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HAIL, O Cross! tree of life! noble and noted!
Banner, throne, altar to Jesus devoted!
Cross! to unholy
Men both death and terror,
To Christians truly
Art thou virtue’s mirror,
Safety, victory, all-divine!

Thou, when he hurried
Against Maxentius’ horde;
Thou, when he carried
By Danube’s shores the sword,
Glory wast to Constantine!

Chosroes and his son
Through thee were overthrown,
For Heraclius fighting:
Well may Christians glory
In this tree’s true story,
In such balms delighting!

Length and breadth, Cross! blending
With height, depth, far-reaching,
Thou, four ways extending,
Precious truths thus teaching,
Savest earth’s four quarters.
Balm with true health gifted!

On the Cross-scales lifted,
Christ was there extended,
As the price expended
To redeem death’s charters.

The Cross the balance is to weigh our right,
Our Monarch’s scepter and His rod of might;
The sign of Heaven’s own victory in the fight,
Our strength in war and glory’s palm-branch bright!

Ladder! raft! upbearing
Hearts through grief despairing!
Their last plank, when drowning!
Thou Christ’s beauty sharest,
Since His limbs thou barest,
Cross! the crown kings crowning.

Through thee, Cross! with blessings freighted!
Cross, by Christ’s blood consecrated!
May the grace of God most high
Deathless joys to us supply!
Amen.


Source: The Liturgical Poetry of Adam of St. Victor From the Text of Gautier, Vol. III. Kegan Paul, Trench, & Co. (London: 1881).pp. 2-5.

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.

"Mary was born in order to be the Mother of Jesus. : "Of whom was born Jesus." This is the principle of all her privileges, the summing up of all her praises. (...) It is as the Mother of the Redeemer of mankind that she will be the refuge and advocate of sinners. She is the aurora which precedes and ushers in the morning sun. (...) Certain it is that if men had known the blessings which Mary's nativity drew upon them, there would have been throughout the whole world a repetition of that which occurred among the Jews at their having been preserved from death through the meditation of Ester. "A new light seemed to rise, you, honor, dancing in all peoples...wonderful rejoicing." (Est. viii. 16,17).

You also, O Priests, were born for a sublime destiny! Accomplish it faithfully, and you shall be the cause of an unspeakable joy for heaven and earth. To give Jesus to the world, and with Jesus to give it all blessings, such is your vocation, and such was the vocation of Mary. This is the reason why the holy Virgin has such a warm affection for good priests and lavishes upon them such truly maternal cares.

Source: September 8, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin  p444. Meditations for the Use of the Secular Clergy, from the French of Father Chaignon, S.J. Volume 2. 1907

"St Cloud, or Clodoald, was the only son of Clodomir, king of Orleans, the brothers of the young prince having been murdered by their uncle clothaire in his guilty desire to become master of their possessions. Brought up in retirement, Saint Cloud was so impressed with the nothingness of all earthly things, that, even when he reached the age to assert his claim to the throne, he declined to embrace the favorable opportunities of success which were offered to him. He renounced the world, and placed himself under the direction of St. Severinus, then living as a recluse near Paris. Later, having been ordained priest, St. Cloud spent a few years in the exercise of his holy ministry but again mastered by the charms of a secluded life, he withdrew to the spot which now bears his name, founded a monastery there, and died in the year 560, after having edified all by a career of prayer, preaching, and good deeds."  source: Short lives of the Saints by Eleanor C. Donnelly 1910

Prayer

Collect: O God, who didst exalt Blessed Clodoald thy confessor, humbled for thy sake in this world, both by raising him to the dignity of the priesthood and by enduing him with the splendor of many virtues: grant unto us, following his example, to do thee worthy service and, helped by his prayers, ever grow in virtue and merit.

Secret: With thy Holy priest, Clodoald, we confess thee, O Lord, to be the author of our faith and of our salvation: and we beseech thee mercifully to receive at our hands this sacrifice of praise; and to grant that with the same fervor as he, we may render our vows to thee.

"As recently as 1934 the General of the Salvatorians suggested to Pope Pius XI that one Saturday each month might become a day specially devoted to prayers for priests. Pius XI agreed wholeheartedly, declaring that he praised and blessed the suggestion, and since 1934, bishops of more than fifty European dioceses have recommended this practice. How does one take part in Priestsʼ Saturday? It means offering the Saturday after the First Friday of the month wholly and entirely for the sanctification of priests throughout the world; offering Mass and Holy Communion together with all the prayers, actions, joys, sorrows of the day and offering it all to Christ through the hands of Mary. Priestsʼ Saturday is intended to help all priests--the Pope, the bishops, missionaries, all who teach in seminaries and schools, the contemplative religious, the parish priests. For some people a weekday Mass will be impossible. Still they can make an offering of their whole day, and they could say this prayer at least once on Priestsʼ Saturday:"

Source: Priests' Saturday

Prayer for Priests (St. Pius X)

O Jesus, eternal High Priest, divine Sacrificer, Thou who in an unspeakable burst of love for men, Thy Brethren, didst cause the Christian Priesthood to spring forth from Thy Sacred Heart, vouchsafe to pour forth upon Thy priests continual living streams of infinite love.

Live in them, transform them in to Thee; make them, by Thy Grace, fit instruments of Thy mercy; do Thou act in them and through them, and grant, that they may become wholly one with Thee by their faithful imitation of Thy Virtues; and, in Thy name and by the strength of Thy spirit, may they do the works which Thou didst accomplish for the salvation of the world.

Divine Redeemer of souls, behold how great is the multitude of those who still sleep in the darkness of error; reckon up the number of those unfaithful sheep who stray to the edge of the precipice; consider the throngs of the poor, the hungry, the ignorant and the feeble who groan in their abandoned condition.

Return to us in the person of Thy priests; truly live again in them; act through them and pass once more through the world, teaching, forgiving, comforting, sacrificing and renewing the sacred bonds of love between the Heart of God and the heart of man.
Amen.

St. Pius X (Raccolta 1907, Prayer 614. Rescript in his own hand. March 3, 1905 )

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)

"The following facts have been clearly established from Luther's own writings

1. At the beginning of the Reformation, Luther acted as a downright hypocrite towards Pope Leo X. and shortly before dying, he wrote a most low, coarse, disreputable, and satanical book of one hundred and fifty-seven pages, against Pope Paul III. Even supposing Protestantism was right and the Catholic Church was wrong, such a book as Luther wrote: "Against the Popery of Rome, instituted by the Devil," would be a lasting disgrace to any author.

2. Having rejected the authority of the Pope, he admits the authority of Satan; for he informs us in plain, unmistakable words, that the Devil argued in favor of his doctrine of justification by faith alone, and against Mass, Mary, and the Saints.

3. Strange to say, he expects Christ will approve of his preaching those very doctrines, which had met with the sanction of Satan. For Luther has the boldness to assure us, that Our Lord looks upon him as an Evangelist, and that he himself will not allow his teaching to be judged by anyone, not even by an Angel.

4. Having thus set the authority of the Pope at nought, admitted the authority of Satan, proclaimed his own authority as that of an Evangelist, who is not even to be judged by an Angel, Luther boldly rejects the inspired Word of God, as contained in St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews, and in the Apocalypse or Book of Revelations. As to the Epistle of St. James, it is only a straw epistle because, in opposition to Luther, St. James ventures to "attribute justification to the works."

5. Not satisfied with this, he even falsified the Bible by adding the word "alone" to Rom. III. 28. He has the honesty to tell us why he does so. It was in order to express his doctrine of justification by faith alone in a more "clear and powerful" manner. The text in the English Protestant Bible is: "We conclude that a man is justified by faith without deeds of the law." Luther translates: "So we now hold it, that man is justified, without doing the works of the law, alone by faith."

6. We can hardly expect, that a man who thus deals with the inspired Word of God, will respect the laws of God. Now, one of the most fundamental laws, promulgated here on earth by the Son of God, is the law concerning the unity of Christian marriage. Luther's teaching, however, is in direct opposition to this. He says: "I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives." Nor does he, in the case of Prince Philip of Hesse, shrink from putting this his doctrine into practice; for Luther willfully and deliberately signed a document granting his Highness leave to have two wives at the same time. Moreover, in one of his sermons, the Reformer of Germany did not blush to sanction adultery under circumstances, which ought never to be mentioned from a Christian pulpit. Is it God, or is it Satan who speaks through Luther?

7. Whilst constantly asserting his own authority and acting with the utmost recklessness, concerning the Holy Bible and the unity of marriage, Luther treats with an insufferable arrogance and intolerance all those who refuse to submit to his authority. As to the Jews, it is well known how, in the Middle Ages, they were constantly protected by the Popes, even in Rome itself, where they had a special quarter of the town allotted to them. How differently Luther acts. He says the churches (synagogues) and schools of the cursed Jews are to be burnt down, their houses destroyed, their Prayer Books taken away from them, their Rabbis forbidden to teach, they are to be refused all legal protection when they go into the country; all their money is to be taken from them, and if all is not sufficient, they are to be driven off like mad dogs.

8. A satanical hatred of the Pope and of all Roman Catholics is one of the characteristic features in the history and character of Luther. According to his views Popery is instituted by the Devil, the Pope is Antichrist, whose tongue ought to be torn out through the back of his neck and nailed to the gallows; the Catholic bishops are "wolves, tyrants, murderers of souls, and the Apostles of Antichrist;" every Catholic is "at least a murderer, a robber, a persecutor." And he asks the Princes: "Why do we not wash our hands in their blood?"

9. But even Protestants differing from him do not fare any better. So, for example, he denounces those who do not believe that the very same Body of Our Lord which was nailed to the Cross is received in the Last Supper as blasphemers and enemies of Christ, and he adds that they cannot hope for any communion with him (Luther). He says: "I should have to condemn myself with them into the depths of Hell, if I were to hold with them."

10. The results of his teaching are such as might be expected from what we have already said. He maintains that the poor man "has ample reason to break forth with the flail and the club." The peasants do break forth with the flail and the club. Luther now advises them to go home quietly. They refuse. Luther then orders everybody to "strike in... to strangle and stab, secretly or openly." "For in the case of a man in open rebellion everybody is both chief justice and executioner." One hundred thousand peasants are killed or executed. 

11. Such were the political consequences of his teaching. The moral results were even more disastrous; for wherever Luther's teaching waw accepted, the Last Supper was treated with contempt, the former generosity in supporting the clergy, churches, schools, the sick and the poor, cease; children were neglected, drunkenness began to spread like a deluge, in fact every virtue decreased, and every kind of vice increased. Luther tells us that, under the Pope, people had had only one Devil, and that now, under the Gospel, they had "seven worse ones."

Would it not have been better if he had left the poor people with the one Devil, and had spared them the six other worse ones?

12. A man who pretends to be a Reformer is sent either by God or by Satan. Now, every sign of a Divine mission is utterly wanting, both in Luther's teaching, and in the results of his teaching. How different in every respect are not Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, and the prophets of old from the would be Reformer? But, can Luther perhaps be compared to the Apostles? let us see. Did St. Peter, or St. Paul, or any of them, ever dare to allow a Christian to have two wives at the same time? Is not this fact alone sufficient to prove to every fair-minded man, that Luther was not sent by God? Moreover, was the result of St. Paul's teaching an increase of drunkenness and every kind of vice, and a decrease of every kind of virtue? No, certainly not. Luther, therefore, bears no resemblance to any of those men, of whom the Scripture tells us that they were sent by God as Reformers of their nation of of the world. We, therefore, refuse to believe in his Divine mission, and that on Scriptural grounds. But mark also another reason. Luther refused to believe that Carlstadt had the sanction of Heaven, and for a reason which is very instructive. Writing against this pretended Reformer, he says, "God does not break up the old order for a new one without working great signs. Therefore we cannot believe a person, who appeals to his own spirit and to his inward feeling, and rushes head-long against the usual order of God, unless he also performs miracles."

13. Now, Luther, I judge you by your own test. Where are the miracles, with which you prove your Divine mission? You know very will, that you never performed a single one. And therefore we would be acting in opposition to your own advice, were we to believe in you.

14. But, if Luther was not commissioned by God, then the glorious old Church of our Forefathers, the Church of which we say, in the Apostle's Creed: "I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church," is the true Church of God. And, in that case, not Luther, but the great and illustrious St. Ignatius, was the real Reformer of the sixteenth century."

Source: Luther's Own Statements Concerning His teachings and its Results, by Fr. Henry O'Connor SJ 1884