Saints: November 2009 Archives

Blessed Frances Siedliska (Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd)

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on November 21, 2009 5:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Come bride of Christ, and receive the crown, which the Lord has prepared for you for ever.

O God, You gave Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd the charism to model her life upon the example of the Holy Family of Nazareth; grant us the grace to imitate her and to inspire Christian families with the desire to lead a life worthy of their vocation for Your greater glory and for the extension of Your kingdom on earth.

The vocation of a professed sister of the Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth (CSFN) is to live the Trinitarian life of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in perfect love. The point of this blog, I might add with enthusiasm. Mother Foundress described the vocation of the sisters as following the hidden life of the Holy Family of Nazareth wherein the love reigned in relationship with God and neighbor. More concretely, Blessed Frances designed this congregation of sisters to live a life of prayer, community living and ministry; the work of the sisters is to witness the life of the Holy Family in the human families of today through the renewal of life known in moral and religious renewal. As a graduate of a CSFN school, I am happy that there is a liturgical memorial to praise God through the intercession of a great Beatus.

I've mentioned the sisters before on this blog (and here, too) and recommend the order to young women.

Blessed James Benefatti

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on November 19, 2009 5:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eternal God, you established Blessed James as a model for your flock and made him renowned for his zeal for peace and for his mercy towards your people. By his prayers and example may we be united in the truth of your word and ever ardent in your divine love.

Saint Mechtild (of Magdeburg)

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on November 19, 2009 5:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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"Then shall I leap into love"

I cannot dance, Lord, unless you lead me.

If you want me to leap with abandon,

You must intone the song.

Then I shall leap into love, From love into knowledge,

From knowledge into enjoyment,

And from enjoyment beyond all human sensations.

There I want to remain, yet want also to circle higher still.

According to some scholars, this Cistercian-Benedictine nun and poet, theologian and mystic was the inspiration of Dante's Divine Comedy. Interesting that her liturgical memorial comes at the end of the liturgical calendar given her visions of heaven, hell and purgatory! Some people register a doubt about her status as a canonized saint in the Church but she is remembered in the Roman Martyrology (2004) and venerated as such by many, including the Cistercian-Benedictines and that's good enough for me. The Martyrology speaks of Saint Mechtild as a woman of exquiste doctrine and humility, and supernatural gifts of mystical contemplation.

The prayer for Saint Mechtild may be found here and her biography here.

Blessed Salome of Krakow and Blessed Cunegunda of Poland

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on November 18, 2009 3:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Almighty God, You called blessed Salome from the cares of earthly rule to the pursuit of perfect charity; and You caused blessed Cunegunda to excel in purity of life and in wondrous charity towards the poor. Grant that through their example and intercession we may serve You with chaste and humble hearts and go forward rejoicing in spirit along the way of charity leading to eternal glory.

Blessed Salome's bio can be read here.

Saint Rose Philippine Duschesne

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on November 18, 2009 6:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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"Go forth to the world and proclaim the Good News!"

Thus sent forth, the Church has, with no time to lose,

Sent missioners brave to the ends of the earth,

That souls thralled in darkness may come to new birth.

With charity filled and heart burning with zeal,

Saint Rose sought to serve God, and sent her appeal,

Which brought her companions who caught her delight

And went to Missouri to spread Jesus' light.

In hardship and hunger, she forged on with strength;

For girls' education, she struggled at length.

And then, when her work and her harvest was nigh,

She turned to the missions for natives nearby.

O praise God the Father, O praise God the Son,

And praise God the Spirit, the great Three-in-One.

We ask through Saint Rose for strong faith, hope, and love,

As we praise the One who is reigning above.

J. Michael Thompson

Copyright © 2009 World Library Publications

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La Vierge Chant, St Denio Foundation

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary

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on November 17, 2009 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Father, You helped Elizabeth of Hungary to recognize and honor Christ in the poor of this world. Let her prayers help us to serve our brothers and sisters in time of trouble and need.

This prayer says it all! How much more encouragement do we need to live the gospel and the sacraments of the Church?

The life of this extraordinary woman is memorialized here.

Saint Gertrude the Great

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on November 16, 2009 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

O Lord, You loved to dwell in the pure heart of Your virgin Gertrude. Through her merits and prayers please wash away the stains from our hearts so that they, too, may become worthy dwelling places for Your divine Majesty.

Even though Saint Gertrude is little known in the US, her optional memorial is observed today; in Germany her feast day is November 17th. Saint Gertrude is one of the few saints with the title "the great" as she is most known for making the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus available to us. She, there is a precursor to Saint Margaret Mary and Saint Faustina. Saint Gertrude also wrote a method of prayer called the Spiritual Exercises. More on Saint Gertrude can be read here and here.

Saint Albert the Great

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on November 15, 2009 5:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The learned will shine like the brilliance of the firmament, and those who train many in the ways of justice will sparkle like the stars for all eternity.

God of truth, you endowed our brother Albert with the gift of combining human wisdom with divine faith. May the pursuit of all human knowledge lead to a greater knowledge and love of you.

Saint Nicholas Tavelic and companions

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on November 14, 2009 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. He is their strength in time of need.

Almighty God, You glorified Saint Nicholas and companions by their zeal in spreading the faith and their crown of martyrdom. Through their prayers and example help us to run the way of Your commandments and to receive the crown of eternal life.

More on Saint Nicholas Tavelic is found here.

Blessed John Liccio

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on November 14, 2009 5:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Loving God, you made Blessed John illustrious by a complete self-denial and the utmost zeal for charity that he might reveal the mystery of your love to the poor. By following his example may we seek to please you and aid our brothers and sisters in Christ.

All Saints of the Benedictine Order

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on November 13, 2009 9:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Blessed shall you be when men hate you, and when they shut you out, and reproach you, and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and exult, for behold your reward is great in heaven.

We beseech Thee, O Lord, grant that the example of the holy Monks [and nuns] may stir us to a better life, so that we may imitate the actions of those whose solemnity we celebrate.

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini: the 1st American citizen canonized a saint

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on November 13, 2009 5:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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God our Father, You called Frances Xavier Cabrini from Italy to serve the immigrants of America. By her example teach us concern for the stranger, the sick, and the frustrated. By her prayers help us to see Christ in all the men and women we meet.

Though born in Lombardy, Mother Cabrini immigrated to the USA with the permission of Pope Leo XIII. She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart to care for the poor children in schools and hospitals, especially the Italian immigrants. Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini is the patroness of immigrants. The Mass prayer (collect) above is a beautiful expression of how theology meets our human reality. Saint Frances Cabrini is buried* here in NYC...pay a visit to her shrine!

* Saint Frances' body is here in NYC but a leg bone is in Chicago and her heart and head are in Rome and her home town.

Saint Theodore of Studis

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on November 12, 2009 5:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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God of all mercy, You transformed Saint Theodore and made him a new creature in Your image. Renew us in the same way by making [of us] gifts of peace acceptable to You.

The great monk from the East! Monastic influence was tremendous especially since he pioneered what is often called urban monasticism.

Saint Martin of Tours

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on November 11, 2009 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The disciples said to blessed Martin: Why, father, do you abandon us? or to whom do you leave us in your desolation? for ravening wolves will rush upon thy flock.

O God, Who sees that we stand not by our own strength; mercifully grant that by the intercession of blessed Martin, Thy Confessor and Bishop, we may be kept from all harm.

Saint Leo the Great

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on November 10, 2009 5:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Eternal Shepherd, graciously guard Thy flock, and through blessed Leo, Thy Supreme Pontiff, whom Thou did appoint pastor of the universal Church, keep it under Thy continual protection.

Blessed John Duns Scotus

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on November 8, 2009 5:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The learned will shine like the brilliance of the firmament, and those who train many in the way of justice will sparkle like the stars for all eternity.

Heavenly Father, You filled John Duns Scotus with wisdom, and through his life and teaching gave us a witness of Your Incarnate love. May we come to understand more deeply what he taught so that we may live in ever growing charity.

Prayer for the Canonization of Blessed John Duns Scotus

O Most High, Almightily and gracious Lord, Who exalts the humble and confounds the proud of heart, grant us the great joy of seeing Blessed John Duns Scotus canonized. He honored Your Son with the most sublime praises; he was the first to successfully defend the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary; he lived in heroic obedience to the Holy Father, to the Church and to the Seraphic Order. O most holy Father, God of infinite love, hear, we beseech You, our humble prayer, thorough the merits of Your Only-Begotten Son and His Mother, the Gate of Heaven and Spouse of the Holy Spirit.

Blessing of Water in Honor of Saint Willibrord

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on November 7, 2009 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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A tradition on the day which the liturgical memorial of Saint Willibrord is celebrated is the blessing of water. As we know, Catholics use the natural world to "hook" on to the supernatural world. That is, the Incarnation of the Word came into human history to hallow creation and for the redemption of the world. The Church sensing this, has organically developed blessings of things and people to lead us into the deeper reality of our faith looking toward salvation. The opening prayer for the Mass of Saint Willibrord may be found here, and ritual for the blessing of water follows.

Saint Willibrord (d. 738) freed a home haunted by an evil spirit through the use of water blessed by him.

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.

R. Who made heaven and earth.

Thou creature water, I purge thee of evil by the living + God, by the holy + God, that thou mayest become a saving remedy for body and soul, through Him Who shall come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire. Amen.

Let us pray.

Bless, + O Lord, this water as a remedy for repulsing the foe of mankind, and send down on it they Holy Spirit, so empowered by heaven it may drive out both sickness and the worst enemy of all, and be a source of health to all who drink thereof. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray.

O Lord Almighty! Bless + this water which thou has granted for mankind's use in washing away all guilt of sin, so that, through invoking upon it thy holy name, it may prove an unfailing and divine remedy whatever it is sprinkled or used for drink. Let this water serve to wash away every impurity, and to bestow by thy beneficence health of body and soul upon all who use it, through Him Who shall come to judge the living and the dead and world of fire. Amen.

Let us pray.

O Lord, the Father Almighty! Bless + this creature of water that it become a saving means for humankind in removing all evil of body and soul and in expelling all harmful influence of the enemy. And grant that, through invoking thy holy name, we may possess in it a safeguard for our corporal and spiritual well-being. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray.

O God, Who has appointed illustrious promoters of the true faith for the various nations; grant, we beseech thee, that all who come seeking the intercession of our holy teacher, Saint Willibrord, may experience the joy of good health here on earth and prosperity and the glory of beatitude in the life to come. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forevermore. Amen.

May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son + and Holy Spirit come upon this water and remain for all time. Amen.

Saint Didacus (Diego) of Alcalá

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on November 7, 2009 5:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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He humbled himself in all things and found favor with God. Great is the power of God; he is glorified by the humble.

Almighty, eternal God, in Your marvelous ordering of things You single out the weak of this world to shame the strong. Grant that by imitating the humility of Saint Didacus here on earth we may be raised up to eternal glory with him in heaven.

The liturgical memorial for Saint Didacus seems to have been moved around through the years for one reason or another. The Roman Martyrology indeed lists him on November 12. However, since I am following the Franciscan supplement to the Roman Missal, today his feast is observed on this blog in communion with the Capuchins.

Saint Didacus is the San Diego, for whom the city in California is named.

Blessed Ignatius Delgado, Francis de Capillas & Alphonsus Navarrete, & companions

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on November 6, 2009 5:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Almighty and merciful God, you filled the hearts of the peoples of the Orient with the knowledge of your only-begotten Son through the preaching of your holy martyrs, Ignatius, Francis, Alphonsus and their companions. Through their prayers may you now confirm those same peoples in the faith.

Blessed Simon Ballachi

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on November 5, 2009 3:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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O God, you called Blessed Simon from a concern for worldly things and gave him the gifts of prayer and humility. By following his example may we learn to seek you alone here on earth and obtain the rewards promised to the humble.

Saint Charles Borromeo

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on November 4, 2009 6:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The Lord led the just in right paths. And showed him the kingdom of God.

We beseech Thee, O Lord, keep Thy Church under the continual protection of Saint Charles Thy Confessor and Bishop; and as his pastoral care made him glorious, so may we through his intercession ever grow in fervor of love for Thee.

On Saint Charles...

I want to keep in our intentions the seminarians of St Joseph's Seminary (Dunwoodie), the all faithful of the Archdiocese of Milan and the Missionary Fraternity of Saint Charles Borromeo and the Franciscan Order, since Saint Charles was a protector of the Order.

Blessed Rupert Mayer

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on November 3, 2009 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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O God, You made Your priest Blessed Rupert a steadfast confessor of the faith and a servant of the poor. Through his intercession, raise up in Your Church fearless heralds of the Gospel and give us all a heart open to the needs of others.

More on the life of Blessed Rupert

Saint Martin de Porres

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on November 3, 2009 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lavishly he gives to the poor; his justice stands firm forever. His head will be raised in glory.

Loving God, you led Saint Martin de Porres to the glory of heaven by the path of humility. May we follow his splendid example and so be raised on high with him.

All Saints, solemnity

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on November 1, 2009 7:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I saw a great multitude which no man could number, out all nations, standing before the throne.

Almighty and everlasting God, Who has given us in one feast to venerate the merits of all Thy Saints, we beseech Thee through the multitude of intercessors, to grant us the desired abundance of Thy mercy.

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