Our Morning Offering – 8 April – Easter Thursday
O Lamb of God
By St Irenaeus (c 130 – c 202)
Bishop & Martyr, Father of the Church
O Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world,
look upon us and have mercy upon us,
You who art Yourself, both victim and Priest,
Yourself, both Reward and Redeemer,
keep safe from all evil
those whom You have redeemed,
O Saviour of the world.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – Easter Wednesday and the Memorial of St John Baptiste de La Salle (1651-1719)
The Saving Word
By St John Baptiste de La Salle (1651-1719)
No father on earth
loves his children
as much as You love the beings You created. Lord.
Not content with just giving them existence,
You inspire them with the means
for happiness in this life
and someday, having a place in Your House.
First through the prophets
and then through Your holy Apostles.
You have given us the Word of Life.
But it was through Jesus. Your beloved Son.
that You gave the definitive Word to the world:
the “Good News’ that saves us.
Strengthen us. Lord, against our weakness;
guide our steps
along the road You have pointed out –
Christ our brother, Who is the Way,
He, the Truth and He, the Life.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 6 April – Easter Tuesday
A Song of Praise
St John Baptiste de la Salle (1651-1719)
(Instructions and Prayers Ch 17. 81-82)
My tongue is untied
in praise of my God.
because His mercy
for mankind has no limits
and He is loving
with all His creatures across the Centuries.
I unite my voice with that of the Angels and Saints
to sing the glory of God in Heaven
and His peace on earth.
Through Christ in Whom Thou, Father, are pleased,
with Christ and in Christ
may every praise, power,
honour and glory be given to Thee
throughout the ages.
Alleluia!
SO BE IT!
Our Morning Offering – 5 April – Easter Monday and the Memorial of St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419)
Grant me, O my God
By St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419)
Good Jesus,
let me be penetrated with love
to the very marrow of my bones,
with fear and respect toward You.
Let me burn with zeal for Your honour,
so that I may resent all the outrages
committed against You, especially those
of which I myself have been guilty.
Grant further, O my God,
that I may adore and acknowledge You humbly,
as my Creator
and that, penetrated with gratitude
for all Your benefits,
I may never cease to render You thanks.
Grant that I may bless You in all things,
praise and glorify You,
with a heart full of joy and gladness
and that, obeying You with docility
in every respect, I may one day,
despite my ingratitude and unworthiness,
be seated at Your table
together with Your Holy Angels and Apostles
to enjoy ineffable delights.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 4 April – Easter Sunday, The Resurrection of the Lord
Your Loving Kindness
An Easter Prayer
By St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)
Church Father and Doctor
It is only right,
with all the powers of our heart and mind,
to praise You Father and Your Only-Begotten Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear Father, by Your wondrous condescension
of loving kindness toward us, Your servants,
You gave up Your Son.
Dear Jesus You paid the debt of Adam for us
to the Eternal Father, by Your Blood
poured forth in loving kindness.
You cleared away the darkness of sin
by Your magnificent and radiant Resurrection.
You broke the bonds of death
and rose from the grave as a Conqueror.
You reconciled Heaven and earth.
Our life had no hope of eternal happiness
before You redeemed us.
Your Resurrection has washed away our sins,
restored our innocence and brought us joy.
How inestimable is the tenderness of Your Love!
We pray You, Lord,
to preserve Your servants in the peaceful enjoyment
of this Easter happiness.
We ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord,
Who lives and reigns with God, the Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 3 April – Holy Saturday
Sabbatum Sanctum
By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
I look at You, my Lord Jesus
and think of Your most holy Body
and I keep it before me,
as a pledge of my own resurrection.
Though I die, as die I certainly shall,
nevertheless, I shall not forever die,
for I shall rise again.
O You, who are the Truth,
I know and believe with my whole heart,
that this very flesh of mine will rise again.
I know, base and odious as it is at present,
that it will one day, if I be worthy,
be raised incorruptible
and altogether beautiful and glorious.
This I know,
this by Your grace,
I will ever keep before me.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 2 April – Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord
The Angel of the Agony
St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Jesu! by that shuddering dread which fell on Thee;
Jesu! by that cold dismay which sicken’d Thee;
Jesu! by that pang of heart which thrill’d in Thee;
Jesu! by that mount of sins which crippled Thee;
Jesu! by that sense of guilt which stifled Thee;
Jesu! by that innocence that girded Thee;
Jesu! by that sanctity that reign’d in Thee;
Jesu! by that Godhead which was one with Thee;
Jesu! spare those souls which are so dear to Thee;
Who in prison, calm and patient, wait for Thee;
Hasten, Lord, their hour and bid them come to Thee;
To that glorious Home, where they shall ever gaze on Thee.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 1 April – Maundy Thursday
When Mary Weeps
By Father Frederick M Lynk (1881-unknown)
When Mary weeps, her mother’s heart
Is full to overflowing.
When Mary weeps, pain’s piercing dart
Stabs Him beyond all knowing,
Who is by sinners Crucified,
Blasphemed, forsaken and denied.
When Mary weeps, God’s holy wrath
Is kindling cruel fires.
When Mary weeps, poor mankind’s path
Leads through war’s blood-soaked mires
And makes all human mothers moan
In love and pity for their own.
When Mary weeps, it’s time to pray
To have our sins forgiven.
When Mary weeps, each night and day
By sorrow must be riven,
Until His and her children will
Once more seek peace on Calvary’s hill.
When Mary weeps, we all must try
To dry her tears of sorrow.
When Mary weeps, we too must cry
To glimpse a brighter morrow,
When her Son’s name is recognised
And all, in love adore the Christ.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 31 March – Wednesday in Holy Week
Sonnet to our Lord Crucified
Anonymous, of Spanish origen
I am not moved to love Thee, O my God,
That I might hope in promised heaven to dwell,
Nor am I moved by fear of pain in hell,
To turn from sin and follow where Thou trod.
Thou move me, Lord, broken beneath the rod,
Or stretched out on the Cross, as nails compel
Thy hand to twitch.
It moves me that we sell,
To mockery and death, Thy Precious Blood.
It is, O Christ, Thy love which moves me so,
That my love rests not on a promised prize,
Nor holy fear or threat of endless woe,
It is not milk and honey but the flow
Of Blood from blessed wounds before my eyes,
That waters my buried soul and makes it grow.
Amen
Spanish:
No me mueve, mi Dios, para quererte,
Elcielo que me tienes prometido,
Mi me mueve el infierno tan temido,
para dejar por eso de ofenderte.
Tu me mueves, Senor, mueveme el verte
Clavado en una cruz y escarnecido,
Mueveme el ver tu cuerpo tan herido,
Muevenme tus afrentas y tu muerte.
Mueveme, en fin, tu amor de tal manera,
que aunque no hubiera cielo, yo te amara,
Y aunque no hubiera infierno, te temiera.
No me tienes que dar porque Te quiera,
Porque, aunque lo que espero no esperara,
Lo mismo que te quiero Te quisiera.
Who wrote it? Who knows?
The names fell from the pages,
Lost and never
To return to where
The eyes of the reader
Might ever see them.
‘I am no-one,
Constructing eternity so,
I can live forever’
Our Morning Offering – 30 March – Tuesday of Holy Week
Lord, Kindle our Lamps
By St Columban (543-615)
Lord, kindle our lamps,
Saviour most dear to us,
that we may always shine
in Your presence
and always receive light
from You, the Light Perpetual,
so that our own personal darkness,
may be overcome
and the world’s darkness
driven from us.
Amen
(This is an excerpt from a much longer prayer and is taken from the wonderful Sermon XII by St Columban)
Our Morning Offering – 29 March – Monday of Holy Week
O Cross of Christ
Stanbrook Abbey
O Cross of Christ, immortal tree
On which our Saviour died,
The world is sheltered by your arms
That bore the Crucified.
From bitter death and barren wood
The tree of life is made;
Its branches bear unfailing fruit
And leaves that never fade.
O faithful Cross, you stand unmoved
While ages run their course,
Foundation of the universe,
Creation’s binding force.
Give glory to the risen Christ
And to His Cross give praise,
The sign of God’s unfathomed love,
The hope of all our days.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 27 March – Saturday of Passion Week or the Fifth Week of Lent
Mother of Love, of Sorrow and of Mercy
By St Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373)
O Blessed Virgin Mary,
Immaculate Mother of God,
who endured a martyrdom of love and grief,
beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus!
Thou didst co-operate in the benefit of my redemption
by thy innumerable afflictions
and by offering to the Eternal Father,
His only-begotten Son, as a holocaust
and victim of propitiation for my sins.
I thank thee for the unspeakable love
which led thee to deprive thyself
of the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus,
true God and true Man, to save me, a sinner.
Oh! make use of the unfailing intercession
of thy sorrows with the Father and the Son,
that I may steadfastly amend my life
and never again crucify
my loving Redeemer by my sins
and that, persevering till death in His grace,
I may obtain eternal life
through the merits of His Cross and Passion.
Amen
Mother of Love, of Sorrows and of Mercy, pray for us!
Our Morning Offering – 26 March – Fridaty of Passion Week or the Fifth Week of Lent
O Saviour of the World
By St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35-c 108)
Father of the Church
Lord Jesus Christ,
on the human side
You are sprung from David’s line,
Son of God according to God’s will and power,
born of the Virgin Mary,
baptised by John
and Crucified for us in the flesh,
under Pontius Pilate and Herod the Tetrarch.
On the third day, You raised a standard
to rally Your saints and faithful forever
in the one body of Your Church.
By the grace and power of these mysteries,
fit us out with unshakeable faith,
nail us body and soul to Your Cross
and root us, in love, by Your Blood, shed for us,
O Saviour of the world,
living and reigning, now and forever,
amen
Our Morning Offering – 25 March – The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee;
Blessed art thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, etc.
V. And the Word was made Flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, etc.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
LET US PRAY
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen
Our Morning Offring – 24 March – Wednesday of Passion or the Fifth Week of Lent
May I Love You More Dearly
St Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)
Thanks be to You,
my Lord Jesus Christ
For all the benefits
You have bestowed upon me,
For all the pains and insults
You have borne for me.
O most merciful Redeemer,
friend and brother,
May I know You more clearly,
Love You more dearly,
Follow You more nearly.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 23 March – Tuesday of Passion Week or the Fifth Week of Lent
I Will Love and Follow You
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Oh my Lord,
Let my heart expand in Your love.
Let me learn to know
how sweet it is, to serve You,
how joyful it is, to praise You
and to be absorbed in Your love.
Oh, I am possessed by love
and rise above myself
because of the great fervour I feel,
through Your infinite goodness.
I will sing the canticle of love to You
and I will follow You, my Beloved,
wherever You go
and may my soul never weary of praising you,
rejoicing in Your love.
I will love You more than myself
and myself, only for Your sake.
I will love all others in You
and for you,
as Your law of love commands.
Amen
(Book 3 Ch 5:6)
Our Morning Offering – 22 March – Monday of Passion Week or the Fifth Week of Lent
A Lenten Offering
By St Thérèse of the Child Jesus
and the Holy Face of Lisieux (1873-1897)
Doctor of the Church
O my God!
I offer Thee all my actions of this Lent
for the intentions and for the glory
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart,
my every thought,
my simplest works,
by uniting them to Its infinite merits
and I wish to make reparation for my sins,
by casting them into the furnace
of Its Merciful Love.
O my God!
I ask of Thee for myself
and for those whom I hold dear,
the grace to fulfil perfectly Thy Holy Will,
to accept for love of Thee,
the joys and sorrows of this passing life,
so that we may one day
be united together in heaven,
for all eternity.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 21 March – Passion Sunday
I Beg You, O Lord
By St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1597)
Doctor of the Church
I beg You, O Lord
to remove anything
which separates me from You,
or You from me
Remove anything
that makes me unworthy of Your sight,
Your control,
Your reprehension,
of Your speech and conversation,
of Your benevolence and love.
Cast from me,
every evil that stands in the way
of my seeing You,
hearing, tasting,
savouring and touching You,
fearing and being mindful of You,
knowing, trusting, loving
and possessing You,
being conscious of Your Presence
and as far as maybe, enjoying You.
This is what I ask for myself
and earnestly desire from You.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 20 March – Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Mary’s Saturday
My Most Sorrowful Lady
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Marian Doctor
Magnificent Doctor
My most sorrowful Lady,
what can I say about the fountains,
that flowed from your most pure eyes,
when you saw your only Son before you,
bound, beaten and suffering?
What do I know of the flood,
that drenched your matchless face,
when you beheld your Son,
your Lord and your God,
stretched on the cross without guilt,
when the flesh of your flesh,
was cruelly butchered by wicked me?
How can I judge
what sobs troubled your most pure breast
when you heard,
“Woman, behold your son,”
and the disciple,
“Behold, your Mother,”
when you received, as a son,
the disciple, in place of the Master,
the servant, for the Lord?
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 17 March – Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Ordinary Times and the Memorial of St Patrick (c 385-461)
Excerpt of the Lorica
St Patrick (c 385-461)
I arise today
Through God’s strength, to pilot me;
God’s might, to uphold me,
God’s wisdom, to guide me,
God’s eye, to look before me,
God’s ear, to hear me,
God’s word, to speak for me,
God’s hand, to guard me,
God’s way, to lie before me,
God’s shield, to protect me,
God’s hosts, to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a mulitude.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation,
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 15 March – Monday of the Fourth week of Lent
O Merciful God
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus
Doctor Communis
O merciful God,
grant that I may ever perfectly
do Thy Will in all things.
Let it be my ambition to work
only for Thy honour and glory.
Let me rejoice in nothing
but that which leads to Thee,
nor grieve for anything,
which leads away from Thee.
May all passing things be as nothing in my eyes
and may all which is Thine be dear to me
and Thou, my God, dear above them all.
May all joy be meaningless without Thee
and may I desire nothing apart from Thee.
May all labour and toil delight me, when it is for Thee.
Make me, O Lord, obedient without complaint,
poor without regret,
patient without murmur,
humble without pretence,
joyous without frivolity,
and truthful without disguise.
Amen
Our Morning offering – 14 March – Laetare Sunday
My Lord and my God
By St Nicholas of Flue (1417-1487)
My Lord and my God,
take from me everything
which distances me from Thee.
My Lord and my God,
give me everything
which brings me closer to Thee.
My Lord and my God,
detach me from myself,
to give my all to Thee.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 13 March – Saturday of the Third week of Lent
Mother of Sorrows, of Love, of Mercy
By Fr Lawrence Lovasik SVD (1913-1986)
Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs,
accept the sincere homage of my childlike love.
Into your heart, pierced by so many sorrows,
welcome my poor soul.
Receive it as the companion of your sorrows
at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus
died for the redemption of the world.
Sorrowful Virgin, with you,
I will gladly suffer all the trials,
misunderstandings and pains
which it shall please our Lord to send me.
I offer them all to you in memory of your sorrows,
so that every thought of my mind
and every beat of my heart,
may be an act of compassion and of love for you.
Loving Mother, have pity on me,
reconcile me to your Divine Son Jesus,
keep me in His grace and assist me
in my last agony,
so that I may be able to meet you in heaven
and sing your glories.
Mary, most sorrowful Mother of Christians,
pray for us.
Mother of love, of sorrow
and of mercy, pray for us!
Amen. Amen!
Our Morning Offering – 12 March – Frdiay of the Third Week of Lent
O Sweet Name of Jesus
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
O sweet Name of Jesus,
holy above all names
in heaven and on earth
and to which every knee,
both of men
and of angels in heaven,
on earth and in hell bends.
You are the Way of the just,
the Glory of the saints,
the Hope of those in need,
the Balm of the sick,
the Love of the devout
and the Consolation
of those that suffer.
O, Jesus be to me a help
and a protector
so that Your Name
may be blessed for all times.
Amen
Our Morning offering – 11 March – Thursday of the Third week of Lent
Rescue Me, Most Merciful God
By Father Martin von Cochem OSFC (c 1630-1712)
Most merciful God,
remember at how great a price
Thou didst purchase me
and how much Thou didst suffer for me.
For the sake of that inestimable price,
do not permit me to be lost,
rescue me,
number me amongst the sheep
of Thy fold.
With them, I will then
praise and magnify Thy loving kindness,
to all eternity.
Amen
Fr Martin von Cochem was a German Capuchin theologian, preacher and prolific ascetic writer.
Father Martin’s works embrace a great variety of subjects: a huge volume of apologetics against Protestantism, the life of Christ, lives of the Saints, edifying narratives, the setting forth of certain points in Christian asceticism, forms of prayer, methods to be followed for the worthy reception of the sacraments, etc.
The prayer above is from the renowned “The Four Last Things.”
Our Morning Offering – 10 March – Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
Excerpt from St Patrick’s Breastplate
Christ be Near
St Patrick (c 386 – 461)
Christ be near, at either hand,
Christ behind, before me stand,
Christ with me, where’er I go,
Christ around, above, below.
Christ be in my heart and mind,
Christ within my soul enshrined,
Christ control, my wayward heart,
Christ abide and ne’er depart.
Christ my life and only way,
Christ my lantern, night and day,
Christ be my unchanging friend,
guide and shepherd to the end.
We have this prayer and his own story in one of the authentic writings of Patrick – his Confessio, which is above all, an act of homage to God for having called Patrick, unworthy sinner, to the apostolate.
Our Morning Offering – 9 March – Tuesday of the Third week of Lent
Hear us, O Heavenly Father,
For the Sake of Your Only Son
By St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of the Church
Almighty Father, come into our hearts
and so fill us with Your love
that forsaking all evil desires,
we may embrace You, our only good.
Show us, O Lord our God, what You are to us.
Say to our souls, I am your salvation,
speak so, that we may hear.
Our hearts are before You,
open our ears,
let us hasten after Your Voice.
Hide not Your Face from us,
we beseech You, O Lord.
Open our hearts, so that You may enter in.
Repair the ruined mansions,
that You may dwell therein.
Hear us, O Heavenly Father,
for the sake of Your only Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 8 March – Monday of the Third week of Lent
Only What You Will or Will Not
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Grant me Your grace,
most merciful Jesus,
so that it may be with me
and work with me
and persevere with me to the end.
Grant that I may always want
and desire that which is
most acceptable and pleasing to You.
Let Your will be mine
and let my will always follow Yours
and be in perfect accord with it.
Let me always will or not will,
the same with You
and may I not be able to will
or not will
anything, except
what You will or will not.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 7 March – The Third Sunday of Lent
Prayer Before The Crucifix
By St Vincent Strambi (1745-1824)
Jesus, by this Saving Sign,
bless this listless soul of mine.
Jesus, by Your feet nailed fast,
mend the missteps of my past.
Jesus, with Your riven hands,
bend my will to love’s demands.
Jesus, in Your Heart laid bare,
warm my inner coldness there.
Jesus, by Your thorn-crowned head,
still my pride till it is dead.
Jesus, by Your muted tongue,
stay my words that hurt someone.
Jesus, by Your tired eyes,
open mine to faith’s surprise.
Jesus, by Your fading breath,
keep me faithful until death.
Yes, Lord, by this Saving Sign,
save this wayward soul of mine.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 5 March – Friday of the Second week of Lent
A Lenten Prayer
By St Pope Pius V (1504-1572)
Look with favour, Lord,
on Your household.
Grant that,
though our flesh be humbled
by abstinence from food,
our souls, hungering after You,
may be resplendent in Your sight.
Amen
St Pius V is the Pope of the Council of Trent, the Counter Reformation, the excommunication of Elizabeth I for Heresy and persecution of English Catholics and of the Battle of Lepanto, amongst many other illustrious and holy achievements.
AnaStpaul 
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