Saint Fiacre, Confessor
by VP
Posted on Friday August 30, 2024 at 12:18AM in Saints
Saint Fiacre. Stained glass window, Notre-Dame, Bar-le-Duc, France, 19th century.
"Sanctify of Labor: Labor, which was imposed on man after the Fall by way of expiation, acts also as a preservative. Virtue and idleness do not dwell under the same roof; assiduous labor leaves no room for vice. This has been well understood by so many founders of religious orders, who enjoined labor on their monks as a positive duty.
St. Fiacre, an Irish monk, having come to France in the seventh century to seek out a solitude, established himself in the forest of Breuil, where he cleared and cultivated a plot of ground the produce whereof sufficed for his own maintenance, and for abundant alms to others. Combining with labor continual prayer and the rigor of penance, he ended by becoming the oracle and apostle of the neighboring regions, and a saint to whom God vouchsafed the gift of miracles. He died in 670, and since then his tomb has always been held in veneration. Princes, kings, prelates, and people have alike honored the poor solitary, who had learned the grand science of labor and prayer.
Moral reflection: Ye who love indolence, ponder well these words of the Great Apostle: "If any man will not work, neither let him eat." (2 Thes. iii. 10.)"
Prayer: Deign, Lord, to raise our souls to Thee, and form our hearts to the cultivation of Christian virtues and to the practice of doing good. We beg Thee, through the intercession of Blessed Saint Fiacre, to grant us the grace to persevere in the way of salvation, so that on the day of eternal justice, Thou may find us worthy of taking our place in the abode of the elect. Amen.
St. Rose of Lima, VIRGIN. A.D. 1617.
by VP
Posted on Friday August 30, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
"WHEN the faith of Christ began to enlighten the vast regions of America, St. Rose appeared as the first fruits of its canonized saints. From her infancy, her patience in suffering, and love of mortification, were extraordinary. Whilst yet a child, she ate no fruit, fasted three days a week, and on other days took only unsavory herbs and pulse. Every incentive of pride and sensuality was to her an object of abhorrence. She triumphed over self-love by the most profound humility, and the most perfect obedience and denial of her own will. She never disobeyed the orders of her parents in the least thing; but gave proofs of her
scrupulous obedience and invincible patience under all pains, labor,
and contradictions, which surprised all who knew her. To comply more
easily with the vow she had made of holy virginity, she enrolled herself in the third Order of St. Dominic. She wore upon her head a thin circle, studded on the inside with little sharp nails, which wounded her head, in imitation of a crown of thorns. This she did to put her in mind of the Passion of Christ, which she desired to have always in her thoughts. Her ardent love of God appeared most sensibly, when she was in presence of the Blessed Sacrament; and when in receiving it she united her heart to her beloved in that wonderful fountain of his
love. God favored her with many extraordinary graces; but for her
humiliation, she suffered much from her relations, and many severe
interior trials. After long and painful sickness, she died at the age of thirty-one, in the year 1617.
Pray for all under the profession of virginity; that fixing their hearts on their heavenly Spouse, they may be ever ready to go forth to meet him. If you have children under your care, the charge is difficult, and requires particular grace to satisfy its duties. If you see not an early sense of heaven in them, take care that it be not your fault. They are then susceptible of all impressions; and will receive such as are good, if you are diligent in giving them." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
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 609The Beheading of St. John Baptist
by VP
Posted on Thursday August 29, 2024 at 12:35AM in Saints
Salome with the Head of John the Baptist, Caravaggio (London)
"A feast in memory of that day, when St. John Baptist, for reproving Herod's incestuous living with his brother's wife, was cast in prison; and his life being given for a reward to Herodias for her dancing, he was beheaded in prison, at her request.
See the reward of St. John's charity in reproving a public crime. And can you wonder that so very few have courage to undertake the task? How many live in the practice of scandalous crimes, who meet many flatterers and encouragers, but seldom find plain dealers who put them in mind of their unchristian method!
The apprehension of their displeasure, and of losing an interest in them, is a sufficient discouragement to such as lament their disorders, and desire their good. Is not this a sign that their self-love is greater than their charity; and that they have not courage enough to be good?
This is undoubtedly a business of difficulty, requiring great prudence, not fit for all persons, nor for all times; and inconsiderate zeal may be as mischievous as cowardice, or want of charity. Being therefore an affair of such nicety, it ought well to be considered and consulted before it is undertaken; so that the design of charity may not be frustrated by imprudence. But the greater number fall under the guilt of the other extreme; and it is a reproach to Christians, that this part of charity is so much abandoned by them.
Many offend through mere indiscretion, and are disposed enough for friendly advice; but continue in their disorders for want of such advice.
Observe how this dancing ends in cruelty and blood; and how a prophet is sacrificed to conclude the pastime. Dancing being exposed to great abuses, and snares being here too often laid to betray unwary souls, Christians should be very cautious how they engage in such diversion. To love them is dangerous, to embrace all offers, is running into temptation; and they give so much encouragement to all that is evil, that there is no engaging in them without great danger to innocence and virtue."
The Catholic Year or daily lessons on the feasts of the Church, by Rev. Fr. John Gother 1861
John the Baptist and the Meaning of Marriage by Fr. David Friel
“As a last act, the Baptist bears witness with his blood to his fidelity to God’s commandments, without giving up or turning back, thus fulfilling his mission to the end. St. Bede, a 9th century monk, in his Homilies says: St. John, for Christ, gave up his life, even though [his persecutor] had not demanded that he should deny Jesus Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth. And he did not keep silent about the truth, and thus he died for Christ who is the Truth. For love of the truth, he did not give in to compromises with those who were powerful, nor was he afraid to address strong words to the one who lost his way to God.
“Now we see this great figure — this force — in his passion, in his resistance against the powerful. We ask: where does this life come from, this interiority, which is so strong, so principled, so consistent, which is spent so totally for God and in preparing the way for Jesus? The answer is simple: from his relationship with God, from prayer, which is the guiding thread of his entire life. […]
“Dear brothers and sisters, celebrating the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist also reminds us — Christians in our own times — that we cannot give into compromise when it comes to our love for Christ, for his Word, for his Truth. The Truth is the Truth; there is no compromise. The Christian life requires, as it were, the “martyrdom” of daily fidelity to the Gospel; the courage, that is, to allow Christ to increase in us and to direct our thoughts and actions. But this can only occur in our lives if our relationship with God is strong.”
Saint Augustine, BISHOP AND CONFESSOR, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, A.D. 430
by VP
Posted on Wednesday August 28, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
Sacred Heart, Raleigh NC. 2013
"How great the dignity of a priest in whose hands Christ again becomes man! O Celestial mystery, wrought in so marvelous a manner by God the Father and by the Holy Ghost through the instrumentality of the priest!" St. Augustine. Source: Fr. Cochem's Explanation of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
Philippe de Champaigne: Saint Augustine
" ST. AUGUSTIN was born in Africa. In his youth, by conversing with the Manicheans at Carthage, he was drawn in to be an abettor of their
heresy; and then, adding vice to error, he lived for some years engaged
in a very scandalous. life. These great disorders were a heavy
affliction to his pious mother St. Monica, who never ceased importuning
heaven in behalf of her son, till by her prayers, and the help of St. Ambrose, then bishop of Milan, she saw him reclaimed from all his evil ways, and become a zealous promoter both of virtue and truth. At the age of thirty-three, he was baptized by St. Ambrose, and then returning to Africa, after sufficient experience of his great learning and piety, he was ordained priest by Valerius, bishop of Hippo. And now his great business was to make war against the prevailing errors of the Manicheans; which he did, both by words and writing with wonderful success, as likewise against the Pelagians
and Donatists. This encouraged Valerius to take him for his coadjutor;
and after his death he succeeded him in his episcopal charge. Being now
eminent in dignity, he became an example of all Christian virtues, but particularly of humility and charity to the poor, not sparing the sacred vessels for the relief of their necessities, nor any labour, by which he could possibly contribute to the good of his flock. Having thus discharged for many years the duties of a faithful pastor, and illustrated the Church by his learned writings, seized at length with his last sickness, he gave up his soul into the hands of God, in the year 430.
Pray for all those unhappy Christians who are engaged in error or vice: their misery demands your charity. Be very cautious in your choice of company, both for yourself, and those under your care. Remember that this is the general ruin of youth; be fearful of yourself in a way where so many perish." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
A Prayer to St. Augustine
O
Glorious St. Augustine, the light and oracle of the faithful! I most
fervently join the whole Church of Christ in thanking the Almighty for
having chosen thee to become a peculiar object of His love, and an
everlasting monument of His tender mercies. Illustrious penitent! Thy
admirable conversion proves to the whole world, that no crimes are too
great for the God of all mercies to pardon – no heart too corrupt for
His love to purify- and no obstacle too strong for His grace to
overcome. Penetrated with veneration for thy virtues, I choose thee for
my Father, my Protector, and my advocate. I most humbly beseech thee to
have compassion on my youth, and to protect me in those dangers which
thou well knowest are attendant on my inexperienced age. O blessed
victim of charity, obtain that I may seriously consecrate my heart to my
Creator, and faithfully observe that great commandment of charity, so
deeply engraved on thy heart. Thou wert the son of thy mother’s precious
tears, the conquest of her prayers, and afterwards the faithful
imitator of her virtues; obtain for me the most profound respect and
tender affection for my parents, gratitude for their care, and the grace
to profit of the advantages which their solicitude for my eternal
welfare has provided for me. I recommend to thee, in a particular
manner, O great Saint, all those unhappy souls, who are in the dreadful
state of mortal sin, and conjure thee, by the unceasing tears thou didst
shed over thy own wanderings, to procure them the grace of conversion,
and to obtain for me such horror of sin, that I may avoid it as the only
real evil, and thereby merit to behold for all eternity that uncreated
Beauty, who was too long hidden from thy view, and eternally love that
infinite Goodness, whom thou didst bitterly regret have loved too late.
Amen.
Source: The Ursuline manual; or, A collection of prayers, spiritual exercises 1830 Mass
St. Monica, WIDOW, A.D. 387.
by VP
Posted on Tuesday August 27, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
“How many difficulties there are also today in family
relationships and how many mothers are anguished because their children
choose mistaken ways! Monica, a wise and solid woman
in the faith, invites them not to be discouraged, but to persevere in
their mission of wives and mothers, maintaining firm their confidence in
God and clinging with perseverance to prayer.” (Pope Benedict XVI) Source: Archconfraternity of Christian Mothers
"Ladies, if you wish to become real Christian mothers, fix your eyes on St. Monica; follow in her steps. If you, too, mourn over the wanderings of your sons, do not despair. Imitate her: invoke her aid. It is impossible but that she, who suffered so much on earth from the same cause, should not be touched by your sorrows, and obtain for you, in the conversion of your own children, the happiness which she herself received from our Lord.
Only persevere; use the means which she used: offer the sacrifice of your prayers, our tears, your penances, for the sins of your boys; so that the day may come when, with your last breath, you will be able to say joyfully with her, "Why should I stay longer here? My task is done."
(...) He who could not resist the tears of the widow of Nain, will be moved by the sight of thousands of mothers pleading for their children's souls. He will not allow a whole generation of young men to perish, we with their mother's tears.
Finish your great work, O Monica! and from Heaven where you share the glory of the son of whom you were in a double sense the mother, look upon the multitude of women now fulfilling the hard and trying mission once entrusted to yourself. Sustain them in their trials, that their faith fail not, and teach them, by the example of your life, that the fame of evil, kindled by the enemy of souls in the hearts of their children, can be extinguished by the sacred and more powerful flame of a mother's love."
Source: Monseigneur Sibour, Archbishop of Paris, Church of Notre Dame de Sion, 1856
"ST. MONICA was mother of the great St. Augustin. Seeing him unhappily fallen into the heresy of the Manichees, she ceased not by continual prayers and tears to solicit heaven in behalf of her son, that he might return to the truth. For this end she followed him to Milan; where by the means of St. Ambrose he was delivered from his errors, and prepared for becoming a great light in Christ's Church. Give thanks for this mercy shewn to both mother and son; and beseech God to inspire all parents with this charity in all the misconduct and errors of their children. To importune heaven by prayers, tears, and alms, is the most assured way of obliging the Father of mercy to their assistance, from whom alone their help must come. They may justly hope that the children of constant and fervent prayer will never perish. Therefore as those parents, who are unconcerned at the disorderly conduct of their children, shew neither compassion, nor a due sense of eternity; so all those who follow St. Monica's steps, in sparing no pains, nor omitting any occasion likely to contribute to their children's good, have this certain comfort, that their labour will not be lost. If it has not the effect which they desire, still it will be the increase of their own crown.
One constant practice of St. Monica, was to assist daily at the altar of God; from whence she knew that that victim was dispensed, by which was cancelled the hand-writing against us. In this, and other holy exercises of piety and charity, she spent the years of her widowhood; and at length, on her return to Africa, she was seized with a violent fever, and departed to heaven in the year 389. Pray for all widows, that they may be constant in all the exercises of religion, and especially in that of assisting daily, if in their power, before the altar of God, at Mass. Whatever your condition be, follow the example of so
great a saint: see that sloth and vain pretexts be not your hindrance,
and heartily lament all past neglects. Be careful not to lose this day
at least: beg grace to be delivered from all disorders, and extend your
charity to all in vice or error." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Lord have mercy on us
Christ, have mercy on us
Lord, have mercy on us. 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 Spirit, have mercy on us
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us
Holy Mary, conceived without stain of original sin, Pray for us and for our children
Holy Mary, glorious Mother of Jesus Christ, pray for us and for our children
St. Monica, pray for us and for our children
Model of wives, pray for us and for our children
You who converted your unbelieving husband, pray for us and for our children
Mother of St. Augustine, pray for us and for our children
Strict and prudent teacher, guardian of your son in all his ways, pray for us and for our children
You who carefully watched over his conduct, pray for us and for our children
You who were sorely distressed at his erring from the right, pray for us and for our children
You who were untiring in your petitions for his soul's safety, pray for us and for our children
You who still hoped on amid the bitterness of your heart and your flood of tears, pray for us and for our children
You who were filled with consolation upon his return to God, pray for us and for our children
You who died calmly after faithfully fulfilling your duties, pray for us and for our children
You who are the prayerful intercessor of all mothers who pray and weep as you did, pray for us and for our children
Preserve the innocence of our children, we beseech you, St. Monica
Protect them against the deceits of evil men, we beseech you, St. Monica
Protect them from the dangers of bad example, we beseech you, St. Monica
Watch over the movements of grace in their hearts,we beseech you, St. Monica
Let the Christian virtues strike deep root in their hearts and bear much fruit, we beseech you, St. Monica
Redouble your intercession for youth approaching manhood, we beseech you, St. Monica
Obtain for all in mortal sin true contrition and perfect conversion, we beseech you, St. Monica
Obtain for all mothers to fulfill their duties steadily and perseveringly, we beseech you, St. Monica
Commend all mothers to the protection of the every-blessed Virgin Mother of Our Lord, we beseech you, St. Monica
Favorably incline the heart of your beloved son Augustine to the salvation of our children.
St. Augustine, holy son of a saintly other, prayer for us and for our children
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us , O Lord!
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord!
v. Pray for us, O holy St. Monica
R. that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
O holy Monica, by your patience and prayers you obtained from God the conversion of your husband and the grace to live in peace with him; obtain for us, we beseech you, the blessing of Almighty God, so that true harmony and peace may reign also in our homes, and that all the members of our families may attain eternal life. Amen.
O Holy Monica, by your burning tears and unceasing prayers you saved your son from eternal damnation. Obtain for us the grace ever to comprehend what is most conducive to the salvation of our children so that we may effectively restrain them from sin and lead them by virtue and piety to Heaven Amen.
Source: Saint Monica: Model of Christian Mothers By F. A. Forbes. Litany added by the Editor TAN
Saint Joseph Calasanctuis, Founder of the Piarists, CONFESSOR, A.D. 1648.
by VP
Posted on Tuesday August 27, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
"Saint Joseph Calasanz, you were disgraced, defamed, maligned and imprisoned and yet forgave all who had robbed you of your most precious personal possession: your reputation. Help us to be so forgiving toward those who steal from us what we have taken so long to build up." (Source: My Catholic Life)
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"He was the founder of the poor regular clergy of the pious schools of the Mother of God, and was born at Petralta in Spain, of a noble family. From his tender years he gave indications of his future charity towards children, and for their pious education. For while he was yet a youth, he was accustomed to assemble children together, and teach them the mysteries of religion and prayers. He sanctified his youth by all virtues from his infancy, particularly by charity and prayer. He consecrated himself to God by a vow of virginity, and distinguished himself in his studies of philosophy and divinity at Valentia. Being ordained priest, he was employed by several bishops in different parts of Spain; and surpassed the expectations of all, by producing everywhere a reformation of corrupt morals, restoring ecclesiastical discipline, and wonderfully extinguishing enmities and cruel factions.
After frequent admonitions from heaven, he proceeded to Rome. In that city he practiced great austerities, and spent days and nights in heavenly contemplation, being accustomed to visit seven churches almost every night; and continuing this method of life for several years. At Rome he was enrolled in the confraternity of the Christian doctrine; in which zealous employment, he soon saw the importance of instructing children early in the knowledge and spirit of religion. Hereupon he particularly devoted himself to this part of the pastoral charge; though he gave also much time to visit, relieve, and exhort to perfect virtue all the sick, and all the poor and destitute: in which, by his courage and patience, he seemed a perpetual miracle of fortitude. When the city was ravaged by the plague, his charity was not contented with large alms to the sick and poor, but he even carried the dead bodies upon his shoulders to be buried.
Mediator Dei
8. Indeed, though we are sorely grieved to note, on the one hand, that there are places where the spirit, understanding or practice of the sacred liturgy is defective, or all but inexistent, We observe with considerable anxiety and some misgiving, that elsewhere certain enthusiasts, over-eager in their search for novelty, are straying beyond the path of sound doctrine and prudence. Not seldom, in fact, they interlard their plans and hopes for a revival of the sacred liturgy with principles which compromise this holiest of causes in theory or practice, and sometimes even taint it with errors touching Catholic faith and ascetical doctrine.
9. Yet the integrity of faith and morals ought to be the special criterion of this sacred science, which must conform exactly to what the Church out of the abundance of her wisdom teaches and prescribes. It is, consequently, Our prerogative to commend and approve whatever is done properly, and to check or censure any aberration from the path of truth and rectitude.
59. It has pained Us grievously to note, Venerable Brethren, that such innovations are actually being introduced, not merely in minor details but in matters of major importance as well. We instance, in point of fact, those who make use of the vernacular in the celebration of the august Eucharistic sacrifice; those who transfer certain feast-days - which have been appointed and established after mature deliberation - to other dates; those, finally, who delete from the prayer books approved for public use the sacred texts of the Old Testament, deeming them little suited and inopportune for modern times.
60. The use of the Latin language, customary in a considerable portion of the Church, is a manifest and beautiful sign of unity, as well as an effective antidote for any corruption of doctrinal truth.
62. But it is neither wise nor laudable to reduce everything to antiquity by every possible device. Thus, to cite some instances, one would be straying from the straight path were he to wish the altar restored to its primitive table form; were he to want black excluded as a color for the liturgical vestments; were he to forbid the use of sacred images and statues in Churches; were he to order the crucifix so designed that the divine Redeemer's body shows no trace of His cruel sufferings; and lastly were he to disdain and reject polyphonic music or singing in parts, even where it conforms to regulations issued by the Holy See.
203. But in all these matters, it is essential that you watch vigilantly lest the enemy come into the field of the Lord and sow cockle among the wheat;[181] in other words, do not let your flocks be deceived by the subtle and dangerous errors of false mysticism or quietism - as you know We have already condemned these errors;[182] also do not let a certain dangerous "humanism" lead them astray, nor let there be introduced a false doctrine destroying the notion of Catholic faith, nor finally an exaggerated zeal for antiquity in matters liturgical. Watch with like diligence lest the false teaching of those be propagated who wrongly think and teach that the glorified human nature of Christ really and continually dwells in the "just" by His presence and that one and numerically the same grace, as they say, unites Christ with the members of His Mystical Body.
204. Never be discouraged by the difficulties that arise, and never let your pastoral zeal grow cold. "Blow the trumpet in Sion . . . call an assembly, gather together the people, sanctify the Church, assemble the ancients, gather together the little ones, and them that suck at the breasts,"[183] and use every help to get the faithful everywhere to fill the churches and crowd around the altars so that they may be restored by the graces of the sacraments and joined as living members to their divine Head, and with Him and through Him celebrate together the august sacrifice that gives due tribute of praise to the Eternal Father.
205. These, Venerable Brethren, are the subjects We desired to write to you about. We are moved to write that your children, who are also Ours, may more fully understand and appreciate the most precious treasures which are contained in the sacred liturgy: namely, the Eucharistic sacrifice, representing and renewing the sacrifice of the cross, the sacraments which are the streams of divine grace and of divine life, and the hymn of praise, which heaven and earth daily offer to God.
206. We cherish the hope that these Our exhortations will not only arouse the sluggish and recalcitrant to a deeper and more correct study of the liturgy, but also instill into their daily lives its supernatural spirit according to the words of the Apostle, "extinguish not the spirit."[184]
Source: Mediator Dei, Pope Pius XII
Saint Zephyrinus (Pope and Martyr)
by VP
Posted on Monday August 26, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
"God has always raised up holy pastors, zealous to maintain the sacred deposit of the faith of His Church inviolable, and to watch over the purity of its moral, and the sanctity of its discipline. How many conflicts did they sustain! with what constancy, watchfulness, and courage, did they stand their ground against idolatry, heresy, and the corruption of the World!
We enjoy the greatest advantages of the divine grace through their labors; and we owe to God a tribute of perpetual thanksgiving and immortal praise for all those mercies which He has afforded His Church on earth. We are bound also to recommend most earnestly to Him His own work, praying that He exalt the glory of His divine name, by propagating His holy faith on earth: that He continually raise up in His Church shining examples of all virtue, pastors filled with His spirit, and a people disposed to captivate their understandings to His revealed truths, and subject their hearts to the sweet yoke of His holy love and divine law; watchful to abhor and oppose every profane innovation of doctrine, and all assaults and artifices of vice."
Source: The Lives of the Primitive Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints, Butler"THIS saint was bishop of Rome in the time of the Emperor Severus; and under the cruel persecution raised by him against the Church, this holy pastor was the support and consolation of the distressed flock of Christ. He filled the pontifical chair seventeen years, and was put to death by the Emperor Antonius Caracalla, in the year 219.
Pray for the present bishop of that holy see. His charge is great; and as all the faithful have a concern in his conduct, so he ought to have a daily share
in their prayers, Pray for all in persecution and trouble, that by
patience and perseverance they may work out their salvation. Let the difficulty which you experience in yourself in all manner of suffering, move you to have compassion on others, and oblige you to be in earnest in soliciting heaven in their behalf. Be ever watchful against all the attempts of impatience and anger; that so your temporal evils may be a means of obtaining
eternal goods. How much might you have advanced towards heaven, by a
Christian submission to your troubles now past! But you have lost the opportunity. Make a better use of such occasions as are yet to come. Be careful not to permit your heart to be seized with prejudice or passion. These are evils which indispose your mind against all the force of reason, truth, justice, religion, and even against the evidence of miracles; and who must answer for all the train of ill consequences which follow upon them? Be upon your guard against ill temper. To be always on the fret, and make all unhappy who live under the same roof with you, is a temper scarcely tolerable in a Christian. It is too apt to make those under you careless of everything
that is said to them, and to judge all reproof to be nothing but
humour; it is not consistent with discretion, and therefore ought to be amended. Few are exempt from some degree of this ill temper: observe yourself, and while you honour the martyrs, doing good to all by their patience, pray for grace to follow their example." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother.
Prayer to St. Louis, KING AND CONFESSOR, A.D. 1270.
by VP
Posted on Sunday August 25, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
St. Louis, Sacred Heart Dunn, NC
Prayer: O Saint Louis IX, inspire our bishop and
priests to preach the Faith with courage, constancy, and love.
Strengthen them to combat every evil. Pray that God will raise up
courageous and honorable civil leaders who will enact laws respecting
the dignity of human life and enforce them with justice, truth, and
charity.
Pray for all faithful men and women that they will live
virtuous and peaceful lives as they journey toward their final goal of
Heaven.
Pray that all children may keep their baptismal innocence and be spared from every evil.
Pray
that the sanctity of human life will be forever respected. Pray for an
increase in holy vocations to the priesthood and religious life and
Saint Louis, as you have left your earthly throne to assume your
heavenly throne, pray that we will one day share with you the eternal
crown of salvation after our earthly lives are ended. Amen. Source: CAPG
KING AND CONFESSOR, A.D. 1270.
"ST. LOUIS was king of Francis, and the ninth of that name. He was brought up in great piety by his holy mother St. Blanche; whose first care it was to instill into his tender soul the highest esteem and awe for every thing that regarded the divine worship, the strongest sentiments of religion and virtue, and a particular love of holy chastity. She used often to say to him, when he was a child: "I love you, my dear son, with all the tenderness a mother is capable of; but I would infinitely rather see you fall down dead at my feet, than that you should ever commit a mortal sin." In the court, he observed the discipline of the cloister, being moderate in apparel, rigorous in fasting, charitable to the poor and the sick, not only in visiting but relieving and helping them with his own hands. His zeal for Christianity made him bewail the Holy Land being in the possession of Infidels, and think of recovering it. For this end, having transported himself and a great army into those parts, and attempted its relief with success in his first battle with the Saracens, he was afterwards taken prisoner. Being ransomed, he resolved to make a second attempt upon them, but was seized with sickness in his camp, in Africa, and died there, at the head of his army, in the year 1270.
Pray for all Christian princes, and beseech God to give them a zeal for
virtue and truth, that being in a rank above all, they may be examples
to all. Be zealous in promoting what is good: but if you are sometimes
disappointed, in not meeting with success, let not this deject you. For though you propose, yet you must leave it to God to dispose of all,
as seems best to him. Is not his wisdom infinite? Depend therefore upon
his wisdom, and call not in question what he does. Join with this pious
prince in recovering the Holy Land. Ought not your heart to be the seat of God, and your soul the temple of the Holy Ghost? And are not they both subject to the tyranny of infidelity
and sinful passions? Arm yourself against this usurpation, and strive
to regain that liberty which Christ has purchased for you." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
St. Bartholomew
by VP
Posted on Saturday August 24, 2024 at 09:03AM in Saints
Bartolomeo Manfredi: The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew
"ST. BARTHOLOMEW was called by Jesus Christ to be His apostle: pray that all who undertake this sacred function, may be called to it, and chosen by Christ.
Having followed Christ, he preached the Gospel to barbarous nations, and planted the faith among them. Pray that the same blessing may attend all those who are engaged in this employment. So few heretofore and so plentiful a harvest; so many now, and so little fruit!
His labours were rewarded with the crown of martyrdom, he being seized by the enemies of his faith, and flayed alive. Pray for all who labour in the Gospel, that they may be ready to give their lives for Christ, and employ them in his service.
This festival of an apostle calls upon all Christians to give thanks to God for His mercy in calling them to the faith of Christ; and for the means which he has appointed to deliver them from all doubts, and secure them in His truths. They are called upon to thank Him for not leaving them to the weakness and uncertainty of their own private judgment, but appointing apostles, and sending them to deliver His faith to all nations; commanding all to hear and believe them under pain of eternal condemnation: He that believeth not, shall be condemned. Christ teaches His apostles, and the apostles teach the people. Thus the people when they hear the apostles, hear Christ: He that heareth you, heareth me. This was the method which Christ himself appointed for converting the whole world to his faith; and by this method the whole world was converted.
Now who dares presume to change the method ordained by Christ? Who can pretend to find a better? If an angel should have come, and taught any other, we ought not to have received it. How then can any justify themselves in following another recommended only by men? If we had lived in the days of the apostles, we should have observed this method, and been instructed in the Christian faith, by hearing the apostles. And why must we not follow the same method now? The same spirit of truth, which was promised to the apostles, was promised to abide with them and their successors, to the end of the world: Behold I am with you all days, even to the end of the world. He shall give you another Paraclete, that He may abide with you for ever. The Spirit of truth. Are not these Christ's own words? Is not He the eternal truth? Though heaven and earth pass away, yet His words cannot pass away.
Are we not therefore to believe Him? And can we profess to believe Him,
if we believe not His words? To disown these, is to deny Christ. Since
therefore He has promised that the Spirit of truth shall abide with the apostles for ever, and lead them into all truth to the end of the world, we must believe that this spirit abides with their successors, the pastors of His Church, in all ages, and must depend upon the guidance of this spirit in His Church, as much now, as if we had lived in the days of the apostles. If we had lived then, we should have had nothing more to depend on, than Christ's promise made to His apostles. We have the same now: and as Christ is the same now as he was then, so we have the same to depend upon. Our dependence is not to be more limited than His promise. His promise extended to all ages: and therefore the dependence of Christians upon it must be in all ages. Therefore did Christ say that His Church was built upon a rock, and that the gates of hell should not prevail against it. Therefore is the profession of believing the Catholic Church, inserted in the creed, as an article of faith, not for the time of the apostles only, but for all ages. Whoever proceeds by this method has his faith built on Christ Himself, on His word and promise, on the conduct of His Holy Spirit. Divine faith can stand only on divine authority. This is in Christ's Church, which is led into all truth by God's spirit; and therefore the Christian assents to what is delivered by this Church, because it carries with it the authority of God himself, who has promised to abide with her for ever." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
St. Philip Benizi and the Servites, CONFESSOR, A.D. 1285.
by VP
Posted on Friday August 23, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
"ST. PHILIP was born at
Florence, and practiced medicine some time at Paris. But returning home
he applied himself to solicitude and prayer in a religious house which
he entered, and was afterwards ordained priest. He spent his life in
seeking the lost sheep, laboring every
where to reclaim wicked Christians from their evil ways, and those that
were seduced, from their errors, as likewise to make peace wherever he
found differences, whether public or private. In this method he lived, till God called him to the reward of his labors, in 1285.
Follow the same method: whatever your employment be, you are to find time for prayer and recollection of spirit.
If you seem not to have this time, be faithful and sincere in examining
how far this is true; for sloth, tepidity, and indifference have many
hindrances, which industry, resolution, and contrivance would find ways
to remove. It is not a Christian's part to conclude that things cannot
be done, because they cannot be done easily. Be helpful to others, in making them sensible of their
evil ways. Be charitable in composing differences: sweetness and
moderation are effectual for this end. Give no occasion to any
misunderstanding between neighbors. For this end, never inform any one
what you have heard another say of him.
For this cannot be done, without betraying a trust reposed in you, in
being a witness to such a discourse. It is seldom done without prejudice
to truth, in making the affair worse than it was; and it cannot be done without the hazard of injustice; since the person who said it may have spoken inconsiderately, and may have repented of his rashness. Nor can it be done without a breach of charity,
in doing otherwise than you would have others do by you. This informing
temper ought to be avoided by all who love peace or hope for the reward of charity. Silence is far better than such tale bearing, by which Christians forget their profession, and make themselves the agents of the devil. Consider this well: pray and watch against this pernicious evil; and never encourage those who are given to it." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
"One of the most illustrious members of the Order of Servites was St. Philip Benizi, who exercised the office of General after St. Benedict de Lantella, and who was elected in 1267. St. Philip sent his religious to Poland, Hungary, and even the Indies. He arranged the first constitutions of the order, or rather gathered into one the regulations of his predecessors, and decreed that they should be read in the refectory every Saturday.
About this time, the institution of the Servites was threatened with destruction. In 1215, the Council of Lateran had forbidden the establishment of new religious orders, and this had been confirmed by that of Lyons in 1274. Innocent V, who had become Pope in 1274, took it for granted that the Servites were included in this prohibition, and therefore determined to suppress them. He drew the attention of Cardinal Otthoboni, Protector of the order, to the decree, and having cited St. Philip Benizi to Rome, he forbade him to receive novices or to sell any of the goods of the order, which he confiscated in favor of the Holy See. He at the same time forbade the Servites to hear confessions.
Fortunately for these religious, the Pope lived but a short time, and his successor John XXII, did not press the affair. It was agitated under Nicholas III, Martin IV, and Honorius IV, during which time the Servites had much to suffer on the side of some of the Bishops. Finally, after much deliberation, it was settled in favor of the Servites by Honorius IV, in 1286." [Source: History of Religious Orders, by Rev. Charles Warren Currier 1896 Page 323.]
"Philip
Benizi was about to die, and Julianna was but fifteen years of age.
Nevertheless, enlightened from on high, the Saint hesitated not: he
confided the Order to Juliana's hands, and so slept in the peace of our
Lord.
(...)
Benedict XI, in 1304, gave to the Servites the definitive sanction of the Church.
