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Saint Thomas, St. Patrick Catholic Church, Columbus, Ohio

"In his younger years having taken the habit of the Dominicans, his relations seized upon him, and by all arts endeavoured to dissuade him from his pious design. But they prevailed nothing; and after a long confinement he made his escape, and returning to his monastery, finished what he had before begun. Pray for all those who resolve upon a religious state, that they may undertake it for the best motives of God's honor, and the securing their eternal salvation. Those parents are to blame, who oppose so good a work; but those are still more criminal, who force their children into a state to which they are not called.

St. Thomas, having applied to study, arrived at that eminent degree of learning, as to be called the Angelical Doctor. He began his studies always with prayer; and for expounding difficult places of Holy Scripture, he added fasting to prayer. Thus he ever acknowledged his learning not to have been the effect of his own labor, but the blessing of Heaven. Follow this method as far as it falls within your sphere, and since reading spiritual books is a duty common to all, begin this always with prayer, that so through the blessing of Heaven you may receive benefit from what you read, to the improvement of your soul. Fail not to do this as often as you take the Holy Scripture to read; that so the Divine Spirit, which was the guide in writing it, may assist you in reading it, and secure you against the ill effects of ignorance, presumption, or rashness.

Pray for all universities, colleges, and places of learning, that they may follow the method of this saint, in taking God for their helper in studies, that they may advance in virtue as well as in learning. Many in their studies, take great pains to little purpose, often to draw from them the poison of vanity or error; or at least to drain their affections, and rather to nourish pride and other vices, than to promote true virtue. Sincere humility and simplicity of heart are essential for the sanctification of studies, and for the improvement of virtue by them." The Catholic Year by Rev. Fr. John Gother

"When anyone has really given up his sins, he must not be content simply with bewailing them. He must also give up, leave far behind, and fly from anything which is capable of leading him in the direction of them again. In other words, my dear brethren, we must be ready to suffer anything rather than fall back into those sins which we have just confessed. People should be able to see a complete change in us; otherwise we have not merited Absolution, and it could even be possible that we have indeed committed sacrilege. Alas, that there are few in whom this change is apparent after having received Absolution! Dear God, what sacrileges are committed! If in every thirty Absolution there were but one genuine case, how soon would the world be converted!

Those people do not merit Absolution, then, who do not give sufficient signs of contrition. Alas, how many times, because they are sent away, do they not come back any more! This, of course, is because they have no real urge to be converted, for if they truly had, very far from leaving their Confession until another Easter, they would be working with all their hearts to change their lives and to return to make their peace with God."

Source: Sermons of the Cure of Ars 1960 p.125

Prayer for Lent: O Lord who, for our sake, didst fast forty days and forty nights; give us grace to use such abstinence that, our flesh being subdued to the spirit, we may worthily lament and acknowledge our wretchedness, and may obtain perfect remission and forgiveness of Thee, the God of all mercy, who livest and reignest with the Father and Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen

Stations of the Cross, Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh NC

"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."
-- Jesus Living in the Priest: Considerations on the greatness and Holiness of the Priesthood Jacques Nicolas et Rev. P. Millet, S.J.

Intention: 0 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.

The way of Cross