five] hundred years’ possession could
never give heresy any claim to a country which was led astray by
seduction and violence, and which has retained so many traces of its
ancient and deep-rooted Catholicity." Dom Gueranger
St. Germain, Bishop of Paris, 576
by VP
Posted on Wednesday May 28, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
"ASSISTING AT THE OFFICES OF THE CHURCH.-It would be no easy matter to recount the miracles whereby the eminent sanctity of Germain, bishop of Paris, was shown forth; to enter at large into the relations existing between him and kings Childebert, Clothaire, Caribert, and Sigebert, before whom he displayed all the kindliness of a father, combined with the authority of a pastor; or, finally, to record the bountifulness of his almsgiving and his love for the poor. Let us seek rather to call to mind his zeal for the Divine worship. He recited every day the canonical office with head uncovered, even when on a journey, and however inclement the season. He assisted every night at the entire office in his cathedral church; and whereas the clerks and canons were wont to divide the time into three several watchings, he remained there alone till the dawn of day. This suffices to show what importance he attached to the holy sacrifice and public prayer being celebrated with a dignity worthy of the great God. In one particular only did he ever give way in this his ever-present aim; namely, when, for the purpose of feeding the poor, he deemed it expedient to dispose of the sacred vessels. St. Germain died in 576.
'MORAL REFLECTION.-"In the
churches, bless ye God the Lord. From Thy temple, kings shall offer
presents to thee."-(Psa. lxvii. 27.)" Pictorial Half Hours with the Saints by Abbe Lecanu
Rogation Wednesday: On Other Exercises of the Love of God
by VP
Posted on Wednesday May 28, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
"Consider first, that Divine Love is also exercised in the penitential way by souls that, like Magdalene, (of whom our Lord pronounced that many sins were forgiven her because she loved much), go daily to the feet of Christ, in spirit, to wash them with their tears, flowing from a heart full of a sense of the infinite goodness of God, and of a deep regret for having offended that infinite goodness by their sins. This exercise of penitential love, as we see in the case of Magdalene, is most acceptable to our Lord, and most effectual for obtaining the discharge of all our sins; and, if diligently pursued, is capable of advancing even those that have been the greatest sinners to a high degree of virtue and sanctity. And whosoever has forfeited his baptismal innocence by mortal sin, if he would follow the rules of Christian prudence in choosing the safest way in a case where his all is at stake, should endeavor to pursue this exercise of penitential love, and never end it but with his life. Thus did all those great penitents of old who became afterwards such glorious saints. And this kind of exercise of love will become in a manner natural to all such as have a right sense of what God is and what sin is, and of the dreadful evil they have been guilty of in offending, though it were but once in their life, so great and so good a God.
Consider 2ndly, that there are also other ways of mourning in which we may exercise a love of God, most agreeable to Him, and beneficial to ourselves. As when we sit down at the foot of the cross, and there contemplating the extreme anguish and distress, the stripes and wounds, the racking pains and torments of our dear Redeemer, with all that complication of sufferings in all kinds which he endured in His passion for the love of us, we excite in our souls suitable affections of an ardent love in the way of compassion for our crucified Lover, and feed this fire with tears, flowing at the sight of His blood; which, as it shows forth in the most sensible manner His tender affection for us, so it most strongly calls for a return of our love, accompanied with a bitter grief to see our beloved treated with so much cruelty and contempt. Upon the same principle of the concern that every true lover has, to see the outrages offered to his beloved, we may also exercise a love most agreeable to our Lord, in mourning for the innumerable sins that are daily committed against Him throughout the whole world; to see His infinite goodness slighted, His sacred laws and ordinances trodden under foot, His mercies continually abused, and His most adorable majesty treated with the utmost contempt, by poor blind mortals, made by Him, and for Him redeemed by the blood of His Son, and loaded with innumerable favors, to engage them to love Him and serve Him. Oh! how can any true lover of God endure to see these outrages offered to His infinite majesty without having His heart perfectly broken with grief to see His Love thus abused?
Consider 3rdly, that, besides these exercises of the love of benevolence in the penitential and compassionate way, there is another most perfect exercise of love, and which comes the nearest to the love of the blessed in heaven; and that is, in the way of joy and congratulation - as when we rejoice in God and in His boundless perfections; when we are delighted to think that He is what He is, infinitely good, infinitely holy, infinitely happy, infinitely perfect; that He is the sovereign Lord of all, and that nothing can be added to Him, because He is every way infinite. O, what a comfort, what a pleasure, what a joy it is to a true lover of God to think that whatsoever may come to himself, or to any other thing in the world, his Love at least, whom he loves without comparison more than himself and all things else, will always be infinitely glorious, infinitely rich, and infinitely happy! O how like is this love to that of the blessed, even to that love that makes them blessed, which is an eternal joy in God and in all the beauties and perfections they contemplate in Him - this is their eternal delight.
Conclude to dedicate thyself for time and eternity to this most perfect love of God. Make it thy employment here, and it will be thy eternal reward hereafter. In the mean time, labor also to promote as much as thou canst, upon every occasion, the praise and glory of thy maker, the interests of His kingdom, the fulfilling of all His wills, as well in thyself as in all others; be concerned at every thing that displeases Him, put thy heart continually in His hands, give thyself and all things else to Him a hundred times in the day. Such acts as these, frequently repeated in the day, will secure to thee the rich treasure of divine love; by such exercises thou wilt effectually choose the better part, which will never be taken from thee."
Source: Challoner's MeditationsthenOn this day of Rogation, we beg of Thee, O Lord, in Thy mercy, to hear and answer our fervent petitions:
Do Thou, O Lord, defend Thy Holy Church and all Its members against the
snares of the enemy, the powers of evil, and all temporal misfortunes;
Deliver us, O Lord.
From all false doctrine and loss of faith; Deliver us, O Lord.
From famine, disease, and plague; Deliver us, O Lord.
From all captivity by our enemies; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the snares of the legions of Hell; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the spirit of the world and the flesh; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the spirit of pride and disobedience; Deliver us, O Lord.
That Godʼs Holy Church may dwell in peace and unity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thy True Catholic Church may spread throughout all nations; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve, bless, and defend the Bishop Thou hast chosen to govern Thy flock; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant to the members of Thy Church the grace to live
in humility and obedience; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all the members of Thy Holy Church be preserved from all spiritual and physical harm; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst sustain all the members of Thy One, True, Church in
holiness, physical well-being, and material necessity; O Lord, we
beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst convert all peoples to Thy One, True, Holy, Catholic Church; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve Thy Church and our parishes from all
division, dissension, and disunity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve Thy Church from all those who have fallen into heresy and schism; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst inspire in the hearts of the faithful a greater spirit of charity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant the blessings of wisdom and holiness to our
Clerics in preparing for the Priesthood; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear
us.
That Thou wouldst preserve our Priests and Religious in the spirit of
charity, piety, holiness, and fervent zeal for souls; O Lord, we beseech
Thee, hear us.
Thou wouldst bless all of our missionary and apostolic labors and grant
abundant conversion of souls; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant abundant laborers to work in the harvest of
souls, and grant to all of our Religious perseverance in their holy
Vocation; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst imbue our youth with the spirit of piety and love of their Holy Faith; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant to Thy Church a favorable outcome in all our
court cases, legal actions, and attacks of the press and all of our
enemies; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst bless our Diocese, our Priory, our Friary, our
Seminary, our Convent, our schools, and all our apostolic undertakings; O
Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
Let us pray:
Almighty and Everlasting God, we commend unto Thee Thy Holy Catholic
Church: that Thou wouldst grant unto Her peace, unity, and Thy
protection, while shielding Her against the attacks of Her enemies and
subjecting to Her the powers of evil. We thank Thee, O Lord, for the
many blessings Thou hast bestowed upon us, and we beseech Thee to assist
us to live peaceful and tranquil lives; through the same Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Rogation Tuesday: On Acts of Divine Love
by VP
Posted on Tuesday May 27, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
"Consider first, that the love of God is like a fire: its nature is to be always in motion, and always tending upwards towards its heavenly element; it quickly expires and dies if it lies idle. Wherefore if we would keep it alive, we must nourish it, and blow it up by frequent acts of love; and those not mere verbal acts, by telling God that we love Him, whilst our heart perhaps is far from Him, but by the real exercise of loving God both in our heart and in our works. We exercise the love of God in our heart, by affection; we exercise the love of God in our works, by effects. We love God with a love of chaste concupiscence, when in heart and work we tend to Him as our sovereign good, and aspire after the eternal enjoyment of Him. We love Him with a love of benevolence, that is of sincere and perfect friendship and charity, when both in heart and work we give our whole selves, with all our thoughts, words, and deeds, and all things else to Him, as being infinitely good in Himself. It is just we should exercise ourselves in acts of the love of God in both these ways, as in both these ways He is infinitely amiable but more especially that we should tend to love Him with the love of benevolence, by giving ourselves and all things to Him.
Consider 2ndly, that benevolence is a love by which we wish all manner of good to the person beloved; a love by which we earnestly seek and procure whatever may be for his honor, interest, or pleasure; by which we delight in all his advantages, and are concerned at all his losses, etc. Wherefore, if we would make proper acts of the love of benevolence towards God, we must desire, seek, and procure, as much as lies in us, the greater honor and glory of His name, and the propagation of His kingdom, both in our own hearts and throughout the whole world, and pray that all men may know Him, love Him, and serve Him; we must rejoice at every thing that is agreeable to his Holy Will, and be concerned at every thing that offends Him. This is the proper exercise of the love of benevolence; these are far better acts of divine charity than merely telling God that we love Him. My soul, what are thy dispositions? Dost thou sincerely desire and heartily pray that all the world may know, love, and serve thy God; that all his creatures in heaven and earth may give perpetual glory to Him; that the reign of sin may be abolished; and that the kingdom of God may take possession of all hearts; that none may resist or rebel against His orders; but that all may embrace and bow down, and adore His Divine Will? If so, there is no doubt but thou lovest God. Such as these are perfect acts of the love of God.
Consider 3rdly, that the exercise of the love of God, which, above all others, is recommended in Holy Scriptures, is the loving of his Divine Law and the keeping of His commandments. "This is the charity (that is the love) of God that we keep his commandments," 1 John v. 3. "He that keepeth his word, in him, in very deed, the charity of God is perfected,’ chap. ii. 5. The beloved disciple continually recommends acts of this kind of Divine Love, and the Psalms are full of aspirations or breathings of a soul that is in love with the Holy Law and commandments of God. This devotion to the commandments of God is loving God indeed with a true and effectual love, because it is giving up for His sake what is most dear to us, viz., our own will and liberty, and making a present of it to Him; it is giving Him what He chiefly calls for at our hands; whatsoever else we give Him can never content Him. He always prefers the sacrifice of obedience before all other sacrifices, because here we sacrifice to Him our own clear will, and immolate it, as it were, to His honor and glory. This kind of love is the safest from illusions, for whosoever loves the commandments of God and His Divine Will, and makes all that is in him submit thereunto, most certainly loves God, and is in the right way that will bring him safe to God. No other devotion without this can secure any man.
Conclude to exercise thyself daily in all these ways of loving God, and ever remember that loving God and keeping His commandments go always hand-in-hand, because we cannot love God without loving His Will, notified to us by His commandments."
Source: Challoner's MeditationsthenOn this day of Rogation, we beg of Thee, O Lord, in Thy mercy, to hear and answer our fervent petitions:
Do Thou, O Lord, defend Thy Holy Church and all Its members against the
snares of the enemy, the powers of evil, and all temporal misfortunes;
Deliver us, O Lord.
From all false doctrine and loss of faith; Deliver us, O Lord.
From famine, disease, and plague; Deliver us, O Lord.
From all captivity by our enemies; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the snares of the legions of Hell; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the spirit of the world and the flesh; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the spirit of pride and disobedience; Deliver us, O Lord.
That Godʼs Holy Church may dwell in peace and unity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thy True Catholic Church may spread throughout all nations; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve, bless, and defend the Bishop Thou hast chosen to govern Thy flock; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant to the members of Thy Church the grace to live
in humility and obedience; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all the members of Thy Holy Church be preserved from all spiritual and physical harm; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst sustain all the members of Thy One, True, Church in
holiness, physical well-being, and material necessity; O Lord, we
beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst convert all peoples to Thy One, True, Holy, Catholic Church; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve Thy Church and our parishes from all
division, dissension, and disunity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve Thy Church from all those who have fallen into heresy and schism; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst inspire in the hearts of the faithful a greater spirit of charity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant the blessings of wisdom and holiness to our
Clerics in preparing for the Priesthood; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear
us.
That Thou wouldst preserve our Priests and Religious in the spirit of
charity, piety, holiness, and fervent zeal for souls; O Lord, we beseech
Thee, hear us.
Thou wouldst bless all of our missionary and apostolic labors and grant
abundant conversion of souls; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant abundant laborers to work in the harvest of
souls, and grant to all of our Religious perseverance in their holy
Vocation; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst imbue our youth with the spirit of piety and love of their Holy Faith; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant to Thy Church a favorable outcome in all our
court cases, legal actions, and attacks of the press and all of our
enemies; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst bless our Diocese, our Priory, our Friary, our
Seminary, our Convent, our schools, and all our apostolic undertakings; O
Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
Let us pray:
Almighty and Everlasting God, we commend unto Thee Thy Holy Catholic
Church: that Thou wouldst grant unto Her peace, unity, and Thy
protection, while shielding Her against the attacks of Her enemies and
subjecting to Her the powers of evil. We thank Thee, O Lord, for the
many blessings Thou hast bestowed upon us, and we beseech Thee to assist
us to live peaceful and tranquil lives; through the same Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Saint Bede, The Venerable, Confessor, Doctor A.D. 735.
by VP
Posted on Tuesday May 27, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
"FROM his infancy, he was consecrated to God, and brought up from the age of seven in holy monasteries. It was his delight to employ all his leisure time from other necessary duties, in either learning or teaching, or writing something for the greater glory of his master. He was ordained priest by St. John of Beverley; and from that time to the end of his life, he applied himself to writing commentaries and sermons on the Holy Scriptures. He was a man of sincere and unaffected piety, wonderful probity, singular modesty and humility, and indefatigable industry in doing good. He was also a great lover of truth. His virtue and learning drew to him many disciples; so that there were in his time six hundred monks in his monastery, and some of them very eminent for piety and learning. He applied himself wholly to the meditation of the holy Scriptures, the observance of regular discipline, and the daily duty of singing the divine office in the church.
What is most to be admired in Venerable Bede, is the piety, with which he pursued and sanctified his studies, and the use which he made of them. His life was a model of devotion, obedience, humility, simplicity, charity and penance. Out of humility he declined the dignity of abbot, which was pressed upon him.
The days of this saint were full days, and his whole time was devoted to God's glory. Such a life as he led from his infancy, could not but be followed by a happy death. For this he made a fervent preparation for some time beforehand, being constantly employed in singing psalms and the praises of God; but continuing every day to give lessons as usual to his scholars. After teaching all day, it was his custom to watch much in the nights. Finding that death approached, he received Extreme Unction, and then the Holy Viaticum, on the Tuesday before the Ascension of our Lord. He distributed little presents, as memorials to all his brethren, entreating them to celebrate Masses and say prayers for him after his death. On the feast of the Ascension, lying on sackcloth spread on the floor, he invoked the grace of the Holy Ghost; and breathed forth his holy soul in praise and thanksgiving, in the year 735, of his age sixty-two. Thus from repeating the divine praises here, in the most pure and profound sentiments of compunction, humility, zeal and divine love, he passed without intermission, to sing eternally the same praises, with affections dilated with inexpressible joy, ardour and love, in the glorious choirs of the blessed, and in the contemplation of that God, whom in life he praised and loved." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Memorial Day: with gratitude and Honor by Fr. J. Veltri S.J.
by VP
Posted on Monday May 26, 2025 at 12:00AM in Prayers
Gracious God, on this Memorial Day weekend,
we remember and give thanks
for those who have given their lives
in the service of our country.
When the need was greatest,
they stepped forward and did their duty
to defend the freedoms that we enjoy,
and to win the same for others.
O God, you yourself have taught us
that no love is greater than that
which gives itself for another.
These honored dead gave the most precious gift they had,
life itself,
for loved ones and neighbors,
for comrades and country – and for us.
Help us to honor their memory
by caring for the family members
they have left behind,
by ensuring that their wounded comrades
are properly cared for,
by being watchful caretakers of the freedoms
for which they gave their lives,
and by demanding that no other young men and women
follow them to a soldier’s grave
unless the reason is worthy and the cause is just.
Holy One, help us to remember that freedom is not free.
There are times when its cost is, indeed, dear.
Never let us forget those who paid so terrible a price
to ensure that freedom would be our legacy.
Though their names may fade with the passing of generations,
may we never forget what they have done.
Help us to be worthy of their sacrifice,
O God, help us to be worthy.
Source: Memorial Day Prayer
Rogation Monday
by VP
Posted on Monday May 26, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
"This, and the two following days, are named Rogation days, on which the faithful are called upon to humble themselves in penance and prayer; so to obtain God's blessing on the fruits of the earth, and for our preservation from all pestilential distempers, as likewise to prepare for the great solemnity of our Lord's Ascension. To comply with the design of the Church, we ought on these days to recite the litany of the saints, and offer up our prayers to Almighty God, to obtain his blessings; and in the true spirit of humiliation and penance, endeavour to prepare for the approaching solemnity of the Ascension.
We are ever in want of the divine blessings, which are all to come to us from the hand of God; and it being his will not to dispense them to us, but on the condition of our manifesting our most earnest desires to him by prayer, we are therefore, as we have a concern for our own interest, to be ever solicitous in praying to him. Now to pray as we ought, our first endeavours must be, by a sincere repentance and hearty contrition, to remove from our souls whatever is there of sin, and whatever we may apprehend to be an obstacle to the divine goodness, and just motive of denying what we ask for it is the prayer of the just man that prevails much; and sinners God hears not. Hence we may guess at some reason of our praying in vain; because we use a form of words, which being accompanied with only weak desires of a sinful heart, can never prevail on heaven to pour forth its blessings upon us. Secondly, we must beg of God to teach us how to pray. For we have many seeming necessities and false wants, which ought not to be the subject of our prayers. We are ignorant of what is good for ourselves; and therefore our prayer ought ever to be accompanied with submission to whatever God knows to be best for us. Thirdly, we ought to pray with perseverance; that, as the blessings of God are infinitely valuable, so we may express the value which we have for them by our fervent desires, and not being tired in our prayers. He that prays, ought to begin with a resolution of never being tired; and he will soon discover the good effect of his prayers." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
On this day of Rogation, we beg of Thee, O Lord, in Thy mercy, to hear and answer our fervent petitions:
Do Thou, O Lord, defend Thy Holy Church and all Its members against the
snares of the enemy, the powers of evil, and all temporal misfortunes;
Deliver us, O Lord.
From all false doctrine and loss of faith; Deliver us, O Lord.
From famine, disease, and plague; Deliver us, O Lord.
From all captivity by our enemies; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the snares of the legions of Hell; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the spirit of the world and the flesh; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the spirit of pride and disobedience; Deliver us, O Lord.
That Godʼs Holy Church may dwell in peace and unity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thy True Catholic Church may spread throughout all nations; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve, bless, and defend the Bishop Thou hast chosen to govern Thy flock; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant to the members of Thy Church the grace to live
in humility and obedience; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all the members of Thy Holy Church be preserved from all spiritual and physical harm; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst sustain all the members of Thy One, True, Church in
holiness, physical well-being, and material necessity; O Lord, we
beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst convert all peoples to Thy One, True, Holy, Catholic Church; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve Thy Church and our parishes from all
division, dissension, and disunity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve Thy Church from all those who have fallen into heresy and schism; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst inspire in the hearts of the faithful a greater spirit of charity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant the blessings of wisdom and holiness to our
Clerics in preparing for the Priesthood; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear
us.
That Thou wouldst preserve our Priests and Religious in the spirit of
charity, piety, holiness, and fervent zeal for souls; O Lord, we beseech
Thee, hear us.
Thou wouldst bless all of our missionary and apostolic labors and grant
abundant conversion of souls; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant abundant laborers to work in the harvest of
souls, and grant to all of our Religious perseverance in their holy
Vocation; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst imbue our youth with the spirit of piety and love of their Holy Faith; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant to Thy Church a favorable outcome in all our
court cases, legal actions, and attacks of the press and all of our
enemies; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst bless our Diocese, our Priory, our Friary, our
Seminary, our Convent, our schools, and all our apostolic undertakings; O
Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
Let us pray:
Almighty and Everlasting God, we commend unto Thee Thy Holy Catholic
Church: that Thou wouldst grant unto Her peace, unity, and Thy
protection, while shielding Her against the attacks of Her enemies and
subjecting to Her the powers of evil. We thank Thee, O Lord, for the
many blessings Thou hast bestowed upon us, and we beseech Thee to assist
us to live peaceful and tranquil lives; through the same Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Persecution: Saint Philip Neri, Priest
by VP
Posted on Monday May 26, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
"He was born at Florence; and having employed his youth in the study of learning and virtue, he dedicated himself wholly to the service of God in prayer and fasting. Being desirous to labour in the best manner he could in the care of souls, he deliberated with himself what state to choose for this end. After a long preparation he was ordained priest; and then his whole concern was for the salvation of souls. He showed wonderful zeal in the discharge of every part of his function, in which he spent himself for their eternal good. That he might more plentifully provide them with all necessary helps, he instituted the Congregation of Oratorians, whose whole business was, by praying and preaching, to instruct the faithful in the way of salvation. The delight he found in the Blessed Sacrament is inexpressible. He was favoured with extraordinary raptures in prayer, and sometimes raised high above the ground during his devotions, at which time his countenance appeared shining with a bright light. He was so great a lover of poverty, that he desired always to live destitute of worldly goods, and in a state of indigence. Under the sharpest pains of sickness, no complaint, groan, or stir was ever observed in him; he was only heard. sometimes to repeat these words: "Increase my pain, but increase my patience." Having lived many years in the practice of great charity, and wonderful humility, and received extraordinary favours from heaven, bequeathing his spirit to his spiritual children, he died in 1595.
Pray for all the fathers of his congregation; that they may ever preserve the spirit of their founder for the good of many. Pray for all priests, that they may be laborious, zealous, charitable, and examples of humility
to all. Pray for yourself; that you may be faithful in your duties,
first as a Christian, and then as your particular state requires,
whether as husband, wife, parent, superior, child, or servant.
All conditions have particular obligations; and you are bound to know
what belongs to yours. And remember that if you have any under your
care, it is your duty to see that they want no instruction."The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
"Every one in Rome began to talk about Philip; many judged him unfavorably, and he was everywhere spoken against.
(...) They declared that Philip was a sower of scandals and of evil seed, and that he ought to be dealt with as a teacher of new doctrines and a setter-up of a new sect.
(Philip) saw that a great trial was coming on him and he prepared to meet it bravely. He enjoined on his disciples the utmost prudence and forbearance; he forbade them to speak even a word against their revilers and calumniators, for he knew that some of them at least were good men, led astray by others, or blinded by their own weak prejudices.
Meanwhile the calumnies so industriously circulated were reported to some person of high position and great authority in the Church, and at last they reached the ear of the Cardinal of Spoleto, a prelate of impetuous and ill-regulated zeal. (...)
We can scarcely imagine the anguish of Philip's heart during this trial. It is hard to bear the sorrows that come on us from our own corrupted nature, and perhaps harder still to bear those laid on us by ignorant and wicked men. But no sorrows are so keen as those inflicted on us by persons who are to us the representatives of God and His justice, and whom we therefore respect and love. To feel one's self despised by the good, when all the aim of our life is to do good; to be condemned by the ministers of God's truth and justice, when all our life is a sacrifice of self to justice and truth; this is indeed a keen and unutterable sorrow, and only he who has felt it knows how hard it is to bear. And because this sorrow exceeds in bitterness all other sorrows, we find it always the portion of saints, and per-eminently of Jesus, king and pattern of saints, who was persecuted even to death by the priests of the people of God. It was as a sword piercing Philip's heart that he was declared guilty, not only by the enemies of the Pope and the Church, but by the Vicar of the Pope himself, and that this sentence was approved by so many good men in Rome. (...)
The result of these things was, that Philip's position become every day more painful and embarrassing. Ecclesiastical authority was against him; the ungodly and profane treated him with unrestrained insolence; of the good, some who had been his friends were now alienated from him, and others, who were still devoted to him, could not keep silence, and were sometimes imprudent. Philip himself yielded a perfect obedience to the command of his superiors.
Philip did everything in his power to stop (his friends) from speaking against his adversaries. He found a thousand excuses for those who were persecuting him; he was always calm and gentle, and ever bright with gladness; he put the best interpretation he could on all that was said against him; and was disquieted with apprehension that his enemies might be less esteemed or respected. And, above all, he prayed for them with great fervor, and with many tears; and he urged his disciples to follow his example. He often said to them: "This persecution is not for your sake, but for mine; God desires to make me humble and patient, and when I have gathered from this trial the fruit He wills me to gather, it will pass away." What simplicity and what peace there is in these words, and what profound wisdom too!"
The Priesthood:
"Philip's first thought on entering the house of S. Girolamo was to manifest in himself the sacred impress of the priesthood of Jesus, and to imitate, so far as he could, His most holy and gracious life. Jesus in His priestly office offered Himself in sacrifice to the Father, forgave the sins of all who drew near to Him with faith and love, and sowed by His preaching the seed of the good tidings of God. And Philip not only resolved to offer the Divine Sacrifice every day, to devote himself to the ministry of the sacrament of penance, and to preach; but he resolved that he would, in these three great functions, always try to reflect the image of Jesus Christ. From the day of his ordination he ever set before his eyes Jesus the Great High Priest, and united himself so intimately with Him, that his works were in their substance the works of Christ, wrought by him as an instrument. He looked on himself as the branch abiding in the vine, and the vine was Christ; he strove to be one with Christ, as Christ and the Father are one. Nor is there in this anything to startle us. It is the very idea of the christian priesthood, and he who does not realize it in some degree has the sacerdotal character indeed, but is not a priest after the heart of Jesus Christ.
One of his most distinctive characteristics (...) was a bright cheerfulness of spirit, which went with him throughout his life, and which helped him much in his ministry to souls. This genial cheerfulness and sympathy drew sinners to Philip with singular force; it made them love him, and to love Philip was to be drawn mightily towards God.
Hence Philip applied himself to this ministry with marvelous assiduity and constancy. Not satisfied with hearing confession during the day, the continued them on into the night; and in the morning before dawn he had generally confessed forty persons in his own room. (...)
He allowed nothing to interfere with this great work of reconciling sinners to God. He would interrupt even his prayers, or leave his dinner, the moment he was asked for in the confessional.
This ministry of pardon, and of the mercy of our Father in heaven, was peculiarly dear to Philip, so that he used to say: " It is the greatest delight to me even to sit in the confessional. What do you mean by calling it a fatigue? It is not a fatigue, but a solace and refreshment. Do not shrink, then, from coming to me; you can never be too many." The Life of Saint Philip Neri, Apostle of Rome, Volume 1 By Alfonso Capecelatro
Prayer:
Your love of the Church, O Philip, was most fervent: there can be no true sanctity without it. Though your contemplation was of the sublimest kind, yet did it not make you lose sight of the cruel trials which this holy Spouse of Christ had to endure in those sad times. The successful efforts of heresy stimulated your zeal. Get us that keen sympathy for our holy Faith which will make us take an interest in all that concerns its progress. It is not enough for us that we save our own souls. We must, moreover, ardently desire and do our utmost to obtain the advancement of God’s kingdom on Earth, the extirpation of heresy, and the exaltation of our holy Mother the Church. If these are not our dispositions, how can we call ourselves children of God? May your example urge us to take to heart the sacred cause of our common Mother. Pray, too, for the Church Militant of which you were one of the bravest soldiers. Shield with your protection that Rome which loves you so devoutly because of the services which she received at your hands. You led her children to holiness during your mortal career. Bless her and defend her now that you are in Heaven." Dom Prosper Guéranger
LITANY OF ST. PHILIP
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven,Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, Pray for us.
Holy Virgin of Virgins, Pray for us.
St. Philip, Pray for us.
Vessel of the Holy Ghost, Pray for us.
Child of Mary, Pray for us.
Apostle of Rome, Pray for us.
Counsellor of Popes, Pray for us.
Voice of Prophecy, Pray for us.
Man of primitive times, Pray for us.
Winning Saint, Pray for us.
Hidden hero, Pray for us.
Sweetest of Fathers, Pray for us.
Flower of purity, Pray for us.
Martyr of charity, Pray for us.
Heart of fire, Pray for us.
Discerner of spirits, Pray for us.
Choicest of priests, Pray for us.
Mirror of the divine life, Pray for us.
Pattern of humility, Pray for us.
Example of simplicity, Pray for us.
Light of holy joy, Pray for us.
Image of childhood, Pray for us.
Picture of old age, Pray for us.
Director of souls, Pray for us.
Gentle guide of youth, Pray for us.
Patron of thy own, Pray for us.
Who didst observe chastity in thy youth, Pray for us.
Who didst seek Rome by divine guidance, Pray for us.
Who didst hide so long in the Catacombs, Pray for us.
Who didst receive the Holy Ghost into thy heart, Pray for us.
Who didst experience such wonderful ecstasies, Pray for us.
Who didst so lovingly serve the little ones, Pray for us.
Who didst wash the feet of pilgrims, Pray for us.
Who didst ardently thirst after martyrdom, Pray for us.
Who didst distribute the daily word of God, Pray for us.
Who didst turn so many hearts to God, Pray for us.
Who didst converse so sweetly with Mary, Pray for us.
Who didst raise the dead, Pray for us.
Who didst set up thy houses in all lands, Pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
V. Remember thy Congregation.
B. Which thou hast possessed from the beginning.
Let us pray.
O God, who hast exalted blessed Philip, Thy Confessor, in the glory of Thy saints, grant that, as we rejoice in his commemoration, so we may profit by the example of his virtues, through Christ our Lord.
Source: Meditations and Devotions of the Late Cardinal Newman, 1903
