O sacred Mother of God,
obtain for me perseverance in good works,
performance of good resolutions,
mortification of self-will,
a pious conversation through life,
and, at my last moments,
strong and sincere repentance,
accompanied by such a lively
and attentive presence of mind,
as may enable me to receive the last Sacrament
May 29, 2019
May 28, 2019
Blessed be the mind, the heart, the hand,
That drew this icon fair,
Of beauty unsurpassable, yet sweet,
God's Mother, rapt in prayer.
All pure her face, her hands, her heart unseen,
Chaste, white rapture, as morning glow:
She ponders deep. Her sorrow shows,
She bears the weight of souls on earth below!
May 27, 2019
God of power and mercy,
You destroy war and put down earthly pride.
Banish violence from our midst and wipe away our tears,
that we may all deserve to be called Your sons
and daughters.
Keep in your mercy those men and women
who have died in the cause of freedom
and bring them safely
into your kingdom of justice and peace.
May 27, 2019
On February 20, 2016, the strongest tropical storm to hit the South Pacific region converged on the nation of Fiji. With winds reaching 185 mph, tropical cyclone Winston was recorded as a category 5 storm. The destructive winds, storm surges, and heavy rain had a devastating effect throughout the small island nation.
May 26, 2019
O God, Who by the preaching and miracles of blessed Augustine,
Your Confessor and Bishop,
who shed upon the people the light of the true faith;
grant that, through his intercession,
the hearts of those that have gone astray
may return to the unity of Your truth,
and that we may be of one mind in doing Your will.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
May 25, 2019
O invincible defender of Holy Church's freedom,
Saint Gregory, by the firmness you showed
in maintaining the Church's rights against all her enemies,
stretch forth from Heaven your mighty arm,
to comfort her and defend her in the fearful battle
she wages with the powers of darkness.
Give strength to the venerable Pontiff
May 24, 2019
Heavenly father, we put ourselves into your hands,
and pray that God will bless us and our families
during the wonderful months of summer.
May we all help make our home a place of relaxation,
joy, love, peace and safety.
May we be generous and considerate,
not thinking only about ourselves,
but helping others enjoy the blessings of a summertime.
May 23, 2019
O glorious and blessed Virgin!
Comfort the heart of your servant.
And persuaded by my Divine Savior
I honor you as His beloved Mother,
to whom He refuses nothing,
because you ask nothing contrary to His honor,
so let me speedily experience
your powerful intercession,
according to the tenderness of your motherly affection,
and His loving heart,
May 22, 2019
Dear St. Rita,
during your entire life on earth
you found your happiness by following the will of our heavenly Father.
Help me to be as trusting of God in all His designs for me.
Help me this day to give myself to Him as you did,
without limit, without fear, without counting the cost.
Help me to be generous in serving the needs of others,
May 22, 2019
As we Columbans enter into our second century of mission to the world, I would not have imagined myself returning to the United States to do home mission.
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.