I Call Upon You, Mother of God By St Bonaventure (1217-1274) – Seraphic Doctor
I shall call upon you, Mother of God
and you will hear me;
your praises will gladden my heart.
I have called to you in trouble
and you have heard me at your throne in heaven.
Take up my cause, Mother,
for I have departed from my innocence;
but because I have hoped in you,
I shall not lose my soul.
To you, Mother, have I pleaded,
after having wandered from God
and I was saved by the power of your intercession.
In you, Mother, I place all my hope
because of your most loving compassion.
Into your hands I entrust my soul and body,
my whole life and the hour of my death.
Intercede for us, Mother of God and Mediatrix,
who have brought salvation to mankind. Amen
Grant me your Spirit, my Beloved Mother By ST LOUIS 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 first of the love of your heart
inflame the lukewarmness of my own heart.
May your virtues take the place of my sins.
May your merits be my enrichment
and make up for all
that 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
Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Mary Excerpt from a prayer by St Augustine (354-430) Doctor gratiae (Doctor of Grace)
Holy Mary, help those who are miserable,
strengthen those who are discouraged,
comfort those who are sorrowful,
pray for your people,
plead for the clergy,
intercede for all women consecrated to God.
May all who venerate you
experience your assistance and protection.
Be ready to aid 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.
Virgin Mary, hear my prayer:
through the Holy Spirit
you became the Mother of Jesus;
from the Holy Spirit may I too have Jesus.
Through the Holy Spirit your flesh conceived Jesus;
through the same Spirit may my soul receive Jesus.
Through the Holy Spirit you were able to know Jesus,
to possess Jesus,
and to bring Him into the world.
Through the Holy Spirit may I too come to know your Jesus.
Imbued with the Spirit,
Mary, you could say:
“I am the handmaid of the Lord,
be it done unto me according to your word”;
in the Holy Spirit,
lowly as I am,
let me proclaim the great truths about Jesus.
In the Spirit you now adore Jesus as Lord
and look on Him as Son;
in the same spirit,
Mary, let me love your Jesus. Amen
I AM A SINNER by ST PASCHAL BAYLON (Memorial today 17 May)
I am a sinner and You
are He who justifies the impious.
I am poor, you are rich in infinite riches.
Give me an increase of faith,
an increase of love,
a complement of all virtues
with which I may serve You and praise You
all my life so that, at last,
I may enjoy You in Heaven.
Amen.
Saint of the Day – 17 May – St Paschal Baylon (1540 (feast of Pentecost) at Torre Hermosa, Aragon, (modern Spain) – 15 May 1592 (feast of Pentecost) at Villa Reale, Spain of natural causes) Franciscan lay brother, Mystic, Contemplate, known as the “Seraph of the Eucharist,” “Saint of the Blessed Sacrament,” “Servant of the Eucharist.”Patron of cooks, shepherds, Eucharistic congresses and organisations (proclaimed by Pope Leo XIII on 28 November 1897), Diocese of Segorbe-Castellón de la Plana, Spain, Obado, Bulacan, Philippines. Attributes – The Eucharist, Monstrance, Franciscan habit.
Today, 17 May marks the Feast Day of Saint Paschal Baylon, mystic, known for his profound devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. While Saint Paschal never became a priest, he is the saint most often thought of in relation to the Holy Eucharist and Pope Leo XIII declared him the patron saint of Eucharistic congresses and associations. He wrote, “There is no more efficacious means than this for nourishing and increasing the piety of the people toward this admirable pledge of love, which is a bond of peace and of unity.” Among all those most devoted to the Eucharist, Paschal Baylon seemed to the Pope to be “the greatest.”
As a youth, Paschal Baylon tended his family’s sheep. He taught himself to read so that he could pray the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin, the popular prayer book of his day. Paschal disciplined himself to endure the harshness and loneliness of a shepherd’s work. And when his sheep trod on others’ vines, he scrupulously paid for the damage out of his own meager resources.
At twenty-one, St Paschal joined the reformed Franciscans of St. Peter of Alcántara at Loreto. As a lay brother, Paschal for many years served as porter and guestmaster with patience and good humor. John Ximenes, his biographer, reports that he was a model friar, always the first at prayer and never once behaving badly in a relationship. “In no single case,” said Ximenes, “do I remember to have noted even the least fault in him, though I lived with him in several of our houses and was his companion on two long journeys.”
Like other saintly doorkeepers Brother André and Solanus Casey, Paschal gained a reputation for miracles.
For example, Martin Crespo once told how the saint freed him from his determination to take vengeance on his father’s murderers:
“One Good Friday there was a lifelike representation of the descent from the cross. Along with everyone else in town, I followed the crucifix borne in triumph through the streets. In a last ditch effort to get me to repent, my friends boxed me in and forced me to endure the preacher’s address. He concluded his eloquent speech in a pathetic peroration, urging me to forgiveness in memory of our Saviour’s passion. His fine discourse left me unmoved and cold.
“Quit tormenting me,” I exclaimed angrily. “It’s no use. I will not forgive them.” Brother Paschal, whom I had not noticed before, stepped forward. He took me by the arm and drew me aside. “My son,” he said, “have you not just now seen a representation of our Lord’s passion?” Then with a glance that penetrated my soul he said: “For the love of Jesus Crucified, my son, forgive them.”
“Yes, Father,” I replied, hanging my head and weeping. “For the love of God I forgive them with all my heart.” I no longer felt the same person. The crowd anxiously awaited the outcome of our mysterious conference. When Paschal announced that I had forgiven my enemies, they burst into applause.”
We remember Paschal Baylon most as the “Saint of the Blessed Sacrament.” Typically he spent as many hours a day as he could worshiping before the Tabernacle. Because of his faithful devotion, the Church has named him Patron of Eucharistic Congresses and conferences. He died in 1592 at the age of fifty-two.
Saint Paschal exhibited an ardent love for Christ and was especially devoted to the Eucharistic Mystery. He traveled from church to church, always on foot, visiting and praying before the Blessed Sacrament, referring to his encounters with “the real presence of Jesus” in these moments. During his prayers, he would often levitate above the floor, so much was his love and zeal for Christ.
Many miracles are attributed to Saint Paschal, including creating fresh-flowing streams by striking the ground, healing, and miraculous charity. Saint Paschal also experienced mystical visions. On one such occasion, while he was out in the fields with his sheep and unable to go to Mass at the nearby monastery, Paschal was waiting for the sound of the Consecration Bell which he always observed in prayer. In his longing to be present at the Holy sacrifice of the Mass, he cried out, “My Master, My adorable Master, Oh that I might see Thee!” Suddenly before him he saw Angels bowed down before a Chalice, with the Blessed Sacrament floating above it. In the Divine Presence of Our Lord, Paschal fell flat on his face and adored God. Then taking courage he gazed upon the beautiful vision.
The “Servant of the Eucharist,” as he was commonly called, died on 17 May Pentecost Sunday, in 1592. His tomb at the Royal Chapel in Villareal, Valencia, Spain immediately became the object of innumerable pilgrimages, even by the king and the nobles of Spain. At his funeral Mass, Saint Paschal’s eyes miraculously opened during the Consecration, adoring the Blessed Sacrament even in death. Since his death, strange occurrences have continued to be reported, known as the “Knocks of St. Paschal.” At first, the knocks came from Paschal’s tomb. Later they came from relics and pictures of the saint. The knocking sound is believed to come as a kind of warning, to let people know that a terrible event was about to take place. It is also said that in Spain and Italy, those who are devoted to Saint Paschal, are warned about their death, days before, so that they may have a chance to receive the Last Sacraments. Beatified by Pope Paul V in 1618, he was Canonised by Pope Alexander VIII on 16 October 1690.
MOST HOLY VIRGIN
ST GERMANUS – 576
(Bishop of Auxerre)
Most Holy Virgin!
Who art the greatest consolation
that I receive from God,
you who are 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
MOST HOLY MARY
St FRANCIS DE SALES (1567-1622)
Doctor caritatis (Doctor of Charity)
Most Holy Mary Virgin Mother of God,
I am unworthy to be your servant.
Yet moved by your motherly care for me
and longing to serve you,
I choose you this day to be my Queen,
my Advocate and my Mother.
I firmly resolve ever
to be devoted to you
and to do what I can to encourage others
to be devoted to you.
My loving Mother,
through the Precious Blood of your Son shed for me,
I beg you to receive me
as your servant forever.
Aid me in my actions
and beg for me the grace
never by thought, word, or deed
to be displeasing in your sight
and that of your most holy Son.
Remember me, dearest Mother,
and do not abandon me at the hour of death. Amen
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is one of the best ways to spend time with Jesus. There is so much noise around us these days. Spending a quiet hour with Jesus in humble adoration will bring many graces and blessings to you. Things that you have never even considered before will now be made present to you. Bad things that would have happened to you will now not happen. Here are some thoughts about what Jesus is asking you during this time. As He told Peter, “Could you not spend one hour with me?”St. Peter Julian Eymard tells us all how to spend an hour in Adoration!
“MY CHILD, you need not know much in order to please Me; only love Me dearly. Speak to Me as you would talk to your mother, if she had taken you in her arms. Have you no one to recommend to Me? Tell Me the names of your relations, of your friends; after each name add what you wish Me to do for them. Ask a great deal: I love generous hearts that forget themselves for others.
TELL ME about the poor whom you want to help, the sick whom you have seen suffer, the sinner whom you would convert, the persons who are alienated from you and whose affections you wish to win back. For all recite a fervent prayer. Remind Me that I have promised to grant every prayer that comes from the heart; and surely the prayers are heartfelt which we say for those whom we love and who love us.
HAVE YOU no favours to ask for yourself’? Write, if you like, a long list of all your wishes of all the needs of your soul–and come and read it to Me. Tell Me simply how self-indulgent you are, how proud, how touchy, how selfish, how cowardly, how idle; ask Me to help you to improve. Poor child! Do not blush! There are in heaven many saints who had the same faults as you; they prayed to Me, and, little by little, they were cured.
DO NOT hesitate to ask for the goods of body and mind–for health, for memory, for success. I can give everything and I always give when the gifts would make souls more holy. What do you want today, My child? Oh, if you knew how I longed to do you good!
HAVE YOU no plans to interest you? Tell Me about them. Do they concern your vocation? What do you think of? What would you like? Are you planning some pleasure for your mother, for your family, for your guardian? What do you wish to do for them?
AND HAVE you no thoughts of zeal for Me? Are you not anxious to do a little good for the souls of your friends, for those whom you love and who, perhaps, forget Me? Tell Me who interests you, what motives urge you, what means you wish to take.
CONFIDE TO Me your failures; I will show you the cause. Whom do you wish to see interested in your work? I am the Master of all hearts, My child and I lead them gently where I please. I will place about you those who are necessary to you; never fear!
HAVE YOU nothing to annoy you? My child, tell Me your annoyances, with every detail. Who has pained you? Who as wounded your self-love? Who has treated you contemptuously? Tell Me all and then say that you forgive and forget; and I will give you My blessing.
DO YOU dread something painful? Is there in your soul a vague fear which seems unreasonable and yet torments you? Trust fully in My providence. I am here, I see everything; I will not leave you.
ARE THERE about you friends who seem less kind than formerly, who neglect you through indifference or forgetfulness, without your having consciously done anything to wound them? Pray for them, and I will restore them to you, if there companionship is good for you.
HAVE YOU no joys to tell Me? Why not confide to Me your pleasures? Tell Me what has happened since yesterday to console you, to make you look happy, to give you joy. An unexpected visit has done you good; a fear has been suddenly dispelled; you have met with unlooked for success; you have received some mark of affection in a letter, a present; some trial has left you stronger than you supposed. All these things, My child, I obtained for you. Why are you not grateful? Why do you not say, “I thank you?” Gratitude draws benefits and the benefactor loves to be reminded of His bounty.
HAVE YOU no promises to make Me? You know I read the very bottom of your heart. Men are deceived but not God; be frank.
ARE YOU resolved to avoid that occasion of sin, to give up the object which leads you astray–not to read that book which excites your imagination; to withdraw your friendship from that person who is irreligious and whose presence disturbs the peace of your soul? Will you go at once and be kind to that companion who annoyed you?
WELL, MY child, go now and resume your daily work. Be silent, be honest, be patient, be charitable, love very much the Blessed Mother of Jesus; and tomorrow bring Me a heart even more devoted and loving. Tomorrow I shall have new favours for you.”
With Ecclesiastical Approval
“I love You Lord Jesus, my love above all things. I repent with my whole heart for having offended You. Never permit me to separate myself from You again, grant that I may love You always and then do with me what You will!”
The Memorare By St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Doctor mellifluus (Mellifluous Doctor)
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 with 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
Mary our Mother! By St Anselm (1033-1109) Doctor magnificus (Magnificent Doctor); Doctor Marianus (Marian Doctor)
Mother of Salvation
Blessed Lady,
you are the Mother of Justification
and of those who are justified;
the Mother of Reconciliation
and of those who are reconciled;
the Mother of Salvation
and of those who are saved.
What a blessed trust,
and what a secure refuge!
The Mother of God is our Mother.
The Mother of the One in whom alone
we hope and whom alone we fear, is our Mother!
The One who partook of our nature,
and by restoring us to life
made us children of His Mother,
invites us by this to proclaim
that we are His brothers and sisters.
Therefore, our Judge is also our Brother.
The Saviour of the world is our Brother.
Our God has become, through Mary, our Brother!
Mother of my God, Lady Mary, Queen of Mercy
By St Alphonsus Ligouri (1696-1787)
Doctor zelantissimus (Most Zealous Doctor)
Mother of my God and my Lady Mary;
as a beggar, all wounded and sore,
presents himself before a great Queen,
so do I present myself before you,
who are Queen of heaven and earth.
From the lofty throne on which you sit,
disdain not, I implore you,
to cast your eyes on me,
a poor sinner.
God has made you so rich
that you might assist the poor,
and has made you Queen of Mercy
in order that you might relieve the miserable.
Behold me then and pity me:
behold me and abandon me not,
until you see me changed
from a sinner into a saint. Amen
Thought for the Day – 10 May – the Memorial of St John of Avila (1499-1569) Doctor of the Church
St Teresa of Ávila, herself a Doctor of the Church, praised John of Ávila for his mastery of elements of the spiritual life. While he remains a little known and quoted figure, one saint celebrated among many, Master Ávila stands before us today as a witness to the need for continual reform, a commitment to reflection and renewal within the Church and for each one of us as followers of Jesus.
He understood that it is only through a spirit-filled engagement with the Word of God and a steadfast commitment to the pursuit of virtue that individual Christians would be able to fulfil the demands of the Gospel. In one of his sermons for Pentecost, John of Ávila asked his hearers, “What effect did the coming of the Holy Ghost have on the Church? What did the Holy Ghost accomplish in the hearts of those believers to whom He came? He gave them life, gave them gifts of infinite value, strengthened them and brought them near perfection.” St John of Ávila, in his life, his teachings and in his legacy, reveals that the Holy Spirit remains at work in the Church and, in this lesser known saint (sadly one who needs to be studied by all) of more than four centuries ago we discover a man, a saint, whose heart burned so purely with the fire of this same Spirit that he remains a light for us today. (BROTHER HENDERSON, O.S.B., is a Benedictine monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey.)
And to help us along the way, that is the only way, the way of the Cross of Christ, perhaps this practical bit of advice left us by St John of Avila, will be of assistance in our spiritual growth. St John of Avila, please pray for us for we all wish to join you as Saint in heaven!
This Doctor and Teacher of our Faith, St John of Avila divides the week into stages of the Passion of Christ:
• Monday think of our Lord’s agony in the garden and what passed in the house of Annas and Caiphas
• Tuesday, of the accusations, the removal from judge to judge, and the flagellation
• Wednesday, of the crowning with thorns and the mockery
• Thursday, of the washing of the feet, and the Blessed Eucharist
• Friday, of the sentence, the carrying of the cross, the crucifixion and death
• Saturday, of the piercing of the side, the taking down from the cross, the burial, and the grief of the Blessed Virgin
• Sunday, of the resurrection and the state of future glory.
Mary, our Mother,
the whole world reveres you
as the holiest shrine of the living God,
for in you the salvation of the world dawned.
The Son of God was pleased
to take human form from you.
You have broken down the wall of hatred,
the barrier between heaven and earth
which was set us by the
disobedience of Adam and Eve.
In you heaven met earth
when divinity and humanity
were joined in one person – the God-Man.
Mother of God,
we sing your praises,
but we must praise you even more.
Our speech is too feeble to honour you as we ought,
for no tongue is eloquent enough
to express your excellence.
Mary, most powerful,
most holy, and worthy of all love.
Your name brings new life,
and the thought of you inspires love
in the hearts of those devoted to you. Amen
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
O Mary, powerful Virgin,
you are the mighty and glorious
protector of the Church;
you are the marvelous help of Christians;
you are terrible as an army in battle array;
you alone have destroyed every heresy
in the whole world.
In the midst of our anguish,
our struggles
and our distress,
defend us from the power of the enemy
and at the hour of our death
receive our souls in paradise. Amen
Most holy Mary,
Virgin of virgins,
shrine of the most Holy Trinity,
joy of the angels,
sure refuge of sinners,
take pity on our sorrows,
mercifully accept our sighs
and appease the wrath
of your most holy Son. Amen
The Athanasian Creed, also known as Pseudo-Athanasian Creed or Quicunque Vult (also Quicumque Vult), is a Christian statement of belief focused on Trinitarian doctrine and Christology. The Latin name of the creed, Quicunque vult, is taken from the opening words, “Whosoever wishes”. The creed has been used by Christian churches since the sixth century. It is the first creed in which the equality of the three persons of the Trinity is explicitly stated. It differs from the Nicene-Constantinopolitan and Apostles’ Creeds in the inclusion of anathemas, or condemnations of those who disagree with the creed (like the original Nicene Creed).
Widely accepted among Western Christians, including the Roman Catholic Church and some Anglican churches, Lutheran churches (it is considered part of Lutheran confessions in the Book of Concord) and ancient, liturgical churches generally, the Athanasian Creed has been used in public worship less and less frequently.
It was designed to distinguish Nicene Christianity from the heresy of Arianism. Liturgically, this Creed was recited at the Sunday Office of Prime in the Western Church; it is not in common use in the Eastern Church. The creed has never gained acceptance in liturgy among Eastern Christians since it was considered as one of many unorthodox fabrications that contained the Filioque clause. Today, the Athanasian Creed is rarely used even in the Western Church. When used, one common practice is to use it once a year on Trinity Sunday.
Prayer to St Joseph the Worker
By St Pope John XXIII
Saint Joseph, guardian of Jesus and chaste husband of Mary,
you passed your life in loving fulfillment of duty.
You supported the holy family of Nazareth with the work of your hands.
Kindly protect those who trustingly come to you.
You know their aspirations, their hardships, their hopes.
They look to you because they know you will understand and protect them.
You too knew trial, labour and weariness.
But amid the worries of material life,
your soul was full of deep peace and sang out in true joy
through intimacy with God’s Son entrusted to you and with Mary,
His tender Mother.
Assure those you protect that they do not labour alone.
Teach them to find Jesus near them
and to watch over Him faithfully as you have done. Amen
Morning Prayer of St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor of the Church
Doctor zelantissimus (Most Zealous Doctor)
My most sweet Lord,
I offer and consecrate to You this morning
all that I am and have:
my senses,
my thoughts,
my affections,
my desires,
my pleasures,
my inclinations,
my liberty.
In a word,
I place my whole body and soul in Your hands.
Our Morning Offering – 28 April – The Memorial of St Louis Marie Grignion de Monfort “Proposed Doctor of the Church” – The cause for his declaration as a Doctor of the Church is now far advanced.
PRAYER TO JESUS
By St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort
Saint Louis de Montfort’s Prayer to Jesus is a reflection of his philosophy of “total consecration to Jesus Christ through Mary.” Although St Louis is perhaps best known for his Mariology and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, his spirituality is founded on the mystery of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and is centred on Christ, as reflected in his collected works God Alone.
As the prayer suggests, St. Louis introduced the key concepts that underlie Roman Catholic Mariology today: that Jesus and Mary are son and mother, redeemer and redeemed and that the path to Jesus is through Mary. Theologically, the prayer reflects the inherent inclusion of Mariology in Christology.[3] This concept was echoed by Pope John Paul II about his reading of Montfort’s works:
“Then I understood that I could not exclude the Lord’s Mother from my life without neglecting the will of God-Trinity.”
LET US PRAY:
O most loving Jesus, deign to let me pour forth my gratitude before You,
for the grace You have bestowed upon me in giving me to Your holy Mother
through the devotion of Holy Bondage, that she may be my advocate
in the presence of Your majesty and my support in my extreme misery.
Alas, O Lord! I am so wretched that without this dear Mother
I should be certainly lost. Yes, Mary is necessary for me at Your side
and everywhere that she may appease Your just wrath,
because I have so often offended You; that she may save me from the eternal
punishment of Your justice, which I deserve; that she may contemplate You,
speak to You, pray to You, approach You and please You;
that she may help me to save my soul and the souls of others;
in short, Mary is necessary for me that I may always do Your holy will
and seek Your greater glory in all things.
Ah, would that I could proclaim throughout the whole world
the mercy that You hast shown to me!
Would that everyone might know I should be already damned,
were it not for Mary!
Would that I might offer worthy thanksgiving for so great a blessing!
Mary is in me.
Oh, what a treasure! Oh, what a consolation!
And shall I not be entirely hers?
Oh, what ingratitude! My dear Saviour, send me death rather than
such a calamity, for I would rather die than live without belonging entirely to Mary.
With St. John the Evangelist at the foot of the Cross,
I have taken her a thousand times for my own and as many times
have given myself to her but if I have not yet done it as You, dear Jesus, wishes,
I now renew this offering as You desire me to renew it.
And if You see in my soul or my body anything that does not belong to this august Princess,
I pray to You to take it and cast it far from me,
for whatever in me does not belong to Mary is unworthy of You.
O Holy Spirit, grant me all these graces.
Plant in my soul the Tree of true Life, which is Mary; cultivate it and tend it
so that it may grow and blossom and bring forth the fruit of life in abundance.
O Holy Spirit, give me great devotion to Mary, Your faithful spouse;
give me great confidence in her maternal heart and an abiding refuge in her mercy,
so that by her You may truly form in me Jesus Christ,
great and mighty, unto the fullness of His perfect age. Amen.
Help us, O Lord, our God
By St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor
Help us, O Lord, our God,
since we cannot flee from the body,
nor the body flee from us.
We must carry it about, because it is bound up with us.
We cannot destroy it; we are forced to preserve it.
But the world surrounds us and assails us
through the five gateways of sense.
Alas! Everywhere we are in conflict,
everywhere darts fly against us,
everywhere there are temptations,
there are snares!
Deliver us, we beseech You, from our enemies;
defend us from all dangers to the soul
and to the body, Lord,
that at length we may come to Your eternal rest,
through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Hold dominion over my heart, O Lord!
Keep it as Your inheritance.
Make Your dwelling in me,
along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Widen in me the cords of Your tabernacle,
even the operations of Your Most Holy Spirit.
For You are my God and I will praise You,
together with the Eternal Father
and your quickening Spirit,
now, henceforth and forever. Amen
Lord, strengthen us!
By St Augustine (354-430)
Doctor of Grace
Blessed are all Your saints, my God and King!
Who have through travail and in peace of soul
all traveled within the ship with You,
the tempestuous sea of mortality and have,
at last, made the desired port of peace and of felicity!
O, cast a gracious eye upon us who are
in our dangerous voyage still!
Remember, succour us in our distress and
think of those who lie exposed to the rough storms
of troubles and temptations!
Strengthen our weakness in Your strength,
that valiantly we may do Your will in this spiritual battle.
Help us against our own negligence,
our cowardice and defend us
from the treachery of our unfaithful hearts.
We are exceedingly frail and indisposed
to every virtuous and gallant undertaking.
Grant, O Lord, that we may bring our vessel safe to shore,
into our desired haven, Lord. Amen
Prayer in front of the Crucifix of San Damiano
Francis used to recite this prayer already in 1205-1206, during the period of his vocational discernment, when he would visit the small abandoned church of San Damiano, where there was a Byzantine Crucifix which is nowadays venerated in the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Assisi.
Most High, glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of my heart
and give me true faith,
certain hope
and perfect charity,
sense and knowledge, Lord,
that I may carry out
Your holy and true command. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 23 April
Octave and Divine Mercy Sunday
DAILY MEDITATION: Kindle the faith of your people and show us Your Mercy!
But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were “no people” but now you are God’s people; you “had not received mercy” but now you have received mercy………………..1 Peter 2:9-10
REFLECTION – “How much the world is in need of the mercy of God today! In every continent, from the depths of human suffering, a cry for mercy seems to rise. In those places where hatred and the thirst for revenge are overwhelming, where war brings suffering and the death of innocents, one needs the grace of mercy to pacify the minds and the hearts and make peace spring forth. In those places where there is less respect for life and human dignity, one needs the merciful love of God, in whose light we see the ineffable value of every single human being. Mercy is needed to ensure that every injustice may find its solution in the splendour of truth. …..As a gift to humanity, which sometimes seems bewildered and overwhelmed by the power of evil, selfishness, and fear, the Risen Lord offers His love that pardons, reconciles, and reopens hearts to love. It is a love that converts hearts and gives peace. How much the world needs to understand and accept Divine Mercy!”…………St John Paul
PRAYER – “Lord, who reveal the Father’s love by Your death and Resurrection, we believe in You and confidently repeat to You today: Jesus, I trust in You, have mercy upon us and upon the whole world. Amen.” – St John Paul (During his last journey to Poland in August of 2002) St Adalbert of Prague pray for us!
YOU, WHO ARE RICH IN MERCY
By St Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)
Doctor magnificus (Magnificent Doctor);
Doctor Marianus (Marian Doctor)
My prayer is but a cold affair, Lord,
because my love burns with so small a flame
but You, Who are rich in mercy
will not mete out to them Your gifts
according to the dullness of my zeal
but as Your kindness is above all human love
so let your eagerness to hear me
be greater than the feeling in my prayers.
Do this for them and with them, Lord,
so that they may speed according to Your will
and thus ruled and protected by You,
always and everywhere,
may they come at last to glory and eternal rest,
through You who are the living and reigning God,
through all ages. Amen
O Father, most merciful, Who,
in the beginning, created us;
Who, by the Passion of Your only begotten Son,
created us anew.
Work in us now, we beseech You, both to will
and to do your good pleasure!
And because we are weak
and can do no good thing on our own,
grant us Your grace.
Grant us your heavenly benediction,
that in whatever work we undertake
we may do all to Your honour and Your glory;
that being kept from sin,
daily increasing in good works,
so long as we live in the body,
we may always give service to You –
and after our departure,
we may receive pardon for all our sins,
attaining life eternal: through Him who,
with You and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns,
God, forevermore. Amen.
PRAYER FOR THE GRACE OF LOVE By St Anselm of Canterbury
We love You, O God
and desire to love You more and more.
Grant that we may love You as we wish to love You
and as we should love You. O dearest Friend
who has loved us so deeply and redeemed us;
come and take Your place in our hearts.
Watch over our lips, our steps and our deeds
and we no longer fear for soul and body.
Yes, give us love, most precious of gifts,
which knows no enemies.
Give our hearts that pure love
borne of Your love for us,
that we may love others as You love us.
O most loving Father of Jesus Christ
from whom all love flows,
grant that our hearts, frozen in sin
and grown cold toward You,
may be warmed in the divine glow.
Help and bless us in Your Son. O blessed Lord,
You have commanded us to love one another,
give us the grace that, as we have received
Your unmerited favours,
we may love all persons in You and for You.
We implore your clemency for all people
but particularly for our friends whom You have given us.
Love them, Source of Love and instill in them
a thorough love of Yourself,
that they may seek, utter and do nothing
save what is pleasing to You. Amen
I beg of you, O Lord,
by this most holy mystery of Your Body and Blood,
with which You daily nourish us in Your Church,
that we may be cleansed and sanctified
and made sharers in Your divinity.
Grant to me Your holy virtues, which will enable
me to approach Your altar with a clean conscience,
so that this heavenly Sacrament may be a means
of salvation and life to me, for You Yourself have said:
“I am the living bread that has come down from heaven.
If anyone eat of this bread, he shall live forever
and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
Most Sweet Bread, heal my heart, that I may taste the sweetness
of Your love. Heal it from all weakness, that I may enjoy
no sweetness but You. Most pure Bread, containing
every delight which ever refreshes us, may my heart
consume You and may my soul be filled with Your sweetness.
Holy Bread, living Bread, perfect Bread, that has come down
from heaven to give life to the world,
come into my heart and cleanse me from every stain of body
and soul. Enter into my soul; heal and cleanse me completely.
Be the constant safeguard and salvation of my soul and body.
Guard me from the enemies who lie in wait.
May they flee from the protecting presence
of Your power, so that, armed in soul
and body by You, I may safely reach
Your Kingdom.
There we shall see You, not as now
as in mysteries, but face to face,
when You will deliver the Kingdom to God
the Father and will reign as God over all.
Then You, who with the same God the Father
and the Holy Spirit, live and reign forever,
will satisfy the hunger of my soul perfectly
with Yourself, so that I shall neither hunger
nor thirst again. Amen
AnaStpaul 
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