Saints and the Liturgical Year

[grateful_child]

September 9, 2013 - Monday, 23rd Week in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, by whom we are redeemed and receive adoption,
look graciously upon your beloved sons and daughters,
that those who believe in Christ
may receive true freedom
and an everlasting inheritance.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

September 9 - St. Peter Claver, Priest and Religious (Memorial in the Dioceses of the United States:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who made Saint Peter Claver a slave of slaves
and strengthened him with wonderful charity and patience
as he came to their help,
grant, through his intercession,
that, seeking the things of Jesus Christ,
we may love our neighbor in deeds and in truth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“Born near Barcelona, St. Peter (1580-1654) was a Jesuit missionary who ministered to African slaves as they arrived at the South American seaport of Cartagena. Enduring the derision of the slave traders, he fed the hungry, cared for the sick and dying, preached the Gospel, and baptized converts for nearly forty years.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on St. Peter Claver, see link:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/P/stpeterclaver.asp

 

[grateful_child]

September10, 2013 - Tuesday, 23rd Week in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, by whom we are redeemed and receive adoption,
look graciously upon your beloved sons and daughters,
that those who believe in Christ
may receive true freedom
and an everlasting inheritance.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

 

[Amiciel]

September 8, 2013 - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, by whom we are redeemed and receive adoption,
look graciously upon your beloved sons and daughters,
that those who believe in Christ
may receive true freedom
and an everlasting inheritance.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

For today’s Scripture Readings and reflection:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

Sharing this reflection on today’s Readings from today’s Euchalette, p. 4:

CHALLENGING DEMANDS OF A CHRIST-LIKE LOVE

"All spiritual masters and great leaders are noted for their being quite demanding with their followers. But none of them is as demanding as Jesus. In fact, he requires that his disciples practise a radical detachment not only from material things, but also from their closest family ties and their very selves.

Jesus asks us to overcome the instinctive inclination to love in an almost idolatric manner the persons dearest to us. He wants his desciples to learn to love as he does. He wants them to love their relatives and friends in a ‘detached and pure manner.’ Such ‘detachment’ and ‘purity’ obviously entail a tremendous amount of a self-forgetfulness and self-control. Not all are able and willing to make so great a sacrifice.

But for those who do their best to comply with such a challenging demand, a wonderful reward lies in store - they will become able to love their own people in a purified and refined manner. They will love them in Christ and as Christ loves them. That’s the way he loved his mother Mary and his disciples.

Not only this. Once they have reached that degree of purification and refinement in loving their relatives, the disciples will have become able to love everybody, without fear or complexes. They will love not only the lovable and the loving, but also and especially the un-lovable and the un-loving. Their behavior will be characterized by an attitude of appreciation, acceptance, respect, encouragment, attention … toward all…

Such a feeling experienced by the persons who see themselves as the object of a delicate, sincere and up-building love will prompt in them a similar response / attitude. It will draw out from them the hero and the saint that had been buried by avalanches of rejection, neglect, hatred or lust-filled love.

On seeing such a result, both in themselves and in those they love, the disciples will understand the wisdom of Jesus’ demand and its fruitfulness. They will be extremely grateful to their Master for having challenged them to soar to such heights. And they will rejoice in Him who is the 'Lord of all beautiful LOVE.’" (p.4.)
(Some emphasis added.)

 

[grateful_child]

September11, 2013 - Wednesday, 23rd Week in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, by whom we are redeemed and receive adoption,
look graciously upon your beloved sons and daughters,
that those who believe in Christ
may receive true freedom
and an everlasting inheritance.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

 

[grateful_child]

September12, 2013 - Thursday, 23rd Week in Ordinary Time:

Collect:
O God, by whom we are redeemed and receive adoption,
look graciously upon your beloved sons and daughters,
that those who believe in Christ
may receive true freedom
and an everlasting inheritance.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever."

Today’s Scripture readings and reflection:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

September 12 - The Most Holy Name of Mary (Optional Memorial):

Collect:
“Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that, for all who celebrate the glorious Name
of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
she may obtain your merciful favor.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“God the Father is glorified by the exalted role of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thus, her name is a name of honor, to be venerated and called upon with trust and devotion.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on the Most Holy Name of Mary, see link:
americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/saint.aspx?id=1930

 

[grateful_child]

Sharing with you some thoughts from Mysteries of the Virgin Mary by Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P.:

Quoting CCC 2158, Fr. Cameron makes us aware that “Everyone’s name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it”.

Father Cameron continues with CCC 203: “A name expresses a person’s essence and identity and the meaning of this person’s life. To disclose one’s name is to make oneself known to others; in a way it is to hand oneself over by becoming accessible, capable of being known more intimately and addressed personally… from the very beginning God insists on revealing to us the name of his mother.” (pp. 106-107.)

“God deliberately confides to us Mary’s name so as to make the Blessed Virgin more accessible to us, to enable us to address her personally and know her intimately, and to give us an entree to the very meaning of her life…” (p. 107.)

Fr. Cameron quotes St. Thomas: “Mary means 'star of the sea’, for as mariners are guided to port by the ocean star, so Christians attain to glory through Mary’s maternal intercession” …(p. 107.)

"However, the true greatness of the Holy Name of Mary is its instrumentality in our salvation. ‘Just as the salvation of the world began with the Hail Mary,’ explains St. Louis de Montfort, ‘so the salvation of each individual is bound up with it.’ For just as the utterance of this name ‘brought to a dry and barren world the Fruit of Life,’ so, too, will reverently pronouncing the Holy Name of Mary in prayer ‘cause the Word of God to take root in the soul and bring forth Jesus, the Fruit of Life’ …(P. 108.)
(continued on next page.)

Thoughts from the Mysteries of the Virgin Mary by Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P. (continued):

Quoting St. Bonaventure, Fr. Cameron writes: “As wax melts before fire, so do the devils lose their power against those souls who remember the name of Mary and devoutly invoke it.” (p.110.)

Father continues by quoting St. Bernard: “If the winds of temptations surge, if you run aground on the shoals of troubles, call upon Mary. If you are tossed by the winds of pride or ambition or detraction or jealousy, call upon Mary. In dangers, in straits, in perplexity, call upon Mary. Let her name be always in your mouth and in your heart.” (p. 113.)

Let us then sing to Our Lady, Our Mother Mary, in reverence and trust:
youtube.com/watch?v=V8hBYB42oWM&feature=related
(Note: The hymn starts after a few moments.)

Just a ‘refresher’ on the significance of Our Blessed Mother’s name, Mary.

 

[grateful_child]

September 13 - St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Memorial):

Collect:
“O God, strength of those who hope in you,
who willed that the Bishop Saint John Chrysostom
should be illustrious by his wonderful eloquence
and his experience of suffering,
grant us, we pray,
that, instructed by his teachings,
we may be strengthened through the example
of his invincible patience.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflection:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

“Born in Antioch, Syria, St. John (349-407) was given the moniker Chrysostom (‘golden-mouthed’) because of his eloquent and powerful preaching. He entered monastic life and was later consecrated Archbishop of Constantinople; his resolve in the midst of controversy distinguished him as much as his many writings on Catholic doctrine and Christian life. He died in exile.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on St. John Chrysostom and other saints of the day, see links:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/J/stjohnchrysostom.asp

 

[grateful_child]

September 14 - The Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Feast):

Collect:
“O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son
should undergo the Cross to save the human race,
grant, we pray,
that we, who have known his mystery on earth,
may merit the grace of his redemption in heaven.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflection:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

“Public veneration of the Holy Cross dates to the fourth century when St. Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine, discovered it in Jerusalem. This feast commemortes the rescue of the Holy Cross from the Persians in the seventh century. The Church sings of the triumph of the Holy Cross, the instrument of salvation.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

“Today’s feast celebrates a double anniversary. In Jerusalem, Constantine erected a round church, the Anastasis, above the empty grave of Jesus, and a basilica, the Martyrium; in the square between the two churches, a shrine, Calvarium, marking the place of the crucifixion. These were dedicated in 335. They were destroyed by the Persians in 614. The present church of the Holy Sepulcher was built by the Crusaders in 1149. Today also commemorates the discovery of the Lord’s cross by the Empress, St. Helena, in 320.” (Ordo.)

For more on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, see link:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/E/exaltationoftheholycross.asp

 

[grateful_child]

September 15, 2013 - 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Look upon us, O God,
Creator and ruler of all things,
and, that we may feel the working of your mercy,
grant that we may serve you with all our heart.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

September 15 - Our Lady of Sorrows (Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who willed
that, when your Son was lifted high on the Cross,
his Mother should stand close by and share his suffering,
grant that your Church,
participating with the Virgin Mary in the Passion of Christ,
may merit a share in his Resurrection.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“An appreciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s unique role in the Passion of her Son led Pope Pius VII to extend this traditional devotion to the whole Church in 1814. Our Lady is the preeminent example of how to live with suffering; she reminds the faithful of the malice of sin and shows the way of true repentance.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

“By the 14th c., the faithful identified seven sorrows of Mary: the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, the flight into Egypt, Jesus being lost in Jerusalem, the meeting of Mary and Jesus on the way to Calvary, the crucifixion, the taking down of Jesus’ body from the cross, and his burial.” (Ordo.)

For more on the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, see link:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/O/ourladyofsorrows.asp

 

[grateful_child]

September 16 - Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs (Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who gave Saints Cornelius and Cyprian to your people
as diligent shepherds and valiant Martyrs,
grant that through their intercession
we may be strengthened in faith and constancy
and spend ourselves without reserve
for the unity of the Church.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture Readings and reflection:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

“With the help of St. Cyprian (190-258), Bishop of Carthage, Pope St. Cornelius (d.253) defended the faith and his own papal authority against heretics, some of whom lessened unduly the gravity of apostasy, others of whom denied that it could be forgiven. Their names are included in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I).” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on St. Cornelius & St. Cyprian, see links:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/C/stcornelius.asp
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/C/stcyprian.asp

 

[grateful_child]

September 17, 2013 - Tuesday, 24th Week in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Look upon us, O God,
Creator and ruler of all things,
and, that we may feel the working of your mercy,
grant that we may serve you with all our heart.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflection:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

September 17 - St. Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Optional Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who adorned the Bishop Saint Robert Bellarmine
with wonderful learning and virtue
to vindicate the faith of your Church,
grant, through his intercession,
that in the integrity of that same faith
your people may always find joy.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“Born in Tuscany, the Jesuit St. Robert (1542-1621) was made a cardinal. A respected scholar and intellectual, he was at the center of several theological disputes; he was one of the earliest and most effective apologists in response to the Reformation.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on St. Robert Bellarmine, see link:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/R/strobertbellarmine.asp

 

[Amiciel]

September 15 - Our Lady of Sorrows (Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who willed
that, when your Son was lifted high on the Cross,
his Mother should stand close by and share his suffering,
grant that your Church,
participating with the Virgin Mary in the Passion of Christ,
may merit a share in his Resurrection.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“An appreciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s unique role in the Passion of her Son led Pope Pius VII to extend this traditional devotion to the whole Church in 1814. Our Lady is the preeminent example of how to live with suffering; she reminds the faithful of the malice of sin and shows the way of true repentance.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

“By the 14th c., the faithful identified seven sorrows of Mary: the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, the flight into Egypt, Jesus being lost in Jerusalem, the meeting of Mary and Jesus on the way to Calvary, the crucifixion, the taking down of Jesus’ body from the cross, and his burial.” (Ordo.)

For more on the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, see link:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/O/ourladyofsorrows.asp

A reflection on Our Lady of Sorrows:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=11199452#post11199452

 

[Amiciel]

September 15, 2013 - 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Look upon us, O God,
Creator and ruler of all things,
and, that we may feel the working of your mercy,
grant that we may serve you with all our heart.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

Sharing this reflection from today’s Euchalette on today’s Scripture Readings (p. 4.):

WE ARE MOST PRECIOUS TO GOD

"We manifest the value we attach to what we own by the care with which we use it or the way we keep it, and especially by the pain we experience when we lose it. That is why Jesus used the parables of the lost sheep and of the lost coin to impress on his audience how dear each individual human being is to God.

We are precious to Him because He has created us in His image and likeness, and has destined us to share His life for ever. And the proof of how dear we are to God is in what He does when we run the risk of getting lost.

When this happens, He does not sit back and conclude in a detached manner, that such has been our choice and that He respects it. Nor does He find consolation for our loss in thinking that, after all, He still has so many other people who remain close to Him … We are not just precious to Him. We are UNIQUELY PRECIOUS to Him and He loves each of us as if he/she were the only one who exists. Both parables in today’s Gospel passage speak of ONE getting lost, be it a sheep or a coin.

That is why, when we make a wrong choice, God does not get resigned to the idea that we should suffer the consequences for it. He would not get resigned to this loss even if we were the only ones to be lost. This is the reason for the Incarnation. This is the reason for all that Christ did and endured in order to find the ‘lost sheep’ and bring them home to the safety of the Father’s house. There is no greater sign of how precious each of us is to God than the incarnation, suffering, and death of God’s Son." (p. 4.)
(Read on for continuation of thought."

 

[Amiciel]

Reflection on today’s Scripture Readings from today’s Euchalette, continued:

The reaction of the shepherd and the woman when they lose what they hold so dear is one of ANXIOUS CONCERN and ACTIVE SEARCH in view of finding that one lost item. The meaning of all this is that God’s LOVE for sinners does not just wait patiently for them to come back. Instead, it goes in search of them, as if nothing else mattered.

The case of Paul’s conversion in today’s Second Reading is a practical example not only of God’s immense patience with sinners (see v. 16), but also of how mercifully and generously He deals with them. (See v. 14.) Each of us could tell the same story, for all of us have experienced God’s merciful love not just once, but numberless times.

Today’s parables also tell us that when God manages to rescue a sinner (symbolized by the finding of the lost sheep / coin), He REJOICES and CELEBRATES with His ‘friends and neighbors’. Love rejoices and celebrates and invites others to be part of it! It is the pure rejoicing that replaces the past sorrow and overflows on to all those who shared the pain of the loss. It is just right that all the friends of God should rejoice. They are part of His ‘family’. We should feel part of the family!

So the two parables do not just tell us how precious every human being is to God, but also how much we should share in His appreciation and love for each human person, participate in His concern over those who are in danger of getting lost, and be one with Him in rejoicing over the finding of the lost brothers or sisters." (p.4.)

 

[grateful_child]

September 18, 2013 - Wednesday, 24th Week in Ordinary Time:

Collect:
“Look upon us, O God,
Creator and ruler of all things,
and, that we may feel the working of your mercy,
grant that we may serve you with all our heart.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflection:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

For information on St. Joseph of Cupertino, see link:
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-09-18

 

[grateful_child]

September 19, 2013 - Thursday, 24th Week in Ordinary Time:

Collect:
“Look upon us, O God,
Creator and ruler of all things,
and, that we may feel the working of your mercy,
grant that we may serve you with all our heart.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflection:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

September 19 - St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr (Optional Memorial):

Collect:
“O God, who grant us to venerate
the memory of the Martyr Saint Januarius,
give us, we pray, the joy of his company
in blessed happiness for all eternity.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“Bishop of Benevento, Italy, St. Januarius (d.305) was martyred in Naples under the persecutions of Diocletian. His dried blood, contained in a phial, liquefies seven times each year, for which no scientific explanation has been found.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on St. Januarius, see link:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/J/stjanuarius.asp
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-09-19

 

[grateful_child]

September 20 - St. Andrew Kim Taegon, Priest, and St. Paul Chong Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs (Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who have been pleased to increase
your adopted children in all the world,
and who made the blood of the Martyrs
Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon and his companions
a most fruitful seed of Christians,
grant that we may be defended by their help
and profit always from their example.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflection:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

“St. Andrew (d.1846) was born in Seoul to converts to the Faith. He traveled 1300 miles to the nearest seminary in South China to become the first native Korean priest. He was tortured and beheaded along with his lay associate, St. Paul (1795-1839); between 1839 and 1867, 103 Korean martyrs gave their lives for the Faith.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on **St. Andrew Kim Taegon, St Paul Chong Ha-sang & Companions **and St. Eustace & Companions, see links:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/A/standrewkimtaegon.asp
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Chong_Hasang
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-09-20

 

[grateful_child]

September 21 - St. Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist (Feast):

Collect:
“O God, who with untold mercy
were pleased to choose as an Apostle
Saint Matthew, the tax collector,
grant that, sustained by his example and intercession,
we may merit to hold firm in following you.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today Scripture readings and reflection:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

“St. Matthew was a publican, that is, a tax collector for Rome, a profession that was despised by the Jews. Our Lord called him to be an Apostle; his vocation reveals all professions, all work, and all other endeavors should be sanctified. According to tradition he preached the Gospel as far as Persia or Ethiopia. He is the author of the first Gospel, and his name appears in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I).” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on St. Matthew, see links:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/M/stmatthew.asp
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-09-21

 

[grateful_child]

September 22, 2013 - 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who founded all the commands of your sacred Law
upon love of you and of our neighbor,
grant that, by keeping your precepts,
we may merit to attain eternal life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-09-22

For the saints of the day, see link:
www.catholic.org/saints/f_day/sep.php

 

[grateful_child]

September 23 - St. Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest (Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
Almighty ever-living God, who, by a singular grace,
gave the Priest Saint Pius a share in the Cross of your Son
and, by means of his ministry,
renewed the wonders of your mercy,
grant that through his intercession
we may be united constantly to the sufferings of Christ,
and so brought happily to the glory of the resurrection.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever."

"St. Pius (1887-1968), affectionately known as Padre Pio, joined the Capuchin Friars and was later ordained a priest. For fifty years he lived at the monastery of San Giovanni Rotundo, where his miraculous abilities as spiritual advisor, confessor, and intercessor attracted the attention of the world. His humility and constant devotion to the Eucharist caused him to remark often, “I only want to be a friar who prays.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on **St. Pius of Pietrelcina **and other saints of the day, see links:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/P/stpioofpietrelcina.asp
catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-09-23