A Prayer

Heart of Jesus, I put my trust in Thee!

St. Patrick

Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort me and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

A Prayer

My dearest Jesus, teach me to be patient, when all the day long my heart is troubled by little, but vexatious crosses. 

St. Louis de Montfort

Mary is the sanctuary and the repose of the Holy Trinity, where God dwells more magnificently and more divinely than any other place in the universe, not excepting His dwelling between the Cherubim and Seraphim.

St. Faustina

Only love has meaning; it raises up our smallest actions into infinity.

Melito of Sardis

The Lord, though he was God, became man. He suffered for the sake of those who suffer, he was bound for those in bonds, condemned for the guilty, buried for those who lie in the grave; but he rose from the dead, and cried aloud: Who will contend with me? Let him confront me. I have freed the condemned, brought the dead back to life, raised men from their graves. Who has anything to say against me? I, he said, am the Christ; I have destroyed death, triumphed over the enemy, trampled hell underfoot, bound the strong one, and taken men up to the heights of heaven: I am the Christ.

Come, then, all you nations of men, receive forgiveness for the sins that defile you. I am your forgiveness. I am the Passover that brings salvation. I am the lamb who was immolated for you. I am your ransom, your life, your resurrection, your light, I am your salvation and your king. I will bring you to the heights of heaven. With my own right hand I will raise you up, and I will show you the eternal Father.

Easter Joy

The Lord is Risen!  Alleluia!  Let us rejoice!  Alleluia!

An Ancient Homily for Holy Saturday

I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated. For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

O Sacred Head Surrounded

O sacred head, surrounded
by crown of piercing thorn!
O bleeding head, so wounded,
reviled and put to scorn!
Our sins have marred the glory
of thy most holy face,
yet angel hosts adore thee
and tremble as they gaze.

John 13:15

After He washed the disciples feet, Jesus said,

"I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do."

Blessed Columba Marmion

Around the Mass, the centre of all our religion, the Church organizes the worship she alone has the right to offer in the name of Christ her Spouse....Throughout the year she distributes the celebration of the mysteries of her Spouse, so that each year her children may live these mysteries over again, render thanks for them to Jesus Christ and His Father, and draw from them the Divine life that these mysteries, first lived by Jesus, have merited for us.

Psalm 37:23-24

It is the Lord who strengthens the steps of man

  and chooses his path.

Even if he trips he will not fall flat,

  for the Lord is holding his hand.

St. Catherine of Sienna

If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!

Matthew 27:50

But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up His spirit.

St. Gregory Nazianzen

If you are a Simon of Cyrene, take up your cross and follow Christ. If you are crucified beside him like one of the thieves, now, like the good thief, acknowledge your God. For your sake, and because of your sin, Christ himself was regarded as a sinner; for his sake, therefore, you must cease to sin. Worship him who was hung on the cross because of you, even if you are hanging there yourself. Derive some benefit from the very shame; purchase salvation with your death. Enter paradise with Jesus, and discover how far you have fallen. Contemplate the glories there, and leave the other scoffing thief to die outside in his blasphemy.

If you are a Joseph of Arimathea, go to the one who ordered his crucifixion, and ask for Christ’s body. Make your own the expiation for the sins of the whole world. If you are a Nicodemus, like the man who worshipped God by night, bring spices and prepare Christ’s body for burial. If you are one of the Marys, or Salome, or Joanna, weep in the early morning. Be the first to see the stone rolled back, and even the angels perhaps, and Jesus himself.

A Night Prayer

Eternal Father,
I desire to rest in Thy Heart this night.
I make the intention of offering to Thee
every beat of my heart,
joining to them as many acts of love and desire.
I pray that even while I am asleep,
I will bring back to Thee souls that offend Thee.
I ask forgiveness for the whole world,
especially for those who know Thee and yet sin.
I offer to Thee my every breath and heartbeat
as a prayer of reparation.

Amen.

Michael Casey

Humility is truth, and truthful living is most aided by a realistic attitude to ourselves and to others...Humility joins us to the rest of the human race.

St. Clare of Assisi

Love God, serve God: everything is in that.

Venerable Bede

And I pray Thee, loving Jesus, that as Thou has graciously given me to drink in with delight the words of Thy knowledge, so Thou wouldst mercifully grant me to attain one day to Thee, the fountain of all wisdom and to appear forever before Thy face. 

Benedict XVI

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

you have given the world its true light, 

Jesus, your Son - the Son of God. 

You abandoned yourself completely 

to God's call and this became a wellspring 

of the goodness which flows forth from him. 

Show us Jesus. Lead us to him. 

Teach us to know and love him, 

so that we too can become capable of true love 

and be fountains of living water 

in the midst of a thirsting world.

Amen.

John Paul II

Before all else, it is Love that judges. God, Who is Love, judges through love.

Gaudium et Spes

The Word of God, through whom all things were made, himself became man and lived in the world of men. As perfect man he has entered into the history of the world, taking it up into himself and bringing it into unity as its head. He reveals to us that God is love, and at the same time teaches us that the fundamental law of human perfection, and therefore of the transformation of the world, is the new commandment of love.

He assures those who have faith in God’s love that the way of love is open to all men, and that the effort to restore universal brotherhood is not in vain. At the same time he warns us that this love is not to be sought after only in great things but also, and above all, in the ordinary circumstances of life.

Pope St. Pius X

The Rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers; it is the prayer that touches most the Heart of the Mother of God…and if you wish peace to reign in your homes, recite the family Rosary.

St. Faustina

I asked the Lord today that He might deign to teach me about the interior life, because of myself I can neither understand nor conceive anything perfectly. The Lord answered me, 'I was your Teacher, I am and I will be; strive to make your heart like unto My humble and gentle heart. Never claim your rights. Bear with great calm and patience everything that befalls you. Do not defend yourself when you are put to shame, though innocent. Let others triumph. Do not stop being good when you notice that your goodness is being abused. I Myself will speak up for you when it is necessary. Be grateful for the smallest of My graces, because your gratitude compels Me to grant you new graces...' 

Benedict XVI

God is not solitude, but perfect communion. For this reason the human person, the image of God, realizes himself or herself in love, which is a sincere gift of self.

St. Leo the Great

In John’s gospel the Lord says: By this love you have for one another, everyone will know you are my disciples. In a letter by John we read: My dear people, let us love one another since love comes from God and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Anyone who fails to love can never have known God, because God is love. 

So the faithful should look into themselves and carefully examine their minds and the impulses of their hearts. If they find some of the fruits of love stored in their hearts then they must not doubt God’s presence within them, but to make themselves more and more able to receive so great a guest they should do more and more works of durable mercy and kindness. After all, if God is love, charity should know no limit, for God himself cannot be confined within limits.

Origen

Atonement comes to you from the east. From the east comes the one whose name is Dayspring, he who is mediator between God and men. You are invited then to look always to the east: it is there that the sun of righteousness rises for you, it is there that the light is always being born for you. You are never to walk in darkness; the great and final day is not to enfold you in darkness. Do not let the night and mist of ignorance steal upon you. So that you may always enjoy the light of knowledge, keep always in the daylight of faith, hold fast always to the light of love and peace.

Sister Briege McKenna

Nothing may seem to be happening while you are at prayer, but the proof of the power of prayer comes later, when you are working or ministering. You realize the inner strength that prayer has given you - as well as the insights and wisdom that you receive later when they are needed.

St. Therese of Lisieux

I have often said to thee, and I repeat it again, forsake and resign thyself, and thou shalt enjoy a great inward peace.

C.S. Lewis

Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.