Our Morning Offering – 9 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and the Memorial of St John Vianney (1786-1859) Confessor
O Thou, Most Holy Virgin Mary By St John Vianney (1786-1859)
O thou, Most Holy Virgin Mary, who dost evermore stand before the Most Holy Trinity and to whom it is granted, at all times to pray for us to thy Most Beloved Son; pray for me in all my necessities; help me, combat for me and obtain for me, the pardon of all my sins. Help me especially at my last hour and when I can no longer give any sign of the use of reason, then do thou encourage me, make the Sign of the Cross for me and fight for me against the enemy. Make in my name, a profession of faith; favour me with a testimony of my salvation and never let me despair of the mercy of God. Help me to overthrow the wicked enemy. When I can no longer say: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I place my soul in your hands,” do thou say it for me; when I can no longer hear human words of consolation, do thou comfort me. Leave me not before I have been judged and if I have to expiate my sins in Purgatory, Oh! pray for me earnestly and admonish my friends, to procure for me a speedy enjoyment of the Blessed Sight of God. Lessen my sufferings, deliver me speedily and lead my soul into Heaven with thee that, united with all the elect, I may there bless and praise my God and thee, for all eternity. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 8 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”
O Mother Blest By St Alphonsus Maira Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church Trans. Fr Edmund Vaughn C.SS,R, (1827 – 1908 )
O Mother blest, whom God bestows On sinners and on just, What joy, what hope thou givest those Who in thy mercy trust. Thou are clement, thou are chaste, Mary thou art fair, Of all mothers, sweetest best, none with thee compare.
O heavenly Mother, mistress sweet! it never yet was told that suppliant sinner left thy feet, unpitied, unconsoloed. Thou are clement, thou are chaste, …
O Mother, pitiful and mild, Cease not to pray for me; For I do love thee as a child, And sigh for love of thee. Thou art clement, thou art chaste, …
Most powerful Mother, all men know Thy Son denies thee nought; Thou askest, wishest it, and lo! His power thy will hath wrought. Thou art clement, thou art chaste, …
O Mother blest, for me obtain, Ungrateful though I be, To love that God who first could deign To show such love for me. Thou art clement, thou art chaste, Mary, thou art fair. Of all mothers, sweetest, best, None with thee compare.
Our Morning Offering – 7 August – The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost and the Memorial of St Cajetan (1480-1547) Confessor
Look Down, O Lord By St Cajetan (1480-1547)
Look down, O Lord, from Thy sanctuary and from the high habitation of Heaven and behold this Sacred Oblation which our great High Priest, Thy Holy Servant, the Lord Jesus, immolates unto Thee, for the sins of His brethren and be propitious to the multitude of our iniquities. Behold, the Voice of the Blood of Jesus, our Brother, cries to Thee from the Cross. Graciously hear, O Lord, be appeased, O Lord, hearken and do. Delay not for Thy own sake, my God because Thy Name is invoked upon this city and upon Thy people and do with us, according to Thy mercy. Amen
Plenary Indulgence on the First Thursday of each month for Communicants visiting the Blessed Sacrament and reciting this prayer. Partial indulgence of seven years and seven Quarantines, on all other Thursdays. –Pope Pius VII. “Quarantines” signifies a strict Ecclesiastical penance of forty days, performed according to the practice of the early Church. Hence an Indulgence of “Seven Quarantines,” for instance, implies. the remission of as much temporal punishment, as would be blotted out by the corresponding amount of Ecclesiastical Penance i.e. 7 x 40 = 280 days.
Preparatory Prayer by St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
O Mary, Virgin most Blessed and Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, through thy mercy I beseech thee, to come to my aid and to inspire me with such confidence in thy power that I may have recourse to thee, pray to thee and implore thy aid, in all needs of soul and body. Amen
Meditation: Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, was conceived without original sin. She never dimmed by actual sin, the lustre of sanctifying grace which beautified her soul. Nevertheless, she had to pass through the dark prtal of death, before she was assumed, body and soul, into Heaven. She had not been endowed with the privilege of immortality, with which God had invested our first parents in paradise. It was meet that she should be like unto her Divine Son in everything, even in death. But as she had drained, the bitter cup of suffering during her whole life and especially, when standing beneath the Cross, her death was to be free from pain and suffering. She quietly passed away, yielding up her spirit, in a yearning desire to be united forever, with her Divine Son in Heaven.
Practice: If you have dispossessed your heart of all unruly attachment to the goods and enjoyments of this earth, you, too, may hope for a happy and tranquil transition, from this land of exile, to your home in Heaven. Therefore, if you are still attached to the transitory things of this life, disengage your heart from them now. The voluntary renouncement of earthly goods, alone is meritorious before God. The separation from them, enforced by the strong hand of death, is of no supernatural value.
Prayer of the Church:We beseech Thee, O Lord, pardon the shortcomings of Thy servants that we who, by our own works, are not able to please Thee, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of Thy Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Novena Prayer: Day One
O Most benign Mother Mary! I rejoice that by thy happy and tranquil death, the yearning of thy heart was appeased and thy life, so rich in merit and sacrifice, received its crown. I rejoice that after passing from this life, thou, O most loving Mother, was made the glorious and powerful Queen of Heaven and dost exercise thy influence as such, for the benefit of thy frail, exiled children on earth. Obtain for me, I beseech thee, this my special petition ……………….. and a happy death that I may praise and glorify thy might and kindness, forever in Heaven. Amen
Hail Mary …….
Ejaculation:Sweet heart of Mary be my salvation!
Indulgence. – (1) 100 days, every time. (2) A Plenary Indulgence, once a month, on any day, to all who shall have said it everyday for a month, under the usual conditions.
Our Morning Offering – 5 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Dedication of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Snows
Blessed Virgin Mary, Receive Our Gratitude! By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of Grace
Blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay you with praise and thanks for having rescued a fallen world by your generous consent! Receive our gratitude and by your prayers, obtain the pardon of our sins. Take our prayers into the Sanctuary of Heaven and enable them to make our peace with God. Holy Mary, help the miserable, strengthen the discouraged, comfort the sorrowful, pray for your people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God. May all who venerate you feel now your help and protection. Be ready to help us when we pray and bring back to us, the answers to our prayers. Make it your continual concern to pray for the people of God, for you were blessed by God and were made worthy to bear the Redeemer of the world, Who lives and reigns forever. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 4 August – The Memorial of St Dominic de Guzman OP (1170-1221)
St Dominic’s Blessing By St Dominic de Guzman (1170-1221)
May God the Father, who made us, bless us. May God the Son, send His healing among us. May God the Holy Spirit, move within us and give us eyes to see with, ears to hear with, and hands, that Your work, might be done. May we walk and preach the word of God to all. May the angel of peace watch over us and lead us at last, by God’s grace, to the Kingdom. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 3 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”
Hymn to Mary the Virgin By St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) Doctor of the Church.
Virgin adored and clothed with the sun, grant me thine aid. Virgin most beautiful, mystical rose, take abode in my heart. Virgin most chaste, all undefiled, grant me true peace. Virgin deserving of all honour and praise, give me thy love. Virgin elect and full of all grace, lead me to God. Virgin most blessed, star of the sea, dispel the storms besetting me. Virgin most virtuous, holy and sweet, show me the way. Virgin illustrious, with thy burning light, enlighten thou my mind. Virgin more precious than jewels or gold, make reparation for me. Virgin most worthy of all praise, mother, daughter and immaculate spouse. Virgin and Mother, make me more pleasing to Jesus thy Son. Virgin most innocent of any stain or fault, make me more worthy of God. Virgin enriched with every gift and grace, obtain the remission of my sins. Virgin most pure, grant me to enjoy the bliss of heavenly love. Virgin, thou lily among thorns, I pray thee for the grace of a happy death. Virgin more rare than the rarest dream, bring joy to my heart. Virgin so great, there is none like thee on earth, bring peace to my soul. Virgin most true, loving Mother too, Virgin Mary. Amen.
St Robert Bellarmine’s Hymn to Mary the Virgin: Among St Robert’s extant writing, there is a short poem of twenty stanzas which he composed in the nature of a Litany to the Blessed Virgin. The text was first published in Italian some fifty years ago and to the best of the writer’s knowledge, has never been translated into English. Each verse-line begins with the name “Virgin,” joined to a title and petition to Our Lady, starting with the letter “A” and going down the Italian alphabet to “V.” Thus the first seven verses begin with the invocation: “Vergine adorna … Vergine Bella …Vergine casta … Vergine degna … Vergine eletta … Vergine felice … Vergine gradita …”
A translation to this tribute to the Virgin Mother reads as follows: – Servant of God Fr John A Hardon SJ (1914-2000).
Saint of the Day – 3 August – The Finding of the Relics of St Stephen, Protomartyr. St Stephen, the ProtoMartyr (c 05-c 34) – 26 December the Second Day in the Octave of Christmas. The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Jerusalem, the finding of the body of most blessed Saint Stephen, the first Martyr and of the Saints Gamaliel, Nicodemus and Abibo, through a Divine revelation made to the Priest Lucian, in the time of the Emperor Honorius.”
The Finding of the Relics of St Stephen, the ProtoMartyr By Fr Francis Xavier Weninger SJ (1805-1888)
After St Stephen, the First Martyr, had been stoned to death by the Jews for having uncontestably proved that Christ, Whom they had Crucified, was the true Messiah, some pious men, filled with deep sorrow, buried him with all due reverence. Foremost among these was St Gamaliel, who had formerly been a rabbi and later a disciple of St Paul. He arranged everything, so that the body of St Stephen was carried, during the night, by some Christians, from the spot in which it lay, to his country-seat, which was a few miles from Jerusalem.
The burial of St Stephen
“In the course of time and in consequence of the persecution of the Christians in Juda, the location of his tomb was forgotten, until it pleased the Almighty to reveal it, in the time of the Emperor Honorius. There lived, at that period, in the place where St Stephen was buried, a Priest of the Church of Jerusalem, named Lucian. St Gamaliel appeared to this holy man in his sleep and disclosed to him where the bodies of St Stephen, St Nicodemus, his son St Abibon and his own body, were lying, telling him, at the same time, to inform St John, Bishop of Jerusalem, of this fact and to say that it was the will of God that he should exhume them for the benefit of many men. Lucian awakening and fearing it was but a dream, or perhaps even a delusion from Satan, did not tell the Bishop but humbly prayed to God that, if it were a revelation from on high, He would grant him a repetition of the vision. To this effect, Lucian continued in prayer and fasting for eight days, when Gamaliel again appeared to him and repeated all he had said before.
Lucian did not yet obey but, to be more certain, fasted and prayed eight days more. St Gamaliel appeared to him for the third time and, with a severe countenance, reproving him for not believing his words, commanded him to make the Bishop acquainted with the facts immediately, in order that the faithful might no longer be deprived of the benefits which they would obtain by the intercession of St Stephen and the other Saints.
After this third apparition, Lucian could no longer doubt and, betaking himself to the Bishop of Jerusalem, he communicated to him all that had happened. The joy of the holy Bishop was exceedingly great. He called the Bishops and Priests of the neighbouring Churches and, accompanied by them and a great number of Christians, he went to the place indicated and had the satisfaction of finding four coffins, on which were engraven the names of the Saints abovementioned – St Stephen, St Nicodemus, St Abibon, St.Gamaliel. When the coffins were reverently opened, there issued from them a fragrance as if the place had been filled with blooming flowers.
St Stephen mourned by Saints Gamaliel and Nicodemus
More than seventy persons, some of whom were sick and others possessed by evil spirits, were instantly restored to health, or relieved of their torments, upon touching the Sacred Relics, especially those of St Stephen. The body of the Protomartyr was carried with great solemnity to Jerusalem, and deposited in the Church of Sion, the oldest and largest Church in that City.
During the reign of Theodosius the Younger, it was transported to Constantinople, and thence to Rome in the reign of Pope Pelagius I. The rearkable discovery of the relics of St Stephen and the miracles, which had been wrought at their touch, were soon known all over the Christian world. The heretics, who, at that time persecuted the Church, were ashamed and the faithful strengthened in the True Faith and animated in their veneration for the Protomartyr.
All Countries and Cities applied for portions of the Relics and many were favoured with them, to the great benefit of the people. Many received only some of the earth in which the holy body had rested; others, a piece of linen which had touched his coffin but, by the pious use of them, as many miracles were wrought as by the relics themselves.
In St Augustine, we have an indisputable witness of this, as he lived at the time of the discovery. Among other things, he tells us, in the twenty second book of the “City of God,” of many great miracles wrought, in his presence, by these relics, in the city of Hippo, of which he was bishop, as also in adjacent Countries. A few of these we will here relate.
A blind woman’s sight was immediately restored, by touching her eyes with a flower, which, at her request, had been laid on the Relics of St Stephen. Lucillus, a Bishop, was cured of a dangerous fistula by devoutly carrying the Sacred Relics. Eucharius, a Priest, arose again to life, when they placed upon his corpse, a tunic which had rested on St Stephen’s body. Two men suffering with gout were cured by the same. A lad who was killed by being run over by a carriage, was not only restored to life, but his broken limbs were healed. A nun who had died, retuned to life and health, when her habit was laid upon her, ,after it had touched the Sacred Relics. Eleusinus placed the corpse of his child upon the spot where the Relics of the Saint had rested, and immediately, the child lived again. Upon the head of Marial, a hardened Jew, his brother-in-law–a Christian–laid a flower, which had been on the Altar near the Relics and the next day the Jew requested to be Baptised. Two sisters, who were afflicted with epilepsy, were instantly cured by these relics. Many other miracles are narrated by St Augustine and he concludes with these words: “If I alone were to relate what I know of the miraculous cures performed by St Stephen at Calama and in its neighbourhood, I should have to write many books and yet, not be able to collect all of them!”
What does a non-Catholic think or say on reading or hearing these and many other things which the holy Fathers have written of the Sacred Relics? He rejects all these histories and accuses St Augustine and other great teachers, of falsehood and superstition. But, if he believes even one of these miracles, how can he, according to the doctrines of his religion, condemn the veneration of Relics and the invocation of the Saints!?”
For us, who believe in the powerful intercession of our Saints through their holy Relics, let us pray:
A Prayer to the Holy Martyrs to Obtain Their Protection By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
O thou blessed Princes of the heavenly Kingdom! Thou who sacrificed to the Almighty God, the honours, the riches received, in return, the unfading glory and never-ending joys of Heaven! Thou who art secure in the everlasting possession of the brilliant Crown of glory which thy sufferings have obtained! Look with compassionate regard upon our wretched state in this vale of tears, where we groan in the uncertainty of what maybe our eternal destiny. And from that Divine Saviour, for Whom, thou suffered so many torments and Who now repays thee with such unspeakable glory, obtain for us that we may love Him, with all our heart and receive in return, the grace of perfect resignation, under the trials of this life, fortitude, under the temptations of the enemy and perseverance, to the end. May thy powerful intercession obtain for us that we may one day, in thy blessed company, sing the praises of the Eternal God and even as thou now do, face-to-face, enjoy the Beatitude of His Vision! Amen
Our Morning Offering – 2 August – The Memorial of St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church
Morning Offering Of St Alphonsus de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of Church
My most sweet Lord, I offer and consecrate to Thee 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 Thy Hands. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 31 July – The Memorial of St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) Confessor
The Dying Words of today’s Saint of the Day, Blessed Everard Hanse (Died 1581) Priest Martyr at the hands of of Queen Elizabeth I in the English persecutions, led me to contemplate and collate some of these scattered around Breathin Catholic. I will collect them as I go on searches everywhere in the Catholic world, adding to them here from time to time, when appropriate. 🙏🧡
“Into Thy hands I commend My spirit.”
Luke 23:46
“Glory to God for all things!”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Thy will be done. Come, Lord Jesus!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church
“I die the King’s faithful servant but God’s first.”
St Thomas More (1478-1535) Martyr
“O, my God!”
St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
“Oh happy day!”
The dying words of today’s Saint of the Day as he was being hanged at Tyburn, England Blessed Everard Hanse (Died 1581) Priest Martyr
Prayer for a Holy Death By St Alphonsus de Liguori Most Zealous Doctor
“My beloved Jesus, I will not refuse the cross, as the Cyrenian did; I accept it, I embrace it. I accept, in particular, the death Thou hast destined for me, with all the pains which may accompany it; I unite it to Thy Death, I offer it to You. Thou hast died for love of me; I will die for love of Thee and to please Thee. Help me by Thy grace. I love Thee, Jesus, my love; I repent of ever having offended Thee. Never permit me to offend Thee again. Grant that I may love Thee always and then do with me what Thou will.Amen”
Most Holy Virgin, My Consolation By St Germanus of Paris (c 490-576)
Most Holy Virgin! Who are the greatest consolation that I receive from God, you, who art the heavenly dew which assuages all my pains, you, who are the light of my soul when it is enveloped in darkness, you, who are my guide in unknown paths, the support of my weakness, my treasure, in poverty, my remedy, in sickness, my consolation, in trouble, my refuge, in misery, and the hope of my salvation, hear my supplications, have pity on me, as becomes the Mother of so good a God and obtain for me a favourable reception of all my petitions at the throne of mercy. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 29 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
A Prayer of the Passion By St Melito of Sardis (Died 180) Bishop of Sardis, Apologist, Father
Lord Jesus Christ, You were bound as a ram, You were shorn like a lamb, You were led to the slaughter like a sheep, You bore the wood of the Cross on Your shoulders, You were led up the hill of Calvary, You were displayed naked on the Cross, You were nailed to the bitter Cross by three spikes, You delivered Your last Seven Words from the Cross You died on the Cross, with a shout of victory, You were buried in noble Joseph’s rock-hewn tomb, By Your boundless suffering on our behalf, fix our eyes unceasingly on Your broken Body and the Blood that poured from Yout Hands, Feet and Side. By the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that renews each day Your Sacrifice of the Cross on our Altars, apply the merits of the Cross to all humanity and, especially to those who worship it daily and who offer themselves back to You, our great High Priest and perpetually Intercessor, before the Eternal Throne of God. You live and reign, through all the ages of ages. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 28 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
O God of Our Life By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
O 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 grey 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 – 27 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
Prayer for Five Graces By St Alphonsus de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Eternal Father, Thy Son has promised that Thou would grant, all the graces we ask of Thee in His Name. Trusting in this promise and in the Name of and through the Merits of Jesus Christ, I ask of Thee five special graces: First, I ask pardon, for all the offenses I have committed, for which I am sorry with all my heart because I have offended Thine infinite goodness. Second, I ask for Thy Divine Light, which will enable me to see the vanity of all things of this earth and see also, Thy Infinite greatness and goodness. Third, I ask for a share in Thy love, so that I may detach myself from all creatures, especially from myself and love only Thy Holy Will. Fourth, grant me the grace to have confidence in the Merits of Jesus Christ and in the intercession of Mary. Fifth, I ask for the grace of perseverance, knowing that, whenever I call on Thee for assistance, Thou will answer my call and come to my aid. I fear only, that I will neglect to turn to Thee in time of need and thus bring myself to ruin. Grant me the grace to pray always, O Eternal Father, in the Name of Our Lord Jesus. Amen.
Quote’s of the Day – 25 July – Memorial of St Christopher (died c 251) One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers
The Fourteen Holy Helpers: – Plague Saints for a time of plague!
Prayer to the Fourteen Holy Helpers By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church
Great princes of Heaven, Holy Helpers, who sacrificed to God all your earthly possessions, wealth, preferment and even life and who now are crowned in Heaven in the secure enjoyment of eternal bliss and glory; have compassion on me, a poor sinner in this vale of tears and obtain for me from God, for Whom you gave up all things and Who loves you as His servants, the strength to bear patiently all the trials of this life, to overcome all temptations and to persevere in God’s service to the end, that one day I too may be received into your company, to praise and glorify Him, the supreme Lord, Whose Beatific Vision you enjoy and Whom you praise and glorify forever. Amen
The “fourteen Angels” of the lost children’s prayer in the Composer, Engelbert Humperdinck’s (1854-1921) (not the popular Welsh singer) fairy opera, ‘Hansel and Gretel’, are the Fourteen Holy Helpers. The English words are familiar and very beautiful:
When at night, I go to sleep, Fourteen angels, watch do keep, Two my head are guarding, Two my feet are guiding; Two upon my right hand, Two upon my left hand. Two who warmly cover Two who o’er me hover, Two to whom ’tis given To guide my steps to Heaven.
And the beloved St Christopher, probably one of the most loved Saints of all time.
The Christopher Prayer, Make Us True Christ-Bearers Anonymous
Father, grant that we may be, bearers of Christ Jesus, Your Son. Allow us to fill, the world around us, with Your light. Strengthen us, by Your Holy Spirit, to carry out our mission of living and following the path of Jesus, our Lord. Help us to understand, that by Your grace our gifts are Your blessings, to be shared with others. Fill us with Your Spirit of love to give glory to You in loving all and preaching by our love. Nourish in us the desire to go forth as the bearers of Your Son fearless and gentle, loving and merciful. Make us true Christ-Bearers, that in seeing us, only He is visible. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 24 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood”
Virgin Full of Goodness, Mother of Mercy By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor angelicus Doctor communis
Virgin full of goodness, Mother of mercy, I entrust to you my body and my soul, my thoughts and my actions, my life and my death. My Queen, come to my aid and deliver me from the snares of the devil. Obtain for me the grace of loving my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, with a true and perfect love, and after Him, O Mary, of loving you with all my heart and above all things. Amen.
Saint of the Day – 24 July – Our Lady, Mother of Mercy (Saturday after the 4th Sunday of July).
As part of the Traditional Missal, the Feast of our Lady under the title Mother of Mercy occurs each year the 4th Sunday of July. This Feast day is kept also, by various religious Orders in the Church.
The following is taken from the Seasonal Devotions Page of Salve Maria Regina: After the fall, man became subject to sin, misery, disease and death. God, Who is rich in mercy, gave us two persons, animated with tenderest sentiments of compassion and mercy – Jesus and Mary . Jesus willed to become like one of us and chose to know the profoundest depths of sorrow. Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, became the loving Mother of mankind beneath the Cross. She is full of compassionate mercy. Let us entreat her help for suffering mankind. Let us especially show this consideration for those commended to us, in a particular way, by Our Divine Lord: the poor, the sick, the suffering and the outcasts. Let us always show mercy and the Immaculate Mother of God, will show herself a Mother of mercy to us.
“And His mercy is from generation unto generation, to those who fear Him.” (Luke 1:50)
O noblest Queen of the world, Mary ever Virgin, who didst bring forth Christ the Lord, the Saviour of all, pray in our name for peace and salvation. Hail Mary…
Mary speaks: “Come over to me, all you who long for me and be filled with my fruits, for my spirit is sweeter than honey and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb.” (Ecclus. 24:26-27).
16th Century German
Salve Regina Hail Holy Queen By Bl Herman of Reichenau (1013–1054)
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, Poor banished children of Eve; To thee do we send up our sighs, Mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, Thine eyes of mercy toward us; And after this our exile, Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
℣ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, ℟ that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us Pray.O God, Whose compassion is without limit, show us Thy mercy on earth through the most holy intercession of Mary, the Mother of Thy Son, that we may merit to attain eternal glory. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Salve Regina Hail Holy Queen By Blessed Herman of Reichenau (1013–1054)
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, Poor banished children of Eve; To thee do we send up our sighs, Mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, Thine eyes of mercy toward us; And after this our exile, Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
This line, below, by St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Doctor of the Church
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
℣ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, ℟ that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Our Morning Offering – 22 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – St Mary Magdalen (1st Century) Penitent
Act of Contrition By St Alphonsus Maria Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
My Lord Jesus Christ, You have made this journey to die for me, with love unutterable and I have so many times unworthily abandoned You but now I love You with my whole heart and because I love You, I repent sincerely for having ever offended You. Pardon me, my God and permit me to accompany You on this journey. You go to die for love of me, I wish also, my beloved Redeemer, to die for love of Thee. My Jesus, I will live and die always united to You. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 21 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
Heal Us Lord God By St Albert of Trapani O.Carm. (c 1240-1307)
O my God, You have created the human race by Your wonderful power. It is an act of Your clemency that has called us to share Your glory and eternal life. When the first sin condemned us to suffer death, out of Your goodness, You wished to redeem us through the Blood of Your Son, To unite us to Yourself through our faith and Your great mercy. You have brought us back from the shame of our sin, You have veiled our dishonour in the brightness of Your glory. Look now and see that what You have created, giving it subtle limbs and joints and made beautiful through its immortal soul, is now subject to the attack of Satan. Be pleased Lord to reconstitute Your work and heal it. May Your power be glorified and may the malice of the enemy be stunned. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 20 July – The Memorial of St Jerome Emiliani (1486–1537) Confessor
O Mary, Twice Mother of Mercy By St Jerome Emiliani (1486–1537)
O Mary, thou art twice Mother of Mercy because thou hast been made Mother of our most merciful Saviour, and, furthermore because, thou hast given to us so many signs of thy maternal care and love. Turn upon us, we beseech thee, thy glance of compassion and grant, that we may always live free from sin, which is the only impediment to receiving the fruits of the Divine Mercies. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 19 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” and the Memorial of St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) Confessor
Lord, Teach me How to Pray By St Vincent de Paul
Oh Lord, You selected the poor and simple people to be Your Apostles. Look upon Your poor servant kneeling before You now. I recognise that I am simple and poor too. Dear Lord, please teach me how to pray as You taught Your disciples upon their humble request. If it pleases You in Your goodness to grant me that grace, I shall be able to pray well and much better than I could ever hope for if left to my own efforts. Lord, I trust that You will bless me with the fulfilment of this request. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 18 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
Pardon Lord, I Ask By St Ambrose (340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church
Lord Jesus Christ, Who stretched out Your Hands on the Cross and redeemed us by Your Blood, forgive me, a sinner , for none of my thoughts are hidden from You. Pardon I ask, Pardon I hope for, Pardon I trust to have. You, Who are full of pity and mercy, spare me and forgive. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 17 July – The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – The Humility of Mary
Make Me Like Yourself, Mary My Mother By St Louis-Marie de Montfort (1673-1716)
My powerful Queen, you are all mine, through your mercy and I am all yours. Take away from me, all that may displease God and cultivate in me, all that is pleasing to Him. May the light of your faith, dispel the darkness of my mind, your deep humility, take the place of my pride, your continual sight of God, fill my memory, with His Presence. May the love of your heart inflame the lukewarmness, of mine. May your virtues, take the place of my sins. May your merits, be my enrichment and make up for all which is wanting in me, before God. My beloved Mother, grant that I may have, no other spirit but your spirit, to know Jesus Christ and His Divine Will and to praise and glorify the Lord, that I may love God, with burning love like yours. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 16 July – Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Ecclesiasticu, Sirach 24:23-31, Luke 11:27-28
“Blessed is the womb that bore You …”
Luke 11:27
“That anyone could doubt the right of the holy Virgin to be called the Mother of God, fills me with astonishment. Surely she must be the Mother of God, if our Lord Jesus Christ is God and she gave birth to Him!?”
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God By St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father & Doctor of the Church
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Virgin and Mother! Morning Star, perfect vessel. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Holy Temple in which God Himself was conceived. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Chaste and pure dove. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, who enclosed the One Who cannot be encompassed in your sacred womb. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, From you flowed the true light, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Through you the Conqueror and triumphant Vanquisher of hell, came to us. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Through you, the glory of the Resurrection blossoms. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, You have saved every faithful Christian. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen
St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom of His most chaste Mother, Christ took to Himself flesh and united to Himself, the spiritual Body formed by those who were to believe in Him. Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour within her, may be said, to have also carried, all those. whose life was contained in the life of the Saviour. Therefore, all we who are united to Christ and, as the Apostle says, are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30), have issued from the womb of Mary, like a body united to it’s head.”
Our Morning Offering – 14 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” and the Memorial of St Bonaventure OFM (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church
Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit By St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church
We beg the All-Merciful Father through Thee, His Only-Begotten Son, made Man for our sake, Crucified and Glorified for us, to send upon us, from His treasure-house, the Spirit of Sevenfold Grace, Who rested upon Thee in all His fullness.
The Spirit of Wisdom, enabling us to relish the fruit of the tree of life, which is indeed Thyself. The Gift of Understanding, to enlighten our perceptions. The Gift of Prudence, enabling us to follow in Thine Footsteps. The Gift of Strength, to withstand our adversary’s onslaught. The Gift of Knowledge, to distinguish good from evil, by the light of Thine holy teaching. The Gift of Piety, to clothe ourselves with charity and mercy. The Gift of Fear, to withdraw from all ill-doing and live quietly in awe of Thy Eternal Majesty.
These are the things for which we petition. Grant them for the honour of Thy Holy Name, to which, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, thanksgiving, renown and Lordship, forever and ever. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 13 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood” – The Memorial of St Anacletus (c25-c89) 3rd Bishop of Rome and Martyr
“There are also some among the heretics who … flatter themselves with claims of martyrdom … But not all ,who submit their bodies to suffering, even to flames, are to be considered as having as having shed their blood for their sheep; rather, they may have shed it against the salvation of their sheep, for the Apostle says: “If I should deliver my body to be burned and have not charity, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3). And how can he have the faintest charity in him who, although shown to be at fault, yet has no love for that unity which the Lord chose to recommend? Indeed, so long as you remain outside the Church and severed from the fabric of unity and bond of charity, you will be punished with everlasting chastisement, even if you were burned alive for the sake of Christ
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Without the Cup of the Lord preserving the holy bond of love, even if a man should deliver his body to be burned, he gains nothing!”
St Fulgentus of Ruspe (c 462 – 533)
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 Thy Grace, Good Lord! A Prayer of Hope By St Thomas More (1478-1535)
Give me Thy grace, good Lord. To set the world at naught. To set the mind firmly on Thee 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 mine own vileness and wretchedness. To humble myself under the mighty Hand of God. To bewail my sins past, 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 bear the Cross with Christ. To have the last thing in remembrance. To have ever before mine 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 come. 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 before 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 – 13 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” 1 Petet 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19
Prayer for the Gift of Prayer By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
O Incarnate Word, You have given Your Blood and Your Life to confer on our prayers that power by which, according to Your promise, they obtain for us, all that we ask. And we, O God, are so careless of our salvation, that we will not even ask You for the graces that we must have, if we should be saved! In prayer You have given us the key of all Your Divine treasures and we, rather than pray, choose to remain in our misery. Alas! O Lord, enlighten us, and make us know the value of prayers, offered in Your Name and by Your merits, in the eyes of Your Eternal Father. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 12 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
O Most Compassionate Jesus! By Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878) Indulgence of 100 days, once a day 6 October 1870
O Most compassionate Jesus! Thou alone art our salvation, our life and our resurrection. We implore Thee, therefore, do not forsake us in our needs and afflictions but by the agony of Thy Most Sacred Heart and by the sorrows of Thy Immaculate Mother, succour Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy most Precious Blood. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 11 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
Daily Offering to the Father Attri To St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, for those in my own home, and in my family. Amen
You might see fantastic claims for this prayer, especially printed on Holy Cards, such as the release of 1000 souls from Purgatory, each time it is prayed. Nowhere in St Gertrude’s writings, is this wild promise made so be careful of treating prayers and devotions as amulets or magical charms. And further, this prayer is claimed to have been written by heer but this is very uncertain. The Church has summarily condemned prayer cards containing a promise to release one or more souls from Purgatory, or any other ‘miraculous’ claims. Such an easy way to release 1,000 souls seems inconsistent with the Church’s understanding of Purgatory and, given all the means the Church employs to help the dead, such as special Masses or Indulgences applicable only to the dead.
AnaStpaul 
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