November 26, 2024
Portrait of King Ferdinando II of the Two Sicilies by Giuseppe Cammarano
A Prayer for Queen Isabella the Catholic’s Intercession
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| Isabella the Catholic, ora pro nobis |
Almighty Father, in Your infinite goodness You made Queen Isabel the Catholic, a model for young ladies, wives, mothers, women leaders and government rulers. As the first sovereign of the American continent You granted to her heart a sense of piety, justice, compassion and the vision of a new land full of promise. Grant us the grace to see Your infinite majesty glorified in her prompt canonization, and through her intercession...[ask for your particular needs] that we ask of You in this present need through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Servant of God, Queen Isabel, pray for us.
Our Father...Hail Mary...Glory Be...
Pray to the Servant of God Isabel the Catholic and ask her intercession for your particular needs. When you obtain your favor, please inform the: Comité Reina Isabel, P.O. Box 268237, Chicago, IL 60626-8237, U.S.A.
* Prayer courtesy of Queen Isabella the Catholic. Portrait of Isabella I of Castile (April 22, 1451— November 26, 1504) by Luis de Madrazo (1825-1897)
New Music — Luce D’Amore Divino: Neapolitan Christmas Songs by Franciscan Friars
• Luce D’Amore Divino: Neapolitan Christmas Songs by Franciscan Friars
Label: Nova Antiq
Release Date: October 30, 2024
Audio CD: $26.58
Number of Discs: 1
Available at Amazon.com
Read description
November 25, 2024
Feast of San Mercurio di Ceasarea di Cappadocia
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| San Mercurio Martire, Ora pro nobis |
During the persecution of Christians, the Archangel appeared to Mercurius again and assured him not to be afraid. Betrayed by one of the guards, the Emperor had him arrested, stripped of his rank and brutally tortured for refusing to offer a sacrifice to the pagan deities. Three times St. Michael healed his wounds until finally, the Emperor had Mercurius deported to his native Caesarea in Cappadocia and beheaded.
According to legend, many years later St. Basil the Great was praying before an icon of St. Mercurius and requested that Julian the Apostate would not return from his campaign in the Sassanian Empire and continue the vicious persecution of Christians. Suddenly the image of the saint wielding a spear briefly disappeared from the painting and summarily returned with a bloodied weapon. It seems the iconic warrior saint appeared at the Battle of Samarra and slew the emperor on 26 June 363.
St. Mercurius would repeat the miracle in 1098 at the Battle of Antioch during the First Crusade. Appearing on a hilltop with St. George, St. Demetrius, and an army arrayed in white, the celestial host led the outnumbered Crusaders to victory over the Saracens.
In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Mercurius. The accompanying photo was taken in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church rectory in Newark, New Jersey. Evviva San Mercurio Martire!
Prayer to St. Mercurius
God of power and mercy, you gave St. Mercurius, your martyr, victory over pain and suffering. Strengthen us who celebrate this day of his triumph and help us to be victorious over the evils that threaten us. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen
Feast of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria
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Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, ora pro nobis |
In celebration, I'm posting a Prayer to St. Catherine of Alexandria. The accompanying photo of St. Catherine of Alexandria (c. 1650) from the workshop of Bernardo Cavallino was taken at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. Evviva Santa Caterina!
Prayer to St. Catherine of Alexandria
Glorious Saint Catherine, virgin and martyr, help me to imitate your love of purity. Give me strength and courage in fighting off the temptations of the world and evil desires. Help me to love God with my whole heart and serve Him faithfully. O Saint Catherine, through your glorious martyrdom for the love of Christ, help me to be loyal to my faith and my God as long as I live.
Novena to Santa Barbara
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| Santa Barbara Martire, ora pro nobis |
Preparatory Prayer
Almighty and eternal God! With lively faith and reverently worshiping Thy divine Majesty, I prostrate myself before Thee and invoke with filial trust Thy supreme bounty and mercy. Illumine the darkness of my intellect with a ray of Thy heavenly light and inflame my heart with the fire of Thy divine love, that I may contemplate the great virtues and merits of the saint in whose honor I make this novena, and following his example imitate, like him, the life of Thy divine Son.
Moreover, I beseech Thee to grant graciously, through the merits and intercession of this powerful Helper, the petition which through him I humbly place before Thee, devoutly saying, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Vouchsafe graciously to hear it, if it redounds to Thy greater glory and to the salvation of my soul. Amen.
Prayer in Honor of St. Barbara
O God, who didst adorn Thy holy virgin and martyr Barbara with extraordinary fortitude in the confession of the Faith, and didst console her in the most atrocious torments; grant us through her intercession perseverance in the fulfillment of Thy law and the grace of being fortified before our end with the holy sacraments, and of a happy death. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Invocation of St. Barbara
Intrepid virgin and martyr, St. Barbara, through thy intercession come to my aid in all needs of my soul. Obtain for me the grace to be preserved from a sudden and unprovided death; assist me in my agony, when my senses are benumbed and I am in the throes of death. Then, O powerful patroness of the dying, come to my aid! Repel from me all the assaults and temptations of the evil one, and obtain for me the grace to receive before death the holy sacraments, that I breathe forth my soul confirmed in faith, hope, and charity, and be worthy to enter eternal glory. Amen.
St. Barbara, at my last end
Obtain for me the Sacrament;
Assist one in that direst need
When I my God and Judge must meet:
That robed in sanctifying grace
My soul may stand before His face.
Prayer
My Lord and my God! I offer up to Thee my petition in union with the bitter passion and death of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, together with the merits of His immaculate and blessed Mother, Mary ever virgin, and of all the saints, particularly with those of the holy Helper in whose honor I make this novena.
Look down upon me, merciful Lord! Grant me Thy grace and Thy love, and graciously hear my prayer. Amen.
* For more on St. Barbara and the Fourteen Holy Helpers, I highly recommend Project Gutenberg's free ebook, Mary, Help of Christians and the Fourteen Saints Invoked as Holy Helpers, compiled by Rev. Bonaventure, O.F.M. It has instructions, legends, novenas and prayers, with thoughts of the saints for every day of the year. Pictured is my makeshift shrine with icon.
Infant Jesus of Prague Chaplet
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| O Infant Jesus, Whose truth enlightens the darkness of our heart, have mercy on us |
In celebration, I’m posting the Infant Jesus of Prague Chaplet. The accompanying photo was taken at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Newark, New Jersey.
Infant Jesus of Prague Chaplet* www.sistersofcarmel.com
Divine Infant Jesus, I adore Thy Cross and I accept all the crosses Thou wilt be pleased to send me. Adorable Trinity, I offer Thee for the glory of Thy Holy Name of God, all the adorations of the Sacred Heart of the Holy Infant Jesus.
(3x) “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us” and pray The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)
(12x) “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us” and pray The Angelical Salutation (Hail Mary)
Holy Infant Jesus, bless and protect us. Amen.
November 24, 2024
Feast of San Giovanni della Croce
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| San Giovanni della Croce, ora pro nobis |
Prayer to St. John of the Cross
Saint John of the Cross, in the darkness of your worst moments, when you were alone and persecuted, you found God. Help me to have faith that God is there especially in the times when God seems absent and far away. Amen
Photo of the Week: Hercules and Omphale, Queen of Lydia, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli
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| Photo by New York Scugnizzo |
November 23, 2024
Feast of Santa Felicita Martire
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| Santa Felicita Martire, ora pro nobis |
Prayer to St. Felicita
All-powerful, ever-living God, turn our weakness into strength. As you gave your martyrs St. Felicitas and her sons the courage to suffer death for Christ, give us the courage to live in faithful witness to you. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
November 22, 2024
Feast of Santa Cecilia Martire
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| Santa Cecilia Martire, ora pro nobis |
November 22nd is the Feast of Santa Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr. Patroness of music and musicians, Saint Cecilia’s Day marks the beginning of the Christmas season in Southern Italy. Traditionally celebrated with music and concerts, it is also customary to enjoy regional delicacies, such as le pettole di Santa Cecilia, a fried dough specialty sometimes sprinkled with sugar or stuffed with anchovies, capers and codfish. In celebration, I'm posting A Prayer to Saint Cecilia. The accompanying photo of The Ecstasy of St. Cecilia is by Bernardo Cavallino (ca.1616-1656), courtesy of the Museo di Capodimonte in Napoli. Evviva Santa Cecilia!
A Prayer to Saint Cecilia
O glorious saint, who chose to die instead of denying your King, we pray you please to help us as His fair praise we sing. We lift our hearts in joyous song to honor Him this way. And while we sing, remembering, to sing is to doubly pray. At once in our hearts and in our tongues we offer double prayer sent heavenward on winged notes to praise God dwelling there. While in our hearts and tongues we try with song to praise God twice, we ask dear saint, to help us be united close to Christ! Amen.
Feast of Beato Salvatore Lilli e Compagni
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| Beato Salvatore Lilli e Compagni, orate pro nobis |
November 22nd is the Feast of Blessed Salvatore Lilli, Franciscan Priest, Missionary and Martyr. Born on June 19, 1853 in Cappadocia, Abruzzo, Salvator Lilli assumed the Franciscan habit in June 1870, made his religious profession in August 1871, and was ordained a priest in Jerusalem on April 6, 1878.
Two years later he was transferred to Armenia where he did his utmost to help the sick and poor for nearly 15 years.
In 1895 he was captured and tortured by the Turks. Refusing to convert to Islam, Blessed Salvatore and seven companions were put to death.
In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to Blessed Salvatore Lilli and Companions. Evviva Beato Salvatore Lilli e Compagni!
Prayer to Blessed Salvatore Lilli and Companions
We humbly beseech the mercy of your majesty, almighty and merciful God, that, as you have poured the knowledge of your Only Begotten Son into the hearts of the peoples by the preaching of the blessed Martyr Salvatore Lelli and Companions, so, through their intercession, we may be made steadfast in the faith. 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
November 21, 2024
Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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| Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis |
Deus, qui beátam Mariam semper Virginem Spiritus Sancti habitáculum, holdiérna die in templo præsentári voluísti: præsta, quæsumus; ut, ejus intercessióne, in templo glóriæ tuæ præsentári mereámur. Per Dóminum…in unitate ejusdem.
November 21st is the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple. In fulfillment of a vow, San Gioacchino and Sant’Anna brought Our Lady as a child to the Temple in Jerusalem to consecrate their daughter to God and unknowingly begin her preparation to be the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Byzantine Church the celebration is regarded as one of the twelve great feasts of the liturgical year, called the Dodecaorton.
In celebration, I’m posting a prayer for the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Latin and English. The accompanying photo of a young Blessed Virgin Mary is a detail of my old beat-up statue of Sant’Anna. Evviva Maria!
Prayer
O God, Who wast pleased that on this day the Blessed Virgin, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, should be presented in the Temple, grant, we beseech Thee, that, by her intercession, we may deserve to be presented in the temple of Thy glory. Through…in the unity of the same.
Novena to Sant’Andrea Apostolo
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| Sant'Andrea Apostolo, ora pro nobis |
Day 1 — November 21st
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his openness to Your call in our own lives, that we may be as ready to serve You as he was. St. Andrew, you were one of the first people to be called personally by Our Lord. He called you and your brother St. Peter to leave behind your lives as fishermen and to follow Him as Apostles. You followed His call to become “fishers of men.” And you remained faithful to that call, staying with Him throughout His ministry and spreading the Gospel after His death. You probably never would have guessed that you would be invited to be one of the closest friends of the Son of God, but you left everything behind in order to follow Him. Pray for me, that I may be as ready to serve Christ as you were. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew the Apostle, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day 2 — November 22nd
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his virtue in our daily lives, throughout the work we do each day. St. Andrew, you were no stranger to hard work. You spent much of your life performing the physical labor involved in the life of a professional fisherman. You did not move away from the demands of this work. Instead, you embraced it and attempted to do it well. When Jesus called you to leave your work behind and become a “fisher of men,” you immediately left your old life and dived into a new kind of work for the glory of God. Pray for me, as I strive for holiness amidst my daily work. Pray that, like you, my life may revolve around devotion to Christ. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew the Apostle, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day 3 — November 23rd
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his faith in our own lives, that we may follow You as unreservedly as he did. St. Andrew, you left behind your old life as a fisherman when Our Lord called you to be His apostle. You did not know what this new life might entail, but you chose to follow Him readily in faith. Throughout Christ’s public ministry, you remained close with Him and did not desert Him. After His death and resurrection, you carried out the mission of preaching the Gospel despite persecution. You had faith that God would reward you in Heaven. Pray for me, that I may remain faithful to God in my life, despite fears of the unknown or of suffering. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew the Apostle, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day 4 — November 24th
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his devotion and his close friendship with You, that we too may have a deep friendship with You. St. Andrew, you were one of the people who was closest to Jesus during His time on earth. Along with the other Apostles, you saw Him perform miracles and heard Him teach. You were with Him at the Last Supper when He gave us Himself in the Eucharist. You saw Him after He had risen from the dead. During the time you spent with Him, you developed a deep friendship with Him. Pray for me, that I may have a deep friendship with Christ. Pray that I may grow to love Him and serve Him as faithfully as you did. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew the Apostle, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day 5 — November 25th
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his zeal for Your glory and his deep desire to win souls for You. St. Andrew, you became a missionary for Christ after His death. He once called you to become a “fisher of men,” and you carried out this call by preaching the Gospel to others in the area near the Black Sea. Though Christians were persecuted and you knew that preaching about Christ could cause you to be killed, you did not waver in your mission. You continued trying to bring souls to God, until you were martyred for your missionary work. Pray for me, that I may be as zealous for souls as you were. Pray that I may never waiver in preaching the Gospel, even if I must suffer because of it. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day 6 — November 26th
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his love for You, especially for the Eucharist that he encountered for the first time at the Last Supper. St. Andrew, you were one of Our Lord’s closest friends while He was on earth. With the other Apostles, you spent much time with Christ. You were one of the privileged men who shared the Last Supper with Him. You were there when He gave us His own Body and Blood in the Eucharist. You received from Him the immense gift of Himself that He continues to give us at each Mass. Pray for me, that I may always show the Eucharist the reverence It is due. Pray that I may always recognize what a gift Christ has given us in His Body and Blood. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew the Apostle, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day 7 — November 27th
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his courage in preaching the Gospel, that we may always be firm in our faith, no matter what it may cost us. St. Andrew, you readily accepted the mission from Jesus to become a “fisher of men,” and you carried out that mission until the end of your life. After Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, Christians were often persecuted and killed. But despite this, you carried on courageously in your mission to preach the Gospel. You continued trying to win souls for Christ until your martyrdom, and you did not let the threat of suffering or death stop you. Pray for me, that I may have the courage to preach the Gospel against all obstacles as you did. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew the Apostle, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day 8 — November 28th
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his courage amidst suffering, that we may be ready to even give our lives for our faith if necessary. St. Andrew, you knew that being a Christian and spreading the Gospel would not be easy. You knew that Our Lord’s words about the need to suffer for Him would be true in your own life. But even though remaining faithful to Him would mean your death, you did not waver in your faith. You willingly suffered for Christ and ultimately died for Him, knowing that your reward would be great in Heaven. Pray for me and for all who face the threat of suffering or death over their faith in Christ. Pray that we may have the strength to stand strong in our faith, even to the point of death if necessary. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day 9 — November 29th
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his humility, that we may be as humble as he was when he thought himself unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ. St. Andrew, you worked with great bravery for the sake of the Gospel throughout your life, even continuing on courageously to the point of death. But like your brother St. Peter, you did not feel worthy to die in the same manner as Jesus did. When you were sentenced to death by crucifixion, you requested your cross to be different from Our Lord’s, feeling that your death as a sinful man should not look outwardly identical to the death of Jesus. Pray for me, that I may have a true, humble understanding of my own sinfulness. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew the Apostle, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
* Photo of reliquary bust of Sant’Andrea Apostolo was taken inside the Duomo di Amalfi by Andrew Giordano
Remembering Emperor-King Franz Josef
Eternal rest grant unto His Imperial Majesty, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. AmenPictured is an antique postcard depicting the Emperor in prayer with the poem Unser Kaiser im Gebet by Harry Sheff. Reprinted below in the original German, we also offer translations in English and Neapolitan by Cav. Charles Sant'Elia.
Unser Kaiser im Gebet
Vater im Himmel, Lenker der Sonnen,
Zeuge für mich, der in Demut Dir nacht!
Ich nicht habe den Kampf begonnen,
Ich nicht streute die blutige Saat !
Doch von Feinden und Neidern umgeben
Rief ich mein Volk zu eiserner Wehr,
Laß Deinen Geist uns're Waffen umschweben,
Uns sei der Sieg – und Dir sei die Ehr'.
Our Emperor in Prayer
Heavenly Father, ruler of the suns,
Witness for me, who is humble in the night!
I didn't start the fight
I did not strew the bloody seeds!
But surrounded by enemies and envious people
I called my people to an iron defense,
Let Your Spirit float around our weapons
Victory be to us - and honor to you.
'O Mperatore Nuosto Mprejaría
Pate ca staje ncielo, Re d''o sole,
Addeventasse testimmonio pe me, ummele dint''a notte!
Nun aggio accommenciato 'a battaglia
Nun n'aggio jettato 'e semmenze 'e sango!
Ma attornejato 'a nemmice e gente mmeriosa,
Aggio chiammato 'a' gente mia a na defesa 'e fierro,
Fa' ca volasse 'o Spireto Tujo attuorno a ll'arme noste,
'A vittoria a nuje- e annore a Te.
Annual Angel Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York
Exhibition Overview
On view in the majestic Medieval Sculpture Hall, this beloved holiday tradition features a 20-foot blue spruce adorned with 19 cherubs, 59 angels, and an additional 71 figures that evoke 18th-century Naples Nativity scenes.
The installation is set in front of the eighteenth-century Spanish choir screen from the Cathedral of Valladolid in Gallery 305.
For more info visit www.metmuseum.org
November 20, 2024
Feast of San Felice di Valois
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| San Felice di Valois, ora pro nobis |
According to tradition, during a walk in the forest with St. John, a magnificent stag briefly appeared before them with a shining red and azure cross between its antlers. The incident led St. John to recount a vision he had many years earlier of an angel wearing the same distinctive cross. Over the next three nights Our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to the holy men and revealed His desire for them to establish a new religious order for the redemption of Christian slaves being held captive by the Moslems.
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| Red and azure Cross of the Order |
In celebration, I’m posting a prayer for St. Felix of Valois. The accompanying photo, courtesy of Anthony Scillia, was taken at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Evviva San Felice di Valois!
Prayer to St. Felix of Valois
O God, You inspired blessed Felix, Your confessor, to leave his hermitage to devote himself to the work of ransoming prisoners; grant we pray You that, by his intercession, through Your grace we may be freed from the bondage of sin and may be safely led to our heavenly home. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who being God, lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen
A Mass for Peace
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| www.musicatransalpina.org |
We are proud to present the first complete performance of this glorious Mass setting in modern times, performed for the first time in America. We hope that you will find its soaring melodies & noble harmonic language a moving call to peace in your own heart.
Concert performance
Saturday, November 30, 2024 at 7 PM
The parish church of S. Andrew
311 North Raymond Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91103.
Free liturgical performance
Sunday, December 1, 2024 at 9 AM
The parish church of Ss. Peter & Paul
515 West Opp Street
Wilmington, CA 90744.
November 19, 2024
Feast of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
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| Santa Elisabetta d'Ungheria, ora pro nobis |
In celebration, I'm posting a Prayer to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. The accompanying photo was taken at Most Precious Blood Church (113 Baxter Street), the national shrine of San Gennaro, located in New York City's historic Little Italy. Evviva Santa Elisabetta d'Ungheria!
Prayer to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
O God, by whose gift Saint Elizabeth of Hungary recognized and revered Christ in the poor, grant, through her intercession, that we may serve with unfailing charity the needy and those afflicted. 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
Remembering Giacinto de' Sivo
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| b. Maddaloni, Kingdom of Naples, 29 November 1814—d. Rome, Papal States, 19 November 1867 |
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen
November 18, 2024
The Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of the Apostles Peter and Paul
The Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican
Terribilis est locus iste: hic Domus Dei est, et porta cœli: et vocábitur aula Dei. (T. P. Allelúja, allelúja.) Ps. 83, 2, 3. Quam dilécta tabernácula tua, Dómine virtútum! Concupíscit et déficit ánima mea in átria Dómini. V. Glória Patri.
Terrible is this place: it is the house of God, and the gate to heaven; and shall be called the court of God. (P. T. Alleluia, alleluia.) Ps. 83, 2, 3. How lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord. V. Glory.
November 18th is the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of the Apostles Peter and Paul, two of the Seven Great Pilgrim Churches of Rome.*
St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican was originally built c. 320 by Constantine the Great on the site of St. Peter’s tomb. Standing for nearly 1,200 years, the old dilapidated church was unable to be saved and by order of Pope Julius II was demolished in 1506 to make room for a new church. Rebuilt and enlarged, it was finally completed on November 18, 1626.
In 324 Emperor Constantine also built the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls on the spot where St. Paul was beheaded. Nearly destroyed in a fire in 1823, the ancient church was restored and reconsecrated in 1854.
In celebration, I’m posting the Introit and Prayer from the Mass, Terribilis, of the Dedication of a church in Latin and English. The accompanying photo of St. Peter’s Basilica was taken during my 2007 pilgrimage to the Vatican.
Prayer
Deus, qui nobis per singulos annos hujus sancti templi tui consecratiónis réparas diem, et sacris semper mystériis repræséntas incólumes: exáudi preces populi tui, et præsta; ut, quisquis hoc templum beneficia petitúrus ingréditur, cuncta se impetrásse lætétur. Per Dóminum.
O God, Who year by year dost renew the of the consecration of this Thy holy temple, and dost ever bring us again in safety to the holy mysteries, hear the prayers of Thy people, and grant that whosoever entereth this temple to seek blessings may rejoice to obtain all that he seeketh. Through our Lord.
* The Seven Great Pilgrim Churches of Rome are St. Peter's Basilica, the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, the Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls, and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love.
Feast of the Seven Visitation Martyrs of Madrid
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| Seven Visitation Martyrs, orate pro nobis |
I will not hide it that I am a religious, because I want to die like my sisters. ~ Sister Maria Cecilia Cendoya
November 18th is the Feast of the Visitation Martyrs of Madrid, seven Visitation nuns who were killed for their faith in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War (1836-1939). Captured and interrogated by an anarchist militia in Madrid, the sisters were dragged from their convent and summarily executed. They were among almost 8,000 clergy and religious killed by anticlerical revolutionaries during the Red Terror.(1) The Blessed Martyrs are Sisters Gabriela de Hinojosa, Teresa Cavestany, Josefa Barrera, Ines Zudaire, Engracia Lecuona, Angela Olaizola and Cecilia Cendoya. They were beatified on May 10, 1998 by Pope St. John Paul II.
In celebration, I’m posting a prayer by Fr. Seán O’Mannion to Blessed Maria Gabriela and Her Companions. Pictured is the book And They Gave Their Lives… by Sister Martina Lopez, R.A., an inspiring account of the martyred Visitation Sisters. Viva Cristo Rey!
Prayer to Blessed Maria Gabriela and Her Companions
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, You crowned with the palm of martyrdom Blessed Maria Gabriela and her companions. We ask You to grant us the grace to imitate their life of generous surrender and loving fidelity, and the favor we now ask through their intercession (state intention), if it be for Your greater glory and the good of our souls. Amen
(Recite three times) 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.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You!
(1) During the Spanish Civil War the total number of Martyrs were 13 bishops, 5,255 priests, and 2,669 religious (nuns, etc.). Source: And They Gave Their Lives… by Sister Martina Lopez, R.A., p.ix, 1997, Lesher Printers, Inc.
November 17, 2024
Feast of San Gregorio Taumaturgo
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| San Gregorio Taumaturgo, ora pro nobis |
November 17th is the Feast of San Gregorio Taumaturgo (St. Gregory the wonderworker), Confessor and Bishop of Neocaesarea. Invoked against earthquakes, floods and desperate causes, he is the patron saint of Laureana di Borrello (RC), San Gregorio (RC), and Stalettì (CZ) in Calabria. According to tradition, during the Iconoclastic Controversy of the eighth century the body of San Gregorio was cast into the Black Sea at Pontus in Asia Minor. Instead of sinking, the casket containing the saint’s relics miraculously crossed the sea, pushed by the hands of angels, to the sacred Grotta di San Gregorio on the shores of the Gulf of Squillace, an inlet of the Ionian Sea along the coast of Catanzaro. Renowned for his many miracles, the great Saint is venerated in both the Eastern and Western churches.
In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to St. Gregory the wonderworker. The accompanying photo of the 12th century Byzantine Icon, possibly from Constantinople, comes courtesy of the State Hermitage Museum, in St. Petersburg, Russia. Evviva San Gregorio Taumaturgo!
Prayer to St. Gregory the wonderworker
O holy Saint Gregory, confessor and priest of the Lord, I pray thee that thou wouldst intercede with our Lord God for me, that, being purified from all vice, I may please Him in all things, and that He will grant me the peace possessed by all His servants. Amen
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