August 18^th

Saint Louis of Toulouse

Prayer:

O Lord, King of kings, Jesus Christ, Who didst love Saint Louis and didst lead him into the heavenly Kingdom: grant that by his intercession and good works, we may participate in his glory for all eternity. Who livest and reignest world without end. R. Amen.

August 19^th

Saint John Eudes

Prayer To The Sacred Heart Of Jesus by St. John Eudes

O Heart all loveable and all loving of my Saviour, be the Heart of my heart, the Soul of my soul, the Spirit of my spirit, the Life of my life and the sole principle of all my thoughts, words and actions, of all the faculties of my soul and of all my senses, both interior and exterior.
Amen.

Prayer of St. John Eudes

O Lord, You have created me for Yourself, to love You and to enjoy You, infinite Good, ineffable Beauty; do not permit me to lose sight of this sublime end toward which I must tend; do not permit me to wander among the wretched satisfactions that vain, feeble creatures can offer me.

O my Lord, what poor use I have made of creatures! Pardon me, O Lord! Henceforth I do not want to use anything unless it is for Your glory and according to Your holy will, as Your Son Jesus did. O my God, if in the past I have turned aside from You who are my Beginning, my End, and my supreme good; if I have turned toward myself and creatures, preferring their will and mine to Yours, I here and now promise to renounce, entirely and forever the world and myself, and to give myself wholly and forever to You. O my God, I give myself to You as my Beginning; take complete possession of me. May I always abide in You! Be the beginning and end of all my actions. O my God, I give myself to You as my End, my Center, my supreme Good. Draw me to You! Make me tend continually toward You. Be my delight, my glory, my treasure, my all!

PRAYER TO ST JOHN EUDES

Father,

you chose the priest John Eudes

to preach the infinite riches of Christ.

By his teaching and example

help us to know you better

and live faithfully in the light of the gospel.

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.

August 20^th

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Pray St. Bernard’s miraculous prayer to the Virgin Mary

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,

that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection,

implored thy help, or sought thy intercession

was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence,

I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.

To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.

O Mother of the Word Incarnate,

despise not my petitions,

but in thy mercy, hear and answer me.

Amen.

PRAYER TO ST BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Heavenly Father,

Saint Bernard was filled with zeal for Your house

and was a radiant light in Your Church.

By his prayers

may we be filled with his spirit of zeal

and walk always as children of light.

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.

August 21^st

Saint Pius X

Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting liturgical reforms and scholastic theology. Pius X was devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Confidence.

St. Pius X, original name Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, ordained in 1858 and became a parish priest in the Italian region of Venetia. He was, however, named spiritual director of the major seminary and chancellor of the diocese. Later, he became a bishop and then a cardinal. He was elected Pope on 4 August 1903. He took “Restore all things in Christ” as his motto. He was the head of the Catholic Church from 1903 to his death in 1914.

Three aspects of his policy particularly aroused bitter controversy:

The repression of Modernism

A contemporary intellectual movement seeking to reinterpret traditional Catholic teaching in the light of 19th-century philosophical, historical, and psychological theories;

His reaction against Christian Democrats and his attitude toward separation of Church and State in France.

He directed that children as young as seven should be allowed to receive the Eucharist. He initiated changes in Church music and worship. He began a biblical institute. He gave the first official impetus to the modern liturgical renewal. Pope Pius X believed that real peace could be achieved only through social justice and charity. He sponsored and sheltered refugees with his own resources. His decision to adapt and systematize canon law led to the publication of the new code in 1917, effective in 1918.

Pius X was known for his firm demeanour and sense of personal poverty, reflected by his membership of the Third Order of Saint Francis. He regularly gave sermons from the pulpit, a rare practice at the time. He rejected any kind of favours for his family, and his close relatives chose to remain in poverty, living near Rome.

He was beatified in 1951 and canonized in 1954 by Pope Pius XII. A statue bearing his name stands within St. Peter’s Basilica; and his birth town was renamed Riese Pio X after his death.

Prayer to Pope Saint Pius X

Oh, Pope Saint Pius X, Pope of the Eucharist, pray for me to Jesus Christ that I may get His true Love and live for Him alone. Also pray for me that I get the vigour and will to live a life full of sanctity so that I may enjoy the true rewards of the sacrifice and sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

May I copy your love for the Sweet Virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that I may also fill my heart with utmost love and tender devotion for her.

Dear St. Pius X, pray for the Church of Christ so that we may have an increase in vocations for religious life, where eventually we will get holy and dedicated priests and other clergy.

We ask you that you pray for peace and tranquility in our hearts and nations so that we all dwell under the wonderful regime of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen

Prayer to St. Joseph by Pope St. Pius X

O Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations; to work with thankfulness and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop by means of labor the gifts received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation and patience, never shrinking from weariness and trials; to work above all with purity of intention and detachment from self, keeping unceasingly before my eyes death and the account that I must give of time lost, talents unused, good omitted, and vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God.

All for Jesus, all through Mary, all after thy example, O Patriarch, Saint Joseph. Such shall be my watch-word in life and in death.
Amen.

Prayers of Pope Pius X to Mary

O Most Holy Virgin

Most holy Virgin, who pleased our Lord and became his mother, Virgin Immaculate in your body and soul, in your body and soul, in your faith and love, at this solemn jubilee of the promulgation of the dogma which proclaimed you to the entire world as conceived without sin, look kindly on us unfortunate ones who implore your powerful protection.

The infernal serpent, upon whom the primeval curse was laid, continues, alas, to attack and tempt the hapless children of Eve. Ah! Do you, our blessed Mother, our Queen and Advocate, who at the first moment of your conception did crush the enemy’s head, do you gather together our prayers and we beseech you (our hearts one with yours) present them before God’s throne, that we may never allow ourselves to be caught in the snares laid for us, but that we may reach the portal of salvation, and that the Church and Christian society may once more chant the hymn of deliverance, of victory and of peace. Amen.

August 22^nd

Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Pope Pius XII set the date for the Queenship of Mary on the octave (8th day) after the Solemnity of the Assumption, that is, August 22nd each year. In his 1954 encyclical To the Queen of Heaven, Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with Jesus’ redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection, and because of her intercessory power. “The purpose of the Feast is that all may recognize more clearly and venerate more devoutly the merciful and motherly sovereignty of her who bore God in her womb”

Mary’s queenship has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the mysteries of Mary’s life, she is closely associated with Jesus: Her queenship is a share in Jesus’ kingship. We can also recall that in the Old Testament the mother of the king has great influence in court.

In the fourth century Saint Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and “Queen.” Later Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of the 11th to 13th centuries address Mary as queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, Queen of Heaven,” “Queen of Heaven.” It is not royal blood, but her motherly relationship, that makes Mary a queen. And since nothing is excluded from the realm of Christ the King, Mary is the Queen of that same realm, including both heaven and earth.

Prayer in Honor of the Queenship of Mary

O Mary Immaculate Queen, look down upon this distressed and suffering world. You know our misery and our weakness. O thou who art our Mother, saving us in the hour of peril, have compassion on us in these days of great and heavy trial.

Jesus has confided to you the treasure of His grace, and through you He wills to grant us pardon and mercy. In these hours of anguish, therefore, your children come to you as their hope.

We recognize your Queenship and ardently desire your triumph. We need a Mother and a Mother’s Heart. You are for us the luminous dawn which dissipates our darkness and points out the way to life. In your clemency obtain for us the courage and the confidence of which we have such need.

Most Holy and Adorable Trinity, You Who did crown with glory in Heaven the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Savior, grant that all her children on earth may acknowledge her as their Sovereign Queen, that all hearts, homes, and nations may recognize her rights as Mother and as Queen.

Mary Immaculate Queen, triumph and reign! Amen

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, who made the Mother of your Son to be our Mother and our Queen, graciously grant that, sustained by her intercession, we may attain in the heavenly Kingdom the glory promised to your children. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

Salve Regina

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To you do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To you do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.

Prayer to Mary, Queen of Heaven

O Queen of heaven, rejoice, Alleluia;
For He whom thou didst deserve to bear, Alleluia;
Is risen again as He said, Alleluia.
Pray for us to God, Alleluia.

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia.
R. Because our Lord is truly risen, Alleluia.

Let us pray

O God, who by the Resurrection of Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ
didst deign to give joy to the world:
grant we beseech Thee, that through His Mother, the Virgin Mary,
we may obtain the joys of everlasting life.
Through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

August 23^rd

Saint Rose of Lima

The original name of St. Rose of Lima is Isabel Flores de Oliva. Her mother decided that Rose would be her daughter’s name, and later she was given that name at the time of confirmation. From an early age, Rose wanted to become a nun. But her mother wanted her to marry and initially refused to allow her daughter to pursue religious life. To deter suitors, the beautiful Rosa cut off her hair and blistered her skin with hot peppers. The struggle between them lasted 10 years, during which time Rosa made a perpetual vow of virginity. In 1606 her mother relented and allowed Rosa to become a Dominican of the third order, though her parents did not permit her to live in a convent. Instead, Rosa chose strict enclosure and contemplation and withdrew to the seclusion of a hut in the family garden, where she endured a life of severe austerity and asceticism. She regularly wore a heavy silver crown, with spikes that could pierce her flesh. The spikes reminded her of the Crown of Thorns. At one point, one of the spikes become so lodged in her skull that the crown was removed with great difficulty. She practiced fasting and slept only a few hours a night on a bed of potsherds, self-flagellated, and experienced numerous visions, particularly of the Devil. Rosa was devoted to the sick and hungry in her community and often brought them to her hut to care for them. She was skilled in needlework and sold her fine lace and embroidery and the flowers that she grew in her garden to help her family and to raise funds for the poor. Her funeral was an occasion of public honour, and many miracles were said to have occurred after her death.

She was beatified in 1668 by Pope Clement IX and declared patron of Lima. She was canonized in 1971 by Pope Clement X, who proclaimed her patron saint of South America, the Indies, and the Philippines. She is the patron saint of Peru and all of South America as well as of embroiderers, gardeners, and florists.

Admirable St. Rose

Admirable Saint Rose, you were truly a sweet flower blooming on a rugged soil; you were indeed a rose among thorns, bearing with meekness and patience the stings of envious tongues, and preserving perfect purity and modesty amid the alluring blandishments of a deceitful world. To the sufferings inflicted on you by others, you added the voluntary tortures of fasting and watching, of the discipline, of the crown of thorns and of the hair shirt, to subdue the flesh and to make yourself like to your heavenly Spouse. By the merits which you have thus gained with your divine Bridegroom, obtain for me the grace to bear my afflictions with patience, to remain pure and modest, to be meek and humble, to be faithful to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, and so to mortify my passions that I may be ever more pleasing and acceptable in the sight of my dear Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Who liveth and reigneth world without end. Amen.

Mother’s Prayer to St Rose

Saint Rose, devout Virgin, fragrant rose in the garden of God, sweetly blooming amid the thorns of distressing tribulation and severe mortification, white as snow in the immaculate innocence of your heart, glowing in the love of God that consumed you. Your devotedness to your parents was so great that you laboured night and day to relieve their poverty, and most tenderly cared for them in their sickness.

Most grateful, most humble daughter, have pity on me and my children. Teach me, by conduct truly Christian, to deserve the warmhearted gratitude of my children. Teach my children to appreciate my love and the numerous sacrifices that I cheerfully make for their sake; teach them to repay the same by filial love and obedience, and chiefly by fervent prayers for me. Bless me and my entire family. May our hearts be intimately united even in adversity. Let us not place our happiness in temporal prosperity, but rather in the hope of a future, eternal blessedness. Pray, likewise, O sainted patroness of America, for all Christian mothers in particular, that Christian life and sentiments may everywhere be awakened among them. May these sentiments spread far and wide, uniting all families into the one great family of God, in which Jesus Christ may live and rule with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Prayer to St. Rose as your Patron Saint

Saint Rose, whom I have chosen as my special patron, pray for me that I, too, may one day glorify the Blessed Trinity in heaven. Obtain for me your lively faith, that I may consider all persons, things, and events in the light of almighty God. Pray, that I may be generous in making sacrifices of temporal things to promote my eternal interests, as you so wisely did.

Set me on fire with a love for Jesus, that I may thirst for His sacraments and burn with zeal for the spread of His kingdom. By your powerful intercession, help me in the performance of my duties to God, myself and all the world.

Win for me the virtue of purity and a great confidence in the Blessed Virgin. Protect me this day, and every day of my life. Keep me from mortal sin. Obtain for me the grace of a happy death.
Amen

August 24^th

Saint Bartholomew

NOVENA TO SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, THE APOSTLE

O Eternal God and loving father,
you have given us the glorious Apostle Bartholomew
as our beloved Patron Saint
and powerful advocate in heaven.
We offer you our prayers,
animated by a spirit of confidence
that through the efficacious intercession of Saint Bartholomew,
we shall merit your unfailing help and protection
and shall ever remain loyal and devoted
to Divine will all the days of our life.

Teach us to cherish, proclaim,
and practice the Gospel message of Christ,
which Saint Bartholomew so eloquently preached
and finally sealed with his heroic martyrdom.

As we prepare devoutly for his solemn feast
by this Novena of prayers,
we trustingly raise our minds and hearts to you.

Refuse not, o Lord God, our humble petition
but unite it with that of Apostle Bartholomew
and of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Queen of the Apostles,
so that we may obtain the grace of true repentance for our sins,
of divine assistance in our spiritual and temporal wants,
and of constant fidelity to all our Christian duties.
This we ask through Jesus Christ, Our Lord,

Amen.

In silence…

[Mention your intentions here…]

PETITIONS:

Leader : O glorious St. Bartholomew the Apostle, our shining model of preserving faith

Response : Pray for us.(Say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be)
Leader : O glorious St. Bartholomew the Apostle, our perfect example of enduring hope

Response : Pray for us.(Say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be)
Leader : O glorious St. Bartholomew the Apostle, our perfect prototype of consuming charity

Response : Pray for us.(Say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be)

A Prayer to St. Bartholomew, for the Church

O holy apostle,
the Church prays for grace to love what you did believe
and to preach what you did teach.
Not that the bride of the Son of God could ever fail
either in faith or in love;
but she knows only too well that,
though her Head is ever in the light,
and her heart ever united to the Spouse
in the holy Sprit who sanctifies her,
nevertheless her several members,
the particular Churches of which she is composed,
may detach themselves from their center of life
and wander away in darkness.
O You who did choose our West as the place of your rest;
you whose precious relics Rome glories in possess ding,
bring back to Peter the nations you did evangelize;
fulfill the now reviving hopes of universal union;
second the efforts made by the vicar of the Man-God
to gather again under the shepherd’s crook
those scattered flocks whose pastures have become parched by schism.
May your own Armenia be the first to complete a return
which she began long ago;
may she trust the mother-Church
and no more follow the sowers of discord.
All being reunited,
may we together enjoy the treasures of our concordant traditions,
and go to God, even at the cost of being despoiled of all things,
by course so grand and yet so simple taught us
by thy example and by thy sublime theology.

Prayer to Saint Bartholomew

Oh, Jesus, Saint Bartholomew’s greatest desire was to know the truth. When first informed about You, his initial reaction was, “How can anything good come from Nazareth?”

But as soon as he met You, he wanted to become one of Your disciples. You said of him, “Here is a man in whom there is no deception.”

I ask him to pray against the deceptions that are influencing me and the people I know.

Help us to experience Your affirmation when we are honest, give us courage to resist lying as a means of self-protection, and inspire our minds to recognize the truth when we hear it. Saint Bartholomew, pray for us. Amen.

August 25^th

Saint Louis of France

Novena to St. Louis IX, King of France

O holy King St. Louis, worthy son of our Holy Father St. Francis and patron of the Third Order, intercede for me with our Heavenly Father.

Obtain for me the grace to follow in thy footsteps, to be always a dutiful child of St. Francis, and to observe exactly, all the days of my life, that holy rule which thou loved so ardently and kept so faithfully.

Be my guide and protector, so that I may never stray from the path of virtue but increase daily in holiness and perfection, and finally merit to be numbered among the chosen ones of our Seraphic Father in Heaven. Amen

O God, Who didst exalt blessed Louis Thy Confessor from an earthly realm to the glory of Thy Heavenly kingdom: grant, we pray Thee, that by his merits and intercession we may be made heirs of the King of Kings, Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, Who liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. Amen

(Mention your request here…)

Say 1: Our Father…  Say 1: Hail Mary… Say 1: Glory Be…

Collect Prayer:

O God, who brought Saint Louis from the cares of earthly rule to the glory of a heavenly realm, grant, we pray, through his intercession, that, by fulfilling our duties on earth, we may seek out your eternal Kingdom. 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.

August 27^th

Saint Monica

When Monica was very young, she was married off to the Roman pagan Patricius, who shared his mother’s violent temper. Patricius’ mother lived with the couple and the duo’s temper flares proved to be a constant challenge to young Monica. Patricius criticized his wife because of her charity and piety, but when Monica’s prayers and Christian deeds bothered Patricius, he is said to have respected her beliefs.

Three children were born to Monica and Patricius: Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua. Unfortunately, Monica was unable to baptize her children and when Augustine fell ill, Monica pleaded with Patricius to allow their son to be baptized. Patricius allowed it, but when Augustine was healthy again, he withrew his permission. For years Monica prayed for her husband and mother-in-law. Monica’s prayers and example finally won her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity. Her husband died in 371, one year after his baptism. As time passed, Perpetua and Navigius entered the religious life

At the time of his father’s death, Augustine was 17 and a rhetoric student in Carthage. Monica was distressed to learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy—”all flesh is evil”—and was living an immoral life. For a while, she refused to let him eat or sleep in her house. Then one night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would return to the faith. From that time on, she stayed close to her son, praying and fasting for him. When he was 29, Augustine decided to go to Rome to teach rhetoric. Monica was determined to go along. So, one night he told his mother that he was going to the dock to say goodbye to a friend and instead he set sail for Rome. Monica was heartbroken when she learned of Augustine’s trick, but she still followed him to Rome, where she learned he had left for Milan and pursued him. In Milan, Augustine came under the influence of the bishop, St. Ambrose, who also became Monica’s spiritual director. St. Ambrose helped her convert Augustine to Christianity following his 17 year resistance. She continued her prayers for Augustine. St. Ambrose baptized Augustine and several of his friends. Monica came to know that her life was near the end. She told Augustine, “Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.” She became ill shortly after and suffered severely for nine days before her death.

Prayer to Saint Monica

Exemplary Mother of the Great Augustine, you perseveringly pursued your wayward son, not with threats, but with prayerful cries to heaven. Intercede for all mothers in our day so that they may learn to draw their children to God. Teach them how to remain close to their children, even the prodigal sons and daughters who have sadly gone astray.

Dear St Monica, troubled wife and mother, many sorrows pierced your heart during your lifetime, yet you never despaired or lost faith. With confidence, persistence, and profound faith, you prayed daily for the conversion of your beloved husband, Patricius, and your beloved son, Augustine; your prayers were answered.
​
Grant me that same fortitude, patience, and trust in the Lord. Intercede for me, dear St. Monica, that God may favorably hear my plea.

(mention your intention here)

Grant me the grace to accept His Will in all things, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Our Father

Hail Mary

Glory Be

Saint Monica, pray for us.

Prayer to St. Monica, Patroness of Mothers

Blessed Monica, mother of St. Augustine,
we give thanks to our Father in Heaven
Who looked with mercy upon your tears
over your wayward son.
His conversion and heroic sanctification
were the fruit of your prayers.

Dear St. Monica
we now ask you to pray with us
for all those sons and daughters that have wandered away from God,
and to add your prayers to those of all mothers
who are worried over their children.
Pray also for us that,
following your example, we may,
in the company of our children,
one day enjoy the eternal vision of our Father in Heaven.

Amen.

St. Monica Novena Prayers

Dear Saint Monica, you were once the mournful mother of a prodigal son. Your faithfulness to prayer brought you and your son so close to God that you are now with him in eternity. By your intercession and God’s grace, your son St. Augustine became a great and venerable Saint of the Church. Please take my request to God with the same fervor and persistence with which you prayed for your own son.

(Mention your intentions here)

With your needs, worries and anxieties, you threw yourself on the mercy and providence of God. Through sorrow and pain, you constantly devoted yourself to God. Pray for me that I might join you in such a deep faith in God’s goodness and mercy.

Above all, dear Saint Monica, pray for me that I may, like your son, turn from my sin and become a great saint for the glory of God.
Amen.

August 28^th

Saint Augustine of Hippo

Prayer to Saint Augustine of Hippo

We humbly supplicate and beseech thee, O thrice-blessed Augustine, that thou wouldst be mindful of us poor sinners this day, daily, and at the hour of our death, that by thy merits and prayers we may be delivered from all evils, of soul as well as body, and daily increase in virtue and good works; obtain for us that we may know our God and know ourselves, that in His mercy He may cause us to love Him above all things in life and death; impart to us, we beseech thee, some share of that love with which thou so ardently glow, that our hearts being all inflamed with this divine love, happily departing out of this mortal pilgrimage, we may deserve to praise with thee the loving heart of Jesus for a never-ending eternity.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
That I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
To defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
That I always may be holy.

Prayer to Know God

Eternal God,
who are the light of the minds that know you,
the joy of the hearts that love you,
and the strength of the wills that serve you;
grant us so to know you
that we may truly love you,
and so to love you
that we may fully serve you,
whom to serve is perfect freedom,
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer to forsake myself for Jesus:

Lord Jesus, let me know myself and know You,
And desire nothing save only You.

Let me hate myself and love You.
Let me do everything for the sake of You.
Let me humble myself and exalt You.
Let me think of nothing except You.
Let me die to myself and live in You.
Let me accept whatever happens as from You.
Let me banish self and follow You,
And ever desire to follow You.
Let me fly from myself and take refuge in You,
That I may deserve to be defended by You.
Let me fear for myself, let me fear You,
And let me be among those who are chosen by You.
Let me distrust myself and put my trust in You.
Let me be willing to obey for the sake of You.
Let me cling to nothing save only to You,
And let me be poor because of You.
Look upon me, that I may love You.
Call me that I may see You, and for ever enjoy You.
Amen.

August 29^th

Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, who willed that Saint John the Baptist should go ahead of your Son both in his birth and in his death, grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and justice, we, too, may fight hard for the confession of what you teach. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

Litany to St. John the Baptist

Lord, have mercy on us

Christ, have mercy on us

Lord, have mercy on us

Christ, hear us,

Christ, graciously hear us

God the Father of heaven,

have mercy on us

God the Son, Redeemer of the World,

have mercy on us

God the Holy Spirit,

have mercy on us

Holy Trinity, one God,

have mercy on us

Holy Mary,

pray for us

Queen of Prophets,

pray for us.

Queen of Martyrs,

pray for us.

Saint John the Baptist,

pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, precursor of Christ,

pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, glorious forerunner of the Sun of Justice,

pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, minister of baptism to Jesus,

pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, burning and shining lamp of the world,

pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, angel of purity before thy birth,

pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, special friend and favorite of Christ,

pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, heavenly contemplative, whose element was prayer,

pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, intrepid preacher of truth,

pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, voice crying in the wilderness,

pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, miracle of mortification and penance,

pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, example of profound humility,

pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, glorious martyr of zeal for God’s holy law,

pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, gloriously fulfilling thy mission,

pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

spare us, O Lord

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

hear us, O Lord

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us,

Christ, graciously hear us

V. Pray for us, O glorious St. John the Baptist,

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

O God, Who hast honored this world by the birth of Saint John the Baptist, grant that Thy faithful people may rejoice in the way of eternal salvation, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

The Knights Prayer

In thy strength, O Lord, the just man shall exult, and in thy salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly. You have given him his heart desires. We beseech Thee, O Lord, that every thought, word, and action, which we offer in the memory of the suffering of Thy holy marty, St. John the Baptist, may by his intercession, profit us unto salvation, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, World without end. Amen.

Prayer to Saint John the Baptist

Oh God, you gave St. Elizabeth, in her old age, the gift of a son, St. John the Baptist, who would prepare the way for Jesus to begin His ministry here on earth.

Lord, Fill Your people with the joy of possessing graces like those of Saint John the Baptist, and direct the minds of all us in the way of salvation and peace. St. John was martyred for truth and justice, so may we Dear God, energetically profess our Faith in You, and help us to lead others to Your Way, Your Truth, and Your Eternal Life. Amen.

August 31^th

Saints Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus

PRAYER

O God, who willed that Saint John the Baptist should go ahead of your Son both in his birth and in his death, grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and justice, we, too, may fight hard for the confession of what you teach. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

Litany to St. John the Baptist

Almighty God, You alone are holy and without You no one is good. Through the intercession of Sts. Joseph and Nicodemus, grant that we may so live as not to be deprived of Your glory. 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.

Prayer

O God, by whose grace

Saint Joseph of Arimathea

was emboldened to ask

for the sacred Body of our Lord Jesus Christ,

that together with Saint Nicodemus

he might prepare it for burial and lay it in his own tomb,

give us such an increase of faith and courage

that we may not fear to bear reproach for the sake of Christ,

but rather may serve Him with sincere devotion

all the days of our life.

Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Prayer to Saint Joseph of Arimathea

Merciful God, whose servant Joseph of Arimathea with reverence and godly fear, prepared the body of our Lord and Savior for burial, and laid it in his own tomb: Grant to us, your faithful people, grace and courage to love and serve Jesus with sincere devotion all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Dear Lord Jesus, we pray for the intercession and guidance of Saint Joseph of Arimathea, that we will we see clearly as he did and not be spiritually blind as so many of his brethren were.
Amen.

Prayer to Saint Nicodemus

Merciful God, whose servant Nicodemus was a secret disciple of Christ, meeting him by night to avoid the wrath of the other members of the Sanhedrin, and eventually spoke out to that body to remind them that Jesus had a right to a hearing and with reverence and godly fear prepared the body of our Lord and Savior for burial, and laid it in his own tomb: Grant to us, your faithful people, grace and courage to love and serve Jesus with sincere devotion all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever.

Saints Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemas, pray for us!