saint – Page 26

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

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

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

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

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.

Blessing of Water in Honor of Saint Willibrord

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.

O loving and sustaining Lord: in honor of Saint Charles Borromeo

1. O loving and sustaining Lord,
A joyful song your people raise
On this, our patron’s festive day
And sing your love in thankful praise.

2. A bishop faithful to your word,
A pastor loving to the sheep,
Charles preached the Gospel truth to all,
And strove th’Apostles’ faith to keep.

3. A lover of the Cath’lic faith,
He worked to build within his see
A knowledge and a love of God
That all in Christ be fully free.

4. His tireless striving for the poor
Was modeled on the Christ, his Lord;
He taught the doubter and the lost
And brought the beggar to his board.

5. All glory, Lord, to you we sing,
And thanks for Charles your bishop bring,
As we the Father now adore
And Holy Spirit, evermore.

Saint Charles Borromeo

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.

Saints Simon & Jude (Thaddeus)

O God, Who through Thy blessed Apostles Simon and Jude, has brought us unto the knowledge of Thy Name, grant us both to celebrate their eternal glory by making progress in virtues and by celebrating their glory to advance in virtue.

Saint Denis and Companions

As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way:
through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments,
tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness,
the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the
weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and
dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet
are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as
punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet
making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Father, you
sent Saint Denis and his companions to preach your glory to the nations, and you
gave them the strength to be steadfast in their sufferings for Christ. Grant
that we may learn from their example to reject the power and wealth of this
world and to brace all earthly trials.

Let us pray for France, the Church’s eldest daughter and for the Archdiocese of Paris as it commemorates the martyrdom of Saint Denis and his companions. We all know that Catholicism is bit sclerotic in France at the moment and Saint Denis’ intercession would be helpful in rectifying the situation.

Saint Bruno

We implore, O Lord, that we may be helped by the intercession of Saint Bruno, Thy Confessor; that we, who grievously offend Thy majesty by our transgressions, may by his merits and intercession obtain pardon of our sins.