Saints Castus and Emilius

22 MAY 2025. Today the Church of the Latin Rite and the Orthodox Church celebrates two of her early saints from Africa. While history has lost nearly all of the detail of the lives of Saints Castus and Emilius, what we do know of them offers an impressive and moving account of the hope, strength, and mercy found only in our God!

During the third century persecution of Christianity by Decius in Carthage, we first learn of our brothers. They were imprisoned and under threat of a terrible and painful death of martyrdom, they denied their Christian faith. After this trespass of our Lord's faith in them--the same faith the Lord places in each of us that we will remain faithful to Him, the Truth--they were released from prison. 

However, fearing they had offended God by their denial of Him, they repented of their sin, and strengthened in their sure hope in Christ, they began to boldly live their Christian lives. This led, again, to their imprisonment, but this time their faithfulness to the Lord was firm. For this firm faith and hope in the Lord, speaking truly as Christians, they were burned to death, suffering a red martyrdom for their faith. In this, they are courageous and sure examples for all of us that stumble, loose our way, and fail to live up to the call that each of us has as adopted brothers and sisters with Christ.

We see in Saints Castus and Emilius that faith overcomes. It is never too late to turn again to God, to undergo conversion, and to place our faith in the one, true God. Our Lord is our sure hope, and that hope is stronger than the sting of death or punishment in this world. This why St. Augustine of Hippo praises our brothers with this witness:

 It is not the punishment or the torture they suffer that makes them martyrs, but their justice. God is pleased not with our pain and suffering, but with our righteousness. Therefore, let us not look at someone’s martyrdom, but at the purpose of the martyrdom. For example, the two thieves who were crucified with the Lord: they had the same punishment as He did, but they were crucified for their sins, while He was crucified so that our sins might be forgiven. Also, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given by the Lord. That is why those who trust in themselves are forsaken by God, like Peter, who dared to say that he would give his soul for the Lord’s sake, and the Lord revealed to him that he would soon deny him three times. So too, the martyrs Castus and Emilio, while they had a great impression of themselves, suffered defeats, and God helped them when they began to fight the devil and were humbled. For our salvation also rests on the Lord’s humiliation: we would not have known salvation if the Lord had not condescended to humble Himself for us. Let us therefore honor the martyrs with reverence and not with thoughtlessness and frivolity, with firmness but not stubbornness, with unity and not with the division of heresies. If we want to imitate the martyrs, let us imitate their righteousness.

(Augustine of Hippo, Sermo 285, Indie Natali martyrum Casti et Aemilii, PL 38, 1293-1297)

Prayer

Lord, God our Father and our sure hope,

In our need and the sufferings and hardships of this pilgrim life,

grant, we beseech thee, the strength of courage 

    to praise You and live our Christian

    faith boldly,

May our faith in you, lead to your greater glory!

And, may the example of Saints Castus and Emilius

    provide for us, your children, a kindling of the

    hope that You provide to us all.

Our sure home with You in heaven. Our sure

    achievement of happiness in You alone!

Saints Castus and Emilius, please pray for us, poor

    brothers and sisters of you, that we may have

    your faith, your fortitude, your sureness of hope

    in the living God.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns

with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God

    forever and ever.

 

Amen.

Pray for Peace in Our World

27 July 2016. THE EARTH. Our world needs peace. Our people need peace. Our Lady weeps for the absence of peace in our world, yet there is always hope.

Good people and people of faith will always prevail over evil.

Pray for Peace in Our World!

IMAGE: Pascal Rossignol / Reuters

Plea for Mercy from the Holy Spirit

Dear Lord, Holy Spirit,
our advocate and guide, who is with us
until the end of time,
we praise you and adore you as true God.
We honor and worship you as our Lord, with us.
We beg you for the gift of God's mercy.
Please show forth on us the Divine Mercy
of Jesus Christ, our savior.
Guide us in all things to exercise this mercy,
through charity to all others;
guide us in all moments and situations,
for we, weak sinners that we are,
are always
in need of your mercy.

May the Holy and Divine Will reign in us, always,
through the gifts of the Holy Spirit,
generously poured forth upon us.
Relying entirely on you, Holy Paracelete, we beseech
You to raise our hearts
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and
bless us by the unity of our hearts with His
Sacred Heart.

We love you and adore you.
Relying entirely on your mercy and love, we
plead to You to continuously pour forth
the mercy of God upon us, for the greater glory
and honor of the Holy Trinity,
one and true God.

Holy Mother of God,
most chaste spouse of the Holy Spirit,
pray for us now and in all our needs.

Amen.

Prayer for Christ's Mercy

O Font of love for the world,
who was made man,
for the likes of me.
Provide for Your Mercy to pour over the world,
to pour over me;
poor sinners that we are,
so that we may love You more,
adore You more,
seek You more,
serve You more, and
follow You with the same charity
that You have shown to us.

Crucified Savior, in Your passion You became sin for us,
who are wrought and burdened by our sins.
In all our needs, have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and
send upon us Your Holy Spirit to enrich
and guide us in charity.
May we be instruments of your mercy,
for our neighbors,
through our charity and love for You.
My God.
My Lord.
My Savior.
My Love.

Amen.

Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart

 

By Saint Gregory of Narek, Doctor of the Church

A

The voice of a sighing heart, its sobs and mournful cries,
I offer up to you, O Seer of Secrets,
placing the fruits of my wavering mind
as a savory sacrifice on the fire of my grieving soul
to be delivered to you in the censer of my will.

Compassionate Lord, breathe in
this offering and look more favorably on it
than upon a more sumptuous sacrifice
offered with rich smoke. Please find
this simple string of words acceptable.
Do not turn in disdain.

May this unsolicited gift reach you,
this sacrifice of words
from the deep mystery-filled chamber
of my feelings, consumed in flames
fueled by whatever grace I may have within me.

As I pray, do not let these
pleas annoy you, Almighty,
like the raised hands of Jacob,
whose irreverence was rebuked
by Isaiah, nor let them seem like the impudence
of Babylon criticized in the 72nd Psalm.

But let these words be acceptable
as were the fragrant offerings
in the tabernacle at Shiloh
raised again by David on his return from captivity
as the resting place for the ark of the covenant,
a symbol for the restoration of my lost soul.

B

Because your stern judgment
echoes mightily in the valley of retribution,
contradictory impulses in my soul
brace for battle like clashing mobs.
Crowds of thoughts strike each other, sword
against armor, evil against good,
ensnaring me for death, as in other times,
when your grace had not rescued me –
that grace of Christ, which Paul,
chosen among the apostles,
taught was greater than the law of Moses.

For as the Scripture says, “The day
of the Lord is upon us,”
and in the narrow valley of Jehoshaphat
on the banks of the Kidron,
those small battle grounds
foreshadow on earth
victory in the life to come.
Thus, the kingdom of God in a visible form
has come already, charging me
on truthful testimony with wrongs
graver than those of the Edomites,
Philistines and other barbarians –
wrongs that brought down the hand of God.
And whereas their sentences were measured in years,
my transgressions will be punished without term.
As the prophet and the parable-teller warned,
the dungeon and shackles
are already at my threshold to show me
here and now my eternal disgrace.

Only you can work the miracle
to make life possible for a soul
so imperiled by doubt,
O Atoner for all, exalted beyond saying
in your boundless glory on high
forever and ever.
Amen.

SOURCE: ArmenianHouse.org

Saint Anthony of Padua

 

13 JUNE 2014. Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Anthony of Padua, priest, friar, and Doctor of the Church.

O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God and Charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me [your request here]. 0 gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms; and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours.

Amen.

Solemnity of All Saints

1 NOVEMBER 2013. These pages have been long quiet and not frequently updated for most of this year. The year has been running ahead at a frantic pace: children, church, school, the office; everything has conspired against the scribe this year and the battle continues.

But, on the beautiful day, I stop and give thanks and implore the intercession of all the saints--those holy souls whom the Church offers us as heavenly brothers and sisters who have run well the race on earth and now enjoy the fruits of heaven: the beatific vision. As they are in the midst of God, the saints still pray for us, always pleading to God on our behalf.

For our household, St. Canice House, below is the litany of saints on whose intercession we rely for personal consolation and assistance:

Lord have mercy on us,
Lord have mercy on us.

Christ have mercy on us,
Christ have mercy on us.

Lord have mercy on us,
hear our prayer.

God the Father, provide for us.
God the Son, . . .
Holy Spirit, love of the Father and the Son . . . .

We praise you and adore You O Lord.

Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the Divine Will, pray for us.
Saint Dominic, . . .
Saint Catherine of Sienna, . . .
Saint Thomas Aquinas, . . .
Saint Mary Magdalene, . . .
Saint John the Baptist, . . .
Saint Francis, . . .
Saint Clare of Assisi, . . .
Saint Joan of Arc, . . .
Saint Trason, . . .
Saint Gabiel the Archangel, . . .
Saint Canice, . . .
All you holy angels and saints, . . . .

Pray for us that we may always enjoy the presence of sanctifying grace, to offer ourselves more fully and more splendidly to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in all that we do and are. May the Divine Will live in our lives, breathe in our breath, think in our thoughts, love in our acts, spill into all of our being for the benefit of all whom the Lord loves.

Amen.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

15 AUGUST 2013. The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

This day we celebrate the height of humanity,
rescued from the world.
The promise of a loving God becomes a reality
for the first born among those
who dwell in the Divine Will by grace.
Death, its reign ended with the cross
and resurrection some time before,
loses its grip on the most favored of Israel's children.
She is our mother, given to us by her Son, the Redeemer.
She is our protectress,
who carries the cares and needs of others to Him.
Beginning with the feast at Cana,
she brings all her children and their needs to Him.
One with the Apostles,
present at Pentecost.
Awash in the Holy Spirit.
She proclaims her Son by her life of devotion to Him.
She proclaims her Son by her life of devotion to her children,
John and the others, entrusted to her by Him on the cross.
She awaits in hope to be reunited with Him after His ascension.
The Apostles, present at her death,
rejoice in the return of her to the Son.
For three days in the tomb, angels are heard singing.
Then,
silence.
The tomb is opened. The tomb is empty.
The assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

O Holy Mother, pray for us your children. We, the Order of Preachers, are claimed by you as your children. You have provided for us the model of Christian life: dedication to the truth of the salvation offered to the world by your Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ. As you are the first born of just human estate to enjoy bodily unity with God in Glory; you show to us the promise of the Father, the gift of the Son, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, brought to fulfillment in the joy of eternity with the infinite, loving God, creator of all.

Amen.

Christ, our Light in this Darkness

15 APRIL 2013.

Shhh . . . .
The stillness in the aftermath still cries,
broken legs and feet and arms lay strewn about,
as the survivors hold each other dear.

Dear, dear child, once a fan of flighted men,
who whizzed by in colored bright array,
taken from this life, flying to God,
now joined to the angels in heaven, evermore.
Amen.

Our darkness draws us near in the town of bruins,
mighty bears that cannot tear down,
the stillness and sadness that brings us with tears to this town.

Where, O god, is your love in this moment?
Where does your countenance hide?

Ahh . . . . .
there you are in full display.
One helping the other to find their way.
Another comforts another in need.
Some just cry and pray.
Each the face of Christ our Lord,
made present in the terrible reality of this day.

We love you Lord and we know,
that the evil spirit that spawned this death,
cannot overcome the love and mercy
with which You hold us so very tight.
In the darkness, is Christ:
our One True Light.

Christ in the presence of all who give aide,
and Christ in the presence of all who pray.
Christ in the love that is poured out with blood,
for those who toil to love others today.

We love you Lord; You will bring us through,
this dark night and day yet to be born,
tears will still flow and questions to be addressed,
but your Love, O Lord, will see us till the end.

Praise God for His mercy on all who hurt,
He hears their prayer and needs and pains;
provides comfort and grace and the forgiveness of sin,
to all who need a loving friend.

Amen.

Easter ANNO DOMINI MMXXIII

31 MARCH 2013. A happy and blessed Easter to all who find these pages. May the love that has shone through the depths of man's darkness and death, to reveal the light of salvation in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus the Christ, provide for all who come to Him the refreshment of forgiveness and mercy in this Easter season and always!

Trust in the Lord, His mercy endures forever.
Trust in the Lord, He is without equal.
Trust in the Lord, whose love is without end,
never changing, without limit or redress.
Rest in the Lord,
Take refuge in Him,
He is the true and only solace of the world!

Prayer of Thanksgiving for Pope Francis

Dear Lord, gracious God.
In Your love and benevolence, 
You have delivered a humble and trusted servant,
to serve Your bride on earth, as the servant of servants.
Thank you for the gift of Pope Francis 
for the people of God.
May the Holy Spirit always guide and protect him, and
may the Mother of Christ, our Lady, always watch over him
and give him the blessing of her prayers to Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Novena Prayer for the Conclave

1 MARCH 2013. From this date until the election of a new Pope, I would ask that all readers pray this novena prayer for the faithful election of the new Pope in a spirit of docility to the Divine Will of God:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, send down your Spirit over the conclave. Let the Holy Spirit inspire the hearts of the Cardinals, that they may choose the man most pleasing to You, as Successor of Peter and Your Vicar on earth. May Mary, Your Mother and Mother of the Church, be our advocate.

Amen.

AUTHOR: Mr Mark Miraville, Professor of Theology and Mariology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.
IMAGE: Photo of 2005 Conclave.

Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI (on the occassion of his renunciation of the Petrine ministry)

The world of faith stands quieted,

can it truly be that Our Holy Father has,

given the flock over to the uncertainty?

To a successor to be chosen by princes?

We stop, partly saddened. Wonderment in full.

What will happen next, O God?

We trust in You!

We offer our Holy Father to Your loving care!

Thank you for the gift of the pontificate

of Joseph Ratzinger, for all the world and for all time,

Benedict XVI!

Our sadness now parts;

we trust in You as our Holy Father has

shown us so great a model of trust.

The world, O Lord, cannot overcome You.

The world can never get too big for God.

In this moment, and in all our moments,

You are lovingly with us.

So, we trust in Your care and protection, Lord Jesus.

O Holy Spirit, help the Church in this time of transition.

Be Her guide in all that is done and that transpires

over the coming weeks and months.

The faithful abandon ourselves to You, Loving Lord.

And, assist in a most special way, keeping him always near you,

our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI.

As he has served the Church and You, Lord, faithfully,

so may we, the people of God, be faithful to him in this hour.

Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us all, and bring to your Son,

these prayers and petitions.

Amen.

Prayer for Those Impacted by Natural Disaster

O Lord, our cries rise to you.
Why have these disasters befallen us?
Why have You hidden your face from your beloved?
I trust, I trust in the Lord, my God.
I stay stalwart in my faith and recline in trust
of my God.
Why have You allowed disaster to strike us, O Lord?
Is it because in this moment we can truly be Christ to our neighbor?
Is it because in this moment we can truly comfort the injured?
Give shelter to the homeless?
Clothe the naked?
Feed the hungry?
Give rest to the weary?
Yes. Dear God we have faith in You.
Your yoke is gentle and your burden light.
We sing of your mercy and kindness and love.
And, so, Lord, with your grace,
we persevere.
May we be instruments of your Divine Will.
Destroy our willfulness, O God,
so that in every thought and work of ours,
we may be truly Yours.
Breathe in our breathing.
Work in our working.
Give in our giving.
Console in our consolation of others.
Pray in our prayer.
Circulate in our Blood,
O Holy and Divine Will of God.
May we serve the Lord all our days,
especially in these days of difficulty.
May we remain faithful to Our God, who
will always remain faithful to us, his people.
Thank you Lord for hardship, to show Your love.
Thank you Lord for difficulty, to show Your mercy.
Thank you Lord for this day.
May it be for those for whom I pray,
and in some small measure for myself,
profitable in heaven and at the end of time.

Amen.

Prayer for the Protection of Conscience Rights

Father, we praise you and thank you for your most precious gifts of human life and human freedom.

Touch the hearts of our lawmakers with the wisdom and courage to uphold conscience rights and religious liberty for all. Protect all people from being forced to violate their moral and religious convictions.

In your goodness, guard our freedom to live out our faith and to follow you in all that we do. Give us strength to be bold and joyful witnesses.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

Source: USCCB

Prayer for the Protection of Religious Liberty

O God our Creator,

Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit,
you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world,
bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel
to every corner of society.

We ask you to bless us
in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty.
Give us the strength of mind and heart
to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened;
give us courage in making our voices heard
on behalf of the rights of your Church
and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.

Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father,
a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters
gathered in your Church
in this decisive hour in the history of our nation,
so that, with every trial withstood
and every danger overcome—
for the sake of our children, our grandchildren,
and all who come after us—
this great land will always be "one nation, under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Source: USCCB

Solemn Vespers for Bishop Parkes

4 JUNE 2012. Tonight, in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (fitting especially in this month dedicated to the faithful's devotion to the Sacred Heart), our local diocesan community began the liturgical celebrations that will mend together this pilgrim see and her new shepherd. With Archbishop Wenski as the principal presider, tonight's Solemn Vespers kicked off this community's liturgical welcome for our new Bishop Gregory Parkes.

With faithful gratitude and acknowledgement to Father Richard J. Vigoa.

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

To be made every day during the Month:

O Lord Jesus, I consecrate my heart to Thee;
place it in Thine.
It is therein I wish to breathe,
to love, to live unknown to men,
and known only to Thee.
It is in this Sacred Heart
I shall derive those loving ardours
which should consume mine;
it is there I shall find strength, light, courage,
and true consolation.
When sad, it will rejoice me;
when languishing, it will animate me;
when troubled and disquieted, it will encourage
and uphold me.
O Heart of Jesus,
may my heart be the altar of Thy love.
May my tongue publish thy bounty,
my mind meditate on Thy perfections,
my memory preserve forever
the precious remembrance of Thy mercies.
May all in me express my love for Thy Heart, O Jesus,
and may my heart be disposed to offer Thee
every sacrifice.

O Heart of Mary, the most amiable, compassionate
and merciful after that of Jesus,
present to His Divine Heart,
my love, my resolutions, my consecration.
It will be moved by my miseries:
it will deliver me from them;
and, O Blessed Mother,
having been my protectress on earth,
thou wilt be my Queen in heaven.

Amen.

Spirit of Life

Spirit of Life, which in the beginning hovered over the abyss,
Help humanity of our time to understand
That the exclusion of God leads to being lost in the desert of the world.
And that only where faith enters, do dignity and liberty flourish
And the whole society is built on justice.
Spirit of Pentecost, which makes of the Church one Body,
Restore in the baptized an authentic experience of communion;
Render yourself a living sign
     of the presence of the Risen One in the world,
Community of saints that lives in the service of charity.
Holy Spirit, which trains to the mission,
Make us recognize that, also in our time,
So many persons are in search of the truth
     about their existence and the world.
Make us collaborators of their joy
     with the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
Grain of the wheat of God, which renders good the terrain of life
     and assures the abundance of the harvest.

Amen.

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
Papal Address to General Assembly of Italian Bishops
24.V.2012

Prayers for the Victims of the U.S. Tornadoes

5 MARCH 2012. Last week hundreds of tornadoes broke out in a large storm that raced across large swaths of the Midwest and Southern United States. In these storms 39 people are known to have died, and many hundreds and thousands have lost their homes.

Please pray for all those who died and who have been traumatized by the storms. Pray that this destructive force of nature will be even more that equaled by the calming and healing hand of God.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.

Amen.