Blessed Catholic Saints and Angels

Feast of Saint Rita of Cascia

2014-05-22T17:23:00.001-05:00

Today, May 22, we celebrate the feast day of Saint Rita of Cascia (1386-1456), the patron saint of impossible causes. Saint Rita’s life was one of hardship, difficulty, and disappointment, but she never lost faith in the Lord, praying ceaselessly throughout what seemed like endless days filled with harsh conditions, and was delivered from them. Known as a “Peacemaker of Jesus” for her charity and love of others, Saint Rita is a model of Christian virtue, obedience, and steadfast endurance.
Because of her many trials and sacrifices throughout her life Rita the Saint is known as Rita Patron Saint of Impossible Causes and desperate situations. She's often entreated by those suffering the afflictions of abuse, sickness, desperate causes, difficult marriages, widows and wounded people.
The life of Saint Rita of Cascia reminds us that sometimes life is hard. We may feel as if we cannot handle all the struggle that has been given to us. We may feel like we are alone. We may feel as if we are a lost cause, that holy lives are impossibilities. Yet, we are never alone, and with the Lord, all things are possible. Saint Rita’s forbearance and endurance, her obedience, and her faith all inspire us look to the Lord in our moments of weakness, hopeless, and despair. We are never alone. Nothing is impossible with God.

Oremus/ Let us pray :
O God, Who in Thine infinite tenderness hast vouchsafed to regard the prayer of Thy servant, Blessed Rita, and dost grant to her supplication that which is impossible to human foresight, skill and efforts, in reward of her compassionate love and firm reliance on Thy promise, have pity on our adversity and succor us in our calamities, that the unbeliever may know Thou art the recompense of the humble, the defense of the helpless, and the strength of those who trust in Thee, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Novena to Saint Joseph - Day 9 -

2014-03-18T18:46:00.001-05:00

DAY NINE

O good Saint Joseph, help us to be like thee,
gentle to those whose weakness leans on us;
help us to give to those who seek our aid,
succor that they may journey unafraid.
Give us thy faith,
that we may see the right shining above the victories of might.
Give us thy hope that we may stand secure,
untouched by doubting, steadfast to endure.
Give us thy love that as the years increase
an understanding heart may bring us peace.
Give us thy purity that the hour of death
finds us untouched by evil’s breath.
Give us thy love of labor
that we shirk no lot in life that calls us for honest work.
Give us thy love of poverty so that we live contented,
let wealth come or go.
Give us thy courage that we may be strong;
give us thy meekness to confess our sins.
Give us thy patience that we may possess the kingdom
of our souls without distress.
Help us, dear Saint,
to live that when life ends
we pass with thee to Jesus and His friends.
O Glorious Saint Joseph,
hear our prayers and obtain our petitions. Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Novena to Saint Joseph - Day 8 -

2014-03-17T18:43:00.000-05:00

O blessed Joseph,
to whom it was given not only to see
and to hear that God whom many kings longed to see and saw not;
to hear and heard not;
but also to carry Him in thy arms,
to embrace Him, to clothe Him,
and to guard and defend Him,
come to our assistance and intercede with Him
to look favorably on our present petition.
( our prayer request here..)

Amid the splendors of eternity,
forget not the sorrows of those who pray,
those who weep;
stay the almighty arm which smites us,
that by thy prayers and those of thy most Holy spouse,
the Heart of Jesus may be moved to pity and to pardon. Amen

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Novena to Saint Joseph -Day 7 -

2014-03-16T18:32:00.001-05:00

O faithful and prudent Saint Joseph,
watch over our weakness
and our inexperience;
obtain for us that prudence which reminds us of our end,
which directs our paths and which protects us from every danger.
Pray for us, then, O great Saint,
and by thy love for Jesus and Mary,
and by their love for thee
obtain for us the favor we ask in this novena..
(here our prayer request..)

Amid the splendors of eternity,
forget not the sorrows of those who pray,
those who weep;
stay the almighty arm which smites us,
that by thy prayers and those of your most Holy and Immaculate spouse,
the Heart of Jesus may be moved to pity and to pardon.
Amen

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Novena to Saint Joseph - Day 6 -

2014-03-15T03:01:00.001-05:00

DAY SIX

O glorious Saint Joseph,
appointed by the Eternal Father
as the guardian and protector of the life of Jesus Christ,
the comfort and support of His Holy and Immaculate Mother,
and the instrument in His great design
for the redemption of mankind;
thou who had the happiness of living with Jesus and Mary,
and of dying in their arms,
be moved with confidence we place in thee,
and procure for us from the Almighty,
the particular petition which
we humbly ask through thy intercession
(here our prayer request..)
Amen.

Amid the splendors of eternity,
forget not the sorrows of those who pray,
those who weep;
stay the almighty arm which smites us,
that by thy prayers and those of thy most Holy spouse,
the Heart of Jesus may be moved to pity and to pardon. Amen

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Novena to Saint Joseph - Day 5 -

2014-03-14T05:18:00.001-05:00

DAY FIVE

O holy Saint Joseph,
what a lesson thy life is for us,
ever so eager to appear
so anxious to display before the eyes of men
the graces that we owe entirely to the liberality of God.
In addition to the special favor for which we plead in this novena..
(here our prayer request..)
grant that we may attribute to God the Glory of all things,
that we may love the humble and hidden life,
that we may not desire any other position
than the one given us by Providence
and that we may always be a docile instrument in the hands of God. Amen

Amid the splendors of eternity,
forget not the sorrows of those who pray,
those who weep;
stay the almighty arm which smites us,
that by your prayers and those of thy most Holy and Immaculate spouse,
the Heart of Jesus may be moved to pity and to pardon. Amen

Saint Joseph , pray for us . Amen

Novena to Saint Benedict

2014-03-13T15:52:00.001-05:00

Glorious Saint Benedict, sublime model of virtue, pure vessel of God's grace! Behold me humbly kneeling at thy feet.

I implore thee in thy loving kindness to pray for me before the throne of God.
To thee I have recourse in the dangers that daily surround me.

Shield me against my selfishness and my indifference to God and to my neighbor.
Inspire me to imitate thee in all things.
May thy blessing be with me always, so that I may see and serve Christ in others and work for His kingdom.

Graciously obtain for me from God those favors and graces which I need so much in the trials, miseries and afflictions of life.
Thy heart was always full of love, compassion and mercy toward those who were afflicted or troubled in any way.

Thou never dismissed without consolation and assistance anyone who had recourse to thee.
I therefore invoke thy powerful intercession, confident in the hope that thou will hear my prayers and obtain for me the special grace and favor I earnestly implore.
{here our humble petition}

Help me, great Saint Benedict, to live and die as a faithful child of God, to run in the sweetness of His loving will, and to attain the eternal happiness of Heaven.
Amen.

Novena to Saint Joseph - Day 4 -

2014-03-13T05:02:00.000-05:00

Saint Joseph, glory of Heaven,
unfailing hope for our lives,
and support of those on earth,
graciously accept our prayer of praise.
Thou were appointed spouse of the chaste Virgin
by the Creator of the world.
He willed that thou be called "father" of the Word
and serve as Saint of our salvation.
May the triune God who bestowed upon thee heavenly honors,
be praised forever.
And may He grant us through thy merits
the joy of a blessed life
and a favorable answer to our petition.
(here our prayer request..)

O glorious Saint Joseph,
through the love thou bear to Jesus Christ
and for the glory of His Holy Name,
hear our prayers
and obtain our petitions.Amen
Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Novena to Saint Joseph - Day 3 -

2014-03-12T04:56:00.000-05:00

DAY THREE

Blessed St. Joseph,
enkindle in our cold hearts a spark of thy charity.
May God be always the first
and only object of our affections.
Keep our souls always in sanctifying grace and,
if we should be so unhappy as to lose it,
give us the strength to recover it immediately
by a sincere repentance.
Help us to such a love of our God
as will always keep us united to Him. Amen.

O glorious St. Joseph,
through the love thou bear to Jesus Christ
and for the glory of His Holy Name,
hear our prayers
and obtain our petitions
( here our prayer request..)
Amid the splendors of eternity,
forget not the sorrows of those who pray,
those who weep;
stay the almighty arm which smites us,
that by thy prayers and those of thy most Holy and Immaculate spouse,
the Heart of Jesus may be moved to pity and to pardon. Amen

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Novena to Saint Joseph - Day 2 -

2014-03-11T03:02:00.000-05:00

DAY TWO

O blessed Saint Joseph,
tenderhearted father,
faithful guardian of Jesus,
chaste spouse of the Mother of God,
we pray and beseech thee to offer to God the Father,
His divine son,
bathed in blood on the Cross for sinners,
and through the thrice Holy Name of Jesus
obtain for us of the eternal Father
the favor for which we implore thy intercession
(here our request..)

Amid the splendors of eternity,
forget not the sorrows of those who pray,
those who weep;
stay the almighty arm which smites us,
that by thy prayers and those of thy most Holy and Immaculate Spouse,
the Heart of Jesus may be moved to pity and to pardon.
Amen

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Novena to Saint Joseph - Day 1 -

2014-03-10T02:56:00.000-05:00

O great Saint Joseph, with feelings of unlimited confidence,
we beg thee to bless this Novena that we begin in thy honor.
O glorious Saint Joseph,
faithful follower of Jesus Christ,
to thee we raise our hearts and hands
to implore thy powerful intercession
in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus
all the helps and graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly for the grace of a happy death
and the special prayer petition we now request
(here our request ..)
O guardian of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence that thy prayers
in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.
Glorious Saint Joseph,
through the love thou bear to Jesus Christ
and for the Glory of His Name,
hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.
Amen.

Today is the Feast of Saint Ignatius of Antioh , Bishop and Martyr ( according with the true Catholic Liturgical Year - before the Vatican 2's reformations )

2014-02-01T16:39:00.002-06:00

We begin the month of February on this First Saturday Devotion and the Eve of the Purification tomorrow, by celebrating a Holy Bishop who willingly gave his life for Christ at the hands of the voracious lions, aware of Saint Peter's words in his First Epistle, chapter five, verse 8: "Be sober and watch: because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about, seeking whom he may devour."
The Holy Bishop and Martyr Saint Ignatius of Antioch, like Saint Polycarp, was a disciple of Saint John the Apostle . The Tradition says as well that - when Saint Ignatius was a little child - he was held on the knee of Our Lord when the Savior spoke the words "Suffer the little children to come unto Me." During the persecution of Trajan he was condemned to death and sent in chains to Rome. While on the way he wrote letters to various churches which are precious documents for our Faith. He rejoiced when he heard the roaring of the lions set loose to devour him, exclaiming: "I am the wheat of Christ: may I be ground by the fangs of wild beasts and become bread agreeable to my Lord!" He died a noble martyr in Rome on October 17 around 107 A.D. He is commemorated every day in the prayer which precedes the Pater Noster, known as the "Great Intercession" - the Nobis quoque peccatoribus.

Oremus/ Let us pray :

Look upon our weakness, O Almighty God: and because we are weighed down beneath the burden of our own deeds, let the glorious intercession of blessed Ignatius, Thy Martyr and Bishop, shield us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

Today - the Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle , Ember Friday

2013-12-21T11:09:00.001-06:00

from the Liturgical Year, 1870

This is the last Feast the Church keeps before the great one of the Nativity of her Lord and Spouse. She interrupts the Greater Ferias in order to pay her tribute of honour to Thomas, the Apostle of Christ, whose glorious martyrdom has consecrated this twenty-first day of December, and has procured for the Christian people a powerful patron, that will introduce them to the divine Babe of Bethlehem. To none of the Apostles could this day have been so fittingly assigned as to St. Thomas. It was St. Thomas whom we needed; St. Thomas, whose festal patronage would aid us to believe and hope in that God whom we see not, and who comes to us in silence and humility in order to try our Faith. St. Thomas was once guilty of doubting, when he ought to have believed; and only learnt the necessity of Faith by the sad experience of incredulity: he comes then most appropriately to defend us, by the power of his example and prayers, against the temptations which proud human reason might excite within us.

Let us pray to him with confidence. In that heaven of Light and Vision, where his repentance and love have placed him, he will intercede for us, and gain for us that docility of mind and heart, which will enable us to see and recognise Him, who is the Expected of Nations, and who, though the King of the world, will give no other signs of His majesty, than the swaddling-clothes and tears of a Babe.

Prayer:

O glorious Apostle Thomas! who didst lead to Christ so many unbelieving nations, hear now the prayers of the faithful, who beseech thee to lead them to that same Jesus, Who, in five days, will have shown Himself to His Church. That we may merit to appear in His divine presence, we need, before all other graces, the light which leads to Him. That light is Faith; then, pray that we may have Faith. Heretofore, our Saviour had compassion on thy weakness, and deigned to remove from thee the doubt of His having risen from the grave; pray to Him for us, that He will mercifully come to our assistance, and make Himself felt by our heart. We ask not, O holy Apostle! to see Him with the eyes of our body, but with those of our faith, for He said to thee, when He showed himself to thee: Blessed are they who have not seen, and have believed!

Of this happy number, we desire to be. We beseech thee, therefore, pray that we may obtain the Faith of the heart and will, that so, when we behold the divine Infant wrapped in swaddling-clothes and laid in a manger, we may cry out: My Lord! and my God!

Pray, O holy Apostle, for the nations thou didst evangelise, but which have fallen back again into the shades of death. May the day soon come, when the Sun of Justice will once more shine upon them. Bless the efforts of those apostolic men, who have devoted their labours and their very lives to the work of the Missions; pray that the days of darkness may be shortened, and that the countries, which were watered by thy blood, may at length see that kingdom of God established amongst them, which thou didst preach to them, and for which we also are in waiting. Amen

Novena to the Feast of Saint Nicholas Glorious Confessor of Christ

2013-11-27T16:36:00.000-06:00

Saint Nicholas, Glorious Confessor of Christ, assist us in thy loving kindness.

Glorious St. Nicholas, my special Patron from thy throne in glory, thou dost enjoy the presence of God, turn thine eyes in pity upon me and attain for me from our Lord the graces and help that I need in my spiritual and temporal necessities (and especially this humble prayer intention provided that it be profitable to my salvation).
Be mindful likewise, O Glorious and Saintly Bishop, of our Sovereign Pontiff of our Holy Church and of all Christian people.
Bring back to the right way of salvation all those who are living steeped in sin, blinded by darkness of ignorance, error and heresy
Saint Nicholas comfort the afflicted, provide the needy.
Strengthen the fearful, defend the oppressed, give health to the infirm.
Cause all people to experience the benefits of thy powerful intercession
with the supreme giver of every good and perfect gift. Amen.

~ Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be to the Father. ~

Pray for us Blessed Saint Nicholas, that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us Pray,

O God who has glorified Blessed Saint Nicholas, Thine illustrious Confessor and Bishop, by means of countless signs and wonder, and who does not cease daily so to glorify him , grant we beseech Thee, that we, being assisted by his merits and prayers, be delivered from the fires of hell and from all dangers through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena to Saint Archangel Raphael

2013-10-15T18:10:00.000-05:00

Glorious Archangel Saint Raphael, great Prince of the Heavenly Court,

thou art illustrious for thy gifts of wisdom and grace.

Thou art a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners.

I beg thee, assist me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as once thou helped the young Tobias on his travels.

Because thou art the medicine of God, I humbly pray thee to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body.

I especially ask of thee this humble prayer petition...and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Saint Archangel Raphael, of the glorious seven who stand before the throne of God who lives and reigns.

Angel of health, the Lord has filled thy hand with balm from Heaven to soothe or cure our pains.

Heal or cure the victim of disease and guide our steps when doubtful of our ways. Amen

Today is the Double Feast of Saint Bridget of Sweden

2013-10-08T17:36:00.001-05:00

Saint Bridget, known in the entire Church of God, on account of the many divine revelations with which she was graced, was born in Sweden, of noble and pious parents.
Saint Bridget had the gift of prophecy and worked many marvellous cures. Once widowed, she lived an ascetic life, eating very little, sleeping short hours, and praying continually. She followed a strict rule and practised every possible kind of charitable work. She received constant inspirations which were either taken down by her chaplain and put into Latin, thus becoming known as her Revelations, or took the form of letters to the succeeding popes, cardinals, and secular rulers of the day, telling them of their wickedness and how to reform their lives.
Both in Sweden and in Rome she was either hated violently or loved as a saint. "Strong and full of courage", she lived a holy life .
She founded the Order of the Saviour or the Bridgettines at Vadstena in Sweden.
Saint Bridget received great revelations concerning Chivalry and the great virtue of the knights that fought for Christ and Christendom. Our Lord appeared to her and said in one of her visions, taking care to emphasise what He said to her, this:
"A knight who keeps the laws of his order is exceedingly dear to me. For if it is hard for a monk to wear his heavy habit, it is harder still for a knight to wear his heavy armour".These were the very words of our Lord to Saint Bridget.

Let us pray / Oremus :

O God, who guided Saint Bridget of Sweden along different paths of life and wondrously taught her the wisdom of the Cross as she contemplated the Passion of your Son, grant us, we pray, that, walking worthily in our vocation, we may seek Thee in all things.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Today is the Feast of Saint Rita of Cascia

2013-05-22T13:45:00.001-05:00

THE ROSE LEGEND AND WHY ROSES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SAINT RITA

For four years after her return from Rome, St. Rita suffered more pain from the wound on her forehead than before she made the journey to Rome, so that her life became really a martyrdom.

Moved with compassion for her suffering, or pleased with her wonderful patience, the Son of God came from Heaven to visit and console her with His Divine presence. This Divine visit filled the soul of St. Rita with extreme delight and gratification, and her heart was so consumed by the words of her divine Spouse, that, having sunk her understanding in the extreme bliss she enjoyed from gazing on the Divine beauty of Jesus, she would have broken the earthly bonds that detained her soul in the prison of her body, to enjoy forever the happiness she saw, were she permitted to do so.

St. Rita gazed attentively at her beloved Spouse, who, like a flower from the Heavenly paradise, and a lily from the celestial valleys, invited her to satisfy her thirst and fill her heart with delights by enjoying the sweetness His Divine presence cast around her. But recognizing that the ocean of happiness in which she was engulfed was only temporal, and thirsting to enjoy the eternal, she ardently desired to follow her Divine Spouse, who disappeared from her view after He had given her a foretaste of what His chosen ones enjoy in Heaven.

After Our Lord had disappeared, there remained in the heart of St. Rita so deep a wound that she became so ill with Divine love, suffering so violent an attack of fever, that she was obliged to betake herself to her poor and hard bed, whereon she lay, more dead than alive, without anyone knowing the cause of her illness.

Thus for four long and weary years, St. Rita suffered the pains of love, in order that the gold of her patience might be refined and that she might make a new ring, set with the most precious jewels, which she would wear at the celebration of her espousals with her Divine Lord when she made her entrance into the Kingdom of His glory.

Besides the pains of her illness, she suffered the torments of the wound on her forehead, and these torments were made more poignant by the continual movements of the little worms which had also increased in number. But anxious to suffer more and more, St. Rita bore every pain of her agony with the most admirable patience, and during all the years of her illness, she never uttered a single sigh or word of complaint, but respired rather, in all her actions, the celestial love that was consuming her heart with the flames of the Divine fire. Having become ill with Divine love, because her beloved Spouse had left her after a short visit, St. Rita experienced a love, strong as death, which, however, did not take away her life but rather spared it, so that she actually suffered the pains and agony of death without dying. However, in the midst of all her afflictions, St. Rita sought no human relief. Her chief delight was to feed her soul and body with the Bread that came down from Heaven, and to quench her thirst with the bitter chalice of the Passion of her Divine Spouse, Jesus Christ. Thus for four years her life was really miraculous, nourished only by the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

To show how dear St. Rita was to her Divine Spouse and to make manifest the fact that St. Rita can obtain even the impossible from God, if she asks it, Divine providence disposed her, while she was ill, to ask that a flower and two figs be brought her from the little garden which St. Rita at one time owned and cultivated with her own hands-----a garden which could be truly called the inheritance of God, and the garden of her Heavenly Spouse, because she had sold it before entering the convent and had distributed the proceeds amongst His needy poor.

One day in the month of January, a cousin of St. Rita's came to the Maddalena Convent to visit her. The visit was a short one, for that particular day St. Rita was very ill and suffered much. On taking her leave, her relative asked St. Rita if she could do any favor for her. "Yes, Cousin," said the Saint; "bring me a rose from the garden of my old home in Rocca Porrena." St. Rita's request surprised her cousin, who thought that perhaps her mind was affected by her illness, and besides, as it was midwinter and the climate of Rocca Porrena exceedingly cold, her relative and the nuns who were in attendance could not be persuaded that the rose could be found. Nevertheless, to humor the Saint, her cousin told her that she would try to fulfill the errand, though she thought it would be impossible to find what she asked for. St. Rita responded: "My dear cousin, there is nothing impossible to God." The security with which St. Rita spoke these words determined her cousin to set out at once for Rocca Porrena, and to her great astonishment and amazement, on entering the garden she saw, on a sapless and leafless rosebush, a beautiful red rose in full bloom. She plucked the rose, and returned to Cascia as quickly as possible and gave the rose to St. Rita. The Saint received the rose with great joy and gladness, and a heavenly smile lighted up her countenance as she kissed it reverently, while her heart gave thanks to God as she contemplated in that rose her sweet Jesus crowned with thorns. St. Rita then handed the miraculous flower to the superioress, and from her hand it passed into the hands of all the nuns, who, after admiring its marvelous beauty, returned fervent thanks to God, who, to make manifest the sanctity of their beloved sister Rita, had caused a most beautiful rose to grow in the midst of a cold winter. To commemorate this miraculous event, roses are blessed each year in all the churches of the Augustinian Order on the feast of St. Rita and distributed to the faithful.

Shortly after the miracle of the rose, God wrought another miracle at the request of St. Rita. On the occasion of another visit to the convent, in the same month of January, St. Rita asked her cousin to go and bring two figs she would find on a certain frozen fig tree in the garden of Rocca Porrena. This time, without the least doubt in her mind, the woman hastened to bring the figs. She had no difficulty in finding the tree St. Rita had described, and on it were two ripe and luscious figs. With no less joy than admiration at seeing this second miracle, she picked the figs and brought them to St. Rita. St. Rita received the figs with the greatest joy, and again did the nuns thank and praise God for having qualified, for the second time, the sanctity of their holy and beloved sister. But St. Rita, elevating her spirit to a contemplation of the mysterious, considered the two miracles a warning that the time was near at hand when she would pass from this life, to enjoy for all eternity the incorruptible flowers and seasoned fruits of the Celestial paradise.

Oremus/ Let us pray :

The Prayer of the Roses
Blessed Saint Rita, my powerful advocate, behold me prostrate before thy Divine Spouse, Jesus, thy Lord, thy God, and thy All. Behold me recalling His favors to thee, that thou mayst plead for me. May this blessed Rose, sweet with the memories of thy daily acts of love before the image of the Crucified Savior, and of the wonders wrought for thee in thy dying moments, give me confidence that thou in Heaven wilt plead that I, too, may share in the good things God has in store for thy clients. Amen

Today : the Feast of Saint Bernadine of Sienna

2013-05-20T15:18:00.000-05:00

O Lord Jesus, Who didst bestow on the blessed Bernardine Thy Confessor an especial love for Thy Holy Name: mercifully pour into our hearts, by virtue of his merits and intercession, the spirit of Thy love . Amen
(Roman Breviary)

In 1408 St. Vincent Ferrer once suddenly interrupted his sermon to declare that there was among his hearers a young Franciscan who would be one day a greater preacher than himself, and would be set before him in honor by the Church. This unknown friar was Bernardine. Of noble birth, he had spent his youth in works of mercy, and had then entered religion. Owing to a defective utterance, his success as a preacher at first seemed doubtful, but, by the prayers of Our Lady, this obstacle was miraculously removed, and Bernardine began an apostolate which lasted thirty-eight years.

By his burning words and by the power of the Holy Name of Jesus, which he displayed on a tablet at the end of his sermons, he obtained miraculous conversions, and reformed the greater part of Italy. But this success had to be exalted by the cross. The Saint was denounced as a heretic and his devotion as idolatrous. After many trials he lived to see his innocence proved, and a lasting memorial of his work established in a church.

The Feast of the Holy Name commemorates at once his sufferings and his triumph. He died on Ascension Eve, 1444, while his brethren were chanting the antiphon, "Father, I have manifested Thy Name to men." St. Bernardine, when a youth, undertook the charge of a holy old woman, a relation of his, who had been left destitute. She was blind and bedridden, and during her long illness could only utter the Holy Name. The Saint watched over her till she died, and thus learned the devotion of his life.

Reflection--Let us learn from the life of St. Bernardine the power of the Holy Name in life and death.

( source : the Catholic Harbor of Faith and Morals )

Novena to Saint Therese of Lisieux ( Feast October 3 )

2012-09-24T16:54:00.002-05:00

O Little Child of God the Father, child of predilection, hearken to our prayer. With special love does He listen to thy pleading. On earth thou didst go to Him unafraid. Confidence was thy guiding star. Thou didst never refuse the Good God anything and He hast placed thee "among the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven." Near His throne He will smile upon His "Little Queen." Grant us then the Grace to follow thy little way of complete trust in God and self-surrender. Attune our souls to thine own sweet song of praise.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.

O Little Victim of God the Son, "thou didst wish to suffer for Love's sake and for Love's sake even to rejoice." God's sweet Will was thy sole desire. Thus didst thou run to His loving arms. One with Him thou didst become a Victim --- a Victim of Love. Grant us also the spirit of loving resignation to the Holy Will of God and the Grace to be numbered in thy legion of Little Victims of Love.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.

O Little Spouse of God the Holy Ghost, the spirit of love filled thy soul. Led by the Spirit, even as thy Lover Jesus thou didst breathe and live solely for Him. Thy childlike strategy made Love captive. Thy littleness charmed Him. Help us, too, to become little and to love Him with childlike confidence so as to sing sweetly our canticle of love.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.

Novena to Saint Archangel Michael ~ Day 1 ~

2012-09-19T19:00:00.000-05:00

St. Michael the Archangel, loyal champion of God and His Catholic people, I turn to thee with confidence and seek thy powerful intercession. For the love of God, Who hast made thee so glorious in grace and power, and for the love of the Mother of Jesus, the Queen of the Angels, be pleased to hear my prayer. Thou knowest the value of my soul in the eyes of God. May no stain of evil ever disfigure its beauty. Help me to conquer the evil spirit who tempts me. I desire to imitate thy loyalty to God and Holy Mother Church and thy great love for God and men. And since thou art God's messenger for the care of His people, I entrust to thee this special request:
(here our prayer intention)
St. Michael, since thou art, by the will of the Creator, the powerful intercessor of Christians, I have great confidence in thy prayers. I earnestly trust that if it is God's holy will, my petition will be granted.
Pray for me, St. Michael, and also for those I love. Protect us in all dangers of body and soul. Help us in our daily needs. Through thy powerful intercession, may we live a holy life, die a happy death and reach Heaven where we may praise and love God with thee forever. Amen.

In thanksgiving to God for the graces bestowed on St. Michael:

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

Prayer to St. Michael

Glorious Prince of the Heavenly hosts and victor over rebellious spirits, be mindful of me who am so weak and sinful and yet so prone to pride and ambition. Lend me, I pray, thy powerful aid in every temptation and difficulty, and above all do not forsake me in my last struggle with the powers of evil. Amen.

The Angelic Trisagion

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts, Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the battle, that we may not perish in the dreadful judgment. Amen

The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist the Forerunner

2012-08-29T16:08:00.000-05:00

God our Father, Thou called John the Baptist to be the herald of Thy Son's birth and death. As he gave his life in witness to Truth and Justice, so may we strive to profess our Faith in Thy Gospel. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy only begotten Son, who lives and reigns with Thee and the Holy Ghost , one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The whole life of St. John the Forerunner, from its first days, was entirely dedicated to the One Who came after him.
As Saint John the Baptist was forerunner of Christ to the living, making straight the way of the Lord, so he was forerunner of Christ even to the dead, getting them ready for his coming on Holy Saturday. The mind and tongue of this great Saint and Martyr would not be stopped, even by death!
The Feast of the Beheading of the Baptist was one of earliest annual liturgical celebrations throughout the Christian world. According to ancient tradition John's body was buried at Sebaste, but Herodius had the head buried in a dung heap. Once again the seat of his learning and teaching was to be humiliated; once again, we are reminded just how precious, how powerful, how threatening can be the life of the mind and the tongue. John's head was, however, secretly recovered by his followers and hidden away, only to be rediscovered several times over the centuries, giving rise to various claims and counter-claims as to who held the principal relic

Let us faithfully pray :
O God, Thou raised up St. John the Baptist to prepare a perfect people for Christ.
Fill Thy people with the joy of possessing His Grace, and direct the minds of all the faithful in the way of Peace and Salvation.
Grant that as St. John was martyred for Truth and Justice, so we may energetically profess our Faith in Thee, and lead others to the Way, the Truth, and Eternal Life. Amen.

Blessed Feast of Saint John Vianney - parish priest of Ars, is certainly one of the noblest figures among the saints of the 19th century

2012-08-09T06:16:00.000-05:00

Today is the feast day of the Curé of Ars, confessor, intercessor for the Clergy’s sanctification and model for those entrusted with the care of souls. He lived in the 19th century (1786-1859).
There is always a word to say about St. John Baptist Vianney because he was one of the greatest saints of the 19th century. His life presents so many different facets that one always can take new lessons from it. In the first decades of the 19th century, he was a poor seminarian.The site where he entered Ars. He told the boy: "You have showed me the way to Ars. I will show you the way to Heaven"The pulpit in the Church of Ars where the Cure delivered his famous sermons .
The Chapel of St. Philomena, to whom the Saint gave all the credit for the miracles he worked . The Bishop sent this dull priest to a tiny village in the south of France, the village of Ars. There he began his sacerdotal life, which would permeate all of Europe with its light, and, from there, spread throughout the world. He was canonized a saint by Pius XI in 1925 and proclaimed patron of parish priests.
What was it that distinguished this Saint? Even though he didn’t have any natural qualities to make him an exceptional priest, he became a magnificent priest, an extraordinary apostle, a confessor with rare discernment, and a preacher who exercised a profound influence over souls .
He was also a martyr of the confessionary. He used to spend hours and hours there hearing confessions and giving counsels.
Fighting with evil : This extraordinary Saint spent all his time in the church: at the pulpit, confessionary or altar. At night when he returned to his house, one might think he would at least get a deserved rest. But no, a new fight started, this time against the devil. For decades he fought a nightly battle with the devil – whom he called Grapin – in which the devil physically assaulted him and tormented him with deafening noises and insulting words. On the night before a person particularly dominated by the devil would come to confess to St. John Vianney, the devil would inflict stronger torments on the Saint. Once he set fire to the Curé’s bed. In response St. John Vianney used to increase his special penances, flagellations, and prayers to win the graces for his words to effect the needed conversions.
Performing miracles :Divine Providence, in order to further increase his apostolate, gave him the gift of the miracles. In fact he worked many miracles. But he did not attribute them to himself. In his church he built a shrine to St. Philomena, a virgin martyr that Paul VI removed from the list of the saints. St. John Vianney did not think the same way, and attributed all his miracles to her.
Saint John Vianney died peacefully on August 4, 1859. When his body was exhumed due to impending beatification, it was found perfectly preserved. Later the Saint’s heart was removed and remains a venerated relic. The Saint's body is laid in the Chapel of the Reliquary in a new basilica which is attached to the original Parish of Ars Church in Ars, France. A special chapel was erected to receive the miraculously incorrupt Heart of the Curé of Ars.

Several miracles have been attributed to Saint John Vianney ( read about here) .
Let us pray to St. John Baptist Vianney and ask him to heal the Catholic clergy from the negative influence of Vatican 2 . And let us ask him to give us the necessary discernment and strength of will to be free of any temptations of modern world , to fight against any evil manifestations and increase of faith .

Novena to the Feast of Saint Maximilian Kolbe

2012-08-06T17:04:00.002-05:00

O St. Maximilian Kolbe, faithful follower of St. Francis of Assisi, inflamed by the love of God, thou dedicated thy life to the practice of virtue and to works of charity.
Look kindly upon us who devoutly confide the following petitions to thy intercession:
(here our specific requests).
Having consecrated thyself to the Immaculate Virgin Mary, thou founded the Militia of the Immaculata (MI) Movement so that the Blessed Virgin might lead countless souls to holiness by inspiring them to do good, avoid evil, and spread the Kingdom of God.
Obtain for us, through her, the grace of drawing many souls to Christ.
In thy close conformity to Our Divine Savior, thou reached such an intense degree of charity that thou offered thy life to save that of a fellow prisoner.
Implore God that we, inflamed by such ardent charity, may, through our faith and good works, witness Christ's Love for the world and thus merit to join thee in the blessed vision of God. Amen

Today starts Novena to Saint Philomena ( August 2 -10 ) Feast August 11

2012-08-02T18:11:00.001-05:00

Novena to St. Philomena
O great St. Philomena, glorious Virgin and Martyr, wonder-worker of our age, I return most fervent thanks to God for the miraculous gifts bestowed on thee, and beseech thee to impart to me a share in the graces and blessings of which thou hast been the channel to so many souls.
Through the heroic fortitude with which thou didst confront the fury of tyrants and brave the frowns of the mighty rather than swerve from thy allegiance to the King of Heaven, obtain for me purity of body and soul, purity of heart and desire, purity of thought and affection.
Through thy patience under multiplied sufferings, obtain for me a submissive acceptance of all the afflictions it may please God to send me and as thou didst miraculously escape unhurt from the waters of the Tiber, into which thou wert cast by order of thy persecutor, so may I pass through the waters of tribulation without detriment to my soul.
In addition to these favors, obtain for me,O faithful spouse of Jesus, the particular intention I earnestly recommend to thee at this moment. O pure Virgin and holy Martyr, deign to cast a look of pity from Heaven on thy devoted servant, comfort me in affliction, assist me in danger, above all come to my aid in the hour of death.
Watch over the interests of the Church of God, pray for its exaltation and prosperity, the extension of the faith, for the perseverance of the just, the conversion of sinners, and the relief of the souls in purgatory, especially those dear to me.
O great Saint, whose triumph we celebrate on earth, intercede for me, that I may one day behold the crown of glory bestowed on thee in Heaven, and eternally bless Him who so liberally rewards for all eternity the sufferings endured for His love during this short life. Amen.
Oremus/ Let us pray
We beseech Thee, O Lord, to grant us the pardon of our sins by the intercession of Saint , virgin and martyr, who was always pleasing in Thy sight by her eminent chastity and by the profession of every virtue. Amen.
Illustrious virgin and martyr, Saint Philomena, behold me prostrate before the throne whereupon it has pleased the Most Holy Trinity to place thee. Full of confidence in thy protection, I entreat thee to intercede for me with God, from the heights of Heaven deign to cast a glance upon thy humble client!
Spouse of Christ, sustain me in suffering, fortify me in temptation, protect me in the dangers surrounding me, obtain for me the graces necessary to me, and in particular (Here specify your petition).
Above all, assist me at the hour of my death. Saint Philomena, powerful with God, pray for us. Amen.
O God, Most Holy Trinity, we thank Thee for the graces Thou didst bestow upon the Blessed Virgin Mary, and upon Thy handmaid Philomena, through whose intercession we implore Thy Mercy. Amen.

Blessed Feast of Saint Alphonsus de Liguori ( today August 2 )

2012-08-02T10:46:00.002-05:00

Father Liguori is the Marian and Morality Doctor of the Church. No other doctor wrote more books or was more particular in his devotion to our Lord and his Blessed Mother. He lived to be the oldest doctor and his books cover many subjects including the Blessed Sacrament, and The Early Martyrs of the Church. Some of his significant theological writings are and listed in the Dogmatic Constitutions of the Catholic Church from the Councils. Before Liguori established the Redemptorist Order, that is a great pillar and mainstay of the church, he practiced law in Italy. It was his custom to attend the holy sacrifice of the mass before he went into the courts. He is best known for his moral theology, but he also wrote well in the field of spiritual and dogmatic theology. St.Alphonsus Liguori is a most distinguished, Catholic, doctor in matters of morality because of his absolute surrender to God in faith and his conscience. Moral philosophy focus is on ethics and the discipline dealing with good and bad and with moral duty and obligations. The Ten Commandments are not a wish list. Christ crystallized them for us by saying they are summed up in love for God and neighbor. We can not attain our victory over immorality unless we possess virtue. Virtue is moral excellence.
St. Alphonsus' writings on the Stations of the Cross and martyrs are most touching and redemptive. Christ's death, and the process that lead to it in the carrying of the cross, should move our conscience profoundly. It was constantly in his thoughts as they are in all sincere Christians. The stations according to some authors and historians actually got started by Jesus' mother, Mary. She wanted to keep the memory of her Son alive and she frequently traced his actual steps in Jerusalem. The closing down of the holy lands during a period in the church's history was another reason the church rejuvenated the Stations of the Cross locally. We do not have to wait for the Lenten season to think or make the stations. There are hardly any catholic churches in the world that do not display the journey that led to Christ's final agony and victory over sin and death. This is Jesus' heroic and dramatic struggle up Calvary. It is a cordial reminder of love bestowed by three mothers: God, our Divine Mother and Author of all creation and redemption, the Mother of God, the holy, Virgin Mary, and the Mother of our mystical life, the Church.
God's will can not be known and achieved without prayer, grace and God's favor.
We are often caught between what the law permits and what are God's laws.

Blessed Feast for everyone !