Saints' Feast Days – August

• Saint John Vianney Priest August 4^th
• Blessed Frédéric Janssoone August 4^th
• The Transfiguration of the Lord August 6^th
• Saint Dominic de Guzman August 8^th
• Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross Virgin and Martyr August 9^th
• Saint Lawrence, Deacon & Martyr August 10^th
• Saint Clare of Assisi August 11^th
• Saint Jane Frances de Chantal Religious August 12^th
• Saint Maximus the Confessor August 13^th
• Saint MaxiMilian Kolbe August 14^th
• The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary August 15^th
• Saint Roch August 16^th
• Saint Helena of the True Cross August 18^th
• Saint Rose of Lima August 23^rd
• Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified August 25^th
• Saint Monica August 27^th
• Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church August 28^th
• The Passion of Saint John the Baptist August 29^th

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Background:

Saint John Vianney was born at Lyons in 1786. After overcoming many difficulties, he was ordained a priest. He was entrusted with a parish in the town of Ars in the diocese of Belley. He cared for this parish in a marvelous way by his preaching, his mortification, prayer and good works. Since he was renowned for great skill in helping penitents, people came to him from many regions and devoutly accepted his counsels. He died in 1859. His Feast Day is 4^th August.

Intercessory Prayer:

Saint John Vianney
Because of your love of God you showed great
charity towards your neighbour.

You could not preach on the Love of God without
burning tears of love.

During your last years, it seemed as though you could not talk about
anything else or live for anything else. Thus you sacrificed yourself to
your neighbour by consoling, absolving and sanctifying them to the
limits of your strength.

Your charity inspires me to greater love of God, a love which is shown
more by acts then by words. Help me to love my neighbour generously as
Christ loves them.

Holy Priest of Ars, I have confidence in your intercession. Pray for me
during this novena especially for …

(mention silently your special intentions).

… St John Vianney, Pray for Us …

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The Guardian of Notre Dame du Cap

Background:

Blessed Frédéric Janssoone, O.F.M. (1838 – 1916) hailed from France, from the town of Ghyvelde, in the northwest most corner, where the language was Flemish, and not French. After a difficult and impoverished, but holy and pious, upbringing, he joined the Friars Minor, spending his years of priestly ministry as custos of the sacred sites of the Holy Land, a spiritual ministry given to the Franciscans since the Middle Ages. In 1881, he came to Canada for the first time and went back to Palestine in 1882. Canada still beckoned, and Father Janssoone returned in 1888, spending the last three decades of his life here, preaching, converting, raising funds, writing. His home base was the shrine of Notre-Dame-du-Cap, outside Trois-Rivières. He was asked to use his many gifts to revivify the shrine. It was also he who brought the Friars Minor, the reformed Franciscans, back to this country.

In 1881, he came to Canada for the first time and went back to Palestine in 1882. Canada still beckoned, and Father Janssoone returned in 1888, spending the last three decades of his life here, preaching, converting, raising funds, writing. His home base was the shrine of Notre-Dame-du-Cap, outside Trois-Rivières. He was asked to use his many gifts to revivify the shrine. It was also he who brought the Friars Minor, the reformed Franciscans, back to this country.

It was at this shrine in 1879 that the miracle of the ‘ice bridge’ occurred. The people had been given permission to build a new church at the shrine, but they had to transport the materials across the Saint Lawrence, a mile-and-a-half wide. That year, however, the river didn’t freeze. The people prayed the Rosary and sought Our Lady’s help for the river to freeze. Lo and behold, on the very solemnity of Saint Joseph, March 19th, a bridge of ice formed across the river, wide and solid enough to transport all the materials, with open water on either side. The miraculous bridge lasted until the Annunciation, March 25th, just long enough to get everything across. The church was duly built, and still stands.

Soon enough, miracles abounded, including the statue of Our Lady of the Cape – a copy of how the Mother of God was said to have appeared to Catherine Labouré in Paris in 1830 – when, on June 22, 1888, soon after Father Janssoone’s second arrival here, on the inauguration day of the shrine, he was in the chapel with two others, a fellow Franciscan and a parishioner. To their surprise, the statue’s face became life-like, and Our Lady opened her eyes for five to ten minutes.

The long and fruitful apostolic life of Father Janssoone ended on the 4th of August, 1916, after a pain-stricken battle with stomach cancer.  He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 25th, 1988, and this great and noble Franciscan now intercedes for this, his adopted country.

Intercessory Prayer:

Almighty and eternal God,
You granted to Blessed Frédéric Janssoone, son of France,
To follow the footsteps of your Son Jesus in the Holy Land,
And to work there for peace.
Then You led him to Canada,
To invite that nation to be generous toward the Holy Land,
To found the sanctuary of Cap-de-la-Madeleine,
And to make known the life of Jesus of Nazareth and His most holy Mother.

Grant us to become in turn,
True pilgrims and veritable missionaries of your Church.
That we may be equally solid pillars
Of the faith in our Christian communities.
Grant us, through his intercession, the favour that we ask…
Grant this son of Saint Francis of Assisi
To be canonized soon,
And to draw us all toward Your Son, Jesus our Lord. Amen
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory be…

(Approved by the Ordinary of Trois-Rivieres, Nov. 26, 2013)

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Background:

The Feast of the Transfiguration has been observed on August 6^th by the universal Church since the 15^th century. The experience on Mount Tabor is one where Jesus reveals his divinity, and invites us all into a similar mystical encounter. The path up that mountain proceeds through prayer, and on this feast we are encouraged to read and reflect upon the biblical account of the Transfiguration.

Intercessory Prayer:

God Of life,
in a blaze of light on Mount Tabor
you transfigured Christ,
revealing him as your Beloved Son
and promising us a share in that destiny of glory.

But in a blinding flash of weaponry,
we, children of that promise,
annihilated life, disfiguring the face of Christ
and his Gospel call to gentleness and peace.

Let the beacon of that Gospel
pierce again the clouds enshrouding the earth,
so that even in the darkness of these times
we may believe your day will dawn.

This we ask of you
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.

Amen.

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Background:

Based on a Dominican tradition, in 1208 Dominic experienced a vision of the Blessed Virgin Maryi in the church at Prouille, during which she gave him a rosary. This gave rise to the title Our Lady of the Rosary. The prayer beads were well-known at the time; it was not the beginning of rosary devotion, but Dominicans contributed much to its spread. For centuries the rosary has been at the heart of the Dominican Order. Pope Pius XI stated, that the rosary is "the principle and foundation on which the Order of St. Dominic rests for perfecting the lives of its members and obtaining the salvation of others."

Dominic, Blessed Juana of Aza. While she was pregnant with St. Dominic she had a dream that a dog leapt from her womb with a torch in its mouth, which she was told, “would set the world on fire.” For this reason, St. Dominic is often portrayed with a dog at his side and a torch in it's mouth.

Intercessory Prayer:

O Holy Priest of God and glorious Patriarch, St. Dominic, thou who was the friend, the well-beloved son and confidant of the Queen of Heaven, and worked so many miracles by the power of the Holy Rosary, have regard for my intercessions.

On earth you opened your heart to the miseries of your fellow man, and your hands were strong to help them; now in heaven your charity has not grown less nor has your power waned.

Pray for me to the Mother of the Rosary and to her Divine Son, for I have great confidence that through your assistance I shall obtain the favour I so much desire:

[Mention your intentions here].

Amen.

… St Dominic, Pray for Us…

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Background:

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) was born in 1891 in Breslau, Poland. She, was the youngest child of a large Jewish family. She was an outstanding student and was well versed in philosophy. Eventually she became interested in the Catholic Faith, and in 1922, she was baptized at the Cathedral Church in Cologne, Germany. Eleven years later Edith entered the Cologne Carmel. Because of the political situation in Germany, Edith, whose name in religion was Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, was sent to the Carmel at Echt, Holland. When the Nazis conquered Holland, Teresa was arrested, and, with her sister Rose, was sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz. Teresa died in the gas chambers of Auschwitz in 1942.

Her Feast Day is 9^th August.

For by doing what God demands of us with total surrender of our innermost being, we cause the divine life to become our own inner life. Entering into ourselves, we find God in our own selves.

In order to be an image of God, the spirit must turn to what is eternal, hold it in spirit, keep it in memory, and by loving it, embrace it in the will.

-Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Intercessory Prayer:

Dear Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross,
child of the Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur, daughter of Abraham, bride of Christ, seeker of truth, scholar of the Church, handmaid of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, servant of the Suffering Servant, presence of mercy, victim of victimizer, embracer of the Cross of Christ-like love, martyr of Auschwitz, imitator of Jesus, conqueror of evil, friend of God, Edith, please pray for me. Please intercede for this petition of mine.

(Here mention your petition).

Amen.

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Background:

Saint Lawrence was a deacon of the Roman Church who was martyred during the persecution of Valerian in 258. Tradition says that he was roasted to death on a gridiron. The martyr, strengthened by Divine grace, was able to even jest at the expense of his torments and his persecutors. With his last breath, the holy deacon prayed for his persecutors and for the conversion of the city of Rome. Several senators, who had witnessed his execution, were converted to Christianity and provided for the decent burial of his body.

His Feast Day is 10^th August.

Sheltered under the name of Jesus Christ, I do not fear these pains, for they do not last long.

Learn, unhappy man, How great is the power of my God; For your burning coals Give me refreshment But they will be your eternal punishment.

-Saint Lawrence, Deacon & Martyr

Intercessory Prayer:

O glorious Saint Lawrence, Martyr and Deacon,
who, being subjected to the most bitter torments, did not lose your
faith nor your constancy in confessing Jesus Christ.

Obtain in like manner for us such an active and solid faith,
that we shall never be ashamed to be true followers of Jesus Christ,
and fervent Christians in word and in deed.

Amen.

… St Lawrence, Pray for Us…

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Background:

In the Convent of San Damiano, Clare practised heroically the virtues that should distinguish every Christian: humility, a spirit of piety and penitence and charity. Although she was the superior, she wanted to serve the sick sisters herself and joyfully subjected herself to the most menial tasks. Her faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist was so great that twice a miracle happened. In 1224, an army of rough soldiers from Frederick II came to attack Assisi. Although very sick, Clare caused herself to be carried to a window, and, holding the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament in sight of the enemy, she prostrated herself before the Eucharist and begged God to save the Sisters. In that moment, a sudden fright struck the attackers and they fled. Saint Clare's life came to an end, August 11, 1253. Her Feast Day is 11^th August.

Opening Prayer:

Glorious Saint Clare of Assisi, we honour you for the unfailing faith that made you reject all earthly pleasures, and renounce all of your possessions. We honour you for your life of extreme poverty and austerity, and for your prayer and penance on behalf of your nuns and the town of Assisi. Grant us dear Lady, the same faith, humility, and charity that you have shown toward God and your community. Amen.

Intercessory Prayer:

O glorious Saint Clare!

God has given you the power of working miracles continually, and the favour of answering the prayers of those who invoke your assistance in misfortune, anxiety, and distress. We beseech you, obtain for us from Jesus, through Mary, His Blessed Mother, what we beg of you so fervently and hopefully, (Share your request…) if it be for the greater honour and glory of God and for the good of our souls.

Amen.

…Saint Clare Pray For Us.

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Background:

St. Jane Frances de Chantal was born in Dijon, France, on January 28, 1572, and died at the Visitation Convent Moulins on December 13, 1641. At age 20 Jane was married to the Baron de Chantal.  Jane had four children, and loved and served her young family deeply until the death of her husband in a hunting accident at age 28. For seven years thereafter she lived in the house of her father in law. It was during this time that she took a vow of perpetual chastity. In all of her prayers, Jane asked God to send her a guide.  In a vision, He showed her the spiritual director that He held in reserve for her. In 1604, she visited her father at Dijon, where St. Francis de Sales was preaching and recognized in him the mysterious director who had been shown to her. She then went to Annecy where she founded the little group that was to become the Sisters of the Visitation. Her Feast Day is 12^th August.

Intercessory Prayer:

O glorious saint, blessed Jane Frances,
by fervent prayer, attention to the Divine Presence, and purity of
intention, you attained on earth an intimate union with God. Be now our
advocate, our mother, our guide in the path of virtue and perfection.

Plead our cause near Jesus, Mary and Joseph, to whom you were so
tenderly devoted, and whose holy virtues you so closely imitated.

Obtain for us, O amiable and compassionate Saint, the virtues you deem
most necessary for us; an ardent love of Jesus in the most holy
Sacrament, a tender and filial confidence in His Blessed Mother, and
like you, a constant remembrance of His sacred Passion and death. Obtain
also, we pray, that our particular intention in this novena may be
granted.

O almighty and Merciful God, Who didst grant blessed St. Jane Frances,
so inflamed with the love of Thee, a wonderful degree of fortitude
through all the paths of life, and was pleased through her to adorn Thy
Church with a new religious Order, grant, by her merits and prayers,
that we, who sensible of our weakness confide in Thy Strength, may
overcome all adversities with the help of Thy heavenly Grace, through
Christ our Lord. Amen.

… Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, Pray for Us …

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Background:

Maximus became monk c. 613. In the Monothelite controversy over the doctrine that Christ, while having two distinct natures, divine and human, in his one Person nonetheless had only one will and one operation. Arguing for a dual-will faculty in Christ, Maximus was called to Rome, where he supported the condemnation of Monothelitism by a regional church council under Pope Martin I in 649. Maximus and Martin were arrested by emperor Constans II, after imprisonment from 653 to 655. Maximus was brought back to Constantinople and tried as a heretic. For several years, the now elderly man was sent into exile. In 662, at the age of 82, he was tried again. The monothelite political authorities could no longer tolerate the brilliance of his speech or of his writing. They cut out the old man's tongue and mutilated his right hand so that he could no longer write or speak. What they failed to realize is that a confessor of the faith confesses that faith not only with his words, but with his whole being. And so this mute old man, missing a hand, became a living word. His silence was more powerful than any letter he had written or speech he had given, confessing his and the Church's faith in the Incarnation of God's Son. Maximus was exiled to present-day Georgia. Exhausted by the torture he had suffered, he died that same year. The Third Council of Constantinople (680-681) vindicated both him and Pope St. Martin I, declaring monothelitism a heresy. He is the last person whom both the Catholic and the Orthodox Churches recognize as a Father of the Church, those early, great saint-theologians who laid the groundwork for the faith of the entire People of God.

Since He causes the darkness of ignorance
and the evil of men to vanish,
my Saviour and my God is called a lamp in Scripture.

And since He is the only one able to obliterate
the darkness of ignorance and disperse the shadows of sin,
He has become the way of salvation for all

… The lampstand is holy Church
because the Word of God shines out through her preaching.

This is how the beams of its truth
can enlighten the whole world…

-St. Maximus

Intercessory Prayer:

Through thee the Spirit poured forth streams of teaching for the Church; thou didst expound God the Word's self-emptying, and shine forth in thy struggles as a true Confessor of the Faith; Holy Father Maximus, pray to Christ our God to grant us His great mercy.

… Saint Maximus the Confessor, Pray for Us …

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Background:

St. Maximilian Kolbe was born on January 8, 1894, in the Kingdom of Poland, part of the Russian Empire. He was a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar and a martyr in the German death Camp of Auschwitz during World War II. St. Maximilian Kolbe was very active in promoting the Immaculate Virgin Mary and is known as the Apostle of Consecration to Mary.

Much of his life was strongly influenced by a vision he had of the Virgin Mary when he was 12. He described: "That night I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked me if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I would accept them both./"/ His Feast Day is 14^th August.

Intercessory Prayer:

O Lord Jesus Christ,
Who said, "greater love than this no man has that a man
lay down his life for his friends,"
Through the intercession of St. Maximilian Kolbe
whose life illustrated such love,
we beseech you to grant us our petitions

(here mention the requests you have).

He gave up his life for a total stranger and loved his persecutors,
giving us an example of unselfish love for all men - a love that was
inspired by true devotion to Mary.

Grant, O Lord Jesus, that we too may give ourselves entirely without
reserve to the love and service of our Heavenly Queen in order to better
love and serve our fellowman in imitation of your humble servant,
Maximilian.

Amen.

…Saint Maximilian Kolbe Pray For Us.

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Background:

St Roch was marked with a red cross on his chest at birth. When his parents died he inherited great wealth which he gave to the poor and devoted his life to helping the plague-stricken and sick. His miraculous powers were known to have cured many with the, “Sign of the cross”. Patron Saint of dogs and those who love them. His Feast Day is 16th August.

Who loves me, loves my dog.
(Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.

-Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

They are our friends, partners, protectors…
…ever-loyal, all-forgiving,
to their hearts' last beat.
The least we owe them is to live a life
that is worthy of their devotion.

-anon

Intercessory Prayer:

O Blessed St Roch,
Patron of the sick, have pity on those who lie upon a bed of suffering.
Your power was so great when you were in this world, that by the sign of
the Cross, many were healed of their diseases. Now that you are in
heaven, your power is no less. Offer to God our sighs and tears and
obtain for us the physical and spiritual health we seek:

(Share your request…)

This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

St Roch: Pray for us, that we may be relieved from all diseases of body and soul. (Repeat 3 times)

Lord Jesus, may thy will be done.

… St Roch, Pray for Us …

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Background:

Saint Helena came to Jerusalem in 326 after she had a dream about the true cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. She felt that she had been divinely appointed to find our Lord's life-giving cross. When she arrived in Jerusalem she found that the holy sites had been covered by pagan Roman shrines. Saint Helena had these pagan monuments torn down. She then had deep excavations made, which resulted in the discovery of three crosses. But which of the crosses had been His was unknown. Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, after offering solemn prayers to God, touched with each of the three a woman who was afflicted with a grievous disease. The two first had no effect, but at the touch of the third she was immediately healed. Since the third cross worked miracles, it became manifest that this cross was the true cross of Christ. Her Feast Day is 18th August.

Meditation

Saint Helen had a true love and zeal for Jesus Christ and his Cross. She teaches us that if we have true love for Christ, then it must culminate in a desire for his Cross. May her feast encourage us to desire to embrace the life-giving Cross as she did, because through it the victory over sin and death has been won.

Intercessory Prayer:

Holy and blessed Saint Helena,
with the anguish and devotion with which you sought
the Cross of Christ, I plead that you give me God's grace
to suffer in patience the labours of this life,
so that through them and through your intercession
and protection, I will be able to seek and carry the Cross,\ which God has placed upon me, so that I can serve Him
in this life and enjoy His Glory ever after.
Amen.

… St Helena of the True Cross, Pray for Us …

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Background:

The first canonized saint of the New World has one characteristic of all saints—the suffering of opposition. Saint Rose was born to parents of Spanish descent in Lima, Peru. When her parents fell into financial trouble, she worked in the garden all day and sewed at night. Ten years of struggle against her parents began when they tried to make Rose marry. They refused to let her enter a convent, and out of obedience she continued her life of penance and solitude at home as a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. During the last few years of her life, Rose set up a room in the house where she cared for homeless children, the elderly, and the sick. Her love of God was so ardent that it withstood ridicule from without, violent temptation, and lengthy periods of sickness. When she died at 31, the city turned out for her funeral. Prominent men took turns carrying her coffin. Her Feast Day is August 23^rd.

If only we would learn how great it is to possess divine grace and how many riches it has within itself, how many joys and delights. We would devote all our concern to winning for ourselves pains and afflictions in order to attain the unfathomable treasure of grace.

-Saint Rose of Lima

Intercessory Prayer:

O God, You filled St. Rose with love for You and enabled her to leave the world
and be free for You through the austerity of penance.
Through her intercession, help us to follow her footsteps on earth
and enjoy the torrent of Your delights in heaven. Amen.

…Saint Rose Pray For Us.

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Background:

The message of the “Little Arab,” Mariam Baouardy, Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified cannot but touch our hearts in these days when the Middle East is so much a part of the daily news. Mariam was born in Abbelin, a village of Galilee, on January 5th, 1846. She was baptized in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church fifteen days after her birth. After an astonishingly adventurous life that took her from Alexandria in Egypt to Marseilles and then Pau in France, and then to Mangalore, India, she was instrumental in founding the Carmel of Bethlehem in the Holy Land where she died on August 26th, 1878. Her Feast Day is 25^th August.

Prayer of St. Mary of Jesus Crucified

Holy Spirit, inspire me.
Love of God, consume me.
Along the true road, lead me.
Mary, my good mother, look down upon me.
With Jesus, bless me.
From all evil, all illusion, all danger, preserve me.
Amen.

It is pleasant to hear about Jesus, more pleasant
to Listen to Jesus Himself speaking…

It is pleasant to think about Jesus, more pleasant to possess Him…

It is pleasant to hear Jesus' words, more pleasant to do His will…

-St. Mary of Jesus Crucified

Intercessory Prayer:

Merciful Father and God of all consolation,
You guided, the humble daughter of the Holy Land,
Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified to contemplation of the
mysteries of Your Son and You made her a witness
of the charity and joy of the Holy Spirit.

Grant us, through her intercession, to participate
in the sufferings of Christ in order to exalt and rejoice
in the revelation of Your glory.

We ask this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

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Background:

Saint Monica is St. Augustine of Hippo's mother. She was born in 331 A.D. in Tagaste, which is present-day Algeria. When she was very young, she was married off to the Roman pagan Patricius. Patricius' mother lived with the couple. For years Monica prayed for her husband and mother-in-law, until finally, one year before Patricius' death, she successfully converted them.

Three children were born to Monica and Patricius: Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua. As time passed, Perpetua and Navigius entered the religious life, but unfortunately Augustine became lazy and uncouth. This greatly worried Monica, so when Patricius died, she sent the 17-year-old Augustine to Carthage for schooling. While in Carthage, Augustine became a Manichaean, which was a major religion that saw the world as light and darkness, and when one died, they were removed from the world of matter and returned to the world of light, which is where life comes from. Upon returning home, Augustine shared his views with Monica, who drove him from her table. Though it is not recorded how much time passed, Monica had a vision that convinced her to reconcile with her wayward son. Monica went to a bishop, who told her, "the child of those tears shall never perish." Inspired, Monica followed Augustine to Rome, where she learned he had left for Milan. She eventually came upon St. Ambrose, who helped her convert Augustine to Christianity following his seventeen-year resistance.

Her Feast Day is August 27^th .

Intercessory Prayer:

St. Monica, I need your prayers.
You know exactly how I'm feeling
because you once felt it yourself.
I'm hurting, hopeless, and in despair.
I desperately want my child to return to Christ
in his Church but I can't do it alone.
I need God's help.

Please join me in begging the Lord's
powerful grace to flow into mychild's life.
Ask the Lord Jesus to soften his heart,
prepare a path for his conversion,
and activate the Holy Spirit in his life.
Amen.

…Saint Monica Pray For Us…

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Background:

St. Augustine was born in Africa to Saint Monica and spent the early part of his life living in sin and depravity. St. Augustine's dark days, his mother Saint Monica incessantly prayed for his conversion back into the fold of God's Grace.

He was baptized at Easter on 387 A.D. and went on to become one of the most prominent defenders of the faith. At his conversion, he sold his possessions and lived a life of poverty, service to the poor and prayer until the end of his life. He founded the Order of Saint Augustine, who continued his early work to educate the faithful. His search for truth resulted in his clear explanations of Roman Catholic beliefs, including theological writings on creation, original sin, devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and biblical interpretation.

St. Augustine is revered as the Patron Saint of searchers to commemorate his search for truth and the One True God. His Feast Day is August 28^th .

Intercessory Prayer:

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.

…Saint Augustine Pray For Us…

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Background:

The ‘Traditional Prayer in Honor of St. John the Baptist' has three parts, corresponding to the three stages of his life: (1) his decision to go into the wilderness to practice a life of penance and mortification; (2) his preaching to those who followed him into the wilderness, preparing their hearts for the coming of Christ; and (3) his martyrdom at the order of King Herod. His Feast Days are 24^th June & 29^th August.

Intercessory Prayer:

Part I

O glorious Saint John the Baptist, greatest prophet among those born of woman, although you were sanctified in your mother's womb and led a most innocent life, nevertheless it was your will to retire into the wilderness, there to devote yourself to the practice of austerity and penance; obtain for us from our Lord the grace to be wholly detached, at least in our hearts, from earthly goods, and to practice Christian mortification with interior recollection and with the spirit of holy prayer.

Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be…

… St John the Baptist, Pray for Us…

Part II

O most zealous Apostle, who, without working any miracle on others, but solely by the example of your life of penance and the power of your word, did draw after you the multitudes, in order to dispose them to receive the Messiah worthily and to listen to His heavenly doctrine. Grant that it may be given unto us, by means of your example of a holy life and the exercise of every good work, to bring many souls to God, but above all those souls that are enveloped in the darkness of error and ignorance and are led astray by vice.

Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be…

… St John the Baptist, Pray for Us…

Part III

O Martyr invincible, who, for the honour of God and the salvation of souls did with firmness and constancy withstand the impiety of Herod even at the cost of your own life, and rebuked him openly for his wicked and dissolute life; by your prayers obtain for us a heart, brave and generous, in order that we may overcome all human respect and openly profess our faith in loyal obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ, our divine Master.

Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be…

… St John the Baptist, Pray for Us…