"ST. ANACLETUS was bishop of Rome, and the third after St. Peter. He governed the Church after St. Clement, nine years and three months, according to the Liberian pontifical, and another very old Vatican manuscript register; but according to some later pontificals, twelve years and three months. The Emperor Trajan raised the third persecution against the Church, while he was in the East, in 107. In those difficult times, St. Anacletus suffered much, and probably laid down his life in testimony of the Christian faith, as he is styled a martyr in very ancient martyrologies. Pray for his present holiness. As he has the care of all, so he ought to have the prayers of all; since the good of the Church very much depends upon the faithful performance of his charge. Pray for all the pastors, and for yourself, that you may never make the enemies of God blaspheme, nor any way bring a scandal on the faith which you profess. How many are averse to the Church, through the ill lives of its members! See that you have no part in this; for so many souls must you answer for, as are discouraged from seeking the truth by your bad example.

"He was born at Florence, and for some time a soldier; but upon showing mercy to the murderer of his brother, God rewarded this his charity in forgiving an enemy, by inspiring him with holy resolutions of changing his life. Entering into a religious house, where he became an example of all virtues, he afterwards instituted a new order, under the rule of St. Benedict, which from the valley where the saint built the first monastery, was called the order of Vallis Umbrosa, or the shady valley. St. John was chosen the first abbot; and, with other religious men who followed him, wholly applied himself to make war against error, and all the practices of simony. In this undertaking, he met with great opposition, and suffered much : but God blessed his endeavours with great success. Being at length exhausted with labour, fasting, watching, prayer, mortification, and old age, he died in the year 1073.

Pray for all the religious of this order, that they may keep up the spirit of their holy founder. Pray for his charity, that you may learn that gospel-lesson of forgiving and loving your enemies. Great blessings are entailed upon it; and so you are to expect pardon of God for your own sins, as you forgive others, who have offended you. But then see that you be sincere in this. It is easy to say that you forgive them; but this must be from your heart; and the charity of your heart must manifest itself in your behaviour, in your words and actions. If you cannot come up to this, remember that your profession of charity is to be suspected as false and counterfeit ; and you cannot have true peace, till you have gained this point. Pray for grace, that you may be no ways wanting in this essential duty. Join likewise your prayers this day for rooting out all practices of simony from among the faithful; they are very provoking to God, who manifested his early anger against them in Simon Magus. Let no kind of temporal advantage influence you in spiritual affairs." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother

"ST. PIUS was a native of Aquileia. He had served the church among the clergy at Rome many years under the Emperors Hadrian and Antoninus Pius, when he succeeded St. Hyginus in the pontifical throne in the year 142. He condemned the heresiarch Valentinus, and rejected Marcion, who came from Pontus to Rome after the death of St Hyginus. He appears to have died by the sword, and thus obtained the crown of martrydom; though some suppose that he is styled a martyr merely on account of the severe conflicts which he sustained. He passed to a better life in the year 157.

Pray for the present bishop of that holy see; that God would assist him for the faithful discharge of all duties. Pray for all pastors and for all the faithful. Pray for yourself, that your life may be answerable to your faith. Pray for all that are out of the church; that God would shew mercy to them, and bring them into the fold of Christ. Study to obtain the spirit of the martyrs; that the love of God and the faith of the life to come may make all that welcome, which may any way help to secure to you the possession of what you desire. How are you to think yourself unhappy under the afflictions of this life, when an humble submission to them is of so great value in the purchase of heaven? Comfort and relieve, as far as you can, such as are persecuted for truth or justice. If you know any, whom the iniquity of men has made miserable, show your compassion; for thus you will oblige God to your assistance, and lay up treasures in heaven. Be not one of those who court such as are in prosperity; but if the world has frowned upon them, then know them not; for this is a baseness of spirit unworthy of a Christian. Let your conduct be regulated by duty, and not by human respects or worldly considerations." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother

St. Felicitas and her Seven Sons

"The seven brothers were the sons of St. Felicitas, a noble pious Christian widow in Rome, who brought them up in the most perfect sentiments and practice of heroic virtue. The mother and sons were apprehended, and brought before Publius, the prefect of Rome. He used the strongest inducements to bring them to sacrifice to the pagan gods; but despairing of overcoming their resolution, the prefect laid the whole process of the examination before the Emperor Antoninus. He, having read the interrogatory, gave orders that they should be condemned to different deaths. One of the brothers was scourged to death; two were beaten with clubs till they expired. Another was thrown headlong down a steep precipice. The three youngest were beheaded; and the same sentence was executed upon the mother four months after.

SS. Rufina and Secunda were sisters, who having consecrated their virginity to God, and resolutely refused all offers of marriage made by their parents, were accused for their faith in Christ; and after many torments of scourges and fire, were beheaded at Rome under Valerian. Pray for all those who are dejected in troubles; that God would give them the patience of the martyrs.

Consider what it is to want comfort; have compassion on those who stand in need of it, and pray for their relief. Humble yourself under your present troubles, and beseech God to sanctify them to you. All your disquiets avail you nothing; but a patient submission may save your soul. Pray for all those who have consecrated their virginity to God, and for those who live in that state in the world. The devil and the world are so much their enemies, and so many snares are before them, that all good Christians have reason to stand on their side. Be ever cautious in making vows; and never do it but with good advice. But if you have obliged yourself, see that you be faithful in the performance." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother

"He was bishop of Gortina in Candia. He had faithfully observed the divine law from his childhood, and governed the church of Gortina fifty-four years. Not content with preserving those of his flock in the purity of their faith, he laboured so effectually to increase the fold, that he converted a great number of pagans, and at the end of his life had the consolation to see almost the whole city submit to the true religion. He was apprehended at the age of eighty-eight, and upon his refusal to sacrifice to idols, was threatened with death, and exhorted to have pity on his venerable old age. "Do not regard my old age," he replied: "the God whom I serve has promised to renew my youth as that of an eagle.” The judge seeing him resolute, condemned him to the fire. This sentence filled the holy prelate with joy. Being cast into the flames, they left him untouched, and upon the surprise of the miracle, he was set at liberty. But the governor, being again provoked by new information of his zeal in the conversion of heathens, ordered him to die by the sword.

It is an ill sign, if you find all in peace about you. For the malice of the devil is so great against those, who live up to their duty, and give example of good to all who are witnesses of their conversation, that he seldom fails of giving those disturbance by an inward war, or by raising enemies against them. If you experience this his perverseness; to be dejected with the thoughts of your being unhappy, or to be impatient under the trouble, is that which will give him matter of triumph. For it is a part of his victory, to cast those into discouragement, whom he cannot draw into sin. But if you can keep up your spirits in the midst of his attempts, and learn to rejoice in what you suffer in the cause of virtue, and for being faithful to your God, the victory will be yours, and though encompassed with flames, you will escape without hurt. Therefore never yield to dejection, if you desire to overcome." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother

"THIS saint was queen of Portugal; and in the several states of virgin, wife, and widow, was a religious example of humility, charity, piety, and mortification. She was of a most sweet and mild disposition; and from her tender years had no relish for anything, but what was conducive to piety and devotion. Esteeming virtue her only advantage and delight, she abhorred romances and idle entertainments, and was an enemy to all the vanities of the world. Being married to the king of Portugal, she found no temptation to pride in the dazzling splendour of a crown. She was abstemious in her diet, mean in her attire, humble, meek, affable in conversation, and wholly bent upon the service of God in all her actions. Charity to the poor was a distinguishing part of her character. She visited the sick, served them, and dressed their most loathsome sores. She made it her principal study to pay to her husband the most dutiful respect, love, and obedience; and bore his injuries with invincible meekness and patience. After his death, St. Elizabeth consecrated herself to the divine service in the third order of St. Francis; and continued to support a great number of poor people by her alms and protection. In her last sickness, she received the Holy Viaticum on her knees, and shortly after, Extreme Unction; from which time she continued in fervent prayer, often invoking the Blessed Virgin. She appeared overflowing with heavenly joy, and gave up her happy soul to God in the year 1336, of her age sixty-five.

Consider her life, and you will find it the reproach of your own. If you cannot submit to those humiliations which she sought; if you think happiness to be in such vanities as she despised; if you spend in these, what she distributed to the poor; if her solitude, frequent prayer and fasting seem an aggrievance; you have reason to blush at yourself, pray for grace and amend." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother