Aug. 29: The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist

“There is no doubt that blessed John suffered imprisonment and chains as a witness to our Redeemer, whose forerunner he was, and gave his life for him. His persecutor had demanded not that he should deny Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth. Nevertheless, he died for Christ. Does Christ not say: I am the truth? Therefore, because John shed his blood for the truth, he surely died for Christ.” ~St. Bede the Venerable
St. John the Baptist, pray for us.

August 25: St Louis

O God, who brought Saint Louis from the cares of earthly rule to the glory of a heavenly realm, grant, we pray, through his intercession, that, by fulfilling our duties on earth, we may seek out your eternal Kingdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Fear of Being Alone

“The man who fears to be alone will never be anything but lonely, no matter how much he may surround himself with people. But the man who learns, in solitude and recollection, to be at peace with his own loneliness, and to prefer its reality to the illusion of merely natural companionship, comes to know the invisible companionship of God. Such a one is alone with God in all places, and he alone truly enjoys the companionship of other men, because he loves them in God in Whom their presence is not tiresome, and because of Whom his own love for them can never know satiety.” ~Thomas Merton, No Man Is an Island

August 24: Feast of St. Bartholomew

O Almighty and Everlasting God, who didst give to thine Apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and to preach thy Word; Grant, we beseech thee, unto thy Church, to love that Word which he believed, and both to preach and receive the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
St. Bartholomew, pray for us.

August 23: Saint Rose of Lima

O God, you set Saint Rose of Lima on fire with your love, so that, secluded from the world in the austerity of a life of penance, she might give herself to you alone; grant, we pray, that through her intercession, we may tread the paths of life on earth and drink at the stream of your delights in heaven. 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.
St. Rose of Lima, pray for us.

August 22: Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Almighty God, our Father, you have given us Mary, the Mother of your Son, to be our Mother and Queen. Grant that, supported by her prayers, we may come to the kingdom of heaven and to the glory destined for your children. 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

He is a Greater Savior

“You are a great sinner, but He is a greater Savior.” ~Charles Spurgeon

Help Me Simplify My Life

“Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what you want me to be, and becoming that person.” ~St. Therese of Lisieux

August 19: St. John Eudes

“Our wish, our object, our chief preoccupation must be to form Jesus in ourselves, to make his spirit, his devotion, his affections, his desires and his disposition live and reign there. All our religious exercises should be directed to this end. It is the work which God has given us to do unceasingly.” ~St. John Eudes
St. John Eudes, pray for us.

With Christ All Things Are Possible

“[W]ith respect to the fundamental rights of the person, every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural, whether based on sex, race, color, social condition, language or religion, is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God’s intent. For in truth it must still be regretted that fundamental personal rights are still not being universally honored.” ~Gaudium Et Spes, The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern Word, #29.2