Tag: St Peter Canisius

Lord, you gave Saint Peter Canisius wisdom and courage to defend the Catholic faith. By the help of his prayers may all who seek the truth rejoice in finding you, and may all who believe in you be loyal in professing their faith.

“Have you read you Canisius today,” was the question school kids would ask each other referring to reading the catechetical texts composed by Fr Peter Canisius. His catechetical writings focussed on the Liturgy and the sacraments. The hallmark of Canisius and then his writings was his profound personal friendship with Jesus.

While we don’t use the saint’s catechism today, at least not in the USA, the question remains the pertinent to us –have we studied our catechism today?

Read Pope Benedict XVI’s 2011 brief biography on Canisius can be read here.

“At length, it was as if you [Lord] opened to me the heart in your most sacred body: I seemed to see it directly before my eyes. You told me to drink from this fountain, inviting me, that is, to draw the waters of my salvation from your wellsprings, my Savior. I was most eager that streams of faith, hope and love should flow into me from that source. I was thirsting for poverty, chastity, obedience. I asked to be made wholly clean by you, to be clothed by you, to be made resplendent by you.”

St Peter Canisius, pray for us.