CAPG's Blog 

Ember Saturday in September.

"On the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the year, the Jews used to celebrate at the conclusion of the harvest, the feast of Tabernacles and lived during eight days under tents or huts made of foliage in remembrance of the nomadic life of the Israelites in the desert (Second Lesson). This feast was preceded, on the tenth of the month, by the very solemn Day of Expiation called Holy (First Lesson). On this day the High Priest purified himself in the basin which stood before the Sanctuary, then taking the blood of the victims, he entered the Holy of Holies and prayed near the mercy-seat (Epistle).

The Saturday in the September Ember week, formerly the seventh month of the year, recalls this feast both of penance and joy.

The Prophets Micheas, Zacharias and Daniel, whose writings were read through during the night or vigil preceding the Sunday, speak in similar terms of salvation brought by God to those who atone for their sins and implore His protection amid the dangers that threaten them. The Epistle show the new alliance which Jesus Christ has established between our repentant souls and God by offering to Him in the real Holy of Holies, which is heaven, the blood which He shed upon the Cross to atone for our sins.

In the same way as Jesus delivered the woman whom Satan had bound for eighteen years, and like the gardener mentioned in the Gospel, the priests heal our souls and by their prayers and their untiring zeal ward off from souls the rigors of divine justice, making them produce sweet fruits of penance and good works; this Mass is therefore eminently suited for an ordination.

After the First Lesson are ordained the Porters; after the Second the Readers, after the Third the Exorcists; after the Fourth, the Acolytes; after the Fifth, the Sub-deacons, after the Epistles, the Deacons, and after the Gospel the Priests. Daily Missal with Vespers for Sundays & Feasts by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre

------------------------------

"Now, more than ever, must the faithful pray for good priests, and again be mindful that holy Church has established three Ember days in each of the four seasons of the year, during which the faithful should pray and fast, in order to implore of God more and zealous priests. All good things must be obtained by prayer, supplication and sacrifice.

Let us pray much and often for priests, that the Lord may send worthy laborers to reap his harvest. This is the will of Christ, who touched by pity said to his disciples, "The harvest, indeed, is great, but the laborers are few." It is Mary's ardent desire to see many and holy priests laboring in the vineyard of her Son. Better than any saint does she realize the value of an immortal soul, its nobility and likeness to God. St. Chrysostom says, "The value of the whole world cannot be compared to that of one soul;" but without priests, immortal souls cannot be saved.

How our Lord is pleased to great the petition for good priests, is shown by the following example.

Lady Vaughan, mother of Cardinal Vaughan of Westminster, London, had no greater ambition than to see all of her children dedicate their lives to God's service in the sacred ministry or in the convent. As she was convinced that a vocation to the priesthood or the religious life was a grace from God, she prayed with utmost fervor that her children might be granted this grace. For this intention, for thirty years she daily prayed an hour before the blessed Sacrament. And how was her petition granted? all her daughters, five in number, embraced the religious life; of her eight sons, six became priests, among them was a cardinal and two archbishops.

Ah, if all pious mothers would imitate her example and pray fervently and perseveringly, the Lord would certainly grant the grace of a vocation to the holy priesthood to at least one of their sons, and soon there would no longer be a scarcity of priests. What a reward will Jesus and Mary once bestow on you, if you dear Christian mother, render Him and His Church so great a service. St. Benedict Almanac Young People Company, 1918

A Prayer for Vocations to St. John Vianney

O God our Father, You promised "I will appoint shepherds for My sheep who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble: and none shall be missing." (Jer. 23:4-5). Hear the prayers of Your flock. Through the intercession of Your beloved priest, Saint John Vianney, we beg You to call to the sacramental priesthood generous men who will desire nothing more than to serve You in imitation of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, our High Priest.

And after You call them, we pray that You sustain the doubtful, console the discouraged, and strengthen the weak as they start the long and demanding preparation for the priesthood.

Mary, Mother of priests, and example of faithful, humble, and joyful acceptance of God's will, help all those who are called to the priesthood to open their ears and hearts to the gentle call of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

"These fasts were instituted to sanctify each season of the year, and thus obtain the favors of God, especially His mercy. They were also established to obtain the blessing of the Almighty on the fruits of the land. In spring we pray for fertility; in summer, for preservation of the crops; in autumn, for a good harvest; and in winter we offer up our grateful thanksgiving for the blessings received.

  The Church, too, wishes us to pray for those who are to be ordained priests on these days, that they may obtain the graces necessary to fulfill all their obligations, and the virtues that adorn their sacred calling. “And when they had ordained for them priests in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in Whom they believed.” (Acts xiv.22.)

  As alms generally accompany fasting and prayer, a donation toward the education of priests for the foreign mission would be in keeping with the spirit of the Church on these occasions. We ought also to pray for vocations, especially for the foreign missions. “The harvest is great, but the laborers few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He send laborers into the vineyard.” (Matt. ix. 37,38.).

  These days should also remind us of asking ourselves how we stand with regard to God. If there be anything troubling our conscience, we ought to set it right, and then make good resolutions for the coming quarter. Thus, keeping ourselves always ready for the final summons, death will be disarmed of its terrors, and the close of life will be marked with a beautiful serenity." (Source: Catholic Life, or, The Feasts, Fasts, and Devotions of the Ecclesiastical Year, 1908. )

"The violence of the enemy is always directed against those priests who are most generous and most loyal. The more you are like your Divine Model, your Savior and your God, the more certainly will you be the target for the calumnies, the abuse and persecutions of the wicked." Revs. Jacques Nicolas et  P. Millet, S.J. (Jesus Living in the Priest: Considerations on the greatness and Holiness of the Priesthood)

Way of the Cross for Priests:
INTENTION: O dearest Lord Jesus, I offer Thee the way of the Cross which I am about to make for Thy honor and glory and for all Thy priests, especially those who are suffering persecution for Thy sake.

Prayer to St. Joseph for Persecuted Priests: 

Dearest St. Joseph, be the protector and defender of those priests undergoing persecution for being faithful to their Lord and Sovereign Priest, Jesus Christ. See in them the image of thy beloved child, and cherish them with that tender solicitude which God places in Thy paternal heart. Obtain for them the good graces of thy Queen and Spouse, for such graces of predilection will surely lighten their burdens and render their crosses sweet. Amen.

(Public Domain) Notre Dame de la Salette

Our Lady of la Salette, Reconciler of sinners, pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to thee.

“If my people will not obey, I shall be compelled to loose my Son’s arm.  It is so heavy, so pressing that I can no longer restrain it.  How long I have suffered for you!  If my Son is not to cast you off, I am obliged to entreat Him without ceasing.  But you take not the least notice of that.  No matter how well you pray in the future, no matter how well you act, you will never be able to make up to me what I have endured for your sake.

I have appointed you six days for working.  The seventh I have reserved for myself.  And no one will give it to me.  This it is which causes the weight of my Son’s arm to be crushing.  The cart drivers cannot swear without bringing in my Son’s name.  These are the two things which make my Son’s arms so burdensome.

If the harvest is spoiled, it is your own fault.  I warned you last year by means of the potatoes.  You paid no heed.  Quite the reverse, when you discovered that the potatoes had rotted, you swore, you abused my Son’s name.  They will continue to rot, and by Christmas this year there will be none left.

If you have grain, it will do no good to sow it, for what you sow the beasts will devour, and any part of it that springs up will crumble into dust when you thresh it.

A great famine is coming.  But before that happens, the children under seven years of age will be seized with trembling and die in their parent’s arms.  The grownups will pay for their sins by hunger.  The grapes will rot, and the walnuts will turn bad.”

"Only a few rather old women go to Mass in the Summer.  All the rest work every Sunday throughout the Summer.  And in Winter, when they don’t know what to do with themselves, they go to Mass only to poke fun at religion.  During Lent they flock to the butcher shops, like dogs.” The Message of La Salette La Salette Missionaries, Province of Mary, Mother of the Americas.

  "The Observance of ember-days is of great antiquity in the Church. Their connection with the ordination of the ministers of religion renders them particularly worthy the regard of the faithful. We cannot be too deeply impressed with the blessing granted a people, whose priests are according to Godʼs own heart. To obtain such, no humiliation should be deemed too great; no supplication should be neglected. Whilst therefore we thank God for the fruits of the earth, and humble ourselves for the sins we have committed, we should beg God to supply his Church with worthy pastors." St. Vincentʼs Manual, 1854

Ember days are:

Wednesday: the day Christ was betrayed (Fast and half-abstinence)
Friday: Christ was crucified (Fast and abstinence)
and Saturday: the day Christ was entombed. (Fast and half-abstinence)

These fasts were instituted to sanctify each season of the year, and thus obtain the favors of God, especially His mercy. They were also established to obtain the blessing of the Almighty on the fruits of the land. In spring we pray for fertility; in summer, for preservation of the crops; in autumn, for a good harvest; and in winter we offer up our grateful thanksgiving for the blessings received.

  The Church, too, wishes us to pray for those who are to be ordained priests on these days, that they may obtain the graces necessary to fulfill all their obligations, and the virtues that adorn their sacred calling. “And when they had ordained for them priests in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in Whom they believed.” (Acts xiv.22.)

  As alms generally accompany fasting and prayer, a donation toward the education of priests for the foreign mission would be in keeping with the spirit of the Church on these occasions. We ought also to pray for vocations, especially for the foreign missions. “The harvest is great, but the laborers few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He send laborers into the vineyard.” (Matt. ix. 37,38.).

  These days should also remind us of asking ourselves how we stand with regard to God. If there be anything troubling our conscience, we ought to set it right, and then make good resolutions for the coming quarter. Thus, keeping ourselves always ready for the final summons, death will be disarmed of its terrors, and the close of life will be marked with a beautiful serenity.

“And grant us, while by fasts we strive
This mortal body to control,
To fast from all the food of ins,
And so to purify the soul.”

"Our Lady, Mother of Sorrows pray for Priests, your special sons. Strengthen their faith and love of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, so that they may turn to Him for the grace they need to live a life faithful to their calling. Bring comfort, consolation and courage to those who are suffering under the weight of the Cross. Give them the love of your Son and zeal for the honor and glory of God, and the salvation of souls. Amen

Blessed Virgin Mary, Sacred Heart Raleigh NC

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Son of Mary, hear us.
Son of Mary, graciously hear us.

Heavenly Father, of Whom Mary is the Daughter, have mercy on us.
Eternal Word, of Whom Mary is the Mother, have mercy on us.
Holy Spirit, of Whom Mary is the spouse, have mercy on us.
Divine Trinity, of Whom Mary is the Handmaid, have mercy on us.

Mary, Mother of the Living God, pray for us
Mary, daughter of the Light Eternal, pray for us
Mary, our light, pray for us
Mary, our sister, pray for us
Mary, flower of Jesse, pray for us
Mary, issue of kings, pray for us
Mary, chief work of God, pray for us
Mary, the beloved of God, pray for us
Mary, Immaculate Virgin, pray for us
Mary, all fair, pray for us
Mary, light in darkness, pray for us
Mary, our sure rest, pray for us
Mary, house of God, pray for us
Mary, sanctuary of the Lord, pray for us
Mary, altar of the Divinity, pray for us
Mary, Virgin Mother, pray for us
Mary, embracing your Infant God, pray for us
Mary, reposing with Eternal Wisdom, pray for us
Mary, ocean of bitterness, pray for us
Mary, Star of the Sea, pray for us
Mary, suffering with your only Son, pray for us
Mary, pierced with a sword of sorrow, pray for us
Mary, torn with a cruel wound, pray for us
Mary, sorrowful even unto death, pray for us
Mary, bereft of all consolation, pray for us
Mary, submissive to the law of God, pray for us
Mary, standing by the Cross of Jesus, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady, pray for us
Mary, Our Queen, pray for us
Mary, Queen of glory, pray for us
Mary glory of the Church Triumphant, pray for us
Mary, Blessed Queen, pray for us
Mary, advocate of the Church Militant, pray for us
Mary, Queen of Mercy, pray for us
Mary, consoler of the Church Suffering, pray for us
Mary, exalted above the angels, pray for us
Mary, crowned with twelve stars, pray for us
Mary, fair as the moon, pray for us
Mary, bright as the sun, pray for us
Mary, distinguished above all, pray for us
Mary, seated at the right hand of Jesus, pray for us
Mary, our hope, pray for us
Mary, our sweetness, pray for us
Mary, glory of Jerusalem, pray for us
Mary, joy of Israel, pray for us
Mary, honor of our people, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of the Assumption, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of Loreto, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of Czestochowa, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of the Angels, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of Dolors, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of Mercy, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of Victory, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of La Trappe, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of Divine Providence, pray for us

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord Jesus.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord Jesus.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord Jesus.

Son of Mary, hear us.
Son of Mary, graciously hear us.

I will declare thy name unto my brethren.
I will praise thee in the assembly of the faithful.

Let Us Pray
O Almighty God, Who beholds Thy servants earnestly desiring to place themselves under the shadow of the name and protection of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, grant, we beseech thee, that by her charitable intercession, we may be delivered from all evil on earth, and may arrive at everlasting joys in Heaven, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

La Consolatrix Afflictorum du Luxembourg in the Royal Cathedral of Luxembourg

"O Mary, most sweet, most amiable, and most glorious, thy name cannot be uttered in the secret of the heart without inflaming it with thy love; and they who love thee cannot think of thee without feeling themselves animated to love thee more and more, and putting all their confidence in thee.

O Mary, O my Mother, thou sees my trouble, look upon me with an eye of pity; thou art the consolation of all who call upon thee in affliction, be thou, then mine. Hearken to the sighs graciously hear the prayers of my poor heart; forsake me not, but support me in affliction, and strengthen me in danger. Thou art the heavenly dew that sweetenest our sorrows; O Mother of consolation, I pray thee, sweeten mine; give peace to my soul, grant me all that thou knowest I desire of thee; obtain for me, from thy divine Son, the pardon of all my sins, the grace to sin no more, the blessedness to imitate thy virtues all the rest of my live, and finally a holy and happy death. At that tremendous hour, be thou my protectress and my consolation, I beseech thee; O my tender Mother, come and receive my soul, to present it at the tribunal of the sovereign Judge, and to obtain for me a favorable sentence. I deserve both this at thy hands: but I am thy child. I love thee, and I desire to make thee loved by all hearts. Amen

Augustinian Devotion

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)

Saint Rose of Lima by Claudio Coello  (1642–1693)

"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 609

John Vianney, Good and Holy Priest O holy Priest of Ars, you lived in an age of much upheaval, in a time when men turned their backs on God. Your bishop told of a parish to which he wished to send you where there was no love. He assigned you to Ars and said that you would be the Priest who would enable the people to know the love of God. Not only did you draw these people back to God, but your saintly reputation soon spread and many people were converted to a life of holiness. You said that a good Priest, a Priest after Christʼs own heart is the greatest treasure that God can give a parish. Give us such Priests!

O great St. John Vianney, once again we are living in day of upheaval. There is much evil in the word. Obtain for Father ___ the grace to persevere in his faith and never to despair. May he walk with the Lord and trust in Him all the days of his life. Obtain through your heavenly intercession, for Father ___ the grace of modeling his life after that of Jesus Christ, that his people will know the love of God. More than ever the people need him to be able to bring the world to Christ. Pray for Father ___ and all Priests, O great Priest of Ars.

Novena Prayer:
O holy Priest of Ars, St. John Marie Vianney, you loved God and served Him faithfully as His Priest. Now you see God face to face in heaven. You never despaired but persevered in your faith until you died. Remember now the dangers, fears and anxieties that surround Father ___ and intercede for him in all his needs and troubles especially console him in his most difficult moments, grant him serenity in the midst of crisis, and protect him from evil. O St. John Vianney, I have confidence in your intercession.
Pray for Father ___ in a special way during this novena.