Simple, humble persons can sometimes be powerful in their effect on and work with the people of God. Saint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph was such a man. Giles Mary was loved on the streets of Naples for his goodness born of prayer.
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Saint Apollonia is the patron saint of dentists because her teeth were knocked out by an angry mob. Hardly the way we would wish a dentist to extract our teeth, but Saint Apollonia certainly evidenced great courage in her defiance of those who were attacking Christians.
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Alas! that idol myself is the master-idol we all bow to. Samuel Rutherford The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Proverbs 18:15 The New King James Version Give us Lord, a bit o’sun, A bit o’work, and a bit o’fun; Give us all, in the struggle and […]
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Devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes runs deep in the hearts of the faithful as a sign of God’s care and healing. The mediation of Mary, his mother, is a real consolation to those who suffer any ill.
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Family ties and religious obligations may affect one another, but they are not necessarily opposed. Saint Scholastica’s relationship with her brother Saint Benedict, is a good example.
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An orphan at the age of 15, Saint Jerome Emiliani ran away from home and ran into some trouble. He ended up in prison where he had time to think. After a conversion, Saint Jerome studied for the priesthood and, after his ordination, he worked for abandoned children.
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Almighty and eternal God,
You have, through Jesus Christ,
revealed Your glory to all nations.
We pray You to preserve the works of Your mercy,
that Your Church,
being spread through the whole world,
may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of Your name.
We pray You, who alone are good and holy,
to endow with heavenly knowledge,
sincere zeal,
and sanctity of life our Chief Bishop,
Pope John Paul II, the vicar of our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the government of …
Kidnapped at the age of nine and being too terrified to remember her name, Josephine acquired the name “Bakhit” which means “fortunate one.”
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Lord Jesus, may everything I do begin with You,
continue with Your help,
and be done under Your guidance.
May my sharing in the Mass free me from my sins,
and make me worthy of Your healing.
May I grow in Your Love and Your service,
and become a pleasing offering to You;
and with You to Your Father.
May the mystery I celebrate help me
to reach eternal life with you.
Saint Colette is known as a reformer of the Order of Saint Clare. Known as the Colettine Poor Clares, these nuns follow a more primitive rule of Saint Clare and are known for their austerity.
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Angel of God,
my Guardian dear,
to whom His love
commits me here,
ever this day (or night)
be at my side,
to light and guard,
to rule and guide.
Amen.
One of the four virgin martyrs celebrated in the Catholic calendar of saints, Saint Agatha was arrested during the persecution of Decius in 251. Tortured for her beauty and tempted to violate her chastity, Agatha was eventually martyred.
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The Anima Christi of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: Prayer of the Day for Saturday, January 04, 2025 #Pray
Soul of Jesus,
Sanctify me.
Blood of Jesus,
Wash me,
Passion of Jesus,
Comfort me.
Wounds of Jesus,
Hide me.
Heart of Jesus,
Receive me.
Spirit of Jesus,
Enliven me.
Goodness of Jesus,
Pardon me.
Beauty of Jesus,
Draw me.
Humility of Jesus,
Humble me.
Peace of Jesus,
Pacify me.
Love of Jesus,
Inflame me.
Kingdom of Jesus,
Come to me.
Grace of Jesus,
Replenish me.
Mercy of Jesus,
Pity me. …
Saint Joseph of Leonissa was known for his austerity of life and single-minded commitment to preaching. Arrested and warned to change his ways, Joseph returned to his former behavior and was re-arrested and condemned to die. He escaped, however, and continued a life of preaching.
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Loving Father, I entrust myself to your care this day; guide with wisdom and skill the minds and hands of the medical people who minister in your Name, and grant that every cause of illness be removed, I may be restored to soundness of health and learn to live in more perfect harmony with you and with those around me. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Into your hands, I commend my body and my soul. Amen.
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Dear Angel at my side, my good and loyal friend, you have been with me since the moment I was born. You are my own personal guardian, given me by God as my guide and protector, and you will stay with me till I die. He who created you and me gave me to you as your particular charge. You assisted in great joy at my baptism, when I became part of the Mystical Body of Christ, and was made a member of the household of God and an heir of heaven. You saw the dangers that beset my path, and, if I …
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Popularly known as the saint who protects from ailments of the throat, Saint Blaise was a bishop and martyr of the fourth century. We know little else about him, except that he suffered persecution even after the Edict of Toleration was to have freed the Roman world for worship.
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A devotee placed a candle to the Virgen del Valle as a symbol of prayer in her intercession to god, that her prayer reaches God.
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St. Gerard, who, like the Savior, loved children so tenderly and by your prayers freed many from disease and even death, listen to us who are pleading for our sick child. We thank God for the great gift of our son (daughter) and ask him to restore our child to health if such be his holy will. This favor, we beg of you through your love for all children and mothers. Amen.
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Being an observant Jewish couple, it stands to reason that Mary and Joseph went to the Temple for Mary’s purification—as prescribed by Mosaic Law—40 days after Jesus’ birth. The blessing of candles and the procession of light were added to this feast, giving it the popular name “Candlemas.”
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This stained glass window from Église Sainte-Madeleine, a church in Gramond, France, depicts Saints Victor of Damascus and Paul the Apostle. Though they were not contemporaries, both men have a connection to Damascus. Moreover, legend has it that each were martyred by beheading, hence they are displayed holding swords. Today is the feast of The Conversion of St. Paul and the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in much of Western Christianity.
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Good Morning God!
You are ushering in another day,
untouched and freshly new.
So here I am to ask you, God,
if You’ll renew me too.
Forgive the many errors that I made yesterday
and let me try again dear God
to walk closer in Your way.
But Lord, I am well aware,
I can’t make it on my own.
So take my hand and hold it tight,
for I cannot walk alone.
Saint Ansgar was a Benedictine missionary who spent his life trying to convert northern Europe. It seems for every step he took forward, he ended up taking two backward.
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Under thy patronage, dear Mother, and calling on the mystery of thine Immaculate Conception, I desire to pursue my studies and my literary labors: I hereby solemnly declare that I am giving myself to these studies chiefly to the following end: that I may the better contribute to the glory of God and to the promotion of thy veneration among men. I pray thee, therefore, most loving Mother, who art the Seat of Wisdom, to bless my labors in thy loving-kindness. Moreover I promise with true …
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The Christian teacher should pray before preaching—He will succeed more by piety in prayer than by gifts of oratory. Augustine For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we […]
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Inspired by Saint Francis de Sales, Saint John Bosco founded the Salesians to continue his work among boys. Then, joining forces with Mary Mazzarello, he helped found the Salesian Sisters. All this during a time when established religious communities in Italy were closing their doors.
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O Most Amiable Child Jesus,
You Who said: �Ask and you shall receive,�
graciously hear my petition
and grant me the favor I ask of You,
if it be for Your Greater Honor and Glory
and for the good of my soul.
Amen.
Read MoreBlessed Mary Angela Truszkowska founded the Felician Sisters as a result of a conversion experience she had while convalescing from an illness. At the age of 44 she was forced to resign due to ill health. She lived however, into her ’70s.
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My soul, the happy hour is arrived;
Jesus comes to dwell in my poor heart.
Behold the King of heaven,
thy Redeemer and thy God,
coming to thee;
prepare thyself to receive Him with love;
say to Him with the most ardent desire:
Come, O my Jesus,
come to me:
I desire to receive Thee,
before Thou dost give Thyself to me,
I desire to give Thee my miserable heart;
accept it,
come and take full possession of it.
Come, my God, make haste;
do not delay.
I would wish to …
Christ looks not to the work of praying but to the heart of the prayer. Hugh Latimer The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 29:19 The Revised Standard Version We never test the resources of God until we attempt […]
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Brother Juniper was a simple man who joined Saint Francis in the earliest days of the Order. While Saint Francis praised him and wished he had a “whole forest of such Junipers,” nevertheless, he could be exasperating for his generosity. Even saints can be frustrating.
Read MoreLord, one more day to love you!
Brother Charles de Foucauld
O Jesus, watch over me always, especially today, or I shall betray you like Judas.
St. Philip Neri
Lord, today is the day I begin!
St. Philip Neri
Jesus, shine through me and be so in me
that every person I come in contact with
may feel your presence in my soul.
John Henry Cardinal Newman
My God, send me thy Holy Spirit to teach me what I am and what thou art!
St. John Vianney
May the …
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Saint Thomas Aquinas is well known for his writings, especially the “Summa Theologica.” But he was far more than a philosopher/theologian. He was a devout man who wrote beautiful prayers and hymns. Perhaps the best known is the “Pange Lingua.”
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O my God,
trusting in your promises
and because you are faithful,
powerful and merciful,
I hope, through the merits of Jesus Christ,
for the pardon of my sins,
final perseverance
and the blessed glory of heaven
Saints Timothy and Titus were trusted friends and co-workers with Saint Paul through many of his trials. He eventually set both up as heads of local Churches and encouraged them as would a father. Saint Paul seems to have truly relished their support and friendship.
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Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
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O Master and holy God, who are beyond our understanding: at your word, light came forth out of darkness. In your mercy, you gave us rest through night-long sleep, and raised us up to glorify your goodness and to offer our supplication to You. Now, in your own tender love, accept us who adore You and give thanks to You with all our heart. Grant us all our requests, if they lead to salvation; give us the grace of manifesting that we are children of light and day, and heirs to your eternal reward. …
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Saint Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus was to be the turning point in his spiritual life. There he met Jesus and nothing was the same after that. Thereafter, all his zeal and energy were focused on the spread of the gospel message.
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O God, send forth your Holy Spirit into my heart that I may perceive, into my mind that I may remember, and into my soul that I may meditate. Inspire me to speak with piety, holiness, tenderness and mercy. Teach, guide and direct my thoughts and senses from beginning to end. May your grace ever help and correct me, and may I be strengthened now with wisdom from on high, for the sake of your infinite mercy. Amen.
Saint Anthony of Padua
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Saint Francis de Sales was born into a senatorial family where he was destined to work in government positions of authority. Instead, he felt a call to the priesthood and was ordained for the Diocese of Geneva.
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O Christ Jesus, I am sinful dust and ashes,
but Thou callest to Thee all who labour and are burdened,
that Thou mayest refresh them.
Art not Thou my refuge?
To whom else shall I go?
Thou hast the words of eternal life,
Thou alone canst comfort me in every trouble.
Lord, I am weak and sick,
but Thou art my salvation.
Those who are well need not a physician,
but those who are sick.
Therefore I come to Thee,
my physical and my refuge,
hoping that this …
If you would have easy and sweet access to God in prayer: seek a holy heart, seek a broken heart, seek a humble heart. Robert Leighton Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 1 Timothy 6:6 The English Standard Version Every person I have known who has been truly happy has learned how […]
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Born in Germany, Saint Marianne Cope’s family soon moved to Utica, NY. In 1862 she entered the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis where she served as superior for a number of years.
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O God of goodness and mercy, to Thy fatherly guidance we commend our family, our household and all our belongings. We commit all to Thy love and keeping; do Thou fill this house with Thy blessings even as Thou didst fill the holy House of Nazareth with Thy presence.
Keep far from us, above all else, the blemish of sin, and do Thou alone reign in our midst by Thy law, by Thy most holy love and by the exercise of every Christian virtue. Let each one of us obey Thee, love Thee and set himself …
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Very little is known about Saint Vincent of Zaragossa other than some details about his martyrdom. We know that he was a deacon and that a large devoted following survived his death. Most of what we know comes from the “Acts” of Prudentius.
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Jesus, Master Physician of all times,
Your Divinity did not require a Ph.D.
Eagerly, You resurrected the dead,
Restoring the health of the sick.
Be it physical or spiritual torment,
None were a great obstacle to You:
For Your loving power is omnipotent.
I ask for Your abounding healing love;
Maintain my body and soul vigorous
So I may fulfill my daily functions.
The world will be conquered by You,
All afflictions will be dissipated!
Like other young martyrs, the death of Saint Agnes reminds us that length of years is not a requirement for a holy life. Little is known about Saint Agnes other than that she was a martyr.
Read MoreHeavenly Father,
Thou hast given us the gift of freedom
to love and to follow in Thy ways and commands.
Some parents choose to abuse this freedom
by destroying the gift of life
which Thou hast given to their offspring.
Please forgive those who destroy human life
by aborting their unborn babies.
Give these unborn children the opportunity
to enjoy Thee for all eternity,
if it according to Thy ordinance.
Assist me in being one in solidarity with Thy little ones …
In prayer two things are necessary, faith and humility; by faith we rise up to God, and by humility we lie prostrate on the ground. John Calvin You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. Psalm 145:16 The New International Version Without Christ, not one step; with him, anywhere! David Livingstone […]
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In art, Saint Sebastian is often depicted as standing near or strapped to a pole riddled with arrows. Indeed, he was executed by archers, but didn’t actually die. Later he was beaten to death with clubs. Little else is known about this third century martyr.
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