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8. We adore Thee, Sovereign Lord of the universe, to Whom all knees both in heaven and earth should bend, all reverence be paid! And in order to repair the many blasphemies against thy honor, we offer up to Thee the praises and homage of the Principalities. Eternal praise and thanksgiving be to the Most Holy and Most Divine Sacrament.

O Queen of heaven and earth, hope of mankind, who adores thy Divine Son incessantly! We entreat thee, that, since we have the honor to be of the number of thy children, thou would interest thyself in our behalf and make satisfaction for us, and in our name, to our Eternal Judge, by rendering to Him the duties which we ourselves are incapable of performing. Amen

Source: CAPG

The Journey by Fenwick Lawson, showing the coffin of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne being carried by 6 monks, eventually to Durham, UK.

"What is sloth? Sloth is a kind of cowardice and disgust, which makes us neglect and omit our duties, rather than do violence to ourselves.

Alas, my children, how many slothful people there are on this earth: how many are cowardly, how many are indolent in the service of the good God! We neglect, we omit our duties of piety, just as easily as we should take a glass of wine. We will not do violence to ourselves; we will not put ourselves to any inconvenience. Everything wearies, everything disgusts the slothful man. Prayer, the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which do so much good to pious souls, are a torture to him. He is weary and dissatisfied in church, at the foot of the altar, in the presence of the good God. At first, he feels only dislike and indifference towards everything that is commanded by religion. Soon after, you can no longer speak to him either of Confession or Communion; he has no time to think of those things.

O my children! how miserable we are in losing, in this way, the time that we might so usefully employ in gaining Heaven, in preparing ourselves for eternity! How many moments are lost in doing nothing, or in doing wrong, in listening to the suggestions of the devil, in obeying him! Does not that make us tremble? If one of the lost had only a day or an hour to spend for his salvation, to what profit would he turn it! What haste he would make to save his soul, to reconcile himself with the good God! And we, my children, who have days and years to think of our salvation, to save our souls - we remain there with our arms crossed, like that man spoken of in the Gospel. We neglect, we lose our souls. When death shall come, what shall we have to present to Our Lord? Ah! my children, hear how the good God threatens the idle: "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire. " "Take that unprofitable servant, and cast him out into the exterior darkness, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. "

Idleness is the mother of all vices. Look at the idle; they think of nothing but eating, drinking, and sleeping. They are no longer men, but stupid beasts, giving up to all their passions; they drag themselves through the mire like very swine. They are filthy, both within and without. They feed their soul only upon impure thoughts and desires. They never open their mouth but to slander their neighbor, or to speak immodest words. Their eyes, their ears, are open only to criminal objects. . . .

O my children! that we may resist idleness, let us imitate the saints. Let us watch continually over ourselves; like them, let us be very zealous in fulfilling all our duties; let the devil never find us doing nothing, lest we should yield to temptation. Let us prepare ourselves for a good death, for eternity. Let us not lose our time in lukewarmness, in negligence, in our habitual infidelities. Death is advancing: tomorrow we must, perhaps, quit our relations, our friends. Let us make haste to merit the reward promised in Paradise to the faithful servant in the Gospel!"

Source: The Blessed Curé of Ars in His Catechetical Instructions, Chapter 12, 1951

Prayer for Lent: O Lord who, for our sake, didst fast forty days and forty nights; give us grace to use such abstinence that, our flesh being subdued to the spirit, we may worthily lament and acknowledge our wretchedness, and may obtain perfect remission and forgiveness of Thee, the God of all mercy, who livest and reignest with the Father and Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen

"Envy is a sadness which we feel on account of the good that happens to our neighbor.

Envy my children, follows pride; whoever is envious is proud. See, envy comes to us from Hell; the devils having sinned through pride, sinned also through envy, envying our glory, our happiness. Why do we envy the happiness and the goods of others? Because we are proud; we should like to be the sole possessors of talents, riches, of the esteem and love of all the world! We hate our equals, because they are our equals; our inferiors, from the fear that they may equal us; our superiors, because they are above us. In the same way, my children, that the devil after his fall felt, and still feels, extreme anger at seeing us the heirs of the glory of the good God, so the envious man feels sadness at seeing the spiritual and temporal prosperity of his neighbor.

We walk, my children, in the footsteps of the devil; like him, we are vexed at good, and rejoice at evil. If our neighbor loses anything, if his affairs go wrong, if he is humbled, if he is unfortunate, we are joyful. . . we triumph! The devil, too, is full of joy and triumph when we fall, when he can make us fall as low as himself. What does he gain by it? Nothing. Shall we be richer, because our neighbor is poorer? Shall we be greater, because he is less? Shall we be happier, because he is more unhappy? O my children! How much we are to be pitied for being like this! St. Cyprian said that other evils had limits, but that envy had none. In fact, my children, the envious man invents all sorts of wickedness; he has recourse to evil speaking, to calumny, to cunning, in order to blacken his neighbor; he repeats what he knows, and what he does not know he invents, he exaggerates. . . .

Through the envy of the devil, death entered into the world; and also through envy we kill our neighbor; by dint of malice, of falsehood, we make him lose his reputation, his place. . . . Good Christians, my children, do not do so; they envy no one; they love their neighbor; they rejoice at the good that happens to him, and they weep with him if any misfortune comes upon him. How happy should we be if we were good Christians.

Ah! my children, let us, then, be good Christians and we shall no more envy the good fortune of our neighbor; we shall never speak evil of him; we shall enjoy a sweet peace; our soul will be calm; we shall find paradise on earth."

Source: The Blessed Cure of Ars in His Catechetical Instructions, Chapter 9, 1951

Prayer for Lent: O Lord who, for our sake, didst fast forty days and forty nights; give us grace to use such abstinence that, our flesh being subdued to the spirit, we may worthily lament and acknowledge our wretchedness, and may obtain perfect remission and forgiveness of Thee, the God of all mercy, who livest and reignest with the Father and Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen

"The accomplishment of Prophecies: St. Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem, is one of the greatest prelates that the Church has ever possessed; pious and learned in all sciences human and divine; inflexible in the doctrines of faith, and, for that reason, twice sent into exile; benevolent and charitable beyond measure, abounding with a zeal truly apostolic, such, in brief, was this holy bishop.

His episcopate was marked by two great events, first, the appearance of a luminous cross above Mount Calvary, which was visible to the whole of Judea and Samaria; and next, the accomplishment of the prophecy of Jesus Christ relative to the temple of Jerusalem.

Julian the Apostate, having wished to rebuild it in order to set the Gospel at naught, the Jews were all jubilant and the Christians borne down with dread; but Cyril reassured them, and scoffed at the enterprise. In fact, on the last stone being torn from the foundations, flames burst forth, which trice consumed the separate relays of workmen. The apostate having died, the undertaking was suspended, and since then never has there been a stone upon a stone. St. Cyril died in 386.

Moral reflection: If our faith grow timid, those words of the Divine Master should suffice to calm our disquietude, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not fail." (Matt. XXIV. 35) Source: Pictorial half hours with the saints, by Rev. Fr. Auguste François Lecanu 1865

"Pride is an untrue opinion of ourselves, an untrue idea of what we are not.

The proud man is always disparaging himself, that people may praise him the more. The more the proud man lowers himself, the more he seeks to raise his miserable nothingness. He relates what he has done, and what he has not done; he feeds his imagination with what has been said in praise of him, and seeks by all means for more; he is never satisfied with praise. See, my children, if you only show some little displeasure against a man given up to self-love, he gets angry, and accuses you of ignorance or injustice towards him.

My children, we are in reality only what we are in the eyes of God, and nothing more. Is it not quite clear and evident that we are nothing, that we can do nothing, that we are very miserable? Can we lose sight of our sins, and cease to humble ourselves?

If we were to consider well what we are, humility would be easy to us, and the demon of pride would no longer have any room in our heart. See, our days are like grass; like the grass which now flourishes in the meadows, and will presently be withered; like an ear of corn which is fresh only for a moment, and is parched by the sun. In fact, my children, today we are full of life, full of health; and tomorrow, death will perhaps come to reap us and mow us down, as you reap your corn and mow your meadows... Whatever appears vigorous, whatever shines, whatever is beautiful, is of short duration... The glory of this world, youth, honors, riches, all pass away quickly, as quickly as the flower of grass, as the flower of the field... let us reflect that we shall one day be reduced to dust; ...that we shall be thrown into the fire like dry grass, if we do not fear the good God.

Good Christians know this very well, my children; therefore they do not occupy themselves with their body; they despise the affairs of this world; they consider only their soul and how to unite it to God.

Can we be proud in the face of the examples of lowliness, of humiliations, that our Lord has given us, and is still giving us every day? Jesus Christ came upon earth, became incarnate, was born poor, lived in poverty, died on a gibbet, between two thieves... He instituted an admirable Sacrament, in which He communicates Himself to us under the Eucharistic veil; and in this Sacrament He undergoes the most extraordinary humiliations. Residing continually in our tabernacles, He is deserted, misunderstood by ungrateful men; and yet He continues to love us, to serve us in the Sacrament of the Altar.

O my children! What an example of humiliation does the good Jesus give us!

Behold Him on the Cross to which our sins have fastened Him; Behold Him: He calls us and says to us, "Come to Me, and Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart."

How well the saints understood this invitation, my children! Therefore, they all sought humiliations and sufferings. After their example, then, let us not be afraid of being humbled and despised.

St. John of God, at the beginning of his conversion, counterfeited madness, ran about the streets, and was followed by the populace, who threw stones at him: he always came in covered with mud and with blood. He was shut up as a madman; the most violent remedies were employed to cure him of his pretended illness; and he bore it all in the spirit of penance, and in expiation of his past sins.

The good God, my children, does not require of us extraordinary things. He wills that we should be gentle, humble, and modest; then we shall always be pleasing to Him; we shall be like little children; and He will grant us the grace to come to Him and to enjoy the happiness of the saints."

Source: The Spirit of the Cure d'Ars by Abbe Monnin, p. 232, 1865

Prayer for Lent: O Lord who, for our sake, didst fast forty days and forty nights; give us grace to use such abstinence that, our flesh being subdued to the spirit, we may worthily lament and acknowledge our wretchedness, and may obtain perfect remission and forgiveness of Thee, the God of all mercy, who livest and reignest with the Father and Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen

Saint Patrick, Saint Patrick Catholic Church, Charlotte, NC

Prayer to St. Patrick:

O glorious St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland, who left father and mother, and all earthly things, to bring our forefathers from the valley of sin and the shades of death, to the admirable light of Jesus Christ; intercede with our Divine Lord and Master, "who came to seek the lost sheep" that we may obtain the grace of conversion; that we may receive pardon of our past sins, which we here acknowledge before him, and promise to confess with due disposition to his appointed Ministers, that we never more offend him; but perform His will in all things, during the remainder of our lives, through the merits of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Litany of St. Patrick

Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, Have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father, Creator of Heaven and earth, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Sanctifier of mankind, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, Three Persons in one God, Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
All ye holy Angels, pray for us.
All ye Apostles and Evangelists, pray for us.
All ye holy Saints and Doctors, pray for us.
All ye Bishops and Confessors, pray for us.
St. Patrick, our Apostle and Patron, pray for us.
St. Patrick, vessel of election, pray for us.
St. Patrick, model of Penitents, pray for us. 
St. Patrick, example of mortification, pray for us.
St. Patrick, profoundly humble, pray for us.
St. Patrick, meek and patient, pray for us.
St. Patrick, pure and patient, pray for us.
St. Patrick, pure and chaste, pray for us.
St. Patrick, temperate and abstemious, pray for us.
St. Patrick, zealous pastor of souls, pray for us.
St. Patrick, ardent lover of Jesus and Mary, pray for us.
St. Patrick, true lover of thy neighbor, pray for us.
St. Patrick, example of perfect charity, pray for us.
St. Patrick, glory of Ireland, pray for us.
St. Patrick, our powerful protector, pray for us.
St. Patrick, pillar of Catholicity, pray for us.
St. Patrick, confessor of the faith, pray for us.
St. Patrick, enemy of Satan, pray for us.
St. Patrick, herald of salvation, pray for us.
St. Patrick, our Father in Christ, pray for us.

Lord Jesus, we beseech thee, hear us.
That it would please thee, through the intercession of thy servant Patrick, to make thy name glorious to those who know it not, we beseech thee, hear us.
Thou thou wilt protect our Bishops and Clergy, and all who labor in Thy Holy Church, we beseech thee, hear us.
That thou wilt preserve and increase the Faith in Ireland, and re-establish it in the sister country, we beseech thee, hear us.
That thou vouchsafe to preserve the Pope, and all Ecclesiastical orders in Religion, we beseech thee, hear us.
That thou wilt enlighten all those who are in error and bring them to the knowledge of thy truth, we beseech thee, hear us.
That thou wilt deliver us from all sin, we beseech thee, hear us.
From all intemperance, Deliver us, O Lord.
From all impurity, Deliver us, O Lord.
From all hatred and ill-will, Deliver us, O Lord.
From a sudden and unprovided death, Deliver us, O Lord.
In the day of judgement, Lord, deliver us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Prayer: O God, who hast vouchsafe to send thy Confessor and Bishop, the blessed St. Patrick, to preach thy glory to nations, grant by his merits and intercession, that we may accomplish in thy mercy, what thou commandest to be done; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Source: Loretto's Manual, Ireland, 1852

St. Abraham

"In his youth, his parents importuning him to marry, though he knew not how to contradict them, yet when the appointed time was come, he withdrew from them in disguise, and entering into a solitude, was so charmed with it, that no persuasions could oblige him to quit it. He spent his whole time in adoring and praising God, and imploring his mercy. He possessed no other goods but a cloak and a piece of sackcloth which he wore, and a little vessel out of which he both eat and drank. For fifty years he was never wearied with his austere penance, and holy exercises, and seemed to draw from them every day fresh vigour.

"Prudence shows us what is most pleasing to God, and most useful to the salvation of our soul. We must always choose the most perfect. Two good works present themselves to be done, one in favor of a person we love, the other in favor of a person who has done us some harm; well, we must give the preference to the latter. There is no merit in doing good, when a natural feeling leads us to do it. A lady wishing to have a widow to live with her to take care of, asked St. Athanasius to find her one among his poor. Afterwards meeting the Bishop, she reproached him that he had treated her ill, because this person was too good, and gave her nothing to do by which she could gain heaven; and she begged him to give her another. The saint chose the worst he could find; of a cross, grumbling temper, never satisfied with what was done for her. This is the way we must act, for there is no great merit in doing good to one who values it, who thanks us and is grateful.

There are some persons who think they are never treated well enough; they seem as if they had a right to everything. They are never pleased with what is done for them; they repay everybody with ingratitude... Well! those are the people to whom we should do good by preference. We must be prudent in all our actions, and seek not our own taste, but what is most pleasing to the good God. Suppose you have a franc that you intend to give for a Mass; you see a poor family in distress, in want of bread: it is better to give your money to these wretched people, because the Holy Sacrifice will still be offered; the priest will not fail to say Holy Mass; while these poor people may die of hunger... You would wish to pray to the good God, to pass your whole day in the church; but you think it would be very useful to work for some poor people that you know, who are in great need; that is much more pleasing to God than your day passed before the holy tabernacle.

Temperance is another cardinal virtue; we can be temperate in the use of our imagination, by not letting it gallop as fast as it would wish; we can be temperate with our eyes, temperate with our mouth - some people constantly have something sweet and pleasant in their mouth; we can be temperate with our ears, not allowing them to listen to useless songs and conversation; temperate in smelling - some people perfume themselves to such a degree as to make those about them sick; temperate with the hands - some people are always washing them when it is hot, and handling things that are soft to the touch... In short, we can practice temperance with our whole body, this poor machine, by not letting it run away like a horse without bit of bridle, but checking it and keeping it down. Some people lie buried there, in their beds;... they are glad not to sleep, that they may the better feel how comfortable they are. The saints were not like that. I do not know how we are ever to get where they are...Well! if we are saved, we shall stay infinitely long in purgatory, while they will fly straight to heaven to see the good God.

That great saint, St. Charles Borromeo, had in his apartment a fine cardinal's bed, which everybody saw; but, besides that, there was one which nobody could see, made of bundles of wood; and that was the one he made use of. He never warmed himself; when people came to see him, they remarked that he placed himself so as not to feel the fire. That is what the saints were like. They lived for heaven, and not for earth: They were all heavenly; and as for us, we are all earthly.

Oh, how I like those little mortifications that are seen by nobody, such as rising a quarter of an hour sooner, rising for a little while in the night to pray! but some people think of nothing but sleeping.

There was once a solitary who had built himself a royal palace in the trunk of an oak-tree; he had placed thorns inside of it, and he had fastened three stones over his head, so that when he raised himself of turned over he might feel the stones or the thorns. And we, we think of nothing but finding good beds, that we may sleep at our ease.

We may refrain from warming ourselves; if we are sitting uncomfortably, we need not try to place ourselves better; if we are walking in our garden, we may deprive ourselves of some fruit that we should like; in preparing the food, we need not eat the little bits that offer themselves; we may deprive ourselves of seeing something pretty, which attracts our eyes, especially in the streets of great towns. There is a gentleman who sometimes comes here. He wears two pairs of spectacles, that he may see nothing... But some heads are always in motion, some eyes are always looking about...When we are going along the streets, let us fix our eyes on our Lord Carrying His cross before us; on the Blessed Virgin, who is looking at us; on our guardian angel, who is by our side. How beautiful is the interior life! It unites us with the good God. ...Therefore, when the devil sees a souls that is seeking to attain to it, he tries to turn him aside from it by filling his imagination with a thousand fancies. A good Christian does not listen to that; he goes always forward in perfection, like a fish plunging into the depths of the sea. As for us, alas! We drag ourselves along like a leech in the mud.

There were two saints in the desert, who had sewed thorns into all their clothes; and we seek for nothing but comfort! Yet we wish to go to heaven, but with all our luxuries, without having any annoyance; that is not the way the saints acted. They sought every way of mortifying themselves, and in the midst of all their privations they tasted infinite sweetness. How happy are those who love the good God! They do not lose a single opportunity of doing good; misers employ all the means in their power to increase their treasure; they do the same for the riches of heaven - they are always heaping up... We shall be surprised at the Day of Judgment to see souls so rich!"

Sources: The Spirit of the Cure d'Ars, by Abbe Monnin, p. 106, 1865

Prayer for Lent: O Lord who, for our sake, didst fast forty days and forty nights; give us grace to use such abstinence that, our flesh being subdued to the spirit, we may worthily lament and acknowledge our wretchedness, and may obtain perfect remission and forgiveness of Thee, the God of all mercy, who livest and reignest with the Father and Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen