catholicprayer

Born in 480 to a Roman noble family, St. Scholastica was the twin sister of St. Benedict, the “father of monasticism.” Following the rule of her brother, she founded the Order of Benedictine nuns. According to the “Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great,” they spent their last day together in prayer and conversation.

~ “As we celebrate anew the Memorial of the Virgin Saint Scholastica, we pray, O Lord, that, following her example, we may serve you with pure love and happily receive what comes from loving you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~ from the Proper of Saints, Daily Roman Missal

St. Agatha is one of the most highly venerated of the virgin martyrs in the early Church. Although there is little that is known about her life, tradition holds that she was born in Sicily to a noble family, and martyred there during the time of Emperor Decius in the third century. St. Agatha is among the saints commemorated in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I).

~ “May the Virgin Martyr Saint Agatha implore your compassion for us, O Lord, we pray, for she found favor with you by the courage of her martyrdom and the merit of her chastity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~ from the Proper of Saints, Daily Roman Missal

The conversion of Saul of Tarsus while he was on his way to Damascus is one of the most powerful miracles in the history of the early Church. It reveals how faith comes from grace and builds upon free cooperation with it. The doctrine of the Mystical Body of Christ received proof and a clear illustration when Christ said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

“On that journey as I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the […]

Born in the province of Savoy, St. Francis was destined by his father to be a lawyer. His desire instead was to enter the priesthood. After much gentle persuasiveness, his father offered his consent. At 35, Francis was chosen to be Bishop of Geneva, where he fought Calvinism. It was his gentle character that was a great asset in winning souls. Along with St. Jane Frances de Chantal, he founded the Order of Sisters of the Visitation.

~ In his well-known classic, “Introduction to the Devout Life,” he writes to all Christians, not just those called to religious vocation: “It is an error, nay more, a very heresy, to seek to banish the devout life from the soldier’s guardroom, the mechanic’s workshop, the prince’s court, or the domestic hearth… there are various […]

“In all the Dioceses of the USA, January 22 shall be observed as a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion.” (Roman Missal, no. 373)

~ As individuals, we are called to observe this day through the penitential practices of prayer, fasting and/or giving alms. “The fundamental human right, the presupposition of every other right, is the right to life itself. This is true of life from the moment of conception until its natural end. Abortion, consequently, cannot be a […]

St. Agnes (d. 304) came from a noble Roman family. She was about thirteen when martyred during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Her name is associated with the Latin “agnus” for “lamb,” as the young saint is often depicted with a lamb by her side. St. Agnes is commemorated in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I).

“Almighty ever-living God, who choose what is weak in the world to confound the strong, mercifully grant, that we, who celebrate the heavenly birthday of your Martyr Saint Agnes, may follow her constancy in the faith. Through our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~ from the Proper of Saints, Daily Roman Missal

In 236, St. Fabian was the first layman ever elected to the papacy. He promoted the consolidation and development of the Church. He divided Rome into seven diaconates for the purpose of extending aid to the poor. The papacy acquired such prestige during this time that he incurred the ire of Emperor Decius. Martyred in 250, St. Fabian was one of the first victims of persecution under Emperor Decius.

* Celebrated alongside St. Fabian is the Roman martyr, St. Sebastian. Although these two feasts are liturgically separate, they are venerated on the same day and also named together in the Litany of Saints. ~ St. Sebastian, a native of Milan, was an officer in Diocletian’s imperial guard. He converted to Christianity, whereupon he was […]