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"He is surnamed the seraphic doctor. His devout mother was careful to inspire into him, from the cradle, most ardent sentiments of piety, and to inure him betimes to assiduous practices of self-denial, humility, obedience, and devotion. At twenty-two years of age, he entered into the Order of St. Francis. He referred all his studies to the divine honour, and the sanctification of his own soul, and may be said to have made them a continued prayer. When St. Thomas Aquinas asked him in what books he had learned his sacred science, pointing to his crucifix he said: "This is the source of all my knowledge. I study only Jesus Christ, and him crucified." He prepared himself to receive the holy order of priesthood, by long fasts, humiliations, and fervent prayer. At the age of thirty-five, he was chosen general of his Order. He was afterwards created cardinal, and consecrated bishop of Albano by Pope Gregory X. He assisted at the general council of Lyons, but was taken ill before its conclusion. The Pope himself gave him Extreme Unction. He kept his eyes constantly fixed on a crucifix, till he expired in great tranquillity on the 14th of July, in the year 1274, in the fifth-third year of his age. It was said of him in his funeral panegyric, that "no one ever beheld him, who did not conceive a great esteem and affection for him; for he was gentle, affable, humble, pleasing to all, compassionate, prudent, chaste, and adorned with all virtues."

Pray for all the bishops of Christ's church, that they may follow the spirit of this prelate; pray for all the college of cardinals, of which he was an honorable member; that by exemplary piety they may draw down the blessings of heaven upon them. Pray that you may be faithful in your own station. There is no condition but what has many obligations annexed to it; few are solicitous to consider them all, and fewer still perform them. Heavenly light and grace are necessary for this; reflect on your own wants, and let your prayers be proportioned to them." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother

"ST. ANACLETUS was bishop of Rome, and the third after St. Peter. He governed the Church after St. Clement, nine years and three months, according to the Liberian pontifical, and another very old Vatican manuscript register; but according to some later pontificals, twelve years and three months. The Emperor Trajan raised the third persecution against the Church, while he was in the East, in 107. In those difficult times, St. Anacletus suffered much, and probably laid down his life in testimony of the Christian faith, as he is styled a martyr in very ancient martyrologies. Pray for his present holiness. As he has the care of all, so he ought to have the prayers of all; since the good of the Church very much depends upon the faithful performance of his charge. Pray for all the pastors, and for yourself, that you may never make the enemies of God blaspheme, nor any way bring a scandal on the faith which you profess. How many are averse to the Church, through the ill lives of its members! See that you have no part in this; for so many souls must you answer for, as are discouraged from seeking the truth by your bad example.

"He was born at Florence, and for some time a soldier; but upon showing mercy to the murderer of his brother, God rewarded this his charity in forgiving an enemy, by inspiring him with holy resolutions of changing his life. Entering into a religious house, where he became an example of all virtues, he afterwards instituted a new order, under the rule of St. Benedict, which from the valley where the saint built the first monastery, was called the order of Vallis Umbrosa, or the shady valley. St. John was chosen the first abbot; and, with other religious men who followed him, wholly applied himself to make war against error, and all the practices of simony. In this undertaking, he met with great opposition, and suffered much : but God blessed his endeavours with great success. Being at length exhausted with labour, fasting, watching, prayer, mortification, and old age, he died in the year 1073.

Pray for all the religious of this order, that they may keep up the spirit of their holy founder. Pray for his charity, that you may learn that gospel-lesson of forgiving and loving your enemies. Great blessings are entailed upon it; and so you are to expect pardon of God for your own sins, as you forgive others, who have offended you. But then see that you be sincere in this. It is easy to say that you forgive them; but this must be from your heart; and the charity of your heart must manifest itself in your behaviour, in your words and actions. If you cannot come up to this, remember that your profession of charity is to be suspected as false and counterfeit ; and you cannot have true peace, till you have gained this point. Pray for grace, that you may be no ways wanting in this essential duty. Join likewise your prayers this day for rooting out all practices of simony from among the faithful; they are very provoking to God, who manifested his early anger against them in Simon Magus. Let no kind of temporal advantage influence you in spiritual affairs." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother

"ST. PIUS was a native of Aquileia. He had served the church among the clergy at Rome many years under the Emperors Hadrian and Antoninus Pius, when he succeeded St. Hyginus in the pontifical throne in the year 142. He condemned the heresiarch Valentinus, and rejected Marcion, who came from Pontus to Rome after the death of St Hyginus. He appears to have died by the sword, and thus obtained the crown of martrydom; though some suppose that he is styled a martyr merely on account of the severe conflicts which he sustained. He passed to a better life in the year 157.

Pray for the present bishop of that holy see; that God would assist him for the faithful discharge of all duties. Pray for all pastors and for all the faithful. Pray for yourself, that your life may be answerable to your faith. Pray for all that are out of the church; that God would shew mercy to them, and bring them into the fold of Christ. Study to obtain the spirit of the martyrs; that the love of God and the faith of the life to come may make all that welcome, which may any way help to secure to you the possession of what you desire. How are you to think yourself unhappy under the afflictions of this life, when an humble submission to them is of so great value in the purchase of heaven? Comfort and relieve, as far as you can, such as are persecuted for truth or justice. If you know any, whom the iniquity of men has made miserable, show your compassion; for thus you will oblige God to your assistance, and lay up treasures in heaven. Be not one of those who court such as are in prosperity; but if the world has frowned upon them, then know them not; for this is a baseness of spirit unworthy of a Christian. Let your conduct be regulated by duty, and not by human respects or worldly considerations." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother

St. Felicitas and her Seven Sons

"The seven brothers were the sons of St. Felicitas, a noble pious Christian widow in Rome, who brought them up in the most perfect sentiments and practice of heroic virtue. The mother and sons were apprehended, and brought before Publius, the prefect of Rome. He used the strongest inducements to bring them to sacrifice to the pagan gods; but despairing of overcoming their resolution, the prefect laid the whole process of the examination before the Emperor Antoninus. He, having read the interrogatory, gave orders that they should be condemned to different deaths. One of the brothers was scourged to death; two were beaten with clubs till they expired. Another was thrown headlong down a steep precipice. The three youngest were beheaded; and the same sentence was executed upon the mother four months after.

SS. Rufina and Secunda were sisters, who having consecrated their virginity to God, and resolutely refused all offers of marriage made by their parents, were accused for their faith in Christ; and after many torments of scourges and fire, were beheaded at Rome under Valerian. Pray for all those who are dejected in troubles; that God would give them the patience of the martyrs.

Consider what it is to want comfort; have compassion on those who stand in need of it, and pray for their relief. Humble yourself under your present troubles, and beseech God to sanctify them to you. All your disquiets avail you nothing; but a patient submission may save your soul. Pray for all those who have consecrated their virginity to God, and for those who live in that state in the world. The devil and the world are so much their enemies, and so many snares are before them, that all good Christians have reason to stand on their side. Be ever cautious in making vows; and never do it but with good advice. But if you have obliged yourself, see that you be faithful in the performance." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother

"The Christian Mother: A mother has not done her entire duty when she has trained for the world, and according to the spirit prevailing in the world, her children as honorable citizens. A Roman matron, name Felicitas, has inspired her seven sons with sentiments of the purest Christianity, and the example of this excellent family exercised so great an influence, that many pagans, at the sight thereof, became Christians. The pagan priests denounced her to the emperor Antoninus, and Felicitas and her sons were soon cited to appear before the prefect Publius. No manner of remonstrance, threat, or promise did he refrain from making to each one separately, but all in vain; and when the generous mother beheld the moment of their sentence approaching, she thus addressed her sons: "Look heavenward, my children, behold Jesus Christ stretching forth His arms and battling for your souls!" They were condemned to difference kinds of torture, and martyred at intervals. Felicitas died with the last of her children, four months after the death of the first who had suffered martyrdom. This glorious event occurred in the year 164 of the Christian era.

Moral reflection: A Christian mother should ever keep before her eyes this example, as also that of the mother of the Maccabees, ever "to be admired above measure, and worthy to be remembered by good men." (2 Mach.7.20) Pictorial half hours with the saints by Auguste François Lecanu

A Motherʼs Prayer

O God, grant that one of my sons may become a priest! I myself want to live as a good Christian and want to guide my children always to do what is right, so that I may receive the grace, O God, to be allowed to give you a holy priest!  Amen. Mothers of Lu (Italy)

A Mother’s Prayer for a Seminarian

O Jesus, eternal High Priest, Who hast entrusted to priests the important work of saving souls, and Who has deigned to inspire my child, my own flesh and blood, to strive after the high office of the Priesthood, I pray Thee most fervently to bless and assist him, and to make him more worthy day by day. Give him success and perseverance in his studies and constant growth in virtue and holiness. Help him, O Jesus, overcome all temptations arising from the world, the flesh and the devil, which seek to frustrate his holy vocation. Fill his heart with burning love for God and for souls redeemed by Thy most Precious Blood.

Grant me, O Lord, the unmerited grace one day to behold my own child in priestly garb ascending the holy altar of God, and to receive from his consecrated hands the priestly blessing and the Bread of Life Eternal.

As long as I live, O Jesus, I shall every day offer Thee, through the hands of Mary, the Mother of priests, all my prayers, works and sacrifices, to call down God’s blessing upon the work of priests, and especially upon my son. The Catholic Standard and Times, Volume 61, Number 32, 4 May 1956

St. Lawrence

O Glorious Saint Lawrence, Martyr and Deacon, who, being subjected to the most bitter torments, didst not lose thy faith nor thy constancy in confessing Jesus Christ, obtain in like manner for us such an active and solid faith, that we shall never be ashamed to be true followers of Jesus Christ, and fervent Christians in word and in deed.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

V. Pray for us, O holy Lawrence,

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, the grace to quench the flames of our vices, Thou who didst enable blessed Lawrence to overcome his fiery torments. Through Christ our Lord Amen. The Raccolta, 1957

   "St. Lawrence was a holy deacon at Rome; who, envying the glory of the martyrs, desired to lay down his life for Christ. Pray for this spirit, and beg of God that in all your troubles you may suffer with the patience of a martyr. He was seized by the persecutors, and after many torments, his torn body was laid on a gridiron, where he expired, giving praise and thanks to God. Pray for the love of God, which sweetened all the torments of this martyr. It is for want of this, that your troubles banish all content from your breast. Pray for remedy.

"THIS saint was queen of Portugal; and in the several states of virgin, wife, and widow, was a religious example of humility, charity, piety, and mortification. She was of a most sweet and mild disposition; and from her tender years had no relish for anything, but what was conducive to piety and devotion. Esteeming virtue her only advantage and delight, she abhorred romances and idle entertainments, and was an enemy to all the vanities of the world. Being married to the king of Portugal, she found no temptation to pride in the dazzling splendour of a crown. She was abstemious in her diet, mean in her attire, humble, meek, affable in conversation, and wholly bent upon the service of God in all her actions. Charity to the poor was a distinguishing part of her character. She visited the sick, served them, and dressed their most loathsome sores. She made it her principal study to pay to her husband the most dutiful respect, love, and obedience; and bore his injuries with invincible meekness and patience. After his death, St. Elizabeth consecrated herself to the divine service in the third order of St. Francis; and continued to support a great number of poor people by her alms and protection. In her last sickness, she received the Holy Viaticum on her knees, and shortly after, Extreme Unction; from which time she continued in fervent prayer, often invoking the Blessed Virgin. She appeared overflowing with heavenly joy, and gave up her happy soul to God in the year 1336, of her age sixty-five.

Consider her life, and you will find it the reproach of your own. If you cannot submit to those humiliations which she sought; if you think happiness to be in such vanities as she despised; if you spend in these, what she distributed to the poor; if her solitude, frequent prayer and fasting seem an aggrievance; you have reason to blush at yourself, pray for grace and amend." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother