"ST. BRIDGET was born in Sweden, and so piously educated, that at ten years of age she was sensibly moved with the thoughts of our Savior's passion, made that the subject of her meditation, and could never speak of it but with tears. Being married by her parents to a nobleman, she faithfully discharged all the duties of a good wife and a good mother; and by her powerful example obliged both her husband and children to a virtuous life. Her husband, with her consent, undertaking a monastic life, she likewise was called by Christ to a stricter engagement with him. After the death of her husband, she renounced her rank in the world, divided her estates among her children, and practiced incredible austerities. Having received very particular favors from Heaven, she instituted a religious Order of nuns, for God's greater glory, and the good of souls, in which she has had many followers. Going afterwards to Rome, and then to Jerusalem, the example of her virtue shone forth with great lustre; and in Palestine she watered with her pious tears the chief places which Christ had sanctified by his divine steps and precious blood. She was favored with many revelations, chiefly concerning the sufferings of our Blessed Savior: but she always humbly submitted her revelations to the pastors of the Church; and so far from glorying in these favors, she only increased in humility and the love of God. After a whole year's sickness, she died in the year 1373.

In this saint, young people have an instruction to seek God by an early application of their thoughts to Him; and the method of those is reproved, who give those first and better years to vanity and the love of the world. Parents are taught to be just in all family duties; husband and wife to each other, to their children and servants. Widows are taught to turn their thoughts to heaven; and religious, to be strict in all the duties of their state. Pray for all degrees, that the grace of God may attend them, for all good." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother

"Still her (the Church) enemies arise anew to taunt her in the modern day. She is called on by modern religion to come down from her supernatural viewpoint and become humanitarian; she is called by modern morality to come down from her high standards of celibacy and virginity, of indissoluble marriage, of marriageʼs sanctity; she is called upon by modern skepticism and unbelief to come down from her belief in such a thing as Truth, the existence of God and the Divinity of Christ. All together call upon the Catholic Church to come down and mingle as one among many and change her standards to suit the modern mind. And they threaten that is as she will not come down, then she must die." Bishop William J. Hafey of Raleigh, N.C. Easter Sermon 1932

"THE SCANDALS OF THE WORLD.- When the Church is about to encounter great dangers on the part of enemies of the Faith, God raises up to her noble champions; and whenever great scandals grow to a head, they are compensated for by lofty examples of virtue. Therefore was it that Bruno felt himself led into solitude. In the eleventh century ignorance had generated laxness and immorality; faith was rife enough, but morality was not in acceptance.

Bruno, canon and chancellor of the cathedral of Rheims, out of love with the world by reason of the scandals he there witnessed, formed the project, together with certain of his friends, of relinquishing it altogether. Hugh, bishop of Grenoble, to whom he unfolded his purpose, pointed out to them, as suitable for the end in view, the "Chartreuse," a rugged solitude not far distant. They there constructed for themselves separate cells, and began to lead a life of poverty and labor, as forbidding even as their chosen desert. Numerous companions soon thronged to join them, and the great ones of the world followed, to draw edification from the sight of their austere virtues. Thus was founded, in 1084, the most edifying and rigorous order that has ever existed. St. Bruno died in 1101.

MORAL REFLECTION.-"It is necessary," for the sanctification of the just, "that scandals should come; and yet woe unto him through whom scandal cometh."-(Matt. xviii. 7.)"

"ST. PLACIDUS was a disciple of St. Benedict. St. Gregory relates, that having fallen into a lake, as he was fetching some water, St. Benedict, who was in the monastery, knew of the accident, and calling Maurus, said to him, "Brother, run, make haste; the child is fallen into the water." Maurus, having begged his blessing, ran to the lake, and walked upon the water to some distance from the land, to the place where Placidus was floating, and taking hold of him by the hair, returned with the same speed. St. Benedict ascribed this miracle to the disciple's obedience. St. Placidus advanced daily in holy wisdom, and the exercise of all virtues, so that his life seemed a true copy of that of his holy master, St. Benedict. Being sent by him into Sicily, he there founded a church and monastery, near the port of Messina. Having lived there with thirty monks, in wonderful sanctity, a Pagan barbarian, with a fleet of pirates from Africa, landed in Sicily, and out of hatred to the Christian name, put them all to the sword for their faith in Christ, which he could not persuade them to renounce, in the year 546.

Pray for all who suffer; and in particular for those, who lie under temptation of renouncing their faith, on account of preferment, interest, or other temporal conveniences. See if some of these considerations do not prevail on you to pass the bounds of duty to the creed or commandments. Great grace is necessary to keep you steady. Make provision therefore against the time of temptation. Christians have to subdue corruption, and live by the spirit of Christ. They must open their breasts to this holy spirit; and put their whole hearts so under its conduct, that all other motions being suppressed, their thoughts, desires, affections, words, and actions may be regulated by this divine guest, and they may do in all things, not now what they will, but what God wills in them. This is the only way to give their lives to Christ, and the only way to die for Him." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother

These virtues so recommended him, that he was chosen Bishop of Hereford. From that time, he became a greater saint than before. His zeal for the Church seemed to have no bounds; and such was his charity, that he seemed born only for the relief of his neighbor, both spiritual and temporal. No reviling language or ill treatment could ever provoke him to anger; his enemies he always treated with respect and tenderness, and would never bear the least word which might reflect upon them or any others.

After St. Thomas had for some years illustrated the whole Church of this nation by his eminent sanctity, he went to Rome for some ecclesiastical affairs. This journey was very fatiguing to the saint, on account of his age and infirmities; but he would never spare himself in the cause of God and his Church. In his way home, he was overtaken by his last illness at Montefiascone in Tuscany. He received the last sacraments with incredible cheerfulness and devotion, and made the sufferings and death of his Redeemer the constant subject of his fervent prayer, in which he calmly gave up the ghost, in the sixty-third year of his age, in the year 1282. Pray for this nation, that God would be its protector, and visit it with all blessings, spiritual and temporal."

The Catholic Year; Or Daily Lessons on the Feasts of the Church by Rev. Fr. John GOTHER 1861

Prayer for the Bishops

O Jesus, Prince of Pastors, Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, give our bishops ................ all those virtues, which they need for their sanctification! May they watch over themselves and the entire flock, with which the Holy Spirit has entrusted them! Fill their hearts with Thine own Spirit! Give them faith, charity, wisdom and strength! Send them faithful co-laborers in the great work of saving and guiding souls! Make them shepherds after Thine own heart, living only for their holy office, fearing nobody but Thee, and hoping for nothing but Thee, in order that when Thou shalt come, to judge shepherds and flocks, they may obtain the unfading reward of eternal life! Amen Imprimatur: Most Rev. Vincent S. Waters, D.D. Raleigh, N.C. March 25, 1956

St. Therese, Our Lady of Lourdes, Raleigh NC

"Now it is in the Host that I can see you carry your annihilation in full. How humble you are , oh Divine King of Glory in submitting Yourself to all your priests without making any distinction between those who love you and those who, alas, are lukewarm or cold in your service! You descend from Heaven to their call. They can anticipate or delay the time of your Holy Sacrifice. You are always ready! (Proverb 20)"-- St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Thérèse is the advocate of priests; indeed one of the intentions of the Carmelite Order is to pray for priests.

"The second piece of knowledge I acquired concerned God's Priests. Up to this time I could not understand the chief aim of the Carmelite Reform. The thought of praying for sinners afforded me the utmost delight, but I was surprised at the idea of praying for priests, whose souls I deemed purer than crystal. In Italy, I understood my vocation, and the long journey was well worth undertaking to gain such useful knowledge.

During that month I met many holy priests. Yet I saw that despite the sublime dignity of the Priesthood, which raises them above the Angels, they still remain men, and subject to human frailty. Now if those whom Our Lord in the Gospel calls "the salt of the earth' -if holy priests have need of our prayers, what must be the needs of the lukewarm? Has not Our Lord said also: "If the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted?" (Matt. V. 13)"  A Compendious Critical Life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux: The Little Flower By  Andrew Edward Breen 1928

• From Therese to Celine, July 14 1889"

"Celine, during the short moments that remain to us, let us not lose our time...Let us save souls...souls are being lost like flakes of snow, and Jesus weeps, and we...we are thinking of our sorrow without consoling our Fiance...Oh,Celine, let us live for souls... let us be apostles...let us save especially the souls of priests; these souls should be more transparent than crystal...Alas, how many bad priests, priests who are not holy enough...Let us pray, let us suffer for them, and on the last day, Jesus will be grateful. We shall give Him souls!
Celine, do you understand the cry of my soul? "

•  From Celine to Sister Agnes of Jesus, Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart, and Therese, July 1880.: 

"Oh! how necessary it is to pray for priests! I find they have a great responsibility; there is so much to do, and in my opinion, they don't do all that is within their power. Never any sermons, never any paternal instructions, never any visits to their flocks. Most of them don't know their parishioners. I would say, without judging the priests in particular, that I find the people much more excusable than the priests. They don't know their duties, how then would they carry them out? I don't think God expects anything from them. 
It's true that in these parts there are only old priests, very aged and infirm, and they no longer have the zeal and strength of youth to lift up the crowds.
However, I will resume once again the chapter of my impressions of all that is around me... I don't understand how they can seek to build up a human family when there is scarcely anyone who devotes himself to forming these people in spiritual matters. Earthly marriages form bodies, the soul produces souls, but how many souls without wings! Who, then, will engender souls for heaven? Oh, little sisters, this will be ourselves through our mystical union with Jesus and our soul... And this union will not stop at tens but at a thousand million! The world doesn't understand us, that thinks us selfish, says we are living a useless life; it will see later on the ones who worked the most. People will compare with astonishment the variety of Vocations."

• From Therese to Celine, October 1890

 "Dear Celine, I always have the same thing to say to you. Ah! Let us pray for priests; each day shows how few the friends of Jesus are...It seems to me this what He must feel the most, ingratitude, especially when seeing souls who are consecrated to Him giving others a hear that belongs to Him in so absolute a way.

• St. Therese of Lisieux Spiritual Maxims

"Our vocation is not to go and reap in the Father's fields: Jesus does not say to us: " Cast down your eyes and reap the harvest"; our mission is still more sublime. Here are the words of the Divine Master: "Lift up your eyes and see..." see that in Heaven there are empty places; yours it is to fill them...you are as Moses praying on the mountain; ask of Me laborers and I will send them; I await but a prayer, a sigh from out your heart!"

St. Regimius

"He was the great apostle of the French nation. Prayer, meditation on the Holy Scriptures, the instruction of the people, and the conversion of infidels, heretics, and sinners, were the constant employment of this holy pastor. Clovis, the king of the French, was converted after gaining a great victory, in consequence of calling on Christ to assist him. St. Remigius prepared him for Baptism by the usual practices of fasting, penance, and prayer, and solemnly baptized him at Rheims. Under the protection of this great monarch, St. Remigius wonderfully propagated the gospel of Christ by the conversion of a great part of the French nation; in which work, God endowed him with an extraordinary gift of miracles. Having been bishop above seventy years, St. Remigius died in the year 533. Pray for all the pastors in God's Church, that they may be as eminent in virtue, as in dignity; that they may be watchful over their flocks, and teach the gospel by their example. Pray for all princes throughout the world, who as yet live in darkness, and know not Christ or his truths; that God would powerfully draw them to himself, and raise up some apostolic men in these our days, who may be instruments of this great work, for the good of innumerable souls. Pray that all Christians may live up to what they profess. What a melancholy sight it must be, when looking on ourselves, we discover the general method of our lives to have so very little regard to what Christ teaches, and so often to depart quite from him, as if we had no faith in his ways, or no interest in walking in them? The gospel charges us to be humble, meek, temperate, just, clean of heart, and not to love the world or ourselves; and we too often live as if we believed not in the gospel, and had no faith in its promises.

On this first day of the month, recommend yourself and all yours to the protection of Heaven, and consider upon the means for the amendment of past failings, that you may not be always the same." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother

• Chapitre Saint Remi

Prayer: Almighty, eternal God, who didst establish the empire of the Franks to be, throughout the world, the instrument of thy divine will, and the sword and bulwark of thy holy Church: ever and in all places prevent, we beseech thee, with thy heavenly lifth, the suppliant sons of the Franks; so that they may both see what they ought to do to promote thy kingdom in this world, and, in order to fulfill what they have seen, may continually increase in charity and in valor. Amen  (The Liturgical Year: The time after Pentecost, v. 5-6. 1903 By Dom Prosper Guéranger)

"An eminent Doctor and Father in God's Church, born in Dalmatia, under the Emperor Constantius. He was brought up to learning, and improved it by the assistance of St. Gregory Nazianzen, and other great men of that age, and by four years' study of the Holy Scriptures in a desert of Syria. He was made priest by Paulinus, bishop of Antioch; and going to Rome, for composing some differences of the Eastern bishops, was chosen secretary to the pope, St. Damasus. But tired with the distractions of that employment, he returned to his solitude; where, in continual abstinence, prayer, and contemplation, he led an angelical life. He was perplexed indeed with great temptations and want of health, but never discouraged; nor did he permit these to give interruption to his prayers or studies. He was there consulted both by St. Damasus and St. Augustin about difficulties of holy writ. He there translated the Old Testament out of Hebrew; and at the request of St. Damasus, corrected the New. He there vigorously opposed the errors of his time, and illustrated the Catholic faith by his learned volumes. In this method of sanctity, he lived to a great age, and died at length under Honorius, in the year 420.

Pray for all who apply to learning, that they may take virtue along with them. Learn from this saint to read the Scriptures with a diligent and humble mind. Presume not on your own sense. Solid virtue and many years' study qualified St. Jerome for an expositor; without these your expositions may be subject to great errors.

Reflect on your own circumstances: if they engage you in great distractions, deliver yourself, as far as you are able; and let no preferment or interest take place of your soul. But if idleness, vanity, and the earnest desire of gratifying yourself prove your distraction, your obligation to quit all this is still greater.

Pray for the whole Church and its pastors.

Pray for yourself, that the industrious, laborious, and holy spirit of this saint may be your portion, and secure you against all the mischief of sloth and self-love.

It being the last day of the month, give thanks for all blessings received, and beg hearty pardon for all your sins." [The Catholic Year; Or Daily Lessons on the Feasts of the Church by Rev. Fr. John GOTHER]