All Saints of British Isles and Ireland
Paul Drozdowski, iconographer
Posted on 10/30/2012 9:42:27 PM PDT by Salvation
Solemnity: All Saints
From: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
The Great Multitude of the Saved
[9] After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number,
from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the
throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their
hands, [10] and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who
sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” [11] And all the angels stood round the
throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their
faces before the throne and worshipped God, [12] saying, “Amen! Blessing and
glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our
God for ever and ever! Amen.”
[13] Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in
white robes, and whence have they come?” [14] I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
And he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation;
they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
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Commentary:
1-17. This chapter consists of two visions designed to illustrate God’s protection
of Christians and the happy circumstances of the martyrs. The victory of the
Church is depicted — of the entire Church, made up of people from the four points
of the compass (vv. 9-12). What is not so clear, however, is who the one hundred
and forty-four thousand are, drawn from the twelve tribes of Israel, whom an angel
has marked with the seal of the living God (vv. 1-8). Some commentators inter-
pret them as all being Christians of Jewish background (Judaeo-Christians). O-
thers say that they are those who make up the new Israel which St Paul speaks
about in Galatians 6:17; that is, all the baptized viewed first as still engaged in
their battle (vv. 1-8) and then after they have won victory (vv. 9-17). The most plau-
sible interpretation is that the one hundred and forty four thousand stand for the
Jews converted to Christianity (as distinct from those not converted) — the ‘rem-
nant of Israel’ (cf. Is 4:2-4; Ezek 9; etc.). St Paul says that they prove the irrevo-
cable nature of God’s election (cf. Rom 11:1-5) and are the first-fruits of the resto-
ration which will come about at the End (cf. Rom 11:25-32).
The hundred and forty-four thousand are included in the second vision; they would
be part of the great multitude “from all tribes and people and tongues”. Thus, the
vision in vv. 9-17 takes in the entire Church without any distinctions, whereas the
vision in vv. 1-8 can refer only to a part of the Church — those Jews who, by beco-
ming Christians, made up the original nucleus of the Church. The Church admits
these on the same basis as all those who become Christians later without having
had to pass through any stage of Jewish observance.
1-8. In Jewish tradition angels were divided into two groups — angels of the Pre-
sence and sanctification, and those charged with controlling the forces of nature.
Both kinds appear in this passage.
According to the custom of the time, when something bore the mark of a seal or
brand that meant that it belonged to the seal’s owner. This passage is saying
that the one hundred and forty four thousand belong to God and therefore will be
protected by him as his property. This fulfills what Ezekiel prophesied about the
inhabitants of Jerusalem (cf. Ezek 9:1-7): some would be sealed on the forehead
with a tax (the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet) and would therefore escape the
punishment to be inflicted on all the rest: this shows the special way God makes
provision for those who are his not only because he created them but also by a
new title.
The Fathers of the Church saw this mark as symbolizing the character Baptism
impresses on the souls of the faithful to show that they are destined for eternal
life. Thus, the persons preserved from harm are the Jews who were converts to
Christianity: their Baptism marked them out from those Jews who rejected Christ
and were not baptized.
The list of tribes is somewhat different from the usual list which keeps the order
of Genesis 29. The name of Judah is put first because the Messiah came from
that tribe, as St John recently mentioned (cf. 5:5); and there is no mention of the
tribe of Dan, presumably because it fell into idolatry (cf. Judg 17-18) and eventual-
ly disappeared. To make up the tally of twelve the tribe of Joseph is mentioned
twice — as that of Joseph and as that of Manasseh, his first-born.
The number of those sealed (12 x 12 x 1000) symbolizes completeness, totality
— in this instance, a huge multitude, depicted as the new Israel. Included in this
number are the descendants of Jacob who receive Baptism, irrespective of when
they do. Obviously this number is not meant to be taken literally, as if only one
hundred and forty-four thousand people will attain salvation. In this scene all
those of Gentile background who become Christians over the course of history
are explicitly not included. They will appear in the vision which follows.
9-17. Bl. John Paul II has commented on this passage as follows: “The people
dressed in white robes whom John sees with his prophetic eye are the redeemed,
and they form a ‘great multitude’, which no one could count and which is made up
of people of the most varied backgrounds. The blood of the Lamb, who has been
offered in sacrifice for all, has exercised its universal and most effective redemp-
tive power in every corner of the earth, extending grace and salvation to that ‘great
multitude’. After undergoing the trials and being purified in the blood of Christ, they
— the redeemed — are now safe in the Kingdom of God, whom they praise and
bless for ever and ever” (”Homily”, 1 November 1981). This great crowd includes
all the saved and not just the martyrs, for it says that they washed their robes in
the blood of the Lamb, not in their own blood.
Everyone has to become associated with Christ’s passion through suffering, as
St Augustine explains, not without a certain humor: “Many are martyrs in their
beds. The Christian is lying on his couch, tormented by pain. He prays and his
prayers are not heard, or perhaps they are heard but he is being put to the test...
so that he may be received as a son. He becomes a martyr through illness and
is crowned by him who hung upon the Cross” (”Sermon” 286, 8).
“It is consoling and encouraging to know that those who attain heaven constitute
a huge multitude. The passages of Matthew 7:14 and Luke 13:24 which seem to
imply that very few will be saved should be interpreted in the light of this vision,
which shows that the infinite value of Christ’s blood makes God’s will be done:
“(God) desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”
(1 Tim 2:4).
In vv 14-17 we see the blessed in two different situations — first, before the resur-
rection of the body (v. 14) and, then, after it, when body and soul have been reu-
nited (vv. 15-17). In this second situation the nature of risen bodies is highligh-
ted: they cannot suffer pain or inconvenience of any kind: they are out of harm’s
reach; they have the gift of “impassibility” (cf. “St Pius V Catechism”, I, 12, 13).
This consoling scene is included in the vision to encourage believers to imitate
those Christians who were like us and now find themselves in heaven because
they have come through victorious. The Church invites us to pray along similar
lines: “Father, you sanctified the Church of Rome with the blood of its first mar-
tyrs. May we find strength from their courage and rejoice in their triumph” (”Ro-
man Missal”, Feast of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome, opening pra-
yer).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: 1 John 3:1-3
We are Children of God
A Child of God Does Not Sin
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Commentary:
1-24. This entire chapter shows how moved the Apostle is when he contemplates
the marvelous gift of divine filiation. The Holy Spirit, who is the author of all Sa-
cred Scripture, has desired John to pass on to us this unique revelation: we are
children of God (v. 1).
It is not easy to divide the chapter into sections, because the style is very cyclic
and colloquial and includes many repetitions and further thoughts which make for
great vividness and freshness. However, we can distinguish an opening proclama-
tion of the central message (vv. 1-2) and emphasis on two requirements of divine
filiation — rejection of sin in any shape or form (vv. 3-10), and brotherly love lived
to the full (vv. 11-24).
1. “We should be called children of God”: the original Hebrew expression, which
reads “we are called...”, is also used by our Lord in the Beatitudes (cf. Mt 5:9):
“to be called” means the same as “to be called by God”; and in the language of
the Bible, when God gives someone a name he is not simply conferring a title but
is causing the thing that the name indicates (cf., e.g., Gen 17:5), for the word of
God is efficacious, it does what it says it will do. Hence St John’s adding: “and
so we are”.
Therefore, it is not just a matter of a metaphorical title, or a legal fiction, or adop-
tion human-style: divine filiation is an essential feature of a Christian’s life, a mar-
velous fact whereby God gratuitously gives men a strictly supernatural dignity, an
intimacy with God whereby they are “domestici Dei”, “members of the household
of God” (Eph 2:19). This explains the tone of amazement and joy with which St
John passes on this revelation.
This sense of divine filiation is one of the central points in the spirituality of Opus
Dei. Its founder wrote: “We do not exist in order to pursue just any happiness.
We have been called to penetrate the intimacy of God’s own life, to know and
love God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and to love also — in
that same love of the one God in three divine Persons — the angels and all men.
“This is the great boldness of the Christian faith — to proclaim the value and dig-
nity of human nature and to affirm that we have been created to obtain the digni-
ty of children of God, through the grace that raises us up to a supernatural level.
An incredible boldness it would be, were it not founded on the promise of salva-
tion given us by God the Father, confirmed by the blood of Christ, and reaffirmed
and made possible by the constant action of the Holy Spirit” (”Christ Is Passing
By”, 133).
“The world does not know us, (because) it did not know him”: these words are
reminiscent of our Lord’s at the Last Supper: “the hour is coming when whoever
kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do this because
they have not known the Father, nor me” (Jn 16:2-3). Divine filiation brings with
it communion and a mysterious identification between Christ and the Christian.
2. The indescribable gift of divine filiation, which the world does not know (v. 1),
is not fully experienced by Christians, because the seeds of divine life which it
contains will only reach their full growth in eternal life, when we see him “as he
is”, “face to face” (1 Cor 13:12); “this is eternal life, that they know thee the only
true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent” (Jn 17:3). In that direct sight
of God as he is, and of all things in God, the life of grace and divine filiation
achieve their full growth. Man is not naturally able to see God face to face; he
needs to be enlightened by a special light, which is given the technical theologi-
cal name of “lumen gloriae”, light of glory. This does not allow him to “take in”
all God (no created thing could do that), but it does allow him to look at God di-
rectly.
Commenting on this verse, the “St Pius V Catechism” explains that “beatitude
consists of two things — that we shall behold God such as he is in his own na-
ture and substance; and that we ourselves shall become, as it were, gods. For
those who enjoy God while they retain their own nature, assume a certain admi-
rable and almost divine form, so as to seem gods rather than men” (I, 13, 7).
“When he appears”: two interpretations are possible, given that in Greek the verb
has no subject: “when (what we shall be) is revealed we shall be as he is”; or, as
the New Vulgate translates it, “when he (Christ) is revealed we will be like him
(Christ)”. The second interpretation is the more likely.
3. “Purifies himself’: Christian hope, which is grounded on Christ, is something
active and it moves the Christian to “purify himself”. This verb is evocative of the
ritual purifications required of priests in the Old Testament prior to engaging in
divine service (cf. Ex 19:10; Num 8:21; Acts 21:24); here, and in other places
in the New Testament, it means interior purification from sins, that is, righteous-
ness, holiness (1 Pet 1:22; Jas 4:8). Our model is Jesus Christ, “as he is pure”;
he is the One who has never had sin, the Righteous One (1 Jn 2: 29; 3:7); a
Christian has no other model of holiness, as Jesus himself said: “Learn from me”
(Mt 11:29; cf. Jn 14:6). “We have to learn from him, from Jesus, who is our only
model. If you want to go forward without stumbling or wandering off the path, then
all you have to do is walk the road he walked, placing your feet in his footprints
and entering into his humble and patient Heart, there to drink from the wellsprings
of his commandments and of his love. In a word, you must identify yourself with
Jesus Christ and try to become really and truly another Christ among your fellow
men” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 128).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Matthew 5:1-12a
The Beatitudes
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Commentary:
1. The Discourse, or Sermon, on the Mount takes up three full chapters of St.
Matthew’s Gospel — Chapters 5-7. It is the first of the five great discourses of
Jesus which appear in this Gospel and it contains a considerable amount of
our Lord’s teaching.
It is difficult to reduce this discourse to one single theme, but the various tea-
chings it contains could be said to deal with these five points: 1) the attitude a
person must have for entering the Kingdom of Heaven (the Beatitudes, the salt
of the earth, the light of the world, Jesus and His teaching, the fullness of the
Law); 2) uprightness of intention in religious practice (here the “Our Father”
would be included); 3) trust in God’s fatherly providence; 4) how God’s children
should behave towards one another (not judging one’s neighbor, respect for ho-
ly things, the effectiveness of prayer, and the golden rule of charity); 5) the con-
ditions for entering the Kingdom (the narrow gate, false prophets and building
on rock).
“He taught them”: this refers both to the disciples and to the multitude, as can
be seen at the end of the Sermon (Matthew 7:28).
2. The Beatitudes (5:3-12) form, as it were, the gateway to the Sermon on the
Mount. In order to understand the Beatitudes properly, we should bear in mind
that they do not promise salvation only to the particular kinds of people listed
here: they cover everyone whose religious dispositions and moral conduct meet
the demands which Jesus lays down. In other words, the poor in spirit, the
meek, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the
merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who suffer persecution
in their search for holiness — these are not different people or kinds of people
but different demands made on everyone who wants to be a disciple of Christ.
Similarly, salvation is not being promised to different groups in society but to
everyone, no matter what his or her position in life, who strives to follow the
spirit and to meet the demands contained in the Beatitudes.
All the Beatitudes have an eschatological meaning, that is, they promise us de-
finitive salvation not in this world, but in the next. But the spirit of the Beatitudes
does give us, in this life, peace in the midst of tribulation. The Beatitudes imply
a completely new approach, quite at odds with the usual way man evaluates
things: they rule out any kind of pharisaical religiosity, which regards earthly
happiness as a blessing from God and a reward for good behavior, and unhap-
piness and misfortune as a form of punishment. In all ages the Beatitudes put
spiritual goods on a much higher plane than material possessions. The healthy
and the sick, the powerful and the weak, the rich and the poor — all are called,
independently of their circumstances, to the deep happiness that is experienced
by those who live up to the Beatitudes which Jesus teaches.
The Beatitudes do not, of course, contain the entire teaching of the Gospel, but
they do contain, in embryo, the whole program of Christian perfection.
3. This text outlines the connection between poverty and the soul. This religious
concept of poverty was deeply rooted in the Old Testament (cf., e.g., Zephaniah
2:3ff). It was more to do with a religious attitude of neediness and of humility to-
wards God than with material poverty: that person is poor who has recourse to
God without relying on his own merits and who trusts in God’s mercy to be saved.
his religious attitude of poverty is closely related to what is called “spiritual child-
hood”. A Christian sees himself as a little child in the presence of God, a child
who owns nothing: everything he has comes from God and belongs to God. Cer-
tainly, spiritual poverty, that is, Christian poverty, means one must be detached
from material things and practice austerity in using them. God asks certain peo-
ple — religious — to be legally detached from ownership and thereby bear witness
to others of the transitoriness of earthly things.
4. “Those who mourn”: here our Lord is saying that those are blessed who suf-
fer from any kind of affliction — particularly those who are genuinely sorry for their
sins, or are pained by the offenses which others offer God, and who bear their
suffering with love and in a spirit of atonement.
“You are crying? Don’t be ashamed of it. Yes, cry: men also cry like you, when
they are alone and before God. Each night, says King David, I soak my bed with
tears. With those tears, those burning manly tears, you can purify your past and
supernaturalize your present life” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 216).
The Spirit of God will console with peace and joy, even in this life, those who
weep for their sins, and later will give them a share in the fullness of happiness
and glory in Heaven: these are the blessed.
5. “The meek”: those who patiently suffer unjust persecution; those who remain
serene, humble and steadfast in adversity, and do not give way to resentment or
discouragement. The virtue of meekness is very necessary in the Christian life.
Usually irritableness, which is very common, stems from a lack of humility and
interior peace.
“The earth”: this is usually understood as meaning our Heavenly Fatherland.
6. The notion of righteousness (or justice) in Holy Scripture is an essentially reli-
gious one (cf. notes on Matthew 1:19 and 3:15; Romans 1:17; 1:18-32; 3:21-22
and 24). A righteous person is one who sincerely strives to do the Will of God,
which is discovered in the commandments, in one’s duties of state in life (social,
professional and family responsibilities) and through one’s life of prayer. Thus,
righteousness, in the language of the Bible, is the same as what nowadays is
usually called “holiness” (1 John 2:29; 3:7-10; Revelation 22:11; Genesis 15:6;
Deuteronomy 9:4).
As St. Jerome comments (”Comm. on Matthew”, 5, 6), in the fourth Beatitude
our Lord is asking us not simply to have a vague desire for righteousness: we
should hunger and thirst for it, that is, we should love and strive earnestly to seek
what makes a man righteous in God’s eyes. A person who genuinely wants to
attain Christian holiness should love the means which the Church, the universal
vehicle of salvation, offers all men and teaches them to use — frequent use of the
Sacraments, an intimate relationship with God in prayer, a valiant effort to meet
one’s social, professional and family responsibilities.
7. Mercy is not a just a matter of giving alms to the poor but also of being under-
standing towards other people’s defects, overlooking them, helping them cope
with them and loving them despite whatever defects they may have. Being mer-
ciful also means rejoicing and suffering with other people.
8. Christ teaches us that the source of the quality of human acts lies in the heart,
that is, in a man’s soul, in the depths of his spirit. “When we speak of a person’s
heart, we refer not just to his sentiments, but to the whole person in his loving
dealings with others. In order to help us understand divine things, Scripture uses
the expression ‘heart’ in its full human meaning, as the summary and source,
expression and ultimate basis, of one’s thoughts, words and actions. A man is
worth what his heart is worth” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 164).
Cleanness of heart is a gift of God, which expresses itself in a capacity to love,
in having an upright and pure attitude to everything noble. As St. Paul says,
“whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, what-
ever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything
worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). Helped by God’s
grace, a Christian should constantly strive to cleanse his heart and acquire this
purity, whose reward is the vision of God.
9. The translation “peacemakers” well convey the active meaning of the original
text — those who foster peace, in themselves and in others and, as a basis for
that, try to be reconciled and to reconcile others with God. Being at peace with
God is the cause and effect of every kind of peace. Any peace on earth not
based on this divine peace would be vain and misleading.
“They shall be called sons of God”: this is an Hebraicism often found in Sacred
Scripture; it is the same as saying “they will be sons of God”. St. John’s first
letter (3:1) provides a correct exegesis of this Beatitude: “See what love the
Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are”.
10. What this Beatitude means, then, is: blessed are those who are persecuted
because they are holy, or because they are striving to be holy, for theirs is the
Kingdom of Heaven.
Thus, blessed is he who suffers persecution for being true to Jesus Christ and
who does so not only patiently but joyfully. Circumstances arise in a Christian’s
life that call for heroism — where no compromise is admissible: either one stays
true to Jesus Christ whatever the cost in terms of reputation, life or possessions,
or one denies Him. St. Bernard (”Sermon on the Feast of All Saints”) says that
the eighth Beatitude is as it were the prerogative of Christian martyrs. Every
Christian who is faithful to Jesus’ teaching is in fact a “martyr” (a witness) who
reflects or acts according with this Beatitude, even if he does not undergo phy-
sical death.
11-12. The Beatitudes are the conditions Jesus lays down for entering the King-
dom of Heaven. This verse, in a way summing up the preceding ones, is an invi-
tation to everyone to put this teaching into practice. The Christian life, then, is
no easy matter, but it is worthwhile, given the reward that Jesus promises.
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
| First reading | Apocalypse 7:2-4,9-14 © |
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| Psalm | Psalm 23:1-6 © |
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| Second reading | 1 John 3:1-3 © |
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| Gospel Acclamation | Mt11:28 |
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| Gospel | Matthew 5:1-12 © |
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| Matthew | |||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
| Matthew 5 |
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| 1. | AND seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him. | Videns autem Jesus turbas, ascendit in montem, et cum sedisset, accesserunt ad eum discipuli ejus, | ιδων δε τους οχλους ανεβη εις το ορος και καθισαντος αυτου προσηλθον αυτω οι μαθηται αυτου |
| 2. | And opening his mouth, he taught them, saying: | et aperiens os suum docebat eos dicens : | και ανοιξας το στομα αυτου εδιδασκεν αυτους λεγων |
| 3. | Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | Beati pauperes spiritu : quoniam ipsorum est regnum cælorum. | μακαριοι οι πτωχοι τω πνευματι οτι αυτων εστιν η βασιλεια των ουρανων |
| 4. | Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. | Beati mites : quoniam ipsi possidebunt terram. | μακαριοι οι πενθουντες οτι αυτοι παρακληθησονται |
| 5. | Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. | Beati qui lugent : quoniam ipsi consolabuntur. | μακαριοι οι πραεις οτι αυτοι κληρονομησουσιν την γην |
| 6. | Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. | Beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt justitiam : quoniam ipsi saturabuntur. | μακαριοι οι πεινωντες και διψωντες την δικαιοσυνην οτι αυτοι χορτασθησονται |
| 7. | Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. | Beati misericordes : quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequentur. | μακαριοι οι ελεημονες οτι αυτοι ελεηθησονται |
| 8. | Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. | Beati mundo corde : quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt. | μακαριοι οι καθαροι τη καρδια οτι αυτοι τον θεον οψονται |
| 9. | Blesses are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God. | Beati pacifici : quoniam filii Dei vocabuntur. | μακαριοι οι ειρηνοποιοι οτι αυτοι υιοι θεου κληθησονται |
| 10. | Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter justitiam : quoniam ipsorum est regnum cælorum. | μακαριοι οι δεδιωγμενοι ενεκεν δικαιοσυνης οτι αυτων εστιν η βασιλεια των ουρανων |
| 11. | Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: | Beati estis cum maledixerint vobis, et persecuti vos fuerint, et dixerint omne malum adversum vos mentientes, propter me : | μακαριοι εστε οταν ονειδισωσιν υμας και διωξωσιν και ειπωσιν παν πονηρον ρημα καθ υμων ψευδομενοι ενεκεν εμου |
| 12. | Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you. | gaudete, et exsultate, quoniam merces vestra copiosa est in cælis. Sic enim persecuti sunt prophetas, qui fuerunt ante vos. | χαιρετε και αγαλλιασθε οτι ο μισθος υμων πολυς εν τοις ουρανοις ουτως γαρ εδιωξαν τους προφητας τους προ υμων |
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 The following is the longer version of the vital prayer composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1888 after his startling vision as to the future of the Church. This prayer was dedicated for the Feast of St. Michael 1448 years from the date of the election of the first Leo - Pope Saint Leo the Great. Everyone is familiar with the first prayer below which was mandated by His Holiness as part of the Leonine Prayers after Low Mass. Below are both the short and longer versions of this poignant prayer which should never be forgotten.
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray, and do thou, O heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.
O glorious Archangel Saint Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare which we carry on against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, spirits of evil. Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in His own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. Fight this day the battle of our Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in heaven. That cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the Name of God and of His Christ, to seize upon, slay, and cast into eternal perdition, souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. That wicked dragon pours out. as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity. These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the Immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on Her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck the sheep may be scattered. Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious powers of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.
R: The Lion of the Tribe of Juda has conquered the root of David. V: Let Thy mercies be upon us, O Lord. R: As we have hoped in Thee. V: O Lord hear my prayer. R: And let my cry come unto Thee. V: Let us pray. O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon Thy holy Name, and as suppliants, we implore Thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin, immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel Saint Michael, Thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of our souls. Amen.
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
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We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
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Look down upon me, O good and gentle Jesus, while before Thy face I humbly kneel, and with burning soul pray and beseech Thee to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment; the while I contemplate with great love and tender pity Thy five most precious wounds, pondering over them within me, calling to mind the words which David Thy prophet said of Thee, my good Jesus: "They have pierced My hands and My feet; they have numbered all My bones." 