Nov 29, 2023
O brother of the Rock of our Church,
you who brought him to our Lord,
you who were crucified
on the Cross of our Savior,
who shed your blood
freely for His cause…
you who thirsted for His coming
and welcomed Him so readily
into your life –
bring us also to the Messiah’s side
and pray we shall receive Him
as well...
Nov 24, 2023
O virgin pure and brilliant,
you gave your life
in defense of the faith,
refuting all arguments to its contrary;
though you were but a child yourself,
you stood strong before your tormentors,
enduring the persecution and torture
they struggled in vain to muster against you,
ever shining the light of purity and truth
Nov 23, 2023
O you who were martyred
over three centuries of persecution
in a country so bitter toward the faith,
bishops and priests and laymen alike,
native to the land and foreign-born,
all innocent souls
who suffered even torture in joy,
all for the sake of the Lord and His Church –
pray we shall be as ready as you
to bear...
Nov 22, 2023
O father of holy monasteries
who dug deeply in the earth,
in the heart of man,
and laid their foundation
on the Rock that is Christ
that they might be made in His image,
in the image of Him who created us –
pray we shall love the Lord as He commands
and so be holy as He is holy,
truly reflecting the image of our God
Nov 22, 2023
O successor to Peter,
Shepherd of God’s Church,
Father of all the churches
in the Body of Christ,
these you instructed well;
these you gave a shepherd’s care…
for these and for the Lord
you shed your blood –
pray for God’s Church even this day,
that she shall remain united
under her one Lord and Savior,