St. John Neumann

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Blessed Francis X. Seelos, C.S.s.R's connection to St. John Neumann:

After being ordained, he worked for nine years in the parish of St. Philomena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, first as assistant pastor with St. John Neumann, the superior of the Religious Community, and later as Superior himself and for the last three years as pastor. During this time, he was also the Redemptorist Novice Master. With Neumann he also dedicated himself to preaching missions. Regarding their relationship, Seelos said: “He has introduced me to the active life” and, “he has guided me as a spiritual director and confessor.”

Source: Seelos Center

Incorrupt Body of St. John Neumann, C.S.s.R.

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PRAYER FOR HIS INTERCESSION

O Saint John Neumann, your ardent desire of bringing all souls to Christ impelled you to leave home and country; teach us to live worthily in the spirit of our Baptism which makes us all children of the one Heavenly Father and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, the first-born of the family of God.

Obtain for us that complete dedication in the service of the needy, the weak, the afflicted and the abandoned which so characterized your life. Help us to walk perseveringly in the difficult and, at times, painful paths of duty, strengthened by the Body and Blood of our Redeemer and under the watchful protection of Mary our Mother.

May death still find us on the sure road to our Father's House with the light of living Faith in our hearts. Amen.

Prayer source

For those interested in a pilgrimage check out Walk in the footsteps of St. John Neumann & Blessed Francis Seelos. I came across this pilgrimage info on the internet.

St. Paul of the Cross

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"In everything that happens the best thing you can do is abandon yourself to His will." - St. Paul of the Cross

Feast of St. Gregory the Great

Painting by Zurbaran

"Dearly beloved, it is fitting that we should follow Him in our hearts to where we believe He has ascended in His body. Let us flee earthly desires. Let nothing here below delight us who have a Father in heaven.

We must consider very carefully that He who was mild at His ascent will be terrible at His return. He will demand from us with great strictness whatever He has commanded of us with gentleness. Le no one take lightly the time of repentance granted us, let no one neglect to have concern for himself while he can do so, because our Redeemer will come with great strictness in proportion to the great patience e has shown us before the judgment.

Reflect on these things, my friends, constantly turn them over in your minds. The disturbance of things may still be driving your hearts to and fro, but fix the anchor of your hope now in your eternal home.

Establish your mind's attention in the true light. We have heard that the Lord has ascended into Heaven.

Let our belief be the subject of our meditation.

If the weakness of our body still holds us here, let us follow hi by the footsteps of our love.

He who gave us our desire will not fail us, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit God for ever and ever. Amen.

September 2010 Issue of Magnificat, Vol. 12, No.7

Also, be sure to check out Terry's post on Gregoriusfest for God's Consul

Feast of Saint Augustine

Picture Source: Idle Speculations

"Christ held Himself in His hands when He gave His Body to His disciples saying: 'This is My Body.' No one partakes of this Flesh before he has adored it."

- St. Augustine

Quote source.

A beautiful thought from St. Bernard

Shared by Father Vince Inghilterra:

In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your heart. And that you may more surely obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect not to walk in her footsteps. With her for guide, you shall never go astray; while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind, you are safe from deception; while she holds your hand, you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear; if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you shall reach the goal" (St. Bernard).

The Head and the Body - St. John Eudes

A Generation Who Loves: St. Alberto Hurtado

Feast of St. Lawrence

St. Lawrence Giving the Treasures of the Church to the Poor by Bernardo Strozzi
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Martyrdom of St Lawrence by Valentin de Buologne

St Lawrence was a Christian martyr of Spanish birth who died in Rome in 258, one of the most venerated saints since the 4th century. He was ordained deacon by Pope Sixtus II and met his death shortly after the pope's own martyrdom. Tradition has it that the pope, when arrested, instructed Lawrence to give away to the poor the church's treasures, consisting of precious vessels and money, for which, as deacon, he was responsible. No sooner had he done so than Lawrence was ordered by the Roman prefect to surrender them to him, whereupon Lawrence, indicating the poor and sick around him, said, 'Here are the treasures of the Church'. For this he was condemned to be roasted on a gridiron, a torture he underwent with equanimity, merely observing, 'See, I am done enough on one side, now turn me over and cook the other'.

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Prayer to St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

O Generous patron of the Church’s poor, St. Lawrence, pray to the One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit that all the poor of the Church in need in every corner of the world may feel the effect of the love of their brothers and sisters who seek to help them.

Deliver the Church from the greed and envy of the powerful and protect her rights and property so that she may serve the needy in freedom, giving them good things for soul and body.

May we come some day with all those whom we helped on earth to the bright mansions of heaven where we will enjoy the riches of God’s house and the company of the Savior who lives and reigns forever and ever.

Amen

Prayer source: Aid to the Church in Need

"There be Dragons" trailer debuts

Movie about the founder of Opus Dei, St. Josemaria Escrivá.

St. Thomas Aquinas

Terry has a great post on St. Thomas Aquinas and he has a very beautiful work of art for your viewing pleasure. Click here.

On this the Feast Day of St. Josemaria Escrivá: Thoughts on Fr Willie Doyle, by Saint Josemaria Escriva

I recently was directed to this wonderful blog Remembering Father William Doyle, S.J. by the blog's owner. Please check out today's post regarding our saint of the day and Father Doyle.

St. Josemaría Escrivá

Pope St. Gregory VII

Jesuits show where Saint Ignatius died

Feast of San Isidro Labrador (Saint Isidore the Farmer)

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Prayer to Saint Isidore (Farmer) and
Saint Maria de Cabeza (Farm Wife)

O holy Isidore and Maria, continue to intercede for those who work the fields and grow our daily food. Ask our Merciful God to continue to bless their efforts to produce abundant food and fiber.

We ask your prayerful aid in the cultivation of the fields of our hearts. Help us through God’s grace to grow in holiness and accept the grace-filled opportunities God gives to us in our work, our marriages and our everyday lives.

O holy Isidore, intercede with our Lord to send angels to aid us in opening our hearts so that one day, enlightened by God’s wisdom and having grown in God's likeness, we may join you and all the Saints in Heaven.

O Most Holy Trinity, you have created us out of your love. We pray that we will always recognize your presence in all that we are, all that we do, and all that we will become.
Help us realize that your Message of Salvation is found in all of Creation -- the fields, the plants, living water, fresh air, all creatures, love for one another.

We await in joy and hope for the day, O Merciful God, when we will be united with You in your Heavenly Kingdom.

Amen.

Fr. Pat's Place: St. Isidore the Farmer

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Feast of St. Matthias

Today the Church commemorates the Feast of St. Matthias.  He was the man chosen to replace the traitorous Judas.  In his homily this morning Father Paul said that he did not want to take away any honor due to St. Matthias today.  But if Judas had just believed in God's Mercy (His Divine Mercy), we would have been commemorating "St. Judas" and not St. Mattias.

He was reminded of the following poem: 

"For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'" 

- John Greenleaf Whittier
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Feast of St. Louis de Montfort

St. Louis de Montfort is best known for his True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. I hope you will find the following as interesting as I did.

THE WILL OF ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT
St. Louis de Montfort
I, the undersigned, the greatest of sinners, will that my body be buried in the cemetery and my heart under the step of the altar of the Blessed Virgin. I confide to his Lordship the Bishop of La Rochelle and to Father Mulot my small pieces of furniture and my mission books, to be preserved for the use of the four Brothers who joined me in a life of obedience and poverty; namely, Brother Nicholas of Poitiers, Brother Philip of Nantes, Brother Louis of La Rochelle, and Brother Gabriel, who is at present with me, for as long as they continue to renew their annual vows, and for the use of those whom divine Providence will call into the same community of the Holy Spirit. I give all the statues of the Calvary and the cross to the house of the Sisters of the Incurables at Nantes. I have no private money belonging to me, but there are 135 pounds belonging to Nicholas of Poitiers to pay for his keep after he has finished his stay with us.

Fr. Mulot will give the following monies from the common fund: ten crowns to James, if he decides to leave; ten crowns to John, if he also decides to leave; ten crowns to Mathurin, if he decides to leave and not renew the vows of poverty and obedience. If there is anything remaining in the purse, Fr. Mulot will use it like a good father for the Brothers and for himself. As the house at La Rochelle is reverting to its natural heirs, there will only be left for the community of the Holy Spirit the house at Vouvant, which was given to me by Madame de la Brulerie by an agreement, the conditions of which Fr. Mulot must fulfil; and the two pieces of land given by the Lieutenant of Vouvant's wife, and a small house given by a good lady of rank. If there is no possibility of building there, it should be put at the disposal of the Brothers of the community of the Holy Spirit to conduct charity schools.

I give three of my banners to Our Lady of Patience at La Siguinière, and the other four to Our Lady of Victories at La Garnache, and to every parish of Aunis where the Rosary is still being said I give one of the banners of the holy Rosary. I give to Fr. Bouris the six volumes of sermons of La Volpillière, and to Fr. Clisson the four volumes of the "Catechism for Country People." If there is anything owing to the printer, he can be paid from the fund. Should there be anything over, Fr. Vatel must be given what belongs to him, if his Lordship decides that this is right.

This is my Last Will, and I make Fr. Mulot my executor giving him full right to dispose as it seems good to him of the chasubles, chalice and other church and mission articles, for the benefit of the community of the Holy Spirit.

Written during the mission at Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, this 27th day of the month of April, one thousand seven hundred and sixteen. All the pieces of furniture at present at Nantes are for the use of the Brothers who run the school, as long as the school remains there.

Louis Marie de Montfort Grignion

N.F. Rougeou, Dean of Saint-Laurent

F. Triault, priest, curate

Provided courtesy of the Montfort Fathers © All Rights Reserved.

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Feast of St. Blase, Bishop and Martyr

Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr,

may God free you from illness of the throat and from any other sort of ill.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

During his homily this morning, Father Romeo reminded us that we can be cured of diseases of the throat easily with modern medicine and care. What we need to be cured of on this feast day, is the disease of profanity, of gossip, of slander and other offense against God and our neighbor when we use our throats and voice.

Feast of St. John Neumann

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How much I love you, O my Jesus.
I wish to love you with my whole heart;
yet I do not love you enough.
My lack of devotion and my sloth make me anxious.
I have one desire, that of being near you
in the Blessed Sacrament.
You are the sweet bridegroom of my soul.
My Jesus, my love, my all,
gladly would I endure hunger, thirst, heat,
and cold to remain always with you in the
Blessed Sacrament.
Would that in your Eucharistic presence I might
unceasingly weep over my sins.
Take entire possession of me.
To you I consecrate all the powers of my
soul and body, my whole being.
Would that I could infuse into all hearts
a burning love for you.
What great glory would be given to you here on earth,
if every heart were an altar on which every human will were laid in perfect conformity with your will
to be consumed by the fire of your love.

- Saint John Neumann

Magnificat, January 2010

Feast of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez

The other day I posted about humble porters who were very holy and saintly. Today October 30th is the feast day of one of them.

The following is from an article written by another holy man, Father John Hardon, S.J.:

...The first thing that strikes us about St. Alphonsus Rodriguez is the fact that he had an extraordinary devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and specifically under the title of her Immaculate Conception, mind you, this was over 250 years before the Immaculate was defined. He did everything in his power to urge his fellow Jesuits, everyone that he met, to invoke Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and that, by the way, not only more than two centuries before the definition, as you may know, not a few very learned writers not only did not accept Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, but wrote theological treatises denying it, including you know who, St. Thomas Aquinas. You can be embarrassed, Aquinas would be embarrassed now...Read it in its entirety here