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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3)

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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3)

Prayer for the Evening

 

Jesus Christ is our Shepherd:

come, let us adore him!

 

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

 

HYMN

 

Th’apostle to the English lands,

Who now among the angels stands,

Saint Gregory, make haste, relieve

And help the people who believe.

 

From riches and from wealth you turned.

The glory of the world you spurned,

That you might follow, being poor,

Prince Jesus, who was poor before.

 

This Christ, High Pontifex, decreed

That you would take his Church’s lead,

And learn Saint Peter’s steps to tread:

The rule of all called in his stead.

 

You wondrously solved riddles deep:

The mystic secrets Scriptures keep,

For Truth himself has taught you these:

The lofty sacred mysteries.

 

O Pontifex, our leader bright,

The Church’s honor and its light,

Through dangers let them all be brought,

The ones you carefully have taught.

 

PSALM 22:24-32

 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,/ because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. (Lk 4:18)

 

Saint Gregory worshiped God in song and in service. What he proclaimed in word at the liturgy, he lived out in hard labor in service of the poor and the ignorant of Rome and the wider world. He was the first to use the title “servant of the servants of God.” Few are called to be pope, but all of us are called to be servants.

 

“You who fear the Lord, give him praise;

all sons of Jacob, give him glory.

Revere him, Israel’s sons.

 

For he has never despised

nor scorned the poverty of the poor.

From him he has not hidden his face,

but he heard the poor man when he cried.”

 

You are my praise in the great assembly.

My vows I will pay before those who fear him.

The poor shall eat and shall have their fill.

They shall praise the Lord, those who seek him.

May their hearts live for ever and ever!

 

All the earth shall remember and return to the Lord,

all families of the nations worship before him

for the kingdom is the Lord’s; he is ruler of the nations.

They shall worship him, all the mighty of the earth;

before him shall bow all who go down to the dust.

 

And my soul shall live for him, my children serve him.

They shall tell of the Lord to generations yet to come,

declare his faithfulness to peoples yet unborn:

“These things the Lord has done.”

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God (1 Peter 5:1-4)

 

So I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed. Tend the flock of God in your midst, [overseeing] not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

 

The greatest among you

must be your servant. (Mt 23:11)

 

CANTICLE OF MARY 

 

God made him master of his house/ and ruler of all he possessed. (cf. Ps 105:21)

 

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

 

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

 

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

 

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

 

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

 

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

 

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

 

Glory to the Father…

 

INTERCESSIONS 

 

Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep. Through the intercession of Saint Gregory, we pray:

 

R/Loving Shepherd, hear us.

 

You have called wise and holy pastors to lead your ­people:

– strengthen our pope in wisdom and holiness. R/

 

You came not to be served but to serve, and to give your life for many:

– strengthen in charity and courage all those whom you have called to live a life of pastoral service.

R/

 

You showed us the way to humble service in Saint Gregory:

– teach us to prefer the way of love to the way of

power. R/

 

(Personal intentions)

 

Our Father….

 

May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, Jesus our Lord, furnish us with all that is good, so that we may do his will. Amen. (cf. Heb 13:20-21)

 

MARIAN ANTIPHON

 

Antiphon for the Feast of the Nativity

of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

8 September

 

With joy let us celebrate the nativity of blessed Mary,

that she may intercede for us

before the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;

vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.

Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes

in hac lacrimarum valle.

 

Eia ergo, advocata nostra,

illos tuos misericordes oculos

ad nos converte.

Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,

nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

 

 

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,

our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

To you do we cry,

poor banished children of Eve.

To you do we send up our sighs,

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, O most gracious advocate,

your eyes of mercy toward us,

and after this our exile

show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

 

V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… Saint of the Day: St. Gregory the Great (THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3)

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AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… Saint of the Day: St. Gregory the Great (THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3)

Patron Saint of Church Musicians. Pope, Monk, and Doctor of the Church (ca. 540-604)

His life

 

Gregory was the prefect of Rome before he was 30. After five years in office he resigned, founded six monasteries on his Sicilian estate, and became a Benedictine monk in his own home at Rome.

 

Ordained a priest, Gregory became one of the pope’s seven deacons, and also served six years in the East as papal representative in Constantinople. He was recalled to become abbot, but at the age of 50 was elected pope by the clergy and people of Rome.

 

Gregory was direct and firm. He removed unworthy priests from office, forbade taking money for many services, emptied the papal treasury to ransom prisoners of the Lombards and to care for persecuted Jews and the victims of plague and famine. He was very concerned about the conversion of England, sending 40 monks from his own monastery. He is known for his reform of the liturgy, and for strengthening respect for doctrine. Whether he was largely responsible for the revision of “Gregorian” chant is disputed.

 

Gregory lived in a time of perpetual strife with invading Lombards and difficult relations with the East. When Rome itself was under attack, he interviewed the Lombard king.

 

His book, Pastoral Care, on the duties and qualities of a bishop, was read for centuries after his death. He described bishops mainly as physicians whose main duties were preaching and the enforcement of discipline. In his own down-to-earth preaching, Gregory was skilled at applying the daily Gospel to the needs of his listeners. Called “the Great,” Gregory has been given a place with Augustine, Ambrose, and Jerome, as one of the four key doctors of the Western Church.

 

An Anglican historian has written: “It is impossible to conceive what would have been the confusion, the lawlessness, the chaotic state of the Middle Ages without the medieval papacy; and of the medieval papacy, the real father is Gregory the Great.”

 

Gregory was content to be a monk, but he willingly served the Church in other ways when asked. He sacrificed his own preferences in many ways, especially when he was called to be Bishop of Rome. Once he was called to public service, Gregory gave his considerable energies completely to this work. Gregory’s description of bishops as physicians fits in well with Pope Francis’ description of the Church as a “field hospital.”

 

For prayer and reflection

 

“Blessed Gregory, raised upon the throne of Peter,
sought always the beauty of the Lord
and lived in celebration of that love.”—Entrance Antiphon for the Mass for the Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great

 

Vocations

 

To learn about the life and prayer of the Benedictine monks of St. Gregory’s Abbey (Shawnee, Oklahoma), visit: https://monksok.org/

 

Prayer

 

O God, who care for your people with gentleness

and rule them in love,

through the intercession of Pope Saint Gregory,

endow, we pray, with a spirit of wisdom

those to whom you have given authority to govern,

that the flourishing of a holy flock

may become the eternal joy of the shepherds.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3)

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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3)

Saint Gregory the Great

Prayer for the Morning

 

Jesus Christ is the power of God

and the wisdom of God:

come, let us adore him!

 

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

 

HYMN

 

The Molder of the turning world

Whose pow’r no mortal mind can know

Dispelling chaos holds apart

The swirling waters’ massive flow.

 

The sky is fashioned for the clouds,

The earth is veined in myriad streams,

To staunch the sun’s corrosive heat

And cool the harshness of her flames.

 

Good Father, send in time of need

The calming gift of silent grace,

Lest in our hearts deceit should tear

The quiet fabric of your peace.

 

In this great darkness make our faith

A light to be our constant guide

That we may choose the narrow way

And not the way of wounded pride.

 

CANTICLE OF SIRACH 14:20; 15:3-6

 

Jesus said, “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” (cf. Mt 7:24)

 

Saint Gregory the Great prayed, lived, and taught the wisdom of God’s Word. On that rock he sought to build up the faith of the Church, which he served through his labors as pope.

 

Happy the man who meditates on wisdom,

and reflects on knowledge.

 

She will nourish him with the bread of understanding,

and give him the water of learning to drink.

 

He will lean upon her and not fall,

he will trust in her and not be put to shame.

 

She will exalt him above his fellows;

in the assembly she will make him eloquent.

 

Joy and gladness he will find,

an everlasting name inherit.

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God (Sirach 45:7, 17)

 

[God] made him perpetual in his office/ when he bestowed on him the priesthood of his people;/ He established him in honor/ and crowned him with lofty majesty./ He gave to him his laws,/ and authority to ­prescribe and to judge:/ To teach the precepts to his ­people,/ and the ritual to the descendants of Israel.

 

He was filled with the spirit of understanding.

(cf. Sir 39:6)

 

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH 

 

He poured forth his words of wisdom/ and in prayer gave thanks to the Lord,/ Who directed his knowledge and his counsel. (cf. Sir 39:6-7)

 

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

 

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

 

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

 

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

 

You, my child, shall be called the prophet

of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

 

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

 

Glory to the Father…

 

INTERCESSIONS

 

Let us pray to Jesus Christ, God’s Wisdom and Word, through the intercession of Saint Gregory:

 

R/Let your Spirit come to us.

 

O Wisdom of God, through you all things were made:

– remake the human race in God’s own image. R/

 

O Wisdom of God, you are the truth by which we live:

– pour out upon us all the gift of true discernment. R/

 

O Wisdom of God, you speak through all the wise:

– make wise all those who study, preach, and teach your Word. R/

 

O Wisdom of God, you inspire all good works:

– lead in faithful labor all those who labor in your

name. R/

 

(Personal intentions)

 

Our Father….

 

God our Father, you inspired in Saint Gregory an ­abiding love for word and worship. Through his intercession, continue to nourish your people from this fountain of life, which rises from the heart of Jesus Christ, our Rock, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Mary’s intercession is especially fertile in her role as Our Lady of the Milk

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Mary’s intercession is especially fertile in her role as Our Lady of the Milk

A priest makes a pilgrimage to a Florida shrine, and finds evidence of prayers answered, and even miracles.

 

Ever since my college days at Conception Seminary in Missouri, I have been mesmerized by the Nursing Madonna. In the Madonna Collection housed at the Abbey, one statue prominently displayed the Child Jesus nursing at his mother’s breast.

 

It was an unusual, and at first startling, image to me, but over time, as I passed by the statue on my way to the library, it inspired me to contemplate Mary’s role as both mother and nurturer. When I went to the Holy Land in 2014 with Mundelein Seminary, the story of the Milk Grotto in Bethlehem captivated me, especially the evidence presented of thousands upon thousands of children whose conception and birth were a direct answer to prayers offered there. I’ve sought to promote devotion to the Milk Grotto and share the image ever since, and believe I’ve witnessed miracles in the lives of families who come in touch with the Madonna of the Milk Grotto. 

On a recent visit to Florida, my bucket list included a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Milk (La Leche) in St. Augustine.

 

Because of the singular graces associated with the La Leche shrine, I made a point, before the pilgrimage, of inviting people on social media to message me with the intentions of those they might know who were struggling with infertility. I was very quickly flooded with requests, by email or message. Locals from my parishes began texting me, and people from all over the world requested prayers for family members, co-workers and friends or for themselves, often sharing in depth about their struggles. My heart was profoundly touched by all who responded, and while I prayed for them at the Shrine, I am resolved to continue those prayers throughout 2018, especially through the intercession of Our Lady of the Milk.

 

Mary’s fertile prayers

Stories abound from the Grotto in the Holy Land, and the shrine in St. Augustine, about children born to parents who had struggled for years to conceive or had been told there was no hope. 

During my brief time at the Shrine, I met one couple, Ron and Christy, who brought their two children — affectionately referred to as their “La Leche children.” Their pilgrimage was one of thanksgiving, fulfilling the promise they made to the Virgin. Struggling to conceive, the couple began praying daily the prayer to Our Lady of the Milk, often together on their commute to work, and other times by themselves. After a visit to the Shrine, and their commitment to pray daily, their prayer was answered. God has now blessed them with two beautiful girls.

 

Ron and Christy’s story is not unique, though. Many couples have similar stories, making return visits to give thanks for the grace of pregnancy.

 

Why do Mary’s prayers facilitate such a grace for couples? Perhaps Mary’s life provides the answer.

 

According to some traditions, Mary’s parents Joachim and Anne were themselves struggling to conceive. They turned to God in prayer, and in time, that prayer was answered by Mary’s nativity. Not only did God hear their prayer, he did something even more extraordinary: God chose to preserve her, from the very first moments of her existence, from original sin. In her conception, she was immaculate.

 

Eventually Mary became betrothed to Joseph, and some traditions hold she took a vow of virginity. That didn’t prevent God from asking her to do something extraordinary—to become the mother of God. By the power of the Holy Spirit, miraculously the infant Jesus takes life in her womb. Mary experiences the power of God. And if that wasn’t enough, the angel Gabriel tells her that her elderly cousin, who was barren, is also miraculously with child. Over and over again, Mary experienced the miraculous when it came to maternity. 

Perhaps this is why so many who seek her intercession find their prayers answered. And perhaps her heart is further moved by having seen the mourning of mothers whose children were slaughtered by Herod. Mary’s motherhood has known all of the beauty, joy and pain that comes with the role. She understands a mother’s hope, and a mother’s heart.

 

Whatever the reason, countless families give witness to the reality that when they prayed, what they were told was impossible, becomes possible, “for nothing is impossible, with God.”

 

Of course, I’d be remiss not to acknowledge that there are many who make a pilgrimage to the grotto, or the shrine, and earnestly pray, but yet do not conceive. The reality is that God answers prayer, but sometimes differently, and perhaps some are given the grace to become open to adoption, or to foster-parenthood, or something else. While praying at the shrine, couples can experience a sense of Mary’s consoling and comforting love for them. To those who find themselves in this situation, remain faithful, persistent, and persevere in prayer. God is never done with any of us.

 

Praying the Joyful Mysteries

 

Whether your prayers for fertility involve you, or a family member or friend, prayer must always be a component of your quest. The struggle undoubtedly evokes much sorrow, but the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary can be of surprising help. As you pray the five Joyful Mysteries, consider using the following prayer prompts to guide you in praying for yourself or someone you love:

 

The Annunciation – The angel announces a message of great joy, the savior of the world will be born of Mary. Pray for those who await the day of their own announcement that they are with child.

 

The Visitation – John the Baptist leaps in the womb of his mother Elizabeth. Pray that all mothers may know the joy of feeling their child kick in the womb.

 

The Nativity – As the world rejoices in the birth of its savior, may all parents rejoice at the birth of their child and know the joy of seeing their baby’s face for the first time.

 

The Presentation – May all parents have the opportunity to consecrate their child to the Lord.

 

The Finding in the Temple – Pray for all who desire to be parents, that they will have the opportunity to play peek-a-boo and hide-and-seek with their child and be able to learn great truths from them.  For those called to adoption, pray that they may find their child, out there in the world, waiting for them.

 

Prayer to Our Lady of the Milk

 

The following prayer is prayed by devotees of the shrine in St. Augustine, Florida. Consider praying this prayer for someone you know who might be struggling to conceive.

 

Novena Prayer to Our Lady of La Leche

 

Lovely Lady of La Leche, most loving Mother of Jesus, and my mother, listen to my humble prayer.  Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need. To you only, his spotless Virgin Mother, has your Divine Son given to understand the sentiments which fill my soul. Yours was the sacred privilege of being the Mother of the Savior. Intercede with him now, my loving mother, that in accordance with his will (your request here). This I ask, O Lady of La Leche, in the name of your Divine Son, my Lord and Savior. Amen. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you. Our Lady of La Leche, pray for us.

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2)

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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2)

Prayer for the Evening

 

The Shepherd has gone before us into the valley of death and has returned to lead his flock home:
come, let us adore him!

 

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

 

HYMN

 

O bless the Lord, my soul!

His grace to you proclaim!

And all that is within me join

To bless his holy name!

 

O bless the Lord, my soul!

His mercies bear in mind!

Forget not all his benefits!

The Lord to you is kind.

 

He pardons all your sins,

Prolongs your feeble breath;

He heals all your infirmities

And ransoms you from death.

 

He clothes you with his love,

Upholds you with his truth;

And like the eagle he renews

The vigor of your youth.

 

PSALM 37:23-28a, 29-31, 39-40

 

Because of his love and pity/ he redeemed them himself,/ Lifting them and carrying them/ all the days of old. (Is 63:9)

 

The Prophet Isaiah contrasts the idols, who demand to be carried in procession by their followers, with the loving, compassionate God who lifts and carries his people safely through all the dangerous and frightening passages of life. Let us look honestly at what burdens us and what frees us.

 

The Lord guides the steps of a man

and makes safe the path of one he loves.

Though he stumble he shall never fall

for the Lord holds him by the hand.

 

I was young and now I am old,

but I have never seen the just man forsaken

nor his children begging for bread.

All the day he is generous and lends

and his children become a blessing.

 

Then turn away from evil and do good

and you shall have a home for ever;

for the Lord loves justice

and will never forsake his friends.

The just shall inherit the land;

there they shall live for ever.

 

The just man’s mouth utters wisdom

and his lips speak what is right;

the law of his God is in his heart,

his steps shall be saved from stumbling.

 

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord,

their stronghold in time of distress.

The Lord helps them and delivers them

and saves them: for their refuge is in him.

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God (Isaiah 40:10-11)

 

Here comes with power/ the Lord God,/ who rules by his strong arm;/ Here is his reward with him,/ his recompense before him./ Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;/ in his arms he gathers the lambs,/ Carrying them in his bosom,/ and leading the ewes with care.

 

The Lord is my shepherd;/

there is nothing I shall want. (Ps 23:1)

 

CANTICLE OF MARY

 

You saw how the Lord, your God, carried you, as a man carries his child, all along your journey until you arrived at this place. (Dt 1:31)

 

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

 

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

 

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

 

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

 

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

 

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

 

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

 

Glory to the Father…

 

INTERCESSIONS 

 

To Christ our Good Shepherd we pray:

 

R/Hear our cry, our appeal.

 

You came in search of the last, the least, and the lost:

– carry your needy ones to safety. R/

 

You chose the company of the poor, the outcast,

the ­sinner:

– heed the pleading of those who do not know the words of prayer. R/

 

You shielded humanity from the blows of evil by taking them upon yourself:

– defend those who are abused, abandoned, and oppressed. R/

 

You gave your life that all might live:

– raise to new life those who have died. R/

 

(Personal intentions)

 

Our Father….

 

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with us. Amen. (cf. 1 Cor 16:23)

 

MARIAN ANTIPHON

 

Antiphon for the Feast of the Nativity

of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

8 September

 

With joy let us celebrate the nativity of blessed Mary,

that she may intercede for us

before the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;

vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.

Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes

in hac lacrimarum valle.

 

Eia ergo, advocata nostra,

illos tuos misericordes oculos

ad nos converte.

Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,

nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

 

 

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,

our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

To you do we cry,

poor banished children of Eve.

To you do we send up our sighs,

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, O most gracious advocate,

your eyes of mercy toward us,

and after this our exile

show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

 

V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Lost a loved one? Say this Prayer for the Dead

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Lost a loved one? Say this Prayer for the Dead

This Prayer for the Dead (sometimes titled A Prayer for the Deceased) is traditionally attributed to Saint Ignatius of Antioch. Ignatius, the third bishop of Antioch in Syria (Saint Peter was the first bishop) and a disciple of Saint John the Evangelist, was martyred in the Colosseum in Rome by being fed to wild beasts. On his way to Rome from Syria, Saint Ignatius witnessed to the Gospel of Christ in preaching, epistles to Christian communities (including a famous Letter to the Romans and one to Saint Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna and the last of the disciples of the Apostles to meet his death by martyrdom), and the composing of prayers, of which this is reputed to be one.

 

Even if this prayer is of slightly later vintage and merely ascribed to Saint Ignatius, it still shows that Christian prayer for the dead, which implies belief in what would later come to be known as Purgatory, is a very early practice. This is a very beautiful prayer to pray during November, the month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory (and especially on All Souls Day), or at any time that you fulfill the Christian duty of praying for the dead.

 

Prayer for the Dead By Saint Ignatius of Antioch

 

Receive in tranquility and peace,

O Lord, the souls of your servants

who have departed this present life to come to you.

Grant them rest and place them

in the habitations of light,

the abodes of blessed spirits.

Give them the life that will not age,

good things that will not pass away,

delights that have no end,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Amen.

AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… Saint of the Day: The Martyrs of September (WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2)

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AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… Saint of the Day: The Martyrs of September (WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2)

Victims of the French Revolution, Bishops, Priests, and Religious (d. 1792)

Their story

 

+ Following the promulgation of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy in 1790, any cleric or religious who refused to affiliate with the state-sponsored church created in France during the French Revolution was considered an enemy of the Revolution and a traitor.

 

+ Following this decree, hundreds of monasteries and convents were closed or suppressed and many priests and religious went into hiding.

 

+ Hundreds of bishops, priests, and men and women religious were arrested, including the 191 martyrs honored today.

 

+ On the night of September 2, 1792, mobs in Paris heard rumors of a possible mass breakout of those in the prisons. Rising up, the mobs attacked the prisons and massacred more than 1400 men and women in the space of only a few hours. Eyewitness report that the bishops, priests, and brothers housed in four of prisons were treated with extraordinary brutality.

 

+ The Martyrs of September were beatified in 1926.

 

+ Among the martyrs was a De La Salle Christian Brother—Solomon LeClercq—who was canonized by Pope Francis in 2016. To date, he is the only one of the martyrs to be declared a saint.

 

For prayer and reflection

 

“The saints are men and women who enter fully into the mystery of prayer. Men and women who struggle with prayer, letting the Holy Spirit pray and struggle in them. They struggle to the very end, with all their strength, and they triumph, but not by their own efforts: the Lord triumphs in them and with them.”—Pope Francis at the canonization of Saint Solomon LeClercq

 

Spiritual Bonus

 

On this day we also remember Blessed Ingrid of Sweden. Following the death of her husband, she traveled to the Holy Land, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela and eventually became a spiritual student of a noted Dominican preacher and writer. She became the first Dominican nun in Sweden and established the first monastery of Dominican nuns in that country. Blessed Ingrid died in 1282.

 

Prayer

 

Grant a joyful outcome to our prayers,

O Lord, so that we,

who each year devoutly honor

the day of the passion of

the holy Martyrs of September,

may also imitate the constancy of their faith.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

 

(from The Roman Missal: Common of Martyrs—For Several Martyrs)

 

Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.

PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2)

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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2)

Prayer for the Morning

 

Let us praise the Lord for his goodness,

and bless the King of the ages!

 

Glory to the Father…. Alleluia!

 

HYMN

 

Lord of all being, throned afar,

Thy glory flames from sun and star;

Center and soul of every sphere,

Yet to each loving heart how near!

 

Lord of all life, below, above,

Whose light is truth, whose warmth is love,

Before thine ever-blazing throne

We ask no luster of our own.

 

Grant us thy truth to make us free,

And kindling hearts that burn for thee,

Till all thy living altars claim

One holy light, one heavenly flame.

 

CANTICLE OF TOBIT 13:10-11

 

I will make you a light to the nations,/ that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. (Is 49:6)

 

The bright light of the Risen sun, Jesus Christ, shines to all parts of the earth. Let us walk in his light and follow in his way, that, reflecting his brightness, we may enlighten the eyes of the blind with faith and hope.

 

Praise the Lord for his goodness,

and bless the King of the ages,

so that his tent may be rebuilt in you with joy.

 

May he gladden within you all who were captives;

all who were ravaged may he cherish within you

for all generations to come.

 

A bright light will shine to all parts of the earth;

many nations shall come to you from afar,

and the inhabitants of all the limits of the earth,

drawn to you by the name of the Lord God,

bearing in their hands their gifts for the King of heaven.

 

Every generation shall give joyful praise in you,

and shall call you the chosen one,

through all ages forever.

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God (Isaiah 42:6-7)

 

I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice,/ I have grasped you by the hand;/ I formed you, and set you/ as a covenant of the people,/ a light for the nations,/ To open the eyes of the blind,/ to bring out prisoners from confinement,/ and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

 

No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. (Lk 8:16)

 

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

 

My eyes have seen your salvation,/ which you prepared in sight of all the peoples,/ a light for revelation to the Gentiles,/ and glory for your people Israel. (Lk 2:30-32)

 

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

 

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

 

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

 

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

 

You, my child, shall be called the prophet

of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

 

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

 

Glory to the Father…

 

INTERCESSIONS 

 

In joy we pray:

 

R/Lord, draw all people to yourself!

 

Where there is hatred,

– let us sow love. R/

 

Where there is darkness,

– let us bring light. R/

 

Where there is sadness,

– let us bring joy. R/

 

(Personal intentions)

 

Our Father….

 

Lord God of light, you have shone upon our darkness and set us free through the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Grant us the grace to live in the freedom of the children of God, that where we walk this day, we may bring light, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1)

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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1)

Prayer for the Evening

 

We shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land

of the living: come, let us adore!

 

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

 

HYMN

 

For God my spirit longs

Within his courts to come,

While in my heart I hear the songs

That speak to me of home.

 

To him, when life is past,

My song shall still be praise;

Our Sun and Shield while time shall last,

And to eternal days.

 

PSALM 105:1-9

 

Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy. (1 Pt 1:8)

 

Devotion to Christ, who is the face of God’s love made visible to us, is the ideal that makes saints out of ordinary men and women.

 

Give thanks to the Lord, tell his name,

make known his deeds among the peoples.

 

O sing to him, sing his praise;

tell all his wonderful works!

Be proud of his holy name,

let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.

 

Consider the Lord and his strength;

constantly seek his face.

Remember the wonders he has done,

his miracles, the judgments he spoke.

 

O children of Abraham, his servant,

O sons of the Jacob he chose.

He, the Lord, is our God:

his judgments prevail in all the earth.

 

He remembers his covenant for ever,

his promise for a thousand generations,

the covenant he made with Abraham,

the oath he swore to Isaac.

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God (Philippians 3:7, 12)

 

Whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ.

 

It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ [Jesus].

 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! (Phil 4:4)

 

CANTICLE OF MARY

 

When I found him whom my heart loves,/ I took hold of him and would not let him go. (cf. Sg 3:4)

 

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

 

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

 

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

 

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

 

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

 

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

 

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

 

Glory to the Father…

 

INTERCESSIONS

 

The Lord is our love, our joy, and our hope. Let us pray to him:

 

R/We hope in you, O Lord.

 

You have promised to be with us always:

– may we know your presence in all we do. R/

 

You have called us to seek you above all things and in all things:

– may we who seek you, find you. R/

 

You await us in your heavenly dwelling place:

– may we come to dwell with you for ever. R/

 

(Personal intentions)

 

Our Father….

 

May the peace of God that surpasses all understanding guard our hearts in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. (cf. Phil 4:7)

 

MARIAN ANTIPHON

 

Antiphon for the Feast of the Nativity

of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

8 September

 

With joy let us celebrate the nativity of blessed Mary,

that she may intercede for us

before the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;

vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.

Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes

in hac lacrimarum valle.

 

Eia ergo, advocata nostra,

illos tuos misericordes oculos

ad nos converte.

Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,

nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

 

 

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,

our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

To you do we cry,

poor banished children of Eve.

To you do we send up our sighs,

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, O most gracious advocate,

your eyes of mercy toward us,

and after this our exile

show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

 

V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Prayers for September: The Month of Our Lady of Sorrows

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Prayers for September: The Month of Our Lady of Sorrows

Why has the Catholic Church traditionally dedicated the month of September to Our Lady of Sorrows? The answer is simple: The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows falls right in the middle of the month, on September 15. But how was that date chosen? Because the day before, September 14, is the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross.

 

Like many of the lesser-known Marian feasts, the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows is tied to an event in the life of her Son. On September 14, we celebrate the instrument of Christ’s victory over death; and the next day, we remember the suffering of Mary as she stood at the foot of the Cross and witnessed the torture and death of her Son. We are also reminded of Simeon’s words to Mary (Luke 2:34-35) at the Presentation of the Lord—that a sword would pierce her soul.

 

Through these prayers for September, we can unite ourselves to Mary in her sorrow, in the hope that we will one day also share her joy in the triumph of her Son.

 

In Honor of the Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

O most holy and afflicted Virgin! Queen of Martyrs! thou who didst stand motionless beneath the Cross, witnessing the agony of thy expiring Son–through the unceasing sufferings of thy life of sorrow, and the bliss which now more than amply repays thee for thy past trials, look down with a mother’s tenderness and pity on me, who kneel before thee to venerate thy dolors, and place my requests, with filial confidence, in the sanctuary of thy wounded heart; present them, I beseech thee, on my behalf, to Jesus Christ, through the merits of His own most sacred death and passion, together with thy sufferings at the foot of the cross, and through the united efficacy of both obtain the grant of my present petition. To whom shall I resort in my wants and miseries if not to thee, O Mother of Mercy, who, having so deeply drunk of the chalice of thy Son, canst compassionate the woes of those who still sigh in the land of exile? Offer for me to my Savior one drop of the Blood which flowed from His sacred veins, one of the tears which trickled from His divine eyes, one of the sighs which rent His adorable Heart. O refuge of the universe and hope of the whole world, do not reject my humble prayer, but graciously obtain the grant of my petition.

 

In this lengthy but beautiful prayer in honor of the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we present our own sorrows and ask Mary to intercede for us with her Son, so that our request may be granted.

 

The word dolors come from the Latin, and simply means “sorrows”; and filial (also from the Latin) means “of a son or daughter.” So we, as Christians, approach Our Lady of Sorrows with the confidence that we would approach our own mother.

 

To the Mother of Sorrows

 

Most holy Virgin and Mother, whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the Passion of thy divine Son, and who in His glorious Resurrection wast filled with never-ending joy at His triumph; obtain for us who call upon thee, so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy Church and the sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff, as to be found worthy to rejoice with them in the consolation for which we pray, in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

In this prayer to the Mother of Sorrows, we ask Mary to pray for us, so that we may look forward to the joy that comes from remaining faithful witnesses to Christ.

 

Virgin Most Sorrowful

 

 

Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us.

 

In this short prayer or aspiration, we unite our sorrows to those of Our Lady of Sorrows—Mary, the Virgin Most Sorrowful.

 

Mary Most Sorrowful

 

Mary most sorrowful, Mother of Christians, pray for us.

 

This short prayer or aspiration addresses the Blessed Virgin Mary under two important titles: Our Lady of Sorrows, the mother who saw her own Son derided, tortured, and crucified, and Mary, Mother of Christians, because, as the Mother of Christ, she is our spiritual mother, too.

 

To Our Lady of Sorrows

 

 

Our Lady of Sorrows, or Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, is a name used for the Virgin Mary—a title used out of deference to the many painful events in her life. Practices aimed at the Seven Sorrows of Mary are very popular devotions for Catholics, and many prayers and rituals are dedicated to Mary in this form.

 

The seven sorrows refer to seven momentous events in the life of Mary:

 

  1. Simeone, the Holy Man, forecasting the pain that Mary would suffer because Jesus was the Savior
  2. Joseph and Mary fleeing with the infant Jesus in order to escape Herod the King’s threat to the child
  3. Mary and Joseph losing the 12-year-old Jesus for three days until finding him in the temple
  4. Mary witnessing Jesus carrying the cross to Calvary
  5. Mary witnessing the crucifixion of Jesus
  6. Mary receiving the body of Jesus when it is removed from the cross
  7. Mary witnessing the burial of Jesus.

 

The various devotional practices and prayers dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows focuses on the example that Mary sets for maintaining steadfast faith and devotion in the face of almost indescribable heartache and pain. The modern church now celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows every September 15.

 

The Prayer

 

In this prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows, believers call to mind the pain endured both by Christ on the Cross and by Mary as she watched her Son be crucified. In reciting the prayer, we ask for the grace to join in that sorrow, so that we may awaken to what is truly important—not the passing joys of this life, but the lasting joy of eternal life in Heaven.

 

O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion, and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforward all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object.

Honor, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and immaculate Mother of God.

Amen.

 

In this prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows, we call to mind the pain endured both by Christ on the Cross and Mary, as she watched her Son be crucified. We ask for the grace to join in that sorrow, so that we may awaken to what is truly important: Not the passing joys of this life, but the lasting joy of eternal life in Heaven.

 

To the Queen of Martyrs

 

 

Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that every thought of my mind, and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy divine Son Jesus, keep me in His grace, and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in heaven and sing thy glories.

 

In this prayer to Mary, the Queen of Martyrs, we recall the sorrow that she endured watching her only Son die on the Cross. We unite all of our sufferings every day to hers, asking for the grace and strength to endure them for the sake of Christ, as Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, did.

 

Filial comes from the Latin, and it means “of a son or daughter.” So the “filial affection” we offer Mary is our love for her not only as the Mother of God but as our mother, too.

 

Sorrowful Mother Novena

 

 

This traditional Sorrowful Mother Novena is both a meditation on the role that Mary played in our salvation and a plea for her intercession so that we may follow her example in following Christ her Son. Each verse of the novena recalls one event of sorrow in Mary’s life and asks for her intercession so that we may develop a particular virtue. Each verse, too, asks for a particular gift of the Holy Spirit; the seven verses cover all seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

 

V. O God, hasten to my aid.

R. O Lord, make haste to help me.

V. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.

R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

 

1. I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the affliction of thy tender heart at the prophecy of the holy and aged Simeon. Dear Mother, by thy heart so afflicted, obtain for me the virtue of humility and the Gift of the holy Fear of God.

 

Hail Mary…

 

2. I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the anguish of thy most affectionate heart during the flight into Egypt and thy sojourn there. Dear Mother, by thy heart so full of anguish, obtain for me the virtue of generosity, especially toward the poor, and the Gift of Piety.

 

Hail Mary…

 

3. I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in those anxieties which tried thy troubled heart at the loss of thy dear Jesus in the Temple. Dear Mother, by thy heart so full of anguish, obtain for me the virtue of chastity and the Gift of Knowledge.

 

Hail Mary…

 

4. I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the consternation of thy heart at meeting Jesus as He carried His Cross. Dear Mother, by thy heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of patience and the Gift of Fortitude.

 

Hail Mary…

 

5. I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the martyrdom which thy generous heart endured in standing near Jesus in His agony on the Cross. Dear Mother, by thy afflicted heart, obtain for me the virtue of temperance and the Gift of Counsel.

 

Hail Mary…

 

6. I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the wounding of thy compassionate heart, when the side of Jesus was pierced by a lance before His Body was removed from the Cross. Dear Mother, by thy heart thus transfixed, obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity and the Gift of Understanding.

 

Hail Mary…

 

7. I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, for the pangs that wrenched thy most loving heart at the burial of Jesus. Dear Mother, by thy heart sunk in the bitterness of desolation, obtain for me the virtue of diligence and the Gift of Wisdom.

 

Hail Mary…

 

Let us pray.

 

Let intercession be made for us, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, by the throne of Thy mercy, by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Thy bitter Passion, through Thee, O Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns world without end.

 

Amen.

 

This traditional Sorrowful Mother Novena is both a meditation on the role that Mary played in our salvation and a plea for her intercession so that we may follow her example in following Christ her Son.

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