O highly honored martyrs

whose tomb drew many pilgrims

and brought about many miracles,

you laid down your lives as one in the Lord,

taking up His bitter and saving cup

of suffering

all for your faith in Him and His Church,

and so, precious in His sight

was your death in His name –

from beyond the grave

pray for us this day,

that the healing blood of Christ our Savior

be poured upon our souls,

that we too might be raised by His sacrifice,

redeemed by the death He endured;

for He has overcome the world,

and you with Him in His blood.

Pray that we who are so weak of faith

may by the Lord’s grace and your intercession

bear witness to Jesus by our own deaths

upon the Cross with Him.

O holy priest

who bore the wounds of Christ

in your hands

and in your ministry,

who served the Lord so greatly

in casting out many demons

in your confessional,

and whom He thus blessed

with miracles of the Spirit –

pray for us of lukewarm faith

who falter day to day

in following our dear Jesus’ path.

So close to Him you were

in His suffering and His love;

so far are we

from His Cross and so His grace.

Pray we shall be strengthened to approach Him

and find healing for our weakness,

the frailty of our souls

which keeps us from knowing the Christ

and laying down our lives for Him

as He calls, as you have done…

O pray His blood be upon us!

O faithful apostle

who so readily answered

the call of the Lord,

leaving your station in this world

to follow in His footsteps

and so find your place in Heaven,

who even with these first steps

brought others to the Christ

as you opened your heart

as well as your home

to Him and to the least of His brothers –

pray, dear brother through whom the Spirit has spoken,

that we too shall follow Jesus

and so find His grace and mercy,

and so find our way to the Father.

Pray our hearts will ever be

so open to hear His voice

and invite Him in to our table,

where He may eat and speak with us,

feeding us with His presence.

And pray we may be blessed as you

in drawing others to the Word, our God,

till all are one in His Body.

O blessed, holy martyrs

who won for yourselves

the crown of salvation

by your undying faith in God,

who cherished well

the prize of persecution

the Lord offered your souls,

who stood fast despite the death

that raged around you –

pray we shall know as you

that all the hairs of our head

are numbered by God

and in His all-embracing providence

He has care over us all,

that we might stand as strong

in our little trials

and sufferings

as you did before the face

of the executioner.

To all people be a witness to the faith

that reaches ever unto Heaven.

O protector of your sheep,

you laid down your life

for them,

giving your blood

for the service of souls

that all might witness

the surpassing love of the Lord

and the glory that awaits

those who die in Him –

pray for shepherds

who feed their sheep,

not lording it over them

or seeking what gain they might find

for themselves,

taking the milk and wool

of their flock

and leaving them naked and lifeless…

but living the call of Christ

as you, dear shepherd, have done.

Pray those who govern God’s Church

will be ready even to die for Him

and the people they serve.

Let all be protected by the blood of the Lamb.

O wise doctor

whose intellect served well

in defense of the Church

and her teachings,

who bore well the light yoke of Christ

that leads to eternal life

and shepherded your flock

in following you

along this path of our Lord –

speak to us this day

your words of grace

that the souls of all

within the Church’s gates

might be founded well

on the truths of the faith

and on the love of God.

Pray we shall be wise as you

in knowing the way

the Lord marks out for His sons;

pray we shall have shepherds

so blessed with His light

that all shall be saved from the wolves about

and remain secure in the Father’s arms.

O brothers in Christ,

in death and in life

you gave yourselves as one

for the sake of the flock;

for the cause of the faith

readily you shed your blood

to serve the growth of God’s Church –

pray we today will be zealous as you

in defending the faith with our lives;

by fasting and by prayer,

by standing courageously

before the courts of the world

and offering our flesh in sacrifice,

may we imitate you who imitated Christ

and so come with all our brothers

to His resurrection and life.

Shepherd us well even this day

from where you now stand at the Lord’s side,

that we might be unafraid to speak

and to live the truth in undying love.

O let us lay down our lives with you!

O sorrowful Mother

whose heart was pierced by a sword,

who stood at the foot of the Cross

dying in spirit

as your Son died in the flesh…

Jesus was sent to suffer

and die for our sins,

and how intimately you shared

in the profound pain

He carried about all His life;

how preeminently you filled up

what was lacking in His suffering,

suffering the whole Church must share

with our crucified Lord –

pray we shall indeed enter into

the sacrifice of Christ your Son,

following in your wake,

O Mother of God;

pray we shall meet Him

along His Way of Sorrow

that His blood upon our souls

will carry us to Heaven,

where you stand at His side.

O you of golden tongue,

how well you proved

the Word of God cannot be chained;

how well you revealed

its radiance to our ears and hearts…

unconquered by threats of death

and the sufferings

the world imposes,

you proclaimed the glory of God

and His presence with us

until the very end –

pray, O dear shepherd,

who held your flock

so close to your heart

that they became one body with you

in Christ,

that we all shall be so willing

to lay down our lives,

speaking and walking in

the Word the Lord gives us

to share with all our brothers in light.

Pray indeed God’s will be done

in all His holy children.

O Mary, sweetest of creatures,

whose name on our lips

brings joy to our hearts…

inflamed with love toward God

and you

we become

in speaking your blessed name –

pray we shall call your name,

dear Lady,

in our time of need,

that you will be quick to intercede

with your Son

for our salvation.

Washed in the water from His side

and in His holy blood,

pray we shall rise above the sea,

beyond all rebellion,

that obedient as you, His Handmaid,

we shall find favor with the Lord

and enter into Heaven,

our names written beside your own

in the Book of Life,

dearest Mary.

O slave to the slaves,

to those who came in chains

to the new world,

those whose dark skin

made them seem to eyes of flesh

less than men…

to you these were children of God,

souls to be saved by His love

and through His Church,

and so the thousands

baptized by your hands

celebrate your glorious sacrifice

this day in God’s presence –

pray for us, dear brother,

that the shackles of racial prejudice,

the pride that exalts man above man,

shall fall from our hands,

our tongues and our hearts,

and that all of the Lord’s holy people

will work so diligently

as you, His blessed slave,

for the care of the weakest among us

and the salvation of all souls.

O Virgin who bore the Son of God,

who became the divine dwelling place

for the Creator of us all,

should we not celebrate your birth

this day,

the blessing of the generation

of you who signal our salvation?

Pray for us, dear Mother,

pray for all your children,

all who would call themselves

sons of God

and brothers of our Lord Jesus Christ...

pray that all generations

will call you blessed,

that all will hail you

as Mother of our Savior

and glorify the Lord

who has filled you with His grace.

You are one of us, dear Virgin Mary,

one of the human creation,

yet in you God deigns to dwell;

pray we shall all be made worthy

to be such a temple for the Lord.

          O lover of the poor

          and of the unborn,

          in whom you saw

          the face of Christ,

          by whom you held Him

          close to your heart

          and so comforted His thirst

          for souls –

          pray for us who are so blind

          to the presence of Christ

          in the least among us

          or even in those

          beside us.

          Pray, dear Mother,

          that we will hear their cry,

          which is Jesus’ cry

          from the Cross,

          and that we shall not fear

          the darkness

          as we enter beneath the shadow

          of His loving arms,

          where we shall find

          true light.

O great Shepherd,

watchman of the House of God

and protector of His flock,

though in the monastery you would have stayed,

when called to the Chair of Peter

you guided the Church well

through difficult times –

pray that as difficult days continue

a firm hand may continue to be found

at the helm of MotherChurch.

O pray that the faith be strengthened,

that the Rock upon which this House is set

will remain unshakable

and its light, its wisdom,

serve ever as a beacon

calling straying souls

into the Lord’s welcoming arms.

Humility and holiness

may all our leaders embody,

that by the Word of God on their tongues

and His wounds in their hands

all the poor of the earth

will be carried unto Heaven.

O witness to the Truth,

to the Light that has come among us,

you gave your very life

and death

for the sake of Christ,

who redeemed us in His blood,

blood you shed with your Savior;

you who were a pillar of iron

against the whole land

and against its king,

you who stood so strong

against the lust of the world,

suffering its persecution so willingly,

fortified even in death

by the Lord and His promise –

how can our meager lives

measure up to your blessed sacrifice;

how can we who are so weak of knee

endure our exile so bravely?

Pray for us, O forerunner of the Christ

both in word and in the giving of your life,

that our blood may be joined to your own

and so to that of our holy Lord.

O shepherd made anew

by Him who is within,

Him who made us all,

the Light above and beyond

every soul

who gave His life,

His flesh as food that we might live –

pray that the Lord and God of all

will break through our deafness

and dispel our blindness,

that He will breathe His fragrant Spirit

upon us

and we too will be created

anew,

saved by His grace from the sin

that has kept us from Him

and thirsting for the wisdom

which became your own,

with which you shepherded His people

apart from the things He created

to His very Beauty itself,

that all souls might rest in Him

who made them.

O tearful mother

whose persistent cries

for the soul of your son

were heard in time

by the Lord our God

and so led to his conversion,

to his becoming

not only a Catholic Christian

but a bishop and doctor of the Church,

a saint like yourself –

pray for the prayers of all mothers

who cry for their wayward sons;

pray indeed that all souls may turn

and come to know so deeply

the love of our Lord and God

and the blessing upon

His holy Catholic Church.

Pray that all who stray,

many as they are,

shall be raised from the death of sin

and come to the life of Heaven,

where you wait with your son

to welcome all his brothers.

O guardian angel of poor children

who formed them in the image of Christ,

an education of body and soul

you provided those most in need,

those most impressionable

and thirsting for the Lord’s care,

and led so many others

in this work for the least of our brothers –

pray we shall become fellow workers

with Jesus in the cause of truth

and teach with deep love,

the greatest patience,

and profound humility,

the souls He places in our hands.

May the desire to see all

attain eternal life

be that which most impels us

and especially those whose responsibility

is the formation of Christian youth,

that all men might rejoice at the straight paths

these walk to the kingdom.

Your zeal despite persecution

may we maintain in our call from the Lord.

O loyal subject of the Lord

and of His Church on earth,

though a king

you did not exalt yourself

but listened rather

to the words of your Savior

and chose to serve Him,

doing His work in this world:

the poor you cared for,

your children you raised

in the teaching of Christ,

and for all those in your reign

you sought true justice

and maintained concern

for their spiritual welfare –

pray we poor souls

will emulate your desire

for penance and prayer,

and your faithful obedience

to God and MotherChurch.

May we be blessed as your sons

to have your wisdom in our ears,

a wisdom reflective of Jesus’ own.

O apostle of the Lamb,

man without guile

led by love to the Lord,

you who declared Jesus Son of God

and King of Israel,

whose eyes of faith were illumined

by angels’ wings –

pray we shall be found by the Christ

under our fig tree

in peace, in prayer,

and carry with you His holy Gospel

to the very ends of the earth.

With you as a foundation stone,

one of the Twelve,

may the Bride of the Lamb

be led to her Husband,

her heart burning with love

for Him alone;

her soul thirsting only for God’s presence,

may her eyes be opened

to see her Lord.

To vision of Heaven pray we all come

by an angelic belief in the Son of Man.

O penitential soul

whose eyes saw the Lord,

whose ears heard His voice

calling all to the Cross,

obediently you accepted

the afflictions that are necessary

to attain union with God

and His surpassing glory –

pray that fearful souls

like our own,

which turn in complaint

from every torment and trouble,

however small,

may be blessed with a measure

of your selfless devotion,

that the unfathomable treasure

of the Lord’s grace

might be our own

as we endure,

and even desire as you,

the pains that pave the road to Heaven.

Then we shall know Christ even as you

and proclaim His glory to all creatures.

O Queen of Heaven and earth,

you radiate the glory of God,

for now you stand at His right Hand

in the heavenly kingdom.

Clothed with the sun,

the moon under your feet

and a crown of twelve stars

upon your head,

you give light to all souls

who thirst for the grace

our Lord and King

pours upon us through your intercession.

O how the angels rejoiced,

how the heavens rang with praise

when the Son led you into His presence

clothed in gold

to be forever His Bride!

O pray for us,

dearest Queen and Mother,

that we too shall be led in

among your maiden companions

to stand in God’s glory forever.

Our cause we entrust to your Immaculate Heart.

O simple priest

who became Shepherd

of the universal Church

and defended her with courage

against the errors of the age,

you did not waver before the powers

that would dilute the purity

of the teaching of our Mother

but stood strong against the tide

attempting to wash her away –

are we not yet threatened

by falsehood and sin

being held up as good,

and so do we not yet need

your spirit and your prayers?

Though the tide may be turning,

returning to the solid rock of faith,

yet certainly we need your help

to see the Spirit of Truth

regain and maintain

His place in this House.

Pray indeed all priests and people

be simple and true as children before God.

O great light of the Church

who by word and work

inspired your brothers

and so many others

to a life of virtue,

to peace and unity with one another

and an abiding love

for our Lord and His Mother –

teach us this day, O blessed preacher,

of the way in which Jesus calls us,

of the life and love God offers

if we but respond in kind

in our weak and limited manner.

To all souls in His holy Church

and throughout the world

you brought the Word of God,

you imparted the light of His wisdom;

please pray, dear father in the faith,

that our lives may be conformed

to the loving will of the Lord

and we become children of His light

and bearers of His Good News to the nations,

till we stand with you in His surpassing glory.

O priest of Jesus and Mary

so dedicated to the Hearts

of our Lord and Lady

and the formation of your fellow priests,

how well you preached

of our need to be one

with Christ our Head;

with what zeal you cared

for the poorest among us –

pray that priests and indeed all Christians

will have hearts and souls

beating and breathing as one

with the Lord,

in union with our Blessed Mother;

may all serve and glorify the Father

by using all their faculties

as if they were His alone.

O that we might indeed

belong to the Son of God

and be ruled by Him,

His own eternal life

coursing through our very veins,

His breath upon our tongue!

O faithful king,

loyal son of MotherChurch

and just ruler of your people,

in peace and piety,

humbly and honorably

you executed your duties,

never showing favor to anyone

but always respecting all

and maintaining above all the faith

and the Church which propagates

that faith in Christ –

where is true Christian profession today,

where those in positions of power

truly dedicated to right service

of the Lord and His people?

Do pray for us, dear king,

that others shall follow in your footsteps

as has your son

so that all shall become

faithful followers of our Lord

in whatever position He grants them.

Pray especially for leaders

whose hearts are set on love of God and holy Church.

O glorious Virgin Mary,

preserved from sin

from the moment of your conception

and now raised with your Son unto Heaven,

blessed are you among women,

most blessed of all God’s creatures;

kept from all corruption,

you His lowly servant

now reign with Jesus in His kingdom –

pray all generations will call you blessed

that all may indeed share in your blessing

and come by the grace of the Lord

to stand at His side

in the Father’s presence.

Above the choirs of angels,

where poor mortal man is called

to take his place

in union with the immortal Godhead,

you precede us, O Immaculate Mother,

by virtue of your eternal union with the only Son.

Pray we shall truly follow you to perfection,

conquering death by the Cross

and entering the light of the Lord.

O soldier of the Immaculate Virgin

and martyr for our Lord,

well you spread the fame

of the Mother of all graces,

calling all souls to repentance

that she might apply her Son’s blood

to save the straying among us;

and well you heeded our Savior’s call

to lay down your life for others –

pray this day we have such strength,

such conviction and determination

in serving our Lord and Lady,

in publishing the Good News

of salvation,

that by our dedication

we too may serve well upon this earth

in the army of the faithful,

also leading souls

through the Immaculate Heart of Mary

to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,

that peoples and nations may be converted

and so learn in turn to serve

the surpassing glory of God.

O brothers united in faith

and in offering the ultimate sacrifice

for the sake of that faith,

for the sake of God’s Church –

pray nothing shall separate

Christ’s brothers

one from another,

but that all members of His flock

and all those who lead His flock

will remain ever united

in His blood

under the See of Peter.

O pray that His Body

not be divided

but that it be healed,

made whole

by His Cross.

Into His arms

may we all offer our lives

and so join our Lord

in His kingdom.

O tireless worker for the Lord

who when cut off from everything

dearest to you

gave yourself completely to God,

you who have shown the way

of the martyrdom of love,

of dying entirely to self

and serving our Savior

in the sick and the poor,

in whose guise He comes –

pray our lives shall not wallow

in mediocrity

or sin;

pray we shall have

the same thirst for love as you,

that by our love we may die

and so overcome death

to live forever

in the presence of our Redeemer.

Visit us this day in our weakness

that our hearts, too, might be strong

and our lives be laid down

in the blood of the only Son.

O bride of Christ

whose poverty matched His own,

whose humility made Him known,

whose love indeed approached

His throne

and the embrace of His holy arms –

pray all souls will gaze into the mirror

that is our Lord

born in a manger,

dead upon a Cross,

risen unto Heaven.

Pray we shall be driven on

through the death we all must die,

through His marvelous poverty,

His wondrous humility,

to the indescribable delights

of those who remain at His side.

O that we might be poor as you were poor,

as He is poor

for the sake of every soul,

that we might come to embrace

His blessed sacrifice

and so know the glories of His kingdom.

O generous soul,

you gave your life freely

to the poor

and your death completely

to the Lord;

a grain of wheat fallen to the earth,

you have indeed produced much fruit,

so closely have you followed Christ –

pray for us miserable souls

who cannot seem to draw near

your thorough sacrifice,

made without fear of the fire

ignited by your torturers,

made in joy of uniting

your death to Jesus’ own.

How shall we approach your love,

your blood so closely mingled

with that of our crucified Lord;

how shall we match your generosity

in serving His blessed call?

Pray we will find the courage

to give everything over to God

and know we are in His arms.

O sacrificial victim

seeking to bring peace

to a dark world,

you found your wisdom in love,

in the love of Christ

and in His Cross,

and died three times for His sake:

once in entering His Church,

once in taking His habit,

and once in laying down your life

at the hands of the enemies of His peace –

pray, O blessed teacher

and sister to all men,

that the death of this life

be something we shall not fear

but embrace with the same grace

with which the Lord blessed you.

Why should we hold

to the things of the earth

when Jesus waits to embrace us

in His loving arms

and carry us unto Heaven?

Pray we shall be ready to answer His call.

O humble preacher

who walked in poverty

with Christ your King

and spoke in power

to destroy lie by truth,

you gathered men around you

to be bearers of the grace of God,

to be men of the Gospel

inspired by love divine –

pray we shall be taught well

the faith

and walk with you in Jesus’ way,

that all we do

will be for the salvation of souls,

our lives even as our Savior’s.

May His Word

and deep love for others

lead us in all our work on earth

that always and in all things

we may beseech the Lord

to be with all His brothers.

Pray our hearts be set on His will

and we serve as His apostles.

O reformer of the Church

and leader of her priests and people,

calling all to live the Gospel,

to give their hearts

in the service of Christ,

who alone can save men’s souls –

pray that your love for the Lord

and His holy Church

will be known in all

the members of His Body,

and so that apostles will be sent forth

to preach and to heal

even this day.

Pray we shall be one

with Him who made us,

eating His Body and drinking His Blood

and living according to the Word

He speaks to our souls

through MotherChurch

and all her faithful servants.

It is the Lord alone

who must be our concern;

pray we, too, shall walk in His footsteps.

O martyrs of the faith

ordained by the Lord

to shed blood for His sake

and the sake of His Church,

to give witness to the glory of Christ

and so win the crown

of eternal life…

it is in your blood

and by your sacrifice

the Church has grown

and become strong –

pray it shall always stand firm

in confessing the faith

despite any threat

from the powers of this world;

pray every soul

shall give his life in joy

and so emerge victorious

in the spiritual combat.

Handed over to death for Jesus’ sake,

may we, too, come to life eternal.

O priest exemplar,

O preacher and confessor extraordinaire,

healer of souls

who by prayer and penance

was made holy unto God

and brought others

to that same holiness

before the Lord and Maker

of all poor souls –

pray indeed this day

that our hearts will be set on Heaven,

that our longing will be for the Lord,

and so that by prayer

we shall come to union with Him.

Pray all your fellow priests

will be filled with your same zeal

for the salvation of their flock

and so serve to bring them

to blessed union

with the God of all.

Pray the Lord send out holy priests

to labor in His vineyard

as diligently, as tirelessly, as you.

O priest of the Blessed Sacrament,

you gave your life in sacrifice

at the altar of the Lord

and in all the trials of this earth;

you suffered all for Jesus

and desired only to bring souls,

all the children of God,

to receive Him and His grace

in the Sacrament of Communion,

in oneness with our Lord –

pray, O priest of Christ,

that our very lives

shall also be offered in sacrifice,

especially in the holy sacrifice

of the Mass

and in reception of His Body and Blood

in the Blessed Sacrament.

Pray particularly that our priests will know

the profound call upon their souls

to make Him present in this world

and be as inspired with holy devotion

as were you, dear saint.

Pray our hunger for His Presence increase.

O vigorous defender of the divinity of Christ,

you who suffered exile

for your work for the faith,

you who had a true shepherd’s heart

and cared so deeply

for the priests and people

the Lord placed in your hands –

pray the shepherds of the Church today

will strive with your same selfless zeal

to bring the love of the Son of God

and the blessed demands of His call

to every soul in their care,

that the faith might increase

and be known in all its fullness

even to the ends of the earth.

Pray and weep, O steadfast apostle,

for all the members of Christ’s holy flock,

that we shall be protected

from false and specious claims,

from wolves in sheep’s clothing

who would enter and steal the faith

of this holy Catholic Church

founded by our Lord Jesus Christ.

O patron of moral theologians

and servant of the poor,

how blessed was your loving wisdom,

your understanding of God

and His love for us,

made perfectly known

in His only Son

whom you loved so much

with His Mother and the Church,

and whom you call us all to love

through your blessed words –

pray the redeeming love

of Jesus our Savior

flow in all our veins,

that we might unite our wills

to the Father’s

as perfectly as His only Son

and so be as encompassed by grace and love

as only He could be.

Pray indeed that we shall be saved,

that we will come to the Lord on our knees

and so find His presence filling us

unto eternity.

O strong and holy apostle,

soldier for the Lord Jesus

and defender of His Church,

you gathered together an army

to labor in mission fields,

to educate the masses,

to serve and die as loyal sons

of the Christ and His Pope –

teach us this day

to follow in the way of Jesus,

to meditate on His life

and be fruitful in His works.

Pray your own sons

and all the children of MotherChurch

not waver in the faith

which sustains them on this earth

but that in all truth

steadfast Christ’s disciples shall stand

and proclaim in strength the salvation

that comes only through Jesus

and the Vine He has planted,

through whose teaching and sacraments

His very Spirit and blood flow.

O you of golden words,

of angelic tongue,

of sermons refined

seven times

by the Spirit of God…

O how you made present on earth

the invisible Creator

even as He was made for us

in the womb of the Virgin,

so tangible had His grace become

through the preaching the Lord inspired

in your soul –

pray we shall indeed be vivified

by the eternal grace of God,

by the gift of His becoming Man,

to become like Him,

heavenly spirits in His reign.

How could we comprehend such blessing;

how could such surpassing joy

these earthen vessels hold?

Let us come close to Christ our Savior,

close to Him as now you stand

in His radiant glory.

O servant of the Lord

who welcomed Him

into your home,

fulfilling all the duties

of hospitality,

and yet realized

as He taught

that it is He

who serves us poor creatures,

who is the resurrection and the life…

in whose House we make our home –

pray that even as we fulfill the duties

of our station in life

we too shall come to believe

Jesus is the Christ,

the Son of God

who comes to us

to serve us in His need,

allowing Himself to be fed by us

that He might feed our souls

with everlasting life,

with the Spirit that passes not away

with the body.

O parents of the Virgin Mary,

grandparents of the Lord our God,

you who gave birth

to our Blessed Mother,

through whom we are blessed

for all ages…

O you through whom the promise to David

came to be fulfilled,

you whose virtues

found favor with the Lord,

you whom He chose

to bring forth His Mother

and the Mother of all the redeemed –

pray our posterity shall endure

even as your own,

that we shall bear fruit

even in our old age

and see our children’s children

in a happy Jerusalem.

Pray we shall know the Virgin

as intimately as you

and so come to know our Lord

in the kingdom where He reigns.

O martyred apostle,

first to endure the death of Christ,

you have indeed drunk of His cup,

fully accepting the sacrifice

to which all are called,

and so blazed the path of service

for others to follow –

pray all God’s children,

all those blessed to be called as sons,

as brothers of the Lord,

will have the courage and strength

that comes from the Spirit

to lay down their lives

as a ransom for many

and so find a place

beside our Savior Jesus

in His heavenly kingdom.

Pray the blood of Christ

in which you shared so intimately

pour upon His Church

and all souls be blessed

to drink thereof

unto the world’s salvation.

O solitary prayer,

alone with the Lord

in the Blessed Sacrament

you offered your life

for the salvation of souls;

in penance you lived,

and so a light shone

even from your tomb

to show the presence of Christ

and His miraculous powers

at work in the world –

pray all souls

seek perfection in prayer,

the perfection of being with Jesus,

of remaining always in His presence

with a heart of love

poured out for our fellow man.

Pray even now

for the salvation of all,

for what else matters

but that we come to dwell

with you in the light of our Lord,

adoring Him forever?

O seer of the Passion

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

of the scourges and the nails,

of the blows and mockery

He endured,

of the blood which covered

His face and all His skin…

O you who have witnessed

all His suffering

and sought so diligently

to share in it with Him –

pray that we who are so blind

to the pain and anguish

our Savior bore

under the weight of the Cross

we build by our sin

may by His grace

have our eyes opened,

and so turn from our own condemnation

to the blood of redemption

He has shed for our sakes

and take refuge in the penance

that leads all souls to the kingdom.

O woman of great love

whose heart burned

with desire for the Lord,

whose soul thirsted for the living God…

the tears you cried

became the source

of the greatest joy

as from your sins the Christ released you,

as your eyes beheld

your blessed Teacher –

pray for us this day, O Mary,

that our hearts shall be set aflame

with faith and love

as we hear the news you bring us:

that our Lord is no longer in the tomb,

that He lives

and so we with Him,

that He is ascending to the Father

and we shall join Him there.

O pray His love

dispel the coldness of our hearts

that we shall be like you,

remaining with Him forever.

O great preacher of the Word of God,

you who were entrusted

with this angelic office

to bring light to Christian minds

and dispel the darkness

of sin and error –

pray all souls this day

may be blessed with hearing

the Word of God you spoke so well,

that all hearts might turn in faith

to the Lord

purged by its cleansing fire.

O blessed teacher,

pray men of every tongue

be told of the truth,

that all might live

by the Spirit of God

in grace,

that the renewal of the Church

and every soul

might be made complete

and the ranks of the New Jerusalem

be filled to overflowing.

O suffering shepherd

severely persecuted

for your work of evangelization,

you ever continued to preach the faith

and convert multitudes

despite all the tortures

the ravenous beasts of this earth

could muster;

a true apostle you proved to be,

martyred even as Christ’s Twelve –

how shall we find

a measure of your conviction,

of your persistence

in spreading the Gospel of the Lord?

Pray for us, blessed shepherd,

that we who are weak of will

and so fearful

of the slightest disturbance

to our comfort and ease

shall learn by God’s grace

to give our lives

as freely as you

in the service of man’s salvation.

O servant of the sick

whose compassionate heart

melted at the sight

of every suffering soul,

who constantly visited Christ

as He lay in hospital…

how deep was your charity,

how complete your love and dedication

to the poor –

pray that we too shall leave

the cares of the world behind

and have only concern

for serving Christ

and our fellow man;

pray the hard hearts of this age

will be saved by the Lord’s grace

even as they look upon Him

in the face of those in need.

How shall we match your stature,

which was so like Jesus’ own;

how shall we find perfect charity,

taking the Lord into our homes?

Pray our hearts be set on Him alone.

O Mother of contemplation

who heard the Word of God

and kept it,

pondering its wonder

in your heart,

you who were so faithful

to His call

and remain ever in His presence –

how shall we know our Lord

if you do not pray for us,

if you do not intercede

for souls so blinded

by the distractions

and temptations

of a fallen world?

Our prayers are with you, dear Mother,

who pray as one with our dear Lord,

who are so one with Him

in body and soul,

who stand at His side this day

in the kingdom of Heaven…

There on His holy mountain

help us to make our home.

O good doctor

who taught the way to God

by death to things outside the Cross,

by resting with Christ

in the tomb

that we might pass

from this world to the Father –

pray our passions

indeed be silenced

that the fire of God

will carry our soul

to Him who is beyond

the operations of our mind;

pray our surrender to Him

may be complete

and the Holy Spirit lead us

in loving flame

to the kingdom.

Where is the longing of our soul

for God,

and who will assist us on the journey?

Speak to our hearts this day, good teacher,

from your place in His radiant presence.

               O wise virgin

               so willing to leave your people behind

               to wed the only One

               who could win your heart,

               the Lord Jesus Christ,

               you were not swayed

               by punishment or persecution

               to renounce Him whom you loved

               but remained humble and diligent

               in your chastity and poverty and penance,

               sleeping on thorny mats

               for your Bridegroom and your persecutors –

               pray we too will be led into the desert,

               into the wilderness where God speaks,

               that we, too, might be espoused to Him

               and wait patiently for His coming,

               when all our scarred faces

               will be transformed as yours by His glory.

               Pray every tribe and tongue and nation

               will come in innocence before the Lord

               and so be adopted

               as sons and daughters

               of the great King.

O you who were king and emperor

yet set your sights

on the reign of Heaven

and the reform and upbuilding

of the Church on earth,

who dedicated yourself

to the Lord of all

and service of His apostles –

pray our cares and responsibilities

will not distract us

from remembrance

of our God and His mercy

but that we shall indeed

dedicate these

and all our lives

into the hands of our Savior,

that He might dispose of them and us

as He sees fit.

Pray our kingdom not be of this earth

but of Heaven

and that we shall make our home

at the foot of the throne

of the Almighty.

O monastic father

who led the way into the desert

where the Lord speaks to men’s hearts,

where He calls souls to perfect worship,

putting Christ before all else

and treating others as He Himself…

O you who prayed most perfectly,

you who knew God so intimately –

pray that our distracted minds

will somehow be conformed

to listening for His voice

and answering His call

to serve Him with all our lives.

Help us, dear brother,

dear father in the faith,

to find our dwelling place

in the kingdom,

to live so completely

according to God’s Word,

that with great fervor,

with overflowing love,

we may accomplish His will

and join you in His presence.

O righteous band of martyrs

united by faith in Christ and His Church

in a nation of religious oppression:

children and grandparents,

workers and teachers,

lay and ordained,

native and foreign-born…

all as one you gave your lives,

led by your convictions –

pray the Word of the Lord

come to a land so cold

to conversion,

to the love and worship

of Jesus, all men’s Savior.

Pray the Holy Spirit

fall like purging and redeeming fire

upon every soul in the country

where you so honorably died;

pray His power spread

and bring renewal

upon the face of all the earth.

O perpetual virgin

who defended your purity

even with your life

and so earned the crown

of martyrdom

at a tender age…

O bride of Christ

who prayed even for your murderer

and so served to inspire

his conversion –

pray for us, too, dear child;

pray the lust and violence

so prevalent in this world of sin,

and in our own hearts,

be purged from our midst

that we, too, might turn

to Jesus

and find the purity

He offers.

O pray innocence and chastity

overtake this age

and all souls stand

in the light of Christ.

O child of the Apostle Paul,

follower in his steps,

preacher of the Word

he proclaimed so completely

with his very life,

you who desired so

to bear the fruit of love in patience,

to share in the hardships of the apostles

as well as in their glory,

and led your fellow ordained

zealously to desire the same –

pray there shall be reform

in this day among our priests

and among the people of God,

that all will so zealously follow

the teaching and way of the Apostle,

which is, of course, the way of Christ:

to die, to lay down our lives,

to suffer indignation

and pray for our enemies,

all the while calling souls

to the Lord’s undying love,

to His saving blood.

O reconciler of warring sons,

tranquility in the midst

of great disturbance,

though born of royal blood

and married to a king,

the Lord you preferred

to all the riches of this world,

and so His peace

became your own –

pray we, too, may keep our hearts

set upon that which passes not away

and the peace which passes understanding;

pray our prayers be deep as your own

and reflect the same tranquility,

that those in our own families

and those under our care,

all those whom we meet

and to whom we relate,

may find the Lord’s peace

dwelling in us

with His divine charity

and so be reconciled to Him

and to one another.

O believing apostle

who declared the divinity of Jesus,

our Lord and our God,

all doubt disappears

in the light of your faith,

for we see with you

what is beyond all eyes –

pray for an increase

in our faltering faith,

that we shall indeed believe

though we do not see;

let it be as if we ourselves

have touched the nail marks

in His hands and feet

and placed our hands into His side.

So firmly let our faith be founded

that we shall reach out

to all mankind

and the truth of Christ

as the Son of God

will grow in all hearts

until that Day we see the Lord

with our own eyes.

               O missionary of the New World

               inspired to leave your classroom

               and go forth to win souls for Christ,

               despite continuous battles

               with cold and hunger

               and long journeys with an injured leg,

               praying throughout the night

               you persevered and stayed

               with the thousands you baptized

               into the fold of Mother Church,

               bringing them not only the gift of faith

               but better living conditions as well;

               fighting ever against the military powers

               that would have brought only slaughter,

               you gained rights for these natives

               in the missions of California –

               pray we shall have

               the same zeal for souls

               that, thinking not of ourselves

               and without concern for any suffering,

               we may bear the image of our Lord

               to the ends of the earth

               so all might come to salvation.

O most blessed apostles of the Lord

upon whom the Church is founded

and the faith goes forth,

in you we cannot be shaken

and the Lord’s reign extends

to the ends of the earth –

pray we always take refuge

in His House

and in the teaching of His mouth.

It is you who preserve

the authenticity of the faith;

through you we may be assured

the Spirit of God is with us,

leading us out of the dark prison

of this world

along the narrow path to Heaven.

Pray the chains fall from our hands

and we heed the angel’s command,

remaining faithful to the end,

pouring out our lives like a libation.

Feed the poor sheep in your care.

O great teacher of the Catholic faith

who served to set a foundation

upon which she could grow

in peace and in truth,

in the Spirit of God,

you who valiantly defended her

against attacks of heresy

and shed your blood

in the battle –

pray we shall find shepherds today

to explicate the faith of the apostles

as clearly

and loyally

as you have done,

that none shall be led astray

into false doctrine

by whim and fancy,

by pride and envy,

but drink rather the pure milk

of our Mother

and of the one true God.

To vision of the Father let us come

by revelation of His only-begotten Son.

O great defender of the Mother of God

and of the faith itself,

courageously you declared

that Jesus is God indeed,

become Man in Mary His Mother;

this you made plain for all to see,

O shepherd of the people of God,

that truth might reign

and the Virgin might find

her proper place among us –

pray, O brave teacher,

that we shall not be afraid

to proclaim the truths

inscribed by the Spirit

upon the heart of the Church

and in her inspired writings;

and may indeed our Mother,

the Mother of Jesus,

the Mother of God,

be recognized for her preeminence

amongst the saints,

that the Word of the Lord might be fulfilled

and all generations call her blessed.

O greatest of men born of woman,

before you were formed in the womb

the Lord called you;

while still in this cave

you leapt for joy

at His presence come to you…

a sharp, two-edged sword He made you

to hail the coming Messiah,

the Light in our midst,

the New Covenant born of the Old –

how shall we humble ourselves

as you have done;

how shall our call be realized

in flesh and blood

as was your own?

Pray, dear brother,

that from darkness we be taken,

from blindness and inability to speak

we be rescued,

that the Word among us

we may know

and raise our voices

to proclaim His salvation to all.

O kings of martyrdom

who indeed laid down your very lives

rather than heed the dictates

of an evil emperor,

whose loyalty to the Lord

and the Church He established

stands unparalleled,

your defense of the faith

and conscience

written in the blood you shed –

pray that the mediocrity,

the utter inability to stand for truth

in this relativist age,

will be defeated

by souls founded firmly

in the Spirit of Christ

and in the Cross

He offers forth

for our salvation.

Pray for leaders of Church and State

to embrace your singular devotion.

O lover of poverty

who gave up great wealth

to find her abiding

within the walls of your heart,

a heart which turned thus

to God’s people

and the shepherding of them

with great care –

pray that we too may hear

and come to realize in our lives

the call of our Lord

to give up all things

for the sake of the kingdom,

to be attached to nothing

but service of the poor,

service of God Himself

in the humble of this earth;

pray that like you

we may have the heart of a shepherd,

of a laborer in Jesus’ vineyard,

united in the Spirit

with all God’s children

with whom we share His Heaven.

O patron of youth

whose innocence was unsurpassed,

whose desire to give yourself

to the Lord

in poverty and purity

led you to relinquish

your wealth in this world

at a tender age

that you might embrace Jesus

fully –

pray for the youth of our day

and the child in each of our souls,

that all might turn away

from the temptations which surround

and threaten to enter and enslave;

let all turn toward

the love of the Lord

and His heavenly call,

a call to a kingdom

that surpasses everything of this earth

and brings the joy

known only in breathing and speaking

His holy Name.

O sign of perfect solitude

who heeded so well

the Lord’s command

to enter into your closet

in order to pray,

whose great measure of self-denial

led you to the peak of contemplation

in God’s holy presence,

whose only desire

was that souls might draw close

to Him –

pray all who seek the Lord

may approach Him with a whole heart,

a heart set on Him alone,

that in such perfect devotion

all might find Him present

in their souls, in their spirits,

and be elevated in their lowliness

to His indescribable divine love,

to His peace which passes

all our understanding

but draws us ever closer

to His wounded side.

O gentle preacher of the Word,

the fire of the Holy Spirit

upon your soul

for the conversion of heretics

and the leading of all  

to God –

hold us in your arms

even as the infant Jesus

who appeared to you

along the way,

and pray that the Word

may be instilled in our hearts

even as it was in your own,

that we shall never go astray

but always have the consolation

of the Spirit of God

and His love and innocence

to lead us through this life

till we find ourselves

at home in the Father’s arms,

where you dwell in peace

with all His blessed saints.

Pray for us, our teacher and brother, this day.

O son of encouragement

and of consolation in the Holy Spirit,

you who were filled with faith

and lived that faith for the Lord,

giving up all things to bring His Name forth

to the ends of the earth,

calling all souls

and confirming them in the truth

by the authority of the risen Son –

whose footsteps go forth today

as did yours

upon the birth of the Church;

what souls are so blessed

to be set apart by the Spirit

to perform His works

in this dying world,

to bring His light

to those who sit in darkness?

Pray the Lord shall indeed

send out laborers into His vineyard

and they shall with the same faith

be an encouragement to all,

a consolation to Christian souls.

O harp of the Holy Spirit

whose song rose up to Jesus

and in honor of the Virgin Mary,

whose heart was set on Heaven

and the eternal light therein,

and who served so well to defend the faith

when from contemplation you came –

pray we too shall have a song

dedicated wholly to the Lord

welling up in hearts

set on His presence,

on the kingdom that passes not away;

and pray, too, the teaching of the Church

shall always be true,

shall always be rooted

in the Spirit,

expressive of the love of God.

What is this world as it passes away,

and who are we apart from God

and His House?

O how we long for Heaven!

Pray, dear brother, with our Blessed Mother,

that we shall come to dwell where you are.

O preacher of the Word of God

and model of the Gospel,

you embraced poverty and penance

in accord with the way of Christ

and His teaching

and called your brothers

to do the same,

that the Church might be renewed,

that she might be holy

even as the Father is holy –

pray all souls

might indeed find holiness of life

even as within

cloister walls;

pray all might embrace

the poverty of Christ,

living the faith pronounced

in sacred Scripture.

And pray that they may be led

along this narrow path

to the kingdom of the Lord

by faithful priests and bishops,

shepherds like yourself.

O apostle of the faith

called out from monastery walls

to travel into the world,

laboring and suffering

even to the shedding of blood

as you steered Christ’s ship

pounded by waves

but kept on course,

spreading out upon the face of the earth

by the sacrifice of shepherds

like yourself –

pray the bishops of today

will unceasingly teach the faith,

defending the Church from all assaults,

never silent in the face of danger,

never turning from their call

but preaching the Gospel

in season and out of season

that in all seasons

Christ’s flock might increase

and be strengthened.

Let us rather die

than give in to the impending darkness.

O modern martyrs for Christ

who gave your lives even as the early Christians,

under torture by the emperor,

who remained steadfast as these

despite sword or fire

come by the power of the king…

a new age indeed you ushered in,

one of mighty suffering,

a time for the blood to mount up on this earth –

pray, brothers in the faith,

that your sacrifice not be in vain,

that we shall join you in loyal service

and so find the Church blessed

with new growth in the Spirit.

Though new to the faith yourselves

when you bled and died for the Word,

deeply was your foundation laid,

unshaken by the threats of the mighty.

Should we not be the same;

should we not follow in your way,

we who profess to love the Lord?

O blessed martyrs for the Lord,

in your catacombs the faith flourished,

upon your tomb the Church was built…

your blood is the seed

planted in the ground

that has caused the growth

of the tree of life;

joining in the sacrifice of Christ,

His great joy you knew –

pray that such grace  

will be known to us this day,

that we will give ourselves in faith

to the Holy One by whom we are saved

and so find union with Him in Heaven.

How far His consolation is

from our souls this day,

for how little love we show;

have our hearts not become as a tomb?

Though cold and lifeless,

by your prayers

may our faith flourish once more, dear saints.

O prophet of the Lord

who spoke in His defense

even before the bench of death,

who professed the wisdom of the Cross

over the intelligence of our race

and all the ideas

it could conceive,

who chose true worship

of the One God

even over life itself

and taught us also

His way in His Church –

pray we shall merit with you

the name of Christian,

the name above every other name,

upon our lips and hearts,

that we shall follow in His steps

seeking always the truth

and His love;

pray we shall worship Him

who deserves all worship and praise

and serve Him and His Church

even with our last breath on this earth.

O Mother of our Lord,

who are we

that you should visit us?

Over hills you came

to see your cousin Elizabeth

and the child she conceived

so miraculously;

to her you brought the Child

who brings us all salvation.

Yes, to us all you bring Jesus…

all holy souls you visit with His grace.

John the Baptist proclaims this Savior

whom he has known first

in your voice,

and all hearts leap up

at your approach;

for the Lord is with you,

even in your blessed womb:

how blessed is this fruit you bear!

Visit us this day, dear Mother,

with Jesus our Redeemer,

that even this day

we may rejoice in His Name.

          O lover of the Church

          for whom you offered your life,

          defending the saving truths of the faith

          against the evil tide

          engulfing humanity,

          proclaiming the Gospel of Christ

          and the light of the Lord

          to the ends of a desolate world

          drowning in a thousand false notions

          of love

          as man makes himself God

          and so knows only emptiness

          inside –

          pray that we will extricate ourselves

          from the embrace

          of the culture of death

          and find a civilization of love;

          pray especially the smoke of Satan

          will be blown by the Spirit

          from this House you love

          that She may be evangelized anew                           

          and come to contemplate

          the glory of God.

O converter of peoples,

called from the quiet

of cloister walls

you went obediently over seas

to preach to the souls

to whom you were sent,

and the Lord worked

through your obedience,

spoke through the words

you uttered to the nations…

and so the light of holy faith

banished the darkness of error

and souls indeed were gathered

into Christ’s fold –

pray, O shepherd,

obedience shall be ours, too,

and all whom the Father

would hold unto His breast

shall come indeed to that sacred place

and there find their rest.

May God’s will be accomplished

in His Church

and we bear fruit in His name.

O priest of joy

whose song of service

rises unto the Lord

until this day,

whose delight in sacrifice

inspires others

to give themselves in freedom

to the work of Christ –

pray all God’s priests

and people

will give themselves so completely

in the love of the only Son

that indeed a holy song

might rise unto the heavens

until He returns from there

to carry us home forever.

May the Lord’s healing graces

be poured forth

through your generous intercession

that all souls might be prepared

to unite with their Creator and Redeemer,

with the Spirit who inspires the Church

even here with His glorious presence.

O humble soul

whom the Lord blessed

with mystical elevations

to His heavenly presence,

you who remained so faithful

through all trials

and encouraged others

to seek such perfection as well –

pray that this proud age

which leans so distinctly

from the truth,

from the love of God,

will be consumed as you were

by the Holy Spirit,

by desire for the Lord’s overtaking

of our lives,

that all souls will turn

from the false gods at their hands,

idols that overshadow their spirits,

and toward the humility

known only in our Savior’s blood.

Only in Him is life eternal;

pray all souls will come to His love.

O Shepherd and Father,

defender of the faith

and of holy MotherChurch

against those who would rob her

of her freedom,

those who would rape her,

stealing away her purity,

those who would deny

her singleness in the sight of God

as the House which He has founded –

those who would destroy the faith

and bring to naught

the Church, our Mother,

and Peter, our Holy Father,

do not relent in their efforts…

and so we need still

your prayers and your courage

to aid us in standing strong

against the tide

the evil one stirs up in this world.

Pray indeed, O Father,

that all our shepherds and all God’s people

will tirelessly defend the truth in love.

O learned master

whose life itself was as a monastery,

consumed as you were

by study and teaching and writing

and prayer,

who till the very end

spoke the name of the Lord

in all your words

and deeds –

pray that the incense of your life

will rise unto the throne of God

and intercede for us here below

who are so far from His presence,

from knowledge of His providence

and remembrance of His sacrifice.

How will we find ourselves

one with the Lord of Creation

and ascend to His glory

if you do not pray for us,

O blessed soul

so united to His will,

so held within His Hand

and breathing forth His name?

        O Holy Tabernacle,

        preeminent member and model of the Church

        to whom you gave birth…

        as you are Mother of the Head,

        so, too, Mother of the Body,

        of all those redeemed

        by the Blood of your Son,

        with whom you shared such intimate union –

        pray that we be made fruitful

        by your intercession,

        children of the Lord Most High

        and your children,

        conceived of the Spirit that overshadowed you

        and for whom you waited

        with the apostles in the upper room.

        Pray we make our home in you

        as in the Church

        born from the side of Jesus

        pierced upon the Cross

        beneath which you stood.

        Dear Mother, pray we follow you

        into glory.

O saint of the impossible

whose union with Christ

in His Passion and His glory

serves to grant favors

to those in great need,

you whose great thirst

to be one with our Bridegroom

brought the help of the saints yourself –

pray we poor souls

shall fulfill our vocation,

that through the din of this world

we shall hear and answer

the call of the Lord

and give ourselves in His service

in the manner He desires.

Pray our hearts be so set

on union with Him

that no obstacle shall stand in our way,

that all help we need

to find our path to Him

will be provided through your prayers.

How shall we come to dwell in Heaven?

Invoke God’s blessing upon us.

O sacrificial sheep,

priests of the Lord

who offered your lives

even as you offered Mass,

in union with Christ and His Church

for the sake of your homeland:

you prayed for its peace

even as violence was done to you;

you celebrated the Mass

and baptized your flock

even when it became a crime,

even when it cost your lives –

such union with Christ

pray all souls,

and especially our priests,

shall know to the depths of their heart;

let none be afraid

to shed their blood

as one with His redemptive sacrifice.

The Cross pray we follow where it leads,

despite the world’s persecution.

O apostle of the holy name of Jesus

who proclaimed God’s loving mercy

to those in darkness

that the light of faith

might save souls

and make them children

of the light of Christ,

radiating His splendor,

the splendor of truth,

to the ends of the earth –

where is such zeal today,

where apostles

with the preaching of Paul;

and so, how shall souls be saved,

how shall false beliefs flee,

infidelity be consumed

and the truth appear as a great candle

lighting the whole world with its brilliant flame,

if you do not intercede?

Pray that we may not lack

knowledge of and devotion to Jesus,

that His name shall not be suppressed

but preached without cease to waiting hearts.

O faithful Shepherd

who laid down your life

for the sake of true teaching,

who was killed by one

set against God’s Word…

though deprived of food

and so of this life,

you were given instead

the life of Heaven

and serve as a holy example

of what should be sacrificed

for love of truth and right –

pray that the flock

shepherded this day by the apostles

will be led by the same loyalty,

led by genuine pastors

whose love for the sheep

would lead them to lay down their lives

that the Church might be blessed

by a radiant faith

which shines the light of Christ

even to the ends

of this dying earth.

O farmer of God’s green earth

who cultivated the faith

even as you cultivated the ground,

whose simple and humble life

should serve as inspiration

to all toiling on this plane –

pray that we shall follow your example,

sharing our food with the hungry

as we work for the salvation of souls.

Pray that all the work we do

will bear fruit in God’s kingdom,

that with you and your wife

we may be found worthy

of those blessed words

come from our Savior’s mouth:

“Well done, good and faithful servant.

Enter into your Master’s joy.”

Pray according to your own blessing

from the Lord

that this earth He has given us

to care for

may be saved from the greedy hands of corrupted man

and serve as source of nourishment for all.

O chosen apostle,

destined to serve the Church

as witness to the resurrection

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

you who walked with Him

from the beginning

even until He was taken

from our sight

yet were not appointed by the Spirit

as one of the Twelve

until a place was made desolate

by the traitorous one –

pray that the call upon the soul

of all God’s children

will be fulfilled

according to His will

and we all shall come to be

witnesses to Jesus

and His eternal glory

wrought in our midst

by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let none shy away from the Lord

but assume their rightful place in His presence.

O marvelous Wonder,

O Lady who shines

like the sun,

who brings the Light

into our midst

and calls us to repentance

that we might be saved,

that the whole world

might turn to the Lord

and be preserved

from destruction…

you come at the end of the age

to lead us back to your Son

before He comes again

and finally –

pray we shall hear and heed

your warning to our souls

and, with the faith of the children

whose eyes beheld you,

offer ourselves

in union with the Cross of Jesus

for the salvation of all

and the renewal of the Church and the world.

O child of courage,

though but a boy

you gave your life

as the strongest of men,

proving thus your love for Christ,

a love that steels souls

even in the face of death,

even in the youthful breast –

if but a young child like yourself

could die so freely for the faith

and show the face of Jesus

to the whole world,

how much more should we,

so graced by the Lord

with years of devotion,

be ready to give

for the name of God?

Pray your innocence

may renew our hearts

and your strength

fortify our commitment

to give our lives for Christ

and His Church.

O brave soldiers,

the world could not take

Christ from your hearts;

though it tried to expunge Him

from the army in which you served,

your allegiance to the holy One of Israel,

our Lord and God,

remained firm,

and so death you preferred

to life without Jesus –

pray for us who are so weak in faith,

that our stale complacency

might be invigorated

by the blood of our Savior,

the blood you yourselves shed

as you filled up what was lacking

in the sufferings of Christ.

Pray we shall not turn

from the sacrifice to which the Lord calls us

but embrace with joy the cross we must bear,

and which bears us unto Heaven.

     O leper with the lepers,

     you united yourself

     so thoroughly

     with those you served

     that you became one of them,

     one of the frightful and rejected souls

     abandoned by the world

     but redeemed by the blood of Christ

     through your intercession.

     To them you brought the consolation

     of government support

     and the love of the Lord,

     and so, many were inspired

     to drag themselves

     into your chapel –

     pray we join them there,

     listening attentively to the Word of salvation

     and finding healing for the disease

     that eats away at our souls;

     help us to embrace the cross

     the Lord provides

     to lead us on the narrow way

     to Heaven.

O holy apostles of the Lord

upon whom the Church is established,

your words go out to the ends of the earth,

bringing the Gospel to all nations.

You who were near to Jesus Himself,

who were with Him all the time

He walked among us…

there is no greater witness

to the way and the truth and the life

of our God, our Savior –

please pray for the Church in the world

this day,

that it shall be led by the Spirit of Truth

and we shall all be as brothers of the Lord,

living in His love

and revealing the Father.

As you have performed the works of the Son,

so let us join in the work of redemption,

that all the earth will come to see

that Jesus is in the Father

and we are made one in Him.

O defender of the faith

in the divinity of Christ,

bulwark of the Church

of the One

who is true God and true Man,

upholder of the way

in the face of all persecutions –

pray that the shepherds of the Church

will today be so staunch in the faith,

never afraid to defend the truth

from attacks from within

and outside her walls.

So many souls

are led so astray

by the teaching of false prophets;

pray indeed that the Lord

will raise up leaders,

prophets of His true teaching,

of His narrow way,

which leads through the body He assumed,

the death He took upon Himself

for our sins,

to His divine presence in Heaven.

O humble laborer in God’s House

who served to build up His Temple

by the sweat of your brow

and your careful concern

to follow His will –

pray that we shall embody

the same obedience

to the Word of God

and His call to our souls,

that we too will consecrate ourselves

and our daily labor

to service of the Lord

and the upbuilding of His Church,

and that we, too,

might be built into the House

wherein He makes

His eternal dwelling.

We are but poor creatures,

simple and weak;

pray the Lord our God

and His Son for whom you cared

will bless us with your dignity,

O righteous man of God.

O wise and holy virgin

whose love for God

was matched by a great love

for the Church

and a great desire

to see her pure and holy

as He…

peace you brought to peoples

and to MotherChurch,

for peace you held

within your blessed soul,

held as you were

in the hand of God –

pray the light of the Lord

will be shed upon the Church

and all souls

this day,

and that reconciliation shall come

and we stand as one

in that surpassing light

and peace of the Trinity.

May holiness be all men’s desire,

to live in accord with the will of God.

O apostle of Mary

and so of our Lord Jesus Christ,

to the Lord you drew souls

through devotion to His Mother.

How perfectly you have spoken

of this grace upon the Virgin

and the role she plays

in the salvation of the world –

pray this day

that her sweet protection

and most blessed intercession

will be with all the children

who turn in faith to the one

chosen by the Father

to be Mother of His Son.

May this Spouse of the Spirit

lead us into God’s presence

where with you

and all the heavenly saints

we shall find ourselves one

with the Most Holy Trinity

and sing forever the praises

of our Lord and God.

O great missionary,

you served to convert

a land and a people

that had never heard

of our blessed Savior,

and though killed for your work,

you loved those to whom you were sent

and toiled tirelessly

for their salvation –

pray the same kind heart you showed

we shall also know

in serving souls

placed into our care;

and pray the name of our Lord

shall go forth in freedom

to the very ends of the earth

this day.

What are our lives

compared with the service of Christ

and the salvation of souls

in faith in His name?

Let us live with your same zeal

the love that is Jesus and His Cross.

O proclaimer of the Word of God,

we know of our Lord

who suffered and died

that we might rise with Him

on the third day

because the Spirit inspired you

to tell us of this Good News.

Faithful you were to the Lord

and to His blessed apostles,

and so became an apostle yourself,

carrying the Gospel

to men of every nation –

pray that the Word

which you have served

to impart to us

may be remembered

and cherished in the hearts

of all believers,

and that we, too, shall work,

inspired by the Spirit,

to build up the Body of Christ,

making it ready for His return

to dwell with us forever.

O charitable and zealous soul

who gave your life

that others might know

the true and abiding Catholic faith,

you who cared for the sick and the dying,

those who were ailing in body

and diseased in spirit –

how shall we learn

to sacrifice all as you have done,

to stand in the face of opposition

and speak the truth

though those we would help

would devour us instead

of listening to the words

come from the Savior’s mouth?

Penance and prayer

are so far from us this day,

and who really cares

to show others Christ’s way?

Pray this ship shall be strengthened

by holy souls

eager for the salvation of all

and confirmed in the truth and love of the Spirit.

O persecuted shepherd

whose flock repeatedly drove you

from their midst

but who accomplished

great work of conversion

among them…

to these indignant souls

you repeatedly returned,

ever spreading Christ’s net further –

pray for us, apostle to nations,

that in God’s Church today

His Word may go boldly forth

to convert hearts

so hardened by sin,

that the acquired ignorance

of peoples returning to paganism

will be thoroughly dispelled

by truth.

Forth let all souls journey,

humbly proclaiming the Gospel

till all have heard and understood

the glory to which they are called

by our Savior.

O courageous soldier

in the army of our Lord,

you gave up the ranks

of this passing world

for the kingdom

wrought by Jesus Christ,

dying willingly

for such a just cause

and showing us the path

we must tread

to be found worthy

to stand with our God –

pray that we may be strengthened

in the battle of earthly life,

that our weak limbs

may not be disjointed,

that we might not tremble in fear

at the threats of the mighty

but take our refuge

in the Almighty

and fight for Him who fights for us

until we are wrapped in His arms,

until we cling to His breast.

O sublime teacher

and defender of the Church

and her freedom,

the joy of Heaven

you sought

in your spiritual life,

and for the autonomy of MotherChurch

you fought

in your call as shepherd –

pray that we

who remain so blind

to the presence of God

will have our eyes opened

and draw closer

to Him who is our life,

in whose light

we alone find peace;

and pray, too,

that we shall fulfill our call

as disciples of truth

and defend with your same strength

the life of our Mother,

despite the persecutions that come.

O martyred Father

of the Church,

you laid down your life

to save her from the enemy,

to preserve her in the truth

of orthodox faith;

unmindful of the humiliation

and exile you bore

at the hands of the king

of this world,

you died that all might know

the Christ

in His divinity and humanity –

pray we shall indeed be saved

from all temptation

to turn from the faith,

and so find our way

to the kingdom

where now you dwell

with the Lord and all His holy angels.

May our leaders be as strong as you

and we follow them loyally

in the name of our Redeemer.

O soldier of Christ

who stood with courage

against the powers of this world,

leading the troops in your charge

even unto death –

pray that we may remain

loyal to our call,

faithful to the Lord

even unto our own death,

standing strong and tall

against the assaults of the world

and the devil

and forming those entrusted to us

in the ways of God

as you, dear shepherd,

have bravely done.

Let us not be afraid

to shed our blood for the truth,

to suffer persecution

in order to light the way

that leads to life,

the life that is Christ,

who strengthens us with the armor of God.

O good teacher

of the poor boys in your care,

minister of the Lord

to those most in need,

with what humble affection

you carried out your work

in educating souls

in the Gospel of Christ

and guiding others to do the same –

pray that we, too,

shall give ourselves in sacrificial silence

to the call the Lord has placed

upon our souls,

and especially that teachers

of the young and disadvantaged

will find grace and strength

from our Lord

to carry out in truth and love

their work for Christ and His Church.

May the Temple of God

be built up on this earth

in all poor souls

washed in Christ’s blood. 

O great preacher

who taught so well

the love of God

and the precepts of the Church,

who worked with such zeal

to repair the breach

within the Church

in a time of corruption –

pray that now the Word

may again go forth

to the ends of the earth,

that all might hear

the voice of the Spirit

speaking in their hearts

and turn resolutely

from their sins

to the grace of the Lord;

and pray, too,

there will be priests

to preach God’s Word

with that same loving zeal

you had for the Church

and every soul.

O learned man

whose wisdom remained

not only in the mind

but found practice

in the Church of God,

you who read and studied Scripture

not just for its own sake

but that the Word might be implemented

amongst your flock –

pray we too might live

with the Word of God,

that we too might share

the light He would impart

to every soul.

Pray God’s grace

touch our innermost minds,

that the understanding our ear receives

will penetrate to our heart;

and pray, dear shepherd,

that God’s Word permeate

His Church as a whole,

led by servants as learned as you

in the way of love and truth.

O little one,

holy and true,

who wanted no more

than to leave the world

that you might draw closer

to Christ

but who was followed by the world

and called to teach the world

of the way of holiness

in our blessed Lord –

pray we shall follow His path

of Passion and death,

death to self

and all animosity, all hatred,

finding thereby His peace,

peace in His Spirit

and light.

O that we might be sanctified!

our hearts converted to God,

following your example,

which leads to the Cross

and so the resurrection

of our humble Jesus.

O chosen one of the Lord,

how well you answered His call,

giving yourself entirely

to the angel’s word

and so conceiving in your womb

the salvation of the world –

pray, O Spouse of the Holy Spirit,

that His voice might inspire in us

your same commitment to the Word of God

and its working in our lives;

pray the Son be conceived in us as well

that we too might serve

to bring His salvation forth

into the light of this day.

How shall we give ourselves

completely to the Lord

without your prayers, dear Mother,

without your blessed intercession…?

O pray we shall follow in your wake

and add our ‘yes’ to your own,

that the Lord may indeed work in us,

that He might make His home in us

and we come to our home in Heaven.

O missionary shepherd

whose love for the truth

was a love for Christ

and a desire for your flock

to know Him

and the way to glorify God,

you who gave yourself

for the Truth that is Christ

and for His Church on earth,

through whom He teaches all men

and brings them into His fold –

may we, too, lay down our lives

and work as hard as you have done

in the name of Jesus,

that all our lives

and the lives of all His flock

might be in accord

with the will of the Lord

and faithful to the Mother

He has left for our care;

let all that is not of God

be cast from our midst

by the Spirit of Truth this day.

O righteous man called by God

to be foster-father of His only Son

and protector of His Mother,

you who were obedient to the Spirit,

who took Jesus by the hand

and led Him from the temple

in Jerusalem

to the home in Nazareth

where Mary made a place for Him –

pray that we shall be built

into the house of Abraham,

the man of faith,

into the house of David, your father,

into the House the Holy Spirit builds

for the faithful even this day,

where our Mother waits for us

with you and all the saints;

pray that we too shall hear the words

spoken over you by the Lord:

“Well done, good and faithful servant;

enter into the joy of your Master.”

Pray we shall be righteous

as you.

O steadfast teacher of the faith

whom exile could not keep

from proclaiming the truths

of Scripture and the Church,

whose pastoral zeal

called souls

to the blessed chamber

of our divine Lord Jesus Christ

that we might unite with Him

who united Himself with us

to draw us unto Heaven –

pray that the shepherds of the Church

shall be just so diligent

and faithful

as you have consistently been

in imparting the Word of God

to waiting ears and hearts,

that all might be nourished well

and so prepared

to meet our King and Bridegroom,

grace upon grace

overflowing in souls

led by the Spirit of Truth.

O great apostle to the nations

who gave up your birthright of freedom

for the benefit of others,

who went forth in faith,

Christ ever above you and before you

and all around to protect you

who were brought through trial

to do His will

in bringing God to unbelievers,

you who never doubted –

pray that we, too, shall spend ourselves

for the sake of the Gospel

and all souls

yet to be gathered to the Lord,

that indeed from east and west

men shall come

and sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

in the kingdom of our God,

that from the ends of the earth

one people shall be drawn to Him…

and let us do all

without concern for persecution,

with the heart of a shepherd you had. 

O patient and loving soul

who cared for both

the physical and spiritual needs

of the poor and the sick,

who with a gentle word

would rebuke sins

and heal division

and with a gentle touch

bind the wounds

and smooth the beds

of the ill

in your home and in hospital,

who saw that remedies for the soul,

the Bread of life and holy Confession,

were available, too,

through the hands of a priest –

who cares as deeply and fully

for the needs of souls

this day?

Increase their number;

pray the Lord touch all souls

with your same patient affection,

with the love only He knows.

O servant of love

whom the angels knew

to be of God

for your blessed care

of the poor and the sick

and all the needy pilgrims

who came to you in abundance

that you might be the greater blest

by what you did for the least

of Christ’s brothers,

you who turned from the world

to absolute service of the Lord

and complete trust in His providence –

please pray that our hearts

may be enlarged

and we find the grace

to lay down our lives so freely

for the needs of others,

for their well-being,

that as we welcome all who come to us

we might ourselves be welcomed

in our misery

into the loving arms of Jesus. 

O blessed martyrs

who willingly and happily

suffered a cruel death

by the teeth of beasts

and the point of a sword,

all for love of Jesus –

how can we match your faith;

where shall we find the strength

you displayed

in ecstasy at tortures

devised by the wicked of this earth,

and can we call ourselves Christian otherwise?

Pray for us, dear martyrs,

that the Lord will bless us

with such favor

as you have known

and we, too, will be enabled

to stand in joy

even in the face of the severest persecution,

even at the time of our death…

even then may Heaven be with us.

O patron of the impoverished

who though son of a king

counted yourself among

the poor in spirit,

you whose love abundantly flowed

to all in need,

who sought the purity

of our Blessed Mother,

who thirsted for our Lord

in the Blessed Sacrament,

who devoted yourself

to prayer

and constant works of charity –

teach us this day to be pure

and set our hearts

on serving the poor

that we too might come

to share the kingdom

with all God’s children,

all those who empty themselves

of the things of this world

to find the grace

of Heaven.

O mother to the poor

and disadvantaged,

missionary to those in your own country

isolated from their neighbors

because of the color of their skin,

some who lived upon the land

long before those who oppressed them,

others brought to this land

in chains…

you who sought to break the chains

of ignorance and poverty,

who gave your treasure

and the riches of your soul

that those without

might find a home –

pray for souls still disadvantaged

by poverty or ignorance;

pray that those with

and those without

might meet as one,

as brothers before the Lord

here on earth

and in the heavenly kingdom.