Our Morning Offering -30 April
My most sweet Lord,
I offer and consecrate to You this morning
all that I am and have:
my senses,
my thoughts,
my affections,
my desires,
my pleasures,
my inclinations,
my liberty.
In a word,
I place my whole body and soul in Your hands.
Saint of the Day – 30 April – St Marie Guyart of the Incarnation O.S.U. (1599-1672) – Missionary, Mystic, Widow, Religious Nun, Foundress of the Ursuline Order in Canada. Also known as Marie Guyard, Marie Guyart of the Incarnation, Marie Guyart, Marie de l’Incarnation, Marie of the Ursulines, Mother of New France, Theresa of the New World.
Saint Marie of the Incarnation, the most significant leader to establish the Ursuline Convent in Quebec.
She was born as Marie Guyart in Tours, France in 1599. At about 14 years of age she saw that she could join the convent, but she sensed her mother did not share the same vision. She ended up marrying a silk merchant named Claude Martin and together they had a son.
Unfortunately, when their baby was only six-months-old, Marie became a widow. Called again by God, after much discerning, she got rid of the family business and entrusted her son to her sister and brother-in-law to take the Ursuline veil.
Who was Marie of the Incarnation?
Already very close to God as a young girl, she said she saw the heavens open and Jesus went to her and kissed her asking, “Will you be mine?” To which she replied, “Yes!”
She is considered a mystic of the Church as she had extraordinary encounters with our Lord and our Lady, which directed her in the path to bring the Faith to the peoples of New France.
Among her many accomplishments, Saint Marie learned the languages in her surrounding areas and even developed dictionaries in Algonquin and Iroquois, a sacred history in Algonquin, and a catechism in Iroquois.
She was among the first women missionaries in North America. Her life and her spirituality have inspired many people around the world, spanning from other regions of Quebec, Peru, Japan and the Philippines. In Quebec you can find the Marie of the Incarnation Centre.
In June 22, 1980, Pope John Paul the II declared her Blessed. She was Canonised on 3 April 2014 by Pope Francis (equipollent canonisation)
Note: To read about the equipollent canonisation of St Marie Guyart go here: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/10/11/what_is_equipollent_canonization/1108383
3rd Sunday in Easter (2017)
St Marie Guyart of the Incarnation (Optional Memorial)
—
St Adjutor of Vernon
St Aimo of Savigny
St Amator of Córdoba
St Aphrodisius of Alexandria
St Cynwl
St Dedë Plani
St Diodoro of Aphrodisias
St Donatus of Euraea
St Erconwald of London
St Eutropius of Saintes
St Forannan
St Genistus of Limoges
St Giuse Tuân
Bl Gualfardus of Augsburg
Bl Hildegard the Empress
St Joseph Benedict Cottolengo
St Lawrence of Novara
St Louis of Córdoba
St Mariano of Acerenza
St Maximus of Ephesus
St Mercurialis of Forlì
St Peter of Córdoba
St Pomponius of Naples
St Quirinus of Rome
St Rodopiano of Aphrodisias
St Sophia of Fermo
St Swithbert the Younger
Bl Ventura of Spello
Bl William Southerne
Novena to St Joseph the Worker – Day Nine – 30 April
“It is we, men walking in the street, ordinary Christians immersed in the bloodstream of society, whom Our Lord wants to be saints and apostles, in the very midst of our professional work; that is, sanctifying our job in life, sanctifying ourselves in it and, through it, helping others to sanctify themselves as well. Be convinced that it is there that God awaits you, with all the love of a Father and Friend. Consider too that, by doing your daily work well and responsibly, not only will you be supporting yourselves financially; you will also be contributing in a very direct way to the development of society, you will be relieving the burdens of others and maintaining countless welfare projects, both local and international, on behalf of less privileged individuals and countries.”
St Josemaria Escriva – Friends of God, 120
Let us Pray:
DAY NINE
Dear Saint Joseph,
you were yourself once faced
with the responsibility of providing
the necessities of life for Jesus and Mary.
Look down with fatherly compassion upon me
in my present need and with this my special intention
(make your intention)
Please help me to fulfil God’s plan for my life
please help me in my anxiety
so that this great burden of concern will be lifted from my heart .
Help me to guard against discouragement,
so that I may emerge from this trail spiritually enriched
and with even greater blessings from God. Amen.
Quote of the Day – 30 April
“Love is the bond of life,
the mother of the poor
and the teacher of the rich.
It is the nurse of orphans,
the attendant of the elderly,
the treasure of the indigent
and the common port
of all the afflicted.”
St Gregory of Nyssa
One Minute Reflection – 30 April
Blest are they who have not seen and yet have believed……….John 20:29
REFLECTION – “This Gospel text certainly applies to us – but only if we confirm our faith by our works!
Those truly believe who carry out in practice what they believe.”………..St Gregory the Great
PRAYER – Jesus my Lord and my God, help me to believe in You with all my might. And let me translate that belief into practice by obeying Your commands each moment of each day. St Marie Guyart of the Incarnation you were truly a shining example to us all of how to confim our faith by our works! Please pray for us, amen.
Novena to St Joseph the Worker – 29 April
“In our ordinary behavior we need a power far greater than that of the legendary King Midas, who changed all he touched to gold.
We have to change, through love, the human work of our usual working day into the work of God: something that will last for ever.”
St Josemaria Escriva – The Forge, 742
Let us Pray:
DAY EIGHT
Glorious St Joseph,
in your diligent daily labour,
you provided for the household
of the Holy Family.
Patron of all workers,
you model how work is a
participation in God’s own activity.
Our Lord Jesus Christ declared:
“My food is to do the will of him
who sent me and to accomplish his work.”
I pray for the sanctification of all human labour.
Through it, God never ceases to perfect
and govern the immense work of creation.
St Joseph, by your intercession,
protect the rights of all workers.
Enable all to find work that befits their dignity.
Do not let those who are unemployed become
discourage but aid them in obtainng fitting work.
United in your powerful help and intercession,
I offer you my own intentions……
(make your intention)
I pray you, dear St Joseph, through our Lord,
Jesus Christ, your dearly beloved foster Son,
in union with the Holy Spirit.
Amen
St Catherine of Siena (Memorial)
Abbots of Cluny: A feast that recognizes the great and saintly early abbots of Cluny Abbey.
• Saint Aymardus of Cluny
• Saint Berno of Cluny
• Saint Hugh of Cluny
• Saint Mayeul
• Saint Odilo of Cluny
• Saint Odo of Cluny
• Saint Peter the Venerable
Madonna del sangue
—
St Antonius Kim Song-u
St Ava of Denain
St Daniel of Gerona
St Dichu
St Endellion of Tregony
St Fiachan of Lismore
St Hugh of Cluny
St Gundebert of Gumber
St Joseph Benedict Cottolengo
St Paulinus of Brescia
St Peter Verona
Bl Robert Gruthuysen
St Senan of Wales
St Severus of Naples
St Theoger
St Torpes of Pisa
St Tychicus
St Wilfrid the Younger
—
Martyrs of Cirta: A group of clergy and laity martyred together in Cirta, Numidia (in modern Tunisia) in the persecutions of Valerian. They were – Agapius, Antonia, Emilian, Secundinus and Tertula, along with a woman and her twin children whose names have not come down to us.
Martyrs of Corfu: A gang of thieves who converted while in prison, brought to the faith by Saint Jason and Saint Sosipater who were had been imprisoned for evangelizing. When the gang announced their new faith, they were martyred together. They were – Euphrasius, Faustianus, Insischolus, Januarius, Mammius, Marsalius and Saturninus. They were boiled in oil and pitch in the 2nd century on the Island of Corcyra (modern Corfu, Greece.
Also known as:
• Martyrs of Corcyra
• Seven Holy Thieves
• Seven Holy Robbers
• Seven Robber Saints
Pope Francis in Egypt – April 28 & 29
In his first international trip of the year, Pope Francis will be traveling to Cairo, Egypt on April 28 and 29, with the itinerary focusing on inter-faith dialogue, especially in hopes of combatting violence and Christian persecution in the area.
The pope arrived in Cairo April 28 for courtesy visits with both political and religious leaders. While in Cairo, the Holy Father will deliver a speech to an international conference on peace along with the grand imam of al-Azhar University and Eastern Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. He will celebrate Mass with the Catholic community in Cairo the next day and meet with bishops, clergy, religious and seminarians before returning to Rome on April 29.
The pope’s presence in Egypt comes as a welcome sign of hope as the region grieves from the Palm Sunday attacks on the Orthodox Coptic churches in Tanta and Alexandria. The first of the attacks, a bomb at a Coptic Christian church in the northern city of Tanta, Egypt killed 27 people and wounded at least 71 more, according to BBC News. A second blast took place at a Christian church in Alexandria, killing 17 and injuring another 35. ISIS has claimed responsibility for both attacks. Coptic Christians are the largest religious minority in the Middle East, but are also the most persecuted.
The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis’ trip to Egypt this weekend will go on as planned, despite the Palm Sunday terrorist attacks. Pope Francis has voiced his closeness to the Coptic community and prayed for those affected during his Palm Sunday Mass. “To my dear brother, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II,” Pope Francis said, “to the Coptic Church and to all the dear Egyptian nation, I express my deep condolences. I pray for the dead and the injured, and I am close in spirit to the family members [of the deceased and injured] and to the entire community.” Pope Francis went on to pray, “May the Lord convert the hearts of the people who are sowing terror, violence and death and also the hearts of those who make and traffic weapons.”
Prayer for Pope Francis
Please pray for the safety of Pope Francis during his travels to Egypt and for the success of his pastoral mission to foster peace and to help end the violence against Christians in Egypt.
O God, Shepherd and ruler of all the faithful,
Look favourably on Your servant Francis,
whom You have set at the head of Your Church as her shepherd;
grant, we pray, that, by word and example,
he may be of service to those over whom he presides
so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care,
he may come to everlasting life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen
Times listed are local, with Central Daylight Time in parentheses.
Friday, April 28 (Rome, Cairo)
— 10:45 a.m. (3:45 a.m.), Departure from Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport for Cairo.
— 2 p.m. (7 a.m.), Arrival at Cairo airport. Official welcoming ceremony at the Heliopolis presidential palace. Courtesy visits with el-Sissi and Sheik el-Tayeb. Speeches by the grand imam and the pope to participants in an international conference on peace.
— 4:40 p.m. (9:40 a.m.), Meeting with local authorities. Speeches by el-Sissi and Pope Francis. Courtesy visit to Pope Tawadros. Speeches by Pope Tawadros and Pope Francis.
Saturday, April 29 (Cairo, Rome)
— 10:00 a.m. (3:00 a.m.), Mass in Cairo. Homily by pope.
— 12:15 p.m. (5:15 a.m.), Lunch with Egypt’s bishops and the papal entourage.
— 3:15 p.m. (8:15 a.m.), Prayer gathering with clergy, men and women religious, and seminarians. Speech by pope. Farewell ceremony.
— 5 p.m. (10 a.m.), Departure from Cairo airport for Rome.
— 8:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m.), Arrival at Rome’s Ciampino airport.
Novena to St Joseph the Worker – Day Seven – 28 April
“Persevere in the exact fulfillment of the obligations of the moment. That work – humble, monotonous, small – is prayer expressed in action that prepares you to receive the grace of the other work – great and wide and deep – of which you dream.”
St Josemaria Escriva – The Way, 825
Let us Pray:
DAY SEVEN
Good Saint Joseph,
ever watchful guardian of the Holy Family,
model of all those who are devoted to labour,
obtain for me the grace to work conscientiously,
putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations,
to work with gratitude and joy,
in a spirit of penance for the remission of my sins,
considering it an honour to employ and develop
by means of labour the gifts received from God.
Keep us one and all under your continual protection,
so that by your help and example, we may lead a holy life,
die a happy death and come to possess eternal life in heaven.
Humbly we ask of you dear St Joseph,
to intercede for all workers, in the difficulties
of their daily lives especially for the unemployed,
in their anxieties for tomorrow,
so that through the guidance of God,
the great Architect and Builder, they all
may use their strength and talents
to make visible God’s new creation,
to offer a concrete service to society
and to earn wages worthy of their efforts.
With confidence and trust
we make our intention
(make your intention)
I pray to you, dear St Joseph, through our Lord,
Jesus Christ, your dearly beloved foster Son,
in union with the Father and the Holy ,
one God for ever and ever.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 28 April
Success or failure is often not completely in our hands and sometimes, we have to face what seems almost certain failure. But success is not required of us, only fidelity. St Peter Chanel’s work ended in his own death in the face of what seemed total failure. Out of that ‘failure’, God brought about the success Peter was seeking AND brought Peter himself to sainthood and eternal joy and sublime success!
St Peter Chanel, pray for us!
Quote/s of the Day – 28 April
“To go to Jesus, we must go to Mary.
She is our Mediatrix of intercession.
To go to God our Father,
we must go to Jesus, for He is our
Mediator of Redemption.”
“The Son of God became man for our salvation
but only in Mary and through Mary.”
“Take advantage of little sufferings
even more than of great ones.
God considers not so much what we suffer,
as how we suffer. . . Turn everything to profit
as the grocer does in his shop.”
St Louis de Montfort
One Minute Reflection – 28 April
But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.……….1 Peter 2:9
REFLECTION – “Chosen soul, how will you bring this about? What steps will you take to reach the high level to which God is calling you? The means of holiness and salvation are known to everybody, since they are found in the Gospel; the masters of the spiritual life have explained them; the Saints have practised them… These means are: sincere humility, unceasing prayer, complete self-denial, abandonment to Divine Providence, and obedience to the will of God.”…………………………St Louis de Montfort
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, through your saints we find inspiration to wonderfully enhance our way with light. Your great Apostle and son of Our Lady, St. Louis de Montfort’s only desire was to set aflame the world with the love of Jesus through Mary. Assist us too we pray, to reach our heavenly goal. St Louis pray for us, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 28 April – The Memorial of St Louis Marie Grignion de Monfort “Proposed Doctor of the Church” – The cause for his declaration as a Doctor of the Church is now far advanced.
Saint Louis de Montfort’s Prayer to Jesus is a reflection of his philosophy of “total consecration to Jesus Christ through Mary.” Although St Louis is perhaps best known for his Mariology and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, his spirituality is founded on the mystery of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and is centred on Christ, as reflected in his collected works God Alone.
As the prayer suggests, St. Louis introduced the key concepts that underlie Roman Catholic Mariology today: that Jesus and Mary are son and mother, redeemer and redeemed and that the path to Jesus is through Mary. Theologically, the prayer reflects the inherent inclusion of Mariology in Christology.[3] This concept was echoed by Pope John Paul II about his reading of Montfort’s works:
“Then I understood that I could not exclude the Lord’s Mother from my life without neglecting the will of God-Trinity.”
LET US PRAY:
O most loving Jesus, deign to let me pour forth my gratitude before You,
for the grace You have bestowed upon me in giving me to Your holy Mother
through the devotion of Holy Bondage, that she may be my advocate
in the presence of Your majesty and my support in my extreme misery.
Alas, O Lord! I am so wretched that without this dear Mother
I should be certainly lost. Yes, Mary is necessary for me at Your side
and everywhere that she may appease Your just wrath,
because I have so often offended You; that she may save me from the eternal
punishment of Your justice, which I deserve; that she may contemplate You,
speak to You, pray to You, approach You and please You;
that she may help me to save my soul and the souls of others;
in short, Mary is necessary for me that I may always do Your holy will
and seek Your greater glory in all things.
Ah, would that I could proclaim throughout the whole world
the mercy that You hast shown to me!
Would that everyone might know I should be already damned,
were it not for Mary!
Would that I might offer worthy thanksgiving for so great a blessing!
Mary is in me.
Oh, what a treasure! Oh, what a consolation!
And shall I not be entirely hers?
Oh, what ingratitude! My dear Saviour, send me death rather than
such a calamity, for I would rather die than live without belonging entirely to Mary.
With St. John the Evangelist at the foot of the Cross,
I have taken her a thousand times for my own and as many times
have given myself to her but if I have not yet done it as You, dear Jesus, wishes,
I now renew this offering as You desire me to renew it.
And if You see in my soul or my body anything that does not belong to this august Princess,
I pray to You to take it and cast it far from me,
for whatever in me does not belong to Mary is unworthy of You.
O Holy Spirit, grant me all these graces.
Plant in my soul the Tree of true Life, which is Mary; cultivate it and tend it
so that it may grow and blossom and bring forth the fruit of life in abundance.
O Holy Spirit, give me great devotion to Mary, Your faithful spouse;
give me great confidence in her maternal heart and an abiding refuge in her mercy,
so that by her You may truly form in me Jesus Christ,
great and mighty, unto the fullness of His perfect age. Amen.
Saint of the Day – 28 April – St Peter Chanel SM- Protomartyr of Oceania – Priest, Missionary, Martyr (1803-1841 (martyred aged 37). Born on 12 July 1803 at Cuet, Ain, France as Peter Louis Mary Chanel and died by being beaten to death with clubs on 28 April 1841 at Poi, Uvea, Fortuna Island, New Hebrides. Patronage – of Oceania.
Born on July 12th 1803 in the hamlet of La Botiere near Montrevel (Ain) of a small-farming family, Peter Chanel spent part of his schooling at Cras and there was noticed by the parish priest, Fr Trompier who took him and a companion into the presbytery and began to teach them Latin.
When in 1815 he moved to Monsols the boys went with him and returned with him again a year later to Cras. From here Peter went on to study at the minor seminary of Meximieux in 1819 and in 1824 after some months at the college in Belley entered the major seminary of the Diocese at Brou, being Ordained Priest on 15 July 1827.
His first posting was as curate to Amberieu where the seminarian Claude Bret, his later friend, fellow Marist and companion on the voyage to Oceania was active in the school.
Since the age of 14, Chanel had been intent on the foreign missions and his intention was strengthened by the letters that arrived at Amberieux from a former curate, now a missionary in India.
The following year he applied to the Bishop of Belley for permission to go to the missions but was instead appointed parish priest of Crozet, where he found scope for missionary work. The previous Priest had alienated his parishioners and he had a hard struggle to win back their confidence and goodwill.
Having learnt of the Marists in the meanwhile, then the only alternative in the diocese to the Diocesan clergy, he received permission in 1831 to join them at Belley and in September that year took with them a vow to work for the establishment of the Society of Mary.
In November of that year his sister Francoise who had been his housekeeper at Crozet joined the Marist Sisters at Bon-Repos. In 1832 Peter became spiritual director of the college, in 1833 accompanied Fathers Colin and Bourdin on their journey to Rome to promote the Society’s cause and after his return in 1834 became vice-superior and effective head of the college. In this position he was not exactly a success, a fact of which he was himself painfully aware.
With the offer of the Oceania mission in 1836, he offered his name and was one of the first group of Marists who met for the retreat which culminated in the election of Jean-Claude Colin as General and the first professions on September 24th.
Having visited his family and slipped away in the early morning, he made for Lyons and on October 15th with his companions took part in a service of consecration to Mary before her statue in the shrine of Fourviere. Finally, after a long wait in Le Havre, the band set forth on Christmas eve.
The journey took almost a year, round the Horn and up to Valparaiso on the Pacific coast of South America. In March 1837, Peter’s friend Bret died off the Canary Isles and was buried at sea.
Having left Fr. Bataillon and Brother Joseph on the island of Wallis, Pompallier sailed 140 miles further to Futuna and there deposited Chanel and Brother Marie-Nizier (Jean-Marie Delorme, aged 21), trained like all the Brothers at that period by Father Champagnat.
The party was well received by the king of one of the two factions into which the islanders were split and they were allowed to stay. Pompallier left, promising to return with another missionary in six months, a promise he proved unable to keep and which seriously undermined the missionaries’ position in the eyes of the islanders.
On the island were also some white English traders and they had the assistance of Thomas Boag an English Protestant and widower of a Futunan woman. Progress was painfully slow and uncertain being mainly a running battle against sickness and malnutrition and later petty persecution. They tried to help the islanders with primitive medicine, to discourage tribal warfare, such practices as abortion and to seize whatever opportunities arose for giving instruction and administering baptism. 
Some progress was registered however but the news that the king’s son had been won over proved Chanel’s death warrant and the king consented to his murder.
Brother Marie-Nizier escaped to bring the news to Pompallier who hastened from New Zealand with his schooner and a French frigate. There they confronted the terrified islanders. In the meantime, however, the atmosphere had changed, for the king and some others had died of a dreadful disease and in hindsight many recognised their debt to the murdered priest. The whole island was converted.
St Peter was Beatified on 17 November 1889, Rome by Pope Leo XIII and Canonised on 12 June 1954, Rome by Pope Pius XII.
St Gianna Beretta Molla (Optional Memorial)
St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (Optional Memorial)
St Peter Chanel (Optional Memorial)
St Pope Pius V (Optional Memorial)
—
St Adalbero of Augsburg
St Agapio of Cirtha
St Artemius of Sens
St Benedict of the Bridge
St Cronan of Roscrea
St Cyril of Turov
Bl Gerard of Bourgogne
Bl Józef Cebula
Bl Luchesius
St Pamphilus of Sulmona
St Prudentius of Tarazona
—
St Alexander
St Aphrodisius of Beziers
St Berthold
St Buonadonna
Carino Peter of Balsamo
St Firmiano
St Germaine
St Guido Spada
St Luchtighern of Ennistymon
St Marie Louise Trichet Jesus
St Mark of Galilee
St Peter of Bearn
St Primianus
St Probe
St Tellurium
Martyrs of Alexandia
Didymus
Theodora
Martyrs of Durostorum
Dada
Maximus
Quintilian
Martyrs of Languedoc
Agapius
Aphrodisius
Caralippus
Eusebius
Martyrs of Nicomedia
Caralampo
Eusebius
Martyrs of Prusa
Acacius
Menander
Patritius
Polyenus
Martyrs of Ravenna
Ursicinus
Valeria
Vitalis
Martyrs of Vietnam
Gioan Baotixta Ðinh Van Thành
Phaolô Pham Khac Khoan
Phêrô Nguyen Van Hien
Pilgrims of Gallinaro
Arduin
Bernhard
Gerard
Hugh
Novena to St Joseph the Worker – Day Six – 27 April
“Your ordinary contact with God takes place where your fellow men, your yearnings, your work and your affections are. There you have your daily encounter with Christ. It is in the midst of the most material things of the earth that we must sanctify ourselves, serving God and all mankind. “
St Josemaria Escriva – Conversations, 113
Let us Pray:
DAY SIX
O Glorious St. Joseph,
model of all those who are devoted to labour,
obtain for me the grace to work conscientiously,
putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations,
to work with gratitude and joy,
in a spirit of penance for the remission of my sins,
considering it an honour to employ and develop
by means of labour the gifts received from God,
to work with order, peace, moderation and patience,
without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties,
to work above all with purity of intention
and detachment from self, having always death
before my eyes and the account that I must render of time lost,
of talents wasted, of good omitted, of vain complacency in success,
so fatal to the work of God.
All for Jesus, all through Mary,
all after thine example, O Patriarch, St. Joseph.
Such shall be my watchword in life and in death.
Humbly we ask of you dear St Joseph,
to intercede for all workers, in the difficulties
of their daily lives especially for the unemployed,
in their anxieties for tomorrow,
so that through the guidance of God,
the great Architect and Builder, they all
may use their strength and talents
to make visible God’s new creation,
to offer a concrete service to society
and to earn wages worthy of their efforts.
With confidence and trust
we make our intention
(make your intention)
I pray to you, dear St Joseph, through our Lord,
Jesus Christ, your dearly beloved foster Son,
in union with the Father and the Holy ,
one God for ever and ever.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 27 April
Her work was part of her religion and she often remarked that a lazy servant was lacking in a religious spirit. She was put in charge of the children of the house and in time was appointed housekeeper. But she did not limit her work to household duties. She visited prisons, the sick and the poor and was the only one in the house who could subdue the violent tempr of the head of the household. She became a familiar figure in Lucca, making her rounds and extending love to as many as she could.
The life of St Zita shows that fidelity to ordinary duties is a sure way to holiness. She was simply a servant girl but she made her work a song of praise to God and her whole life an expression of religious devotion. Her life was full of the ordinary and this is what made her a saint. That kind of holiness is within the reach of all of us!
St Zita, pray for us!
Quote of the Day – 27 April
St Josemaria Escriva
One Minute Reflection – 27 April
Comfort and upbuild one another as indeed you are doing…..1 Thes 5:11
REFLECTION – “If on any particular day we do nothing more than give a little joy to a neighbour, that day will not be wasted. For we have succeeded in giving comfort to an immortal soul.”………Bl Contardo Ferrini T.O.S.F.
PRAYER – God of all consolation, teach me to put all my trust in You. Grant me the grace to then go and offer my neighbour all the Christian consolation and assistance in every tribulation. Be my help in all things my God and allow me to pass Your help to others in need St Zita you were a true light to all those more in need than yourself, although you suffered, you never complained but instead gave good for evil. Please pray for us all, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 27 April
Help us, O Lord, our God,
since we cannot flee from the body,
nor the body flee from us.
We must carry it about, because it is bound up with us.
We cannot destroy it; we are forced to preserve it.
But the world surrounds us and assails us
through the five gateways of sense.
Alas! Everywhere we are in conflict,
everywhere darts fly against us,
everywhere there are temptations,
there are snares!
Deliver us, we beseech You, from our enemies;
defend us from all dangers to the soul
and to the body, Lord,
that at length we may come to Your eternal rest,
through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day – 27 April – St Zita of Lucca (1212-1272) Virgin, Apostle of the needy and poor. Also know as Cita, Sita, Citha, Sitha. P atronages – housewives, butlers, housemaid, domestic servants (proclaimed by Pope Pius XII), housemaid, lost keys, maids, manservants, people ridiculed for their piety,rape victims, servants, servers, single laywomen, waiters, Lucca, Italy. Her body is incorrupt.
Saint Zita was born in Tuscany in the village of Monsagrati, not far from Lucca where, at the age of 12 she became a servant in the Fatinelli household. For a long time, she was unjustly despised, overburdened, reviled and often beaten by her employers and fellow servants for her hard work and obvious goodness. The incessant ill-usage, however, was powerless to deprive her of her inward peace, her love of those who wronged her, and her respect for her employers. By this meek and humble self-restraint, Zita at last succeeded in overcoming the malice of her fellow-servants and her employers, so much so that she was placed in charge of all the affairs of the house. Her faith had enabled her to persevere against their abuse and her constant piety gradually moved the family to a religious awakening.
Zita often said to others that devotion is false if slothful. She considered her work as an employment assigned to her by God and as part of her penance and obeyed her master and mistress in all things as being placed over her by God. She always rose several hours before the rest of the family and employed in prayer a considerable part of the time which others gave to sleep. She took care to hear Mass every morning with great devotion before she was called upon by the duties of her station, in which she employed the whole day, with such diligence and fidelity that she seemed to be carried to them on wings and studied when possible to anticipate them.
One anecdote relates a story of Zita giving her own food or that of her master to the poor. On one morning, Zita left her chore of baking bread to tend to someone in need. Some of the other servants ensured the Fatinelli family was aware of what happened; when they went to investigate, they claimed to have found angels in the Fatinelli kitchen, baking the bread for her.
St. Benita Zita died peacefully in the Fatinelli house on April 27, 1272. It is said that a star appeared above the attic where she slept at the moment of her death. She was 60 years old and had served and edified the family for 48 years. By her death, she was practically venerated by the family. After one hundred and fifty miracles wrought in the behalf of such as had recourse to her intercession were juridically proven, she was canonised in 1696.
Her body was exhumed in 1580, discovered to be incorrupt St Zita’s body is currently on display for public veneration in the Basilica di San Frediano in Lucca.
To this day, families bake a loaf of bread in celebration of St. Zita’s feast day. Soon after Zita’s death a popular cult grew up around her, centring on the church of St Frigidian in Lucca. This was also joined by prominent members of the city. Pope Leo X sanctioned a liturgical cult within the church in the early 16th century, and was confirmed upon her canonisation. In 1748, Pope Benedict XIV added her name to the Roman Martyrology.
During the late medieval era, her popular cult had grown throughout Europe. In England she was known under the name Sitha and was popularly invoked by maidservants and housewives, particularly in event of having lost one’s keys, or when crossing rivers or bridges. Images of St. Zita may be seen in churches across the south of England. The church of St Benet Sherehog in London had a chapel dedicated to her,and was locally known as St. Sithes.
Our Lady of Montserrat
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St Adelelmus of Le Mans
St Asicus of Elphin
St Castor of Tarsus
St Enoder
St Floribert of Liege
Bl Hosanna of Cattaro
Bl Jakov Varingez
St John of Kathara
St Joseph Outhay Phongphumi
St Laurensô Nguyen Van Huong
St Liberalis of Treviso
St Maughold
Bl Nicolas Roland
St Noël Tenaud
Bl Peter Armengol
St Pollio of Cybalae
St Simeon of Jerusalem
St Stephen of Tarsus
St Tertullian of Bologna
St Theophilus of Brescia
St Winewald of Beverley
St Zita of Lucca
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Martyrs of Nicomedia: A group of Christians murdered together for their faith. In most cases all we have are their names – Dioscurus, Evanthia, Felicia, Felix, Germana, Germelina, Johannes, Julius, Laetissima, Nikeforus, Papias, Serapion and Victorinus. They died at Nicomedia, Bithynia, Asia Minor (modern Izmit, Turkey)
Novena to St Joseph the Worker – 26 April
For Christianity then, “human work represents the gradual beginnings of man’s dominion over things, of a governance to which he aspires by realising the image of God.” (Servant of God Fr Luigi Giussanti)
Let us Pray:
DAY FIVE
Glorious St Joseph, patron saint of workers,
blending skill with charity,
silent carpenter, we praise you!
Joining work with honesty,
you taught Christ with joy to labour,
sharing His nobility.
Joseph, close to Christ and Mary,
lived with them in poverty,
shared with them their home and labour,
worked with noble dignity.
May we seek God’s will as you did,
leader of His family!
Joseph, inspiration for workers,
man of faith and charity,
make us honest, humble, faithful,
strong with Christ’s true liberty,
Make our labour and our leisure
fruitful to eternity!
Humbly we ask of you dear St Joseph,
to intercede for all workers, in the difficulties
of their daily lives especially for the unemployed,
in their anxieties for tomorrow,
so that through the guidance of God,
the great Architect and Builder, they all
may use their strength and talents
to make visible God’s new creation,
to offer a concrete service to society
and to earn wages worthy of their efforts.
With confidence and trust
we make our intention
(make your intention)
I pray to you, dear St Joseph, through our Lord,
Jesus Christ, your dearly beloved foster Son,
in union with the Father and the Holy ,
one God for ever and ever.
Amen
In the Alban Hills, not far from the city of Rome, lies the little town of Genazzano, where the miraculous image of Our Lady of Good Counsel is venerated. The story of the picture dates back to 1467. Pilgrims assembled on the feast of St. Mark were startled by a mysterious rustling sound and strains of sweet music. Looking toward the sky, they beheld what seemed a soft cloud. Slowly it descended and rested in front of the unfinished wall of the church dedicated to the Mother of God under the title of Good Counsel. The picture rests suspended in the air without any visible means of support to maintain its stable condition and this for five centuries! Although painted on a piece of plaster no thicker than an ordinary visiting card, the image has withstood the ravages of time. The artist of the painting is unknown.
It is said that the figures themselves represent Mother and Child after they had returned from the temple where Mary heard the sad prophesies of Simeon. Mary’s eyes are half-veiled as though she were lost in contemplation, taking counsel with her God. The little Child does not return the gaze of the beholder, as happens in so many pictures, rather He draws our eyes upward to Mary as if to tell us to look for Counsel there, in the very Seat of Wisdom. It is a picture to be loved, a plain and common picture a pious image to be copied and hung in the homes of the poor. That is all the sweet Mother of Good Counsel asks for her picture: a home in our midst, by our firesides, a family to guard and watch over, hearts that will love and venerate her.
Overshadowed by the Holy Ghost, Mary became the Mother of God. His gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, and Counsel belong to her. She is Our Mother of Good Counsel because she is the Spouse of God the Holy Ghost. If to her was granted the wisdom to counsel her Son, surely she has the wisdom to counsel poor humanity. In her there is the wisdom of ages. For 2000 years, she has been watching the children of men upon this earth. Our Lady of Good Counsel knows how to help us. She can help us. She wants to aid and counsel us! Once she sees upon a soul the sign of the Cross of her Son, that soul may count upon all her assistance. She loves with an undying love all those for whom her Son died.
Our Lady of Good Counsel, please be with us and pray for us!
Quote of the Day – 26 April
“Enter into the Church
and wash away your sins,
For there is a hospital for sinners
and not a court of law.”
St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 26 April
Through (Jesus) let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is,
the fruit of lips which acknowledge his name……………Hebrews 13:15
REFLECTION – “The hour has sounded for joyful chants – Alleluia!
Let us praise God with our life,
with our voice, with our heart
and with our deeds.”………….St Augustine
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help me to give You constant praise in my heart At the same time, let this attitude bear fruit in my life – producing truly Christ-like deeds. Help me to always be a witness to Your Son, truly risen. St Pope Cletus, ordained by St Peter and martyred for Christ, pray for us, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 26 April
Hold dominion over my heart, O Lord!
Keep it as Your inheritance.
Make Your dwelling in me,
along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Widen in me the cords of Your tabernacle,
even the operations of Your Most Holy Spirit.
For You are my God and I will praise You,
together with the Eternal Father
and your quickening Spirit,
now, henceforth and forever. Amen
Saint of the Day – 26 April – St Pope Anadletus (c25-c89) 3rd Bishop of Rome and MARTYR – Also known as – Cletus and Celto – Relics reside in relics in Saint Linus Church, Vatican City
St Pope Analetus led the fledgling Church during the reign of Emperors Vespasian and Domitian. The name Cletus, in ancient Greek, means “one who has been called.” Pope Saint Anacletus is remembered as having been converted by St Peter and ordained by the first Pope as well. His name is included in the Roman Canon of the Mass. Saint Cletus/Anacletus is traditionally said to have been born and raised a Roman, and following his ordination and ascension, served the Church for twelve years as the third Pope. During that time, he is said to have divided Rome into twenty-five parishes, as well as ordained a significant number of priests to serve the growing Church. He is also the first pope to build a shrine over the relics of Saint Peter, which would eventually become the basilica that stands today.
The canon of the Roman mass, St Bede, St Augustine and other Martyrologists, style him a Martyr, although the direct events of his death for the faith have been lost to history. He was Martyred in the persecutions of Domitian.
Our Lady of Good Counsel (Memorial)
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Bl Alda of Siena
St Antoninus of Rome
St Basileus of Amasea
St Clarence of Venice
St Claudius of Rome
St Pope Cletus
St Cyrinus of Rome
St Exuerantia of Troyes
Bl Gregory of Besians
Bl Juli Junyer Padern
St Lucidius of Verona
St Pope MarcellinusSt
Paschasius Radbertus
St Pelligrino of Foggia
St Peter of Braga
St Primitive of Gabi
St Rafael Arnáiz Barón
St Richarius of Celles
Bl Stanislaw Kubista
St Trudpert of Munstertal
St William of Foggia
Bl Wladyslaw Goral
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Mercedarian Martyrs of Auterive
AnaStpaul 
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