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
Prayer inspired by St Louis’ Last Instructions to his Eldest Son, Philip
(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 – 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 – 20 August – The Memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) “Doctor of Light”
On the Feast Day of St Bernard, can we do better than call on our Mother?
The Memorare By St Bernard (1090-1153) “Doctor of Light”
REMEMBER,
O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that anyone who fled
to thy protection,
implored thy help,
or sought thy intercession
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins,
my Mother;
to thee do I come,
before thee I stand,
sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions
but in thy mercy
hear and answer me.
Amen.
(The “Urgent” or “Emergency” Novena you will recall, is 9 times the Memorare)
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
One Minute Reflection – 15 August – The Memorial of St Simplician (c 320-c 401) Bishop and Successor of St Ambrose (340-397) in the ArchDiocese of Milan.
“For I am the LORD, your God, who grasp your right hand; It is I who say to you, Do not fear, I will help you.”….Isaiah 41:13
The Confessions – Book VIII – St Augustine’s Conversion to Christ: Augustine is deeply impressed by Simplicianus’ story of the conversion to Christ of the famous orator and philosopher, Marius Victorinus. He is stirred to emulate him but finds himself still enchained by his incontinence and preoccupation with worldly affairs. He is then visited by a court official, Ponticianus, who tells him and Alypius the stories of the conversion of Anthony and also of two imperial “secret service agents.” These stories throw him into a violent turmoil, in which his divided will struggles against himself. He almost succeeds in making the decision for continence but is still held back. Finally, a child’s song, overheard by chance, sends him to the Bible; a text from Paul resolves the crisis; the conversion is a fact. Alypius also makes his decision and the two inform the rejoicing Monica.
REFLECTION – “And Thou didst put it into my mind and it seemed good in my own sight, to go to Simplicianus, who appeared to me a faithful servant of Thine and Thy grace shone forth in him. I had also been told that from his youth up he had lived in entire devotion to Thee. He was already an old man and because of his great age, which he had passed in such a zealous discipleship in Thy way, he appeared to me likely to have gained much wisdom–and, indeed, he had. From all his experience, I desired him to tell me–setting before him all my agitations–which would be the most fitting way for one who felt as I did to walk in thy way.”…St Augustine (From the Confessions – Book VIII – Chapter 1)
PRAYER – “Go on, O Lord and act, stir us up and call us back, inflame us and draw us to Thee, stir us up and grow sweet to us, let us now love Thee, let us run to Thee. Are there not many men … who, out of a deeper pit of darkess.. return to Thee–who draw near to Thee and are illuminated by that light which gives those who receive it power from Thee to become Thy sons? “… (St Augustine – From the Confessions Book VIII – Chapter IV) St Simplician, pray for us, Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 15 August – The Memorial of St Tarcisius (Died c 257) – Martyr of the Holy Eucharist
Write Your Blessed Name upon My Heart By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Write Your blessed name,
O Lord, upon my heart,
there to remain so indelibly engraved,
that no prosperity,
no adversity,
shall ever move me from Your love.
Be to me, a strong tower of defence,
a comforter in tribulation,
a deliverer in distress,
a very present help in trouble
and a guide to heaven,
through the many temptations
and dangers of this life.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 14 August – The Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”and “Apostle of Consecration to Mary”
“Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13
That verse certainly comes to mind whenever I think of St Maximilian Kolbe, whose feast we celebrate today. So it’s not surprising to read that these were the opening words of the papal decree introducing his Beatification. St Maximilian Kolbe was arrested in Poland in February of 1941 and in May sent to the Auschwitz death camp. As prisoner #16670, he eventually laid down his life for another prisoner on 14 August 1941, at the young age of 47.
Father Kolbe’s death was not a sudden, last-minute act of heroism. His whole life had been a preparation. His holiness was a limitless, passionate desire to convert the whole world to God. And his beloved Immaculata, was his inspiration.
St Maximillian is the patron saint of families, prisoners, journalists, political prisoners, drug addicts and the pro-life movement. St John Paul II declared him to be “the patron saint of our difficult century.” The evils which made the twentieth century so difficult were not left behind as we moved into the twenty-first century.
Let us continue to call upon the intercession of this saint and continue to come to Jesus through His mother, Mary, the Immaculata.
Daily Consecration Renewal to the Immaculata By St Maximillian Kolbe
Immaculata, Queen and Mother of the Church,
I renew my consecration to you for this day
and for always, so that you might use me
for the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus in the whole world.
To this end, I offer you all my prayers,
actions and sacrifices of this day.
Amen
Mary, Immaculata, Pray for us!
St Maximillian Kolbe, pray for us!
Our Morning Offering – 14 August – The Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”
The Day was Long By St Maximillian Kolbe (1894 -1941) Martyr
The day was long,
The burden I had borne
Seemed heavier than I could longer bear
And then it lifted
but I did not know
Someone had knelt in prayer;
Had taken me to God that very hour,
And asked the easing of the load
and He,
In infinite compassion,
had stooped down
And taken it from me.
We cannot tell how often as we pray
For some bewildered one,
Hurt and distressed,
The answer comes,
But many times,
those hearts find sudden peace and rest.
Someone had prayed
and faith, a reaching hand,
Took hold of God
and brought Him down that day!
So many, many hearts have need of prayer.
Oh, let us pray!
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 12 August – Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Your Sacred Table A Prayer Before Holy Mass and Communion By Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church
Divine Saviour,
we come to Your sacred table
to nourish ourselves,
not with bread but with Yourself,
true Bread of eternal life.
Help us daily to make a good and perfect meal
of this divine food.
Let us be continually refreshed
by the perfume of Your kindness and goodness.
May the Holy Spirit fill us with His Love.
Meanwhile, let us prepare a place
for this holy food by emptying our hearts.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 11 August – The Memorial of St Clare of Assisi(1194-1253)
I Come, O Lord By St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)
I come, O Lord,
unto Thy sanctuary
to see the life and food of my soul.
As I hope in Thee, O Lord,
inspire me with that confidence
which brings me to Thy holy mountain.
Permit me, Divine Jesus,
to come closer to Thee,
that my whole soul may do homage
to the greatness of Thy majesty,
that my heart,
with its tenderest affections,
may acknowledge Thy infinite love,
that my memory may dwell
on the admirable mysteries
here renewed every day
and that the sacrifice,
of my whole being,
may accompany Thine.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 9 August – The Memorial of St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942) Martyr
I Do Not See Very Far Ahead By St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)
O my God,
fill my soul with holy joy,
courage and strength to serve You.
Enkindle Your love in me
and then walk with me
along the next stretch of road before me.
I do not see very far ahead
but when I have arrived
where the horizon now closes down,
a new prospect will open before me
and I shall be met with peace.
How wondrous are the marvels of Your love,
we are amazed,
we stammer and grow dumb,
for word and spirit fail us.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 8 August – The Memorial of St Dominic (1170-1221)
St Dominic’s Blessing
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 – 6 August – The Memorial of St Cajetan (1480-1547)
Look down, O Lord Prayer of St Cajetan (1480-1547)
Look down, O Lord, from Your sanctuary
and from the high habitation of heaven
and behold this sacred oblation
which our great High Priest,
Your holy Servant, the Lord Jesus,
immolates unto You 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 You from the cross.
Graciously hear, O Lord,
be appeased, O Lord, hearken and do?
Delay not for Your own sake, my God,
because Your name is invoked upon this city
and upon Your people
and do with us according to Your mercy.
Amen
One Minute Reflection – 3 August – Friday of the Seventeenth week in Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 13:54–58 and The Memorial of Bl Augustine Gazotich O.P. (1262-1323)
Is not this the carpenter’s son?…And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief....Matthew 13:55,58
REFLECTION – “For if I do not understand the nature placed at my service, I discern Your goodness from the mere fact that it is there to serve me. I perceive that I do not even understand myself but I wonder at You all the more… You have given me intellect, life and human feeling, the source of so many joys, yet I do not begin to understand how I began to be…
So it is through failing to understand what surrounds me that I grasp what You are and it is through perceiving what You are that I come to adore You. That is why, in what concerns Your mysteries, my incomprehension lessens not a bit my faith in Your omnipotence… Your eternal Son’s birth exceeds even the idea of eternity; it is prior to the times everlasting. Before any other thing that exists, He was Son proceeding from You, O God and Father. He is true God… You have never existed without Him… Before ever time was, You are the eternal Father of Your Sole Begotten One.”…St Hilary (315-368) Bishop of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – “So long as I enjoy that breath of life granted to me by You, Holy Father, Almighty God, I will proclaim You as God eternal but also as Father eternal. Never will I set myself up as judge of Your almighty power and mysteries; never will I set my limited understanding before the true appreciation of Your infinity; never will I claim You to have existed beforehand without Your Wisdom, Power and Word, God the Only-Begotten, my Lord Jesus Christ. For even though human language is weak and imperfect when it speaks of You, this will not inhibit my mind to the point of reducing my faith to silence for lack of words able to express the mystery of Your being…” (St Hilary) Lord God, You hold out the light of Your Word to those who do not know You. Strengthen in our hearts the faith You have given us, so that no trials may quench the fire Your Spirit kindled within us. Grant that the prayers of Bl Augustine Gazotich, may assist us to grow in love. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 3 August – Friday of the Seventeenth week in Ordinary Time
For Your Mercy’s Sake By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
For Your mercy’s sake, O Lord my God,
tell me what You are to me.
Say to my soul: “I am your salvation.”
So speak that I may hear, O Lord,
my heart is listening,
open it, that it may hear You
and say to my soul: “I am your salvation.”
After hearing this word,
may I come in haste to take hold of You.
Hide not Your face from me.
Let me see Your face even if I die,
lest I die with longing to see it.
The house of my soul
is too small to receive You;
let it be enlarged by You.
It is all in ruins;
do You repair it.
There are thing in it,
I confess and I know,
that must offend Your sight.
But who shall cleanse it?
Or to what others besides You shall I cry out?
From my secret sins cleanse me, O Lord
and from those of others spare Your servant.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 2 August – The Memorial of St Peter Faber S.J. (1506-1546)
I Beg of You, My Lord By St Peter Faber (1506-1546)
I beg of You, my Lord,
to remove anything which separates
me from You
and 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 may be,
enjoying You.
This is what I ask for myself
and earnestly desire from You.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 1 August – The Memorial of (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church ST ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI – REACHING THE PEOPLE
With thanks to the C.Ss.R. Baltimore Province
St Alphonsus was a brilliant, articulate, pragmatic preacher. He knew how to reach ordinary people who had limited education and very real needs. They followed this gifted preacher from church to church and town to town to hear him preach the message of hope in Christ for all people.
Three great images, basic to the Christian faith, formed the heart of Alphonsus’ preaching and teaching — Jesus an infant in the crib, Jesus crucified on the Cross, and Jesus vibrantly alive and filled with love for all in the Eucharist. To this he added the image of Mary, the Mother of the Redeemer. When other theologians were opposed to devotion to Mary, Alphonsus invoked her: “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope.”
Alphonsus appreciated how the poor and working class people expressed their realities through song. A gifted musician and composer, he wrote many popular hymns and taught them to the people in parish missions. His compositions continue to be sung around the world and have never lost their charm and popularity. Redemptorists today still follow the cue of their founder. Their message, announcing the abundance of God’s love, is enriched by the spiritual songs they sing in their community and with the people of God.
Alphonsus wrote for the people. Many turned to his spiritual writing, for he wrote in a way that was understandable to anyone with a basic education. On winter evenings in his time, the people in the villages often gathered around a fire in someone’s home. Someone read stories about the Gospels or the lives of the saints, things that nourished their faith and helped them to pray. Alphonsus’ works were frequent choices and they remain so still, his works are a fountain of holiness. Which of us has not, in our home poarishes all over the world, prayed his Stations of the Cross? They will always be one of the treasures of the Church. http://immaculateheartbalornock.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Stations-of-the-Cross-Booklet.pdf
Our Morning Offering – 1 August – The Memorial of (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church
The One Thing Necessary By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church
0 my God, help me to remember
That time is short, eternity is long.
What good is all the greatness of this world at the hour of death?
To love You, my God
and save my soul is the one thing necessary.
Without You, there is no peace, no joy.
My God, I need fear nothing but sin.
For to lose You, my God, is to lose all.
0 my God, help me to remember –
That to gain all I must leave all,
That in loving You
I have all good things,
the infinite riches of Christ
and His Church,
the motherly protection of Mary,
peace beyond understanding,
joy unspeakable!
Eternal Father, Your Son has promised,
that whatever we ask in His Name will be given to us.
In His Name I pray:
give me a burning faith,
a joyful hope,
a holy love for Jesus Christ.
Give me the grace of perseverance
in doing Your will in all things.
Do with me what You will.
I repent of having offended You.
Grant, O Lord, that I may love You always
and never let me be separated from You.
O my God and my All,
make me a saint!
Amen
In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit By St Hilary (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church
Father, keep us from vain strife of words.
Grant to us constant profession of the Truth!
Preserve us in a true and undefiled faith
so that we may hold fast to that
which we professed when we were baptised
in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
that we may have Thee for our Father,
that we may abide in Thy Son
and in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 28 July – Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B (and still in the Month of Precious Blood)
Wash Me With Your Precious Blood By St Peter Canisius (1521-1597) Doctor of the Church
See, O merciful God,
what return
I, Your thankless servant,
have made for the innumerable favours
and the wonderful love
You have shown me!
What wrongs I have done,
what good left undone!
Wash away, I beg You,
these faults and stains
with Your precious blood,
most kind Redeemer,
and make up for my poverty
by applying Your merits.
Give me the protection I need,
to amend my life.
I give and surrender myself wholly to You,
and offer You all I possess,
with the prayer,
that You bestow Your grace on me,
so that I may be able to devote and employ
all the thinking power of my mind
and the strength of my body,
in Your holy service,
who are God blessed
forever and ever.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 27 July – Friday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year B
Above All That is Not You Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
O most loving Jesus,
give me this special grace to rest in You
above all created things,
above all health and beauty,
above all glory and honour,
above all dignity and power,
above all knowledge and prudence,
above all riches and talents,
above all joy and gladness,
above all fame and praise,
above all sweetness and consolation,
above all hope and promise,
above all merit and desire,
above all gifts and rewards
that You may give or send –
except Yourself –
above all joy or happiness
that the human mind and heart
can grasp or feel,
above all Angels and Archangels,
above all the heavenly hosts as well,
above all things visible and invisible
and above all that is not You,
my God.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 26 July – The Memorial of Blessed Titus Brandsma O.C.D. (1881-1942) Martyr of the Faith
Prayer Before Jesus Crucified By Blessed Titus Brandsma (1881-1942) Martyr
Dear Lord, when looking up at Thee,
I see Thy loving eyes on me,
Love overflows my humble heart,
Knowing what a faithful friend Thy art.
A cup of sorrow I foresee,
Which I accept for love of Thee,
Thy painful way I wish to go,
The only way to God I know.
My soul is full of peace and light,
Although in pain, this light shines bright.
For here Thou keep to Thou breast.
My longing heart to find there rest.
Leave me here freely all alone,
In cell where never sunlight shone.
Should no one ever speak to me,
This golden silence makes me free!
For though alone, I have no fear,
Never wert Thou, O Lord, so near.
Sweet Jesus, please, abide with me!
My deepest peace I find in Thee.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 25 July – The Memorial of St Christopher (died c 251) One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers
The Fourteen “Auxiliary Saints” or “Holy Helpers” are a group of saints invoked because they have been efficacious in assisting in trials and sufferings. Each saint has a separate feast or memorial day and the group was collectively venerated on 8 August until the 1969 reform of the Roman calendar, when the feast was dropped. These saints were often represented together. Popular devotion to these saints often began in some monastery that held their relics. All of the saints except Giles were martyrs. Devotion to some of the saints, such as St George, St Margaret, St Christopher, St Barbara and St Catherine became so widespread that customs and festivals still are popular today.
The Fourteen Holy Helpers are invoked as a group mainly because of the Black Plague which devastated Europe from 1346 to 1349. Among its symptoms were the black tongue, a parched throat, violent headache, fever and boils on the abdomen. The victims were attacked without warning, robbing them of their reason and killed within a few hours; many died without the last Sacraments. No one was immune and the disease wreaked havoc in villages and family circles. The epidemic appeared incurable. The pious turned to Heaven, begging the intervention of the saints, praying to be spared or cured. Each of these fourteen saints had been efficacious in interceding in some aspect for the stricken during the Black Plague. The dates are the traditional feast days; not all the saints are on the Universal Roman Calendar.
The Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (also Basilika Vierzehnheiligen) is a church located near the town of Bad Staffelstein near Bamberg, in Bavaria, southern Germany. The late Baroque-Rococo basilica, designed by Balthasar Neumann, was constructed between 1743 and 1772.
The altar depicts statues of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.
The Legend of Building the Basilica
On 24 September 1445, Hermann Leicht, the young shepherd of a nearby Franciscan monastery, saw a crying child in a field that belonged to the nearby Cistercian monastery of Langheim . As he bent down to pick up the child, it abruptly disappeared. A short time later, the child reappeared in the same spot. This time, two candles were burning next to it. In June 1446, the Leicht saw the child a third time. This time, the child bore a red cross on its chest and was accompanied by thirteen other children. The child said: “We are the fourteen helpers and wish to erect a chapel here, where we can rest. If you will be our servant, we will be yours!” Shortly after, Leicht saw two burning candles descending to this spot. It is alleged that miraculous healings soon began, through the intervention of the fourteen saints.
The Cistercian brothers to whom the land belonged erected a chapel, which immediately attracted pilgrims. An altar was consecrated as early as 1448. Pilgrimages to the Vierzehnheiligen continue to the present day between May and October.
One of the most famous group depictions of the “Fourteen Saints” is a 1503 altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald for the monastery in Lichtenfels in Upper Franconia, unfortunately, I cannot find a complete image of this, below are Panels one and two.
The “fourteen angels” of the lost children’s prayer in the Composer, Engelbert Humperdinck’s (1854-1921) 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.
I will pray daily, to the Fourteen Holy Helpers, to Pray for us all, for the world is indeed suffering from a ‘Plague’ of a new kind!
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
Morning Prayer to the Holy Spirit By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor
Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
enlighten our minds
to perceive the mysteries
of the universe in relation to eternity.
Spirit of right judgment and courage,
guide us and make us firm
in our baptismal decision
to follow Jesus’ way of love.
Spirit of knowledge and reverence,
help us to see the lasting value
of justice and mercy
in our everyday dealings
with one another.
May we respect life
as we work to solve problems
of family and nation,
economy and ecology.
Spirit of God,
spark our faith, hope and love
into new action each day.
Fill our lives with wonder and awe
in Your presence
which penetrates all creation.
Amen
One Minute Reflection – 23 July – The Memorial of St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373) – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 12:38-42
“…There is something greater than Solomon here.”…Matthew 12:42
REFLECTION – “O Lord, make haste and illumine the night. Say to my soul that nothing happens without You permitting it and that nothing of what You permit, is without comfort.”…St Bridget
PRAYER – “O Jesus, Son of God, You Who were silent in the presence of Your accusers, restrain my tongue until I find what should say and how to say it. Show me the way and make me ready to follow it. It is dangerous to delay, yet perilous to go forward. Answer my petition and show me the way. As the wounded go to the doctor in search of aid, so do I come to You. O Lord, give Your peace to my heart. “(St Bridget). And we ask God our Father that the prayers of St Bridget may serve as an aid as we strive to attain virtue, through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
AnaStpaul 
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