Our Morning Offering – 22 September – The Memorial of St Thomas of Villanova O.S.A. (1488-1555)
I Will Love You, Lord
By St Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555)
I will love You, Lord,
in every way
and without setting limits to my love.
You set no limits
to what You have done for me;
You have not measured out Your gifts.
I will not measure out my love.
I will love You, Lord,
with all my strength,
with all my powers,
as much as I am able.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 21 September
Lord, be the Centre of Our Hearts
by St Claude de la Colombiere S.J. (1641-1682)
O God, what will You do to conquer
the fearful hardness of our hearts?
Lord, You must give us new hearts,
tender hearts, sensitive hearts,
to replace hearts
that are made of marble and of bronze.
You must give us Your own Heart, Jesus.
Come, lovable Heart of Jesus.
Place Your Heart deep in the centre of our hearts
and enkindle in each heart a flame of love
as strong, as great, as the sum of all the reasons
that I have for loving You, my God.
O holy Heart of Jesus, dwell hidden in my heart,
so that I may live only in You and only for You,
so that, in the end,
I may live with You eternally in heaven, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 20 September
God of Our Life
St Augustine (354-430)
Father & Doctor of the Church
God of our life,
there are days when the burdens we carry
chafe our shoulders and weigh us down;
when the road seems dreary and endless,
the skies gray and threatening;
when our lives have no music in them
and our hearts are lonely
and our souls have lost their courage.
Flood the path with light,
run our eyes to where the skies are full of promise;
tune our hearts to brave music;
give us the sense of comradeship
with heroes and saints of every age;
and so quicken our spirits
that we may be able to encourage the souls of all
who journey with us on the road of life,
to Your honour and glory.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 19 September – The Memorial of St Alonso de Orozco O.S.A. (1500 – 1591) Augustinian Priest
Prayer to Seek God Continually
By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor
O Lord my God, I believe in You,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Insofar as I can,
insofar as You have given me the power,
I have sought You.
I became weary and I laboured.
O Lord my God, my sole hope,
help me to believe
and never to cease seeking You.
Grant that I may always
and ardently seek out Your countenance.
Give me the strength to seek You,
for You help me to find You
and You have more and more given me,
the hope of finding You.
Here I am before You
with my firmness and my infirmity.
Preserve the first and heal the second.
Here I am before You
with my strength and my ignorance.
Where You have opened the door to me,
welcome me at the entrance;
where you have closed the door to me,
open to my cry;
enable me to remember You,
to understand You
and to love You.
Amen.
Painting: Jeffrey A Gomez – The Confession of St Augustine
Our Morning Offering – 18 September – The Memorial of St Juan Macias O.P. (1585-1645)
Note: I am a Lay Dominican so I should be signing Anastpaul O.P.
For the past 800 years, Dominican Friars (and Sisters, of course) have donned the white habit, the familiar robes, the brand unique of the Order of Preachers. Each day whilst dressing, they quietly recite prayers as they do so. This is a glimpse into a rarely seen Dominican ritual.
First is the tunic, a long white cotton/wool robe worn over any set of plain clothes.
Clothe me, O Lord, with the garments of salvation. By Your grace may I keep them pure and spotless, so that clothed in white, I may be worthy to walk with You in the Kingdom of God. Amen.
The cincture is a belt, generally black leather, simple.
Gird me, O Lord, with the cincture of justice and the cord of purity that I may unite the affections of my heart in the love of You alone. Amen.
Over the belt, a 10-15 decade rosary, in adoration for Mary Magdalene. Worn on the left hip because that was wear soldiers wore their weapons in 1216 when St Dominic founded the Order of Preachers, saying, “Arm yourself with prayer rather than a sword; wear humility rather than fine clothes”.
O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant we beseech Thee, that meditating upon the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord, Amen.
The scapular is akin to a large white poncho, a long vest without sleeves.
Show yourself a mother, He will hear your pleading whom your womb has sheltered and whose hand brings healing.
A white capuce looks like the original hoody but only comes down past the shoulders to a point between the arm pit and the elbow.
Lord, You have set your sign upon my head that I should admit no lover but you. Amen.
The sixth layer is a black cappa, a cape of sorts.
We fly to your patronage, O Holy Mother of God, do not despise our prayers in our necessity, but free us from all peril, O Blessed Virgin. Amen.
The black capuce is the seventh and final layer. It is generally only worn for formal occasions.
Heavenly Father, Who were with Your great servants Moses and Joshua and used them to bring Your children out of bondage, fill us with that same grace that we may preach Your word boldly and with authority for the deliverance of those under the bondages of sin. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Dominican Prayer whilst donning the Habit
Clothe me, O Lord, with the garments of salvation.
By Your grace. may I keep them pure and spotless,
so that clothed in white,
I may be worthy to walk with You in the Kingdom of God
Gird me, O Lord, with the cincture of justice
and the cord of purity,
that I may unite the affections of my heart
in the love of You alone.
O God, whose only-begotten Son,
by His life, death and resurrection,
has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life,
grant we beseech Thee,
that meditating upon the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate
what they contain and obtain what they promise,
through the same Christ our Lord
Show yourself a mother,
He will hear your pleading whom your womb
has sheltered and whose hand brings healing.
Lord, You have set Your sign upon my head
that I should admit no lover but You.
We fly to Your patronage, O Holy Mother of God,
do not despise our prayers in our necessity
but free us from all peril, O Blessed Virgin.
Heavenly Father,
Who were with Your great servants Moses and Joshua
and used them to bring Your children out of bondage,
fill us with that same grace,
that we may preach Your word boldly
and with authority for the deliverance of those
under the bondages of sin.
We ask this through Christ our Lord,
Amen.
Our Morning Offering/s – 17 September – The Memorial of St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) and St Hildegard von Bingen OSB (1098-1179) both Doctors of the Church
Holy Spirit, Giver of Life
By St Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) Doctor of the Church
Holy Spirit,
giving of life to all life,
moving all creatures,
root of all things,
washing them clean,
wiping out their mistakes,
healing their wounds,
You are our true life,
luminous, wonderful,
awakening the heart
from its ancient sleep.
Amen
Act of Contrition
By St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) Doctor of the Church
O my God,
I am exceedingly grieved for having offended thee
and with my whole heart
I repent of the sins I have committed.
I hate and abhor them above every other evil,
not only because, by so sinning,
I have lost heaven and deserved hell
but still more, because I have offended thee,
O infinite Goodness,
who are worthy to be loved above all things.
I most firmly resolve,
by the assistance of thy grace,
never more to offend thee for the time to come
and to avoid those occasions
which might lead me into sin.
Amen
Note: It is little known that St Robert is the Author of this, one of our most widely used prayers
Our Morning Offering – 16 September – Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Jesus, Joy of Loving Hearts
By St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Doctor of the Church
Jesus, joy of loving hearts,
You Fount of life,
You Light of men,
from the best bliss that earth imparts
we turn unfilled to You again.
We taste You,
O You living Bread,
and long to feast upon You still:
We drink of You, the Fountainhead,
and thirst our souls from You to fill.
O Jesus, ever with us stay,
make all our moments calm and bright;
chase the dark night of sin away,
shed o’er the world Your holy light.
Amen, Amen
Our Morning Offering – 15 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
STABAT MATER
At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had passed.
Oh, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blest,
Of the sole begotten One!
Christ above in torment hangs.
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying glorious Son.
Is there one who would not weep,
Whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ’s dear Mother to behold?
Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that Mother’s pain untold?
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender Child,
All with bloody scourges rent.
For the sins of His own nation,
Saw Him hang in desolation
Till His spirit forth He sent.
O thou Mother: fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with thine accord.
Make me feel as thou hast felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ my Lord.
Holy Mother, pierce me through;
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.
Let me share with thee His pain,
Who for all my sins was slain,
Who for me in torment died.
Let me mingle tears with thee,
Mourning Him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.
By the Cross with thee to stay;
There with thee to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of thee to give.
Virgin of all virgins best,
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share thy grief divine.
Let me to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of that dying Son of thine.
Wounded with His every wound,
Steep my soul till it hath swooned
In His very blood away.
Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die,
In His awful Judgment day.
Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,
Be Thy Mother my defense,
Be Thy Cross my victory.
While my body here decays,
May my soul Thy goodness praise,
Safe in Paradise with Thee.
Amen
Note: This text of the Stabat Mater is one of over 60 translations of this famous Latin hymn that can also be recited in prayer. It is often used when praying the Stations of the Cross. The original Latin text of the Stabat Mater has also been set to music by such composers as Haydn, Rossini, and Poulenc.
Our Morning Offering – 14 September – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Breviary Hymn
O Cross of Christ
By St Flavian Bishop (Died 449 – Memorial 18 February), from Day’s Psalter 1562
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 minding force.
Give glory to the risen Christ
And to His Cross give praise,
The sign of God’s unfailing love,
The hope of all our days.
Our Morning Offering – 13 September – The Memorial of St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Church
Hail, O Mother!
By St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Church
Hail, O Mother!
Virgin, heaven, throne,
glory of our Church,
its foundation and ornament.
Earnestly pray for us to Jesus,
your Son and Our Lord,
that through your intercession
we may have mercy on the day of judgment.
Pray that we may receive
all those good things
which are reserved for those who love God.
Through the grace and favour of Our Lord,
Jesus Christ, to whom,
with the Father
and the Holy Spirit,
be power, honour and glory,
now and forever.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 5 September – The Memorial of St Mother Teresa of Calcutta M.C. (1910-1997) This is a very appropriate prayer as the Church focuses on Family Life.
Nazareth Prayer for the Family
By St Mother Teresa(1910-1997)
Heavenly Father,
You have given us the model of life
in the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Help us, O Loving Father,
to make our family another Nazareth
where love, peace and joy reign.
May it be deeply contemplative,
intensely eucharistic, received with joy.
Help us to stay together in joy
and sorrow in family prayer.
Teach us to see Jesus
in the members of our families,
especially in their distressing disguise.
May the Eucharistic heart of Jesus
make our hearts humble like His
and help us to carry out our family duties
in a holy way.
May we love one another
as God loves each one of us,
more and more each day,
and forgive each others faults
as You forgive our sins.
Help us, O Loving Father,
to take whatever You give
and give whatever You take with a big smile.
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
cause of our joy, pray for us.
St Joseph, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels,
be always with us,
guide and protect us.
Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 4 September
The prayer below, was written by Saint Thomas More while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London, awaiting execution by King Henry VIII.
Give me the grace, good Lord!
By St Thomas More (1478-1535)
Give me the grace, good Lord.
To set the world at naught.
To set the mind firmly on You
and not to hang upon the words of men’s mouths.
To be content to be solitary.
Not to long for worldly pleasures.
Little by little utterly to cast off the world
and rid my mind of all its business.
Not to long to hear of earthly things
but that the hearing of worldly fancies
may be displeasing to me.
Gladly to be thinking of God,
piteously to call for His help.
To lean into the comfort of God.
Busily to labour to love Him.
To know my own vileness and wretchedness.
To humble myself under the mighty hand of God.
To bewail my sins and, for the purging of them,
patiently to suffer adversity.
Gladly to bear my purgatory here.
To be joyful in tribulations.
To walk the narrow way that leads to life.
To have the last thing in remembrance.
To have ever before my eyes,
my death that is ever at hand.
To make death no stranger to me.
To foresee and consider the everlasting fire of Hell.
To pray for pardon before the judge comes.
To have continually in mind,
the passion that Christ suffered for me.
For His benefits unceasingly to give Him thanks.
To buy the time again that I have lost.
To abstain from vain conversations.
To shun foolish mirth and gladness.
To cut off unnecessary recreations.
Of worldly substance, friends, liberty, life and all,
to set the loss at naught, for the winning of Christ.
To think my worst enemies my best friends,
for the brethren of Joseph could never have done him
so much good with their love and favour,
as they did him with their malice and hatred.
These minds are more to be desired of every man,
than all the treasures of all the princes and kings,
Christian and heathen,
were it gathered and laid together, all in one heap.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 3 September – The Memorial of St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) – Father & Doctor “Father of the Fathers”
Prayer of Praise
St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)
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!
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 2 September – Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
To Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
By St John Neumann (1811-1860)
How much do I love You,
O my Jesus!
I wish to love You
with my whole heart,
yet I do not love You enough.
I have but one desire,
that of being near You,
in the Blessed Sacrament.
You are the sweet Bridegroom of my soul.
My Jesus, my love, my all,
gladly would I endure
hunger, thirst, heat and cold
to remain always with You
in the Blessed Sacrament.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 1 September
Prayer to do the Will of God
By St Francis of Assisi (c 1181-1226)
Almighty, eternal, just and merciful God,
grant us in our misery, the grace to do for You alone
what we know You want us to do
and always to desire, what pleases You.
Thus, inwardly cleansed, interiorly enlightened
and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit,
may we be able to follow in the footprints of
Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
And, by Your grace alone,
may we make our way to You,
Most High, Who live and rule in perfect Trinity and simple Unity
and are glorified God all-powerful, forever and ever.
Amen.
(From “A Letter to the Entire Order”)
Our Morning Offering – 31 August
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 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
Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) CRSA …(Manualis Parvulorum XIII)
Our Morning Offering – 30 August – The Memorial of St Jeanne Jugan L.S.P. (Mary of the Cross) (1792 – 1879)
Radiating Christ
St Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
Dear Jesus, help us to spread Your fragrance
everywhere we go.
Flood our souls with Your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly
that our lives may only be a radiance of Yours.
Shine through us and be so in us
that every soul we come in contact with
may feel Your presence in our soul.
Let them look up and see no longer us
but only Jesus.
Stay with us
and then we shall begin to shine as You shine,
so to shine as to be light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from You.
None of it will be ours.
It will be You shining on others through us.
Let us thus praise You in the way You love best
by shining on those around us.
Let us preach You without preaching,
not by words but by our example;
by the catching force –
the sympathetic influence of what we do,
the evident fullness of the love
our hearts bear to You.
Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 29 August – The Memorial of the Beheading of St John the Baptist
Lauds Hymn
Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal
God called great prophets to foretell
the coming of His Son.
The greatest, called before his birth,
was John, the chosen one.
His life was filled with joy and hope;
he knew he must decrease,
and that we must prepare a place
where Jesus may increase.
John searched in solitude for Christ
and knew Him when He came.
He showed the world the Lamb of God
and hailed Him in our name.
That lonely voice cried out the truth
Derided and denied.
As witness to the law of God
His mighty martyr died.
We praise You, Trinity in One,
the light of unknown ways,
the hope of all who search for You
whose love fills all our days.
Our Morning Offering – 28 August – The Memorial of St Edmund Arrowsmith S.J. (1585 – 1628) – Martyr
Your Soldiers
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
O Lion of the Tribe of Judah,
the Root of David,
Who fights the good fight
and has called on all men to join You,
give Your courage and strength
to all Your soldiers over the whole earth,
who are fighting under the standard of Your Cross.
Be with Your missionaries in pagan lands,
put right words into their mouths,
prosper their labours
and sustain them under their sufferings
with Your consolations
and carry them on,
even through torments
and blood (if it be necessary)
to their reward in Heaven.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 27 August – The Memorial of Blessed Dominic Barberi of the Mother of God C.P. (1792-1849)
One of Bl Dominic’s major Conversions, Bl John Henry, will do the honours today.
Raise My Heart
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
O my God,
whatever is nearer to me than You,
things of this earth
and things more naturally pleasing to me,
will be sure to interrupt the sight of You,
unless Your grace interfere.
Keep You my eyes,
my ears,
my heart,
from any such miserable tyranny.
Keep my whole being fixed on You.
Let me never lose sight of You
and while I gaze on You,
let my love of You
grow more and more every day.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 25 August – 21st Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year B
A Eucharistic Offering
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Lord, all things in heaven and earth are Yours.
I desire to offer myself to You
in free and perpetual oblation,
so that I may forever be with You.
Lord, in simpliciy of heart,
I offer myself this day to You,
to be Your servant in service
and sacrifice of perpetual praise.
Accept me with the oblation of Your precious Body,
which this day I offer You in the presence
of Your holy angels, here invisibly present,
so that it may be to my salvation
and to the salvation of all people.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 25 August – The Memorial of St Louis IX (1214-1270) – King of France
(Perhaps Philip prayed thus)
O God, we love You.
We want to do nothing to displease You.
If we have troubles, let us thank You.
If we don’t, we also humbly thank You.
Let us look for ways to grow closer to You,
whether in Confession, prayer, or at Mass.
Let us open our hearts to afflicted people
and do what we can to comfort them.
Let us look for ways to improve our society.
Thank You for friends who help us bear
our burdens and help us grow in holiness.
Let us turn away from gossip or swearing.
Let us always do what is right for those
we serve and promote peace among our neighbours.
Let us be quick to defend our Faith.
O Holy Trinity, all You holy saints,
please defend us from all evils.
Please give us grace to do Your will always,
so that You are honoured
and so we may be with You forever.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 24 August – The Feast of St Bartholomew, Apostle of Christ
Only for You, in You, by You.
By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
Lord Jesus,
let me know myself and know You
and desire nothing save only You.
Let me hate myself and love You.
Let me do everything, for the sake of You.
Let me humble myself and exalt You.
Let me think of nothing, except You.
Let me die to myself and live in You.
Let me accept whatever happens, as from You.
Let me banish self and follow You
and ever desire to follow You.
Let me fly from myself and take refuge in You,
That I may deserve, to be defended by You.
Let me fear for myself.
Let me fear You
and let me be among those, who are chosen by You.
Let me distrust myself and put my trust in You.
Let me be willing to obey, for the sake of You.
Let me cling to nothing, save only to You,
And let me be poor, because of You.
Look upon me, that I may love You.
Call me, that I may see You
and for ever enjoy You.
Amen
Our Morning Offering– 23 August – The Memorial of St Rose of Lima T.O.S.D. (1586-1617)
O God of Truth and Love
A Prayer of Penitence
By St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) Doctor of the Church
O omnipotent Father,
God of truth,
God of love,
permit me to enter into
the cell of self-knowledge.
I admit, that of myself, I am nothing,
but that all being
and goodness in me
comes solely from You.
Show me my faults,
that I may detest them,
and thus I shall flee from self-love
and find myself clothed again
in the nuptial robe of divine charity,
which I must have,
in order to be admitted
to the nuptials of life eternal.
Amen
St Catherine was St Rose’s model and both were, of course, Dominican Tertiaries.
Our Morning Offering – 22 August – Memorial of The Queenship of Mary
Mary our Queen, Holy Mother of God
By St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctor
Mary, our Queen,
Holy Mother of God,
we beg you to hear our prayer.
Make our hearts overflow with divine grace
and resplendent with heavenly wisdom.
Render them strong with your might
and rich in virtue.
Pour down upon us the gift of mercy
so that we may obtain the pardon of our sins.
Help us to live in such a way
as to merit the glory and bliss of heaven.
May this be granted us by your Son Jesus
who has exalted you above the angels,
has crowned you as Queen,
and has seated you with Him
forever on His refulgent throne.
Amen.
Our Morning Offering – August 21 – The Memorial of St Pope Pius X (1835-1914)
Prayer for Union with the Holy Ghost
By St Pius X (1835-1914)
Supreme Pontiff from August 1903-August 1914
O Holy Spirit of Light and Love,
to Thee I consecrate my heart,
my mind and my will
for time and for eternity.
May I be ever docile
to Thy Divine inspirations
and to the teachings
of the Holy Catholic Church,
whose infallible guide Thy art.
May my heart be ever inflamed
with the love of God and love of neighbour.
May my will be ever in harmony
with Thy Divine Will.
May my life faithfully imitate
the life and virtues
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To Him, with the Father
and Thee, Divine Spirit,
be honour and glory forever.
Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 19 August – The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Prayer in Honour of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)
O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God
and Mother of men,
we believe with all the fervour of our faith,
in your triumphal Assumption,
both body and soul, into heaven,
where you are acclaimed as Queen
by all the choirs of angels
and all the legions of the saints.
And we unite with them to praise and bless the Lord,
who has exalted you above all other pure creatures
and to offer you the tribute of our devotion
and our love.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 18 August – Saturday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year B
Breviary Hymn – Psalter Week 3
It were my Soul’s Desire
It were my soul’s desire
To see the face of God;
It were my soul’s desire
To rest in His abode.
Grant, Lord, my soul’s desire,
Deep waves of cleansing sighs;
Grant, Lord, my soul’s desire
From earthly cares to rise.
It were my soul’s desire
To imitate my King,
It were my soul’s desire
His ceaseless praise to sing.
It were my soul’s desire
When heaven’s gate is won
To find my soul’s desire
Clear shining like the sun.
This still my soul’s desire
Whatever life afford,
To gain my soul’s desire
And see Thy face, O Lord.
Our Morning Offering – 17 August – Friday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year B
Steer the Vessel of our Life, O God
By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor
Frail is our vessel,
and the ocean is wide;
but as in Your mercy
You have set our course,
so steer the vessel of our life
towards the everlasting shore of peace,
and bring us at length
to the quiet haven of our heart’s desire,
where You, O God, are blessed,
and live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 16 August – The Memorial of St Stephen of Hungary (c 975- 1038)
Give to Me or Take from Me
By Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
O Lord,
let me not henceforth desire health or life,
except to spend them for You
and with You.
You alone know what is good for me,
do, therefore, what seems best.
Give to me or take from me,
conform my will to Yours
and grant that,
with humble and perfect submission
and in holy confidence,
I may receive the orders
of Your eternal providence
and may equally adore,
all that comes to me from You,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
AnaStpaul 
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