March 19th
St Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868), Confessor; Grenoble, France; Feast day August 2nd

"Jesus has prepared not just one Host, but One for every day of our life.  The Hosts for us are ready.  Let us not lose the benefits we can gain by neglecting to receive even One of Them."

Cure of Ars (1786-1859), Confessor; Dardilly, France; Feast day August 8th

"Every consecrated Host is made to burn Itself up with love in a human heart."

"Oh, how bitterly shall we regret at the hour of death the time we have given to pleasures, to useless conversations, to repose, instead of having employed it in mortification, in prayer, in good works, in thinking of our poor misery, in weeping over our poor sins; then we shall see that we have done nothing for Heaven.  Oh, my children, how sad it is!  Three-quarters of those who are Christians labor for nothing but to satisfy this body, which will soon be buried and corrupted, while they do not give a thought to their poor soul, which must be happy or miserable for all eternity.  They have neither sense nor reason: it makes one tremble."

March 18th
St Cyril of Jerusalem (313-386), Confessor, Bishop, Doctor of the Church; Palestine

"Do not look upon the bread and wine as bare and common elements, for they are the Body and Blood of Christ, as our Lord assures us.  Although thy sense suggest this to thee, let faith make thee firm and sure.  Judge not of the thing by the taste, but be certain from faith that thou hast been honored with the gift of Christ's Body and Blood.  When he has pronounced and said of the bread: 'This is my body,' who will, after this, dare to doubt?  and when he has assured and said, 'This is my blood,' who can ever hesitate, saying it is not his blood?"

Padre Pio (1887-1968), Confessor, Stigmatic; Pietrelcina, Italy; Feast day September 23rd

"It is to your advantage to commit yourself to the sufferings that Jesus will send to you.  Jesus cannot tolerate seeing you afflicted and He will come to you and comfort you, blessing you with many graces for your soul."

St Lawrence Giustiniani (1381-1486), Bishop, Confessor; Venezia, Italy; Feast day September 5th

"No human tongue can enumerate the favors that trace back to the Sacrifice of the Mass.  The sinner is reconciled with God; the just man becomes more upright; sins are wiped away; vices are uprooted; virtue and merit increase; and devil's schemes are frustrated."

March 17th
St Gertrude (626-659), Virgin; Nivelles, Belgium

"I have chosen for my spouse Him, from Whose eternal beauty all creatures derive their glory, Whose riches are immense, and Whom the angels adore."

St Patrick (387-493), Bishop, Confessor; Kilpatrick, Scotland

"I now entrust my soul to God, Who is most faithful and for Whom I am an ambassador in my humble station....What return can I make to Him for all His goodness to me?  What can I say or what can I promise to my Lord since any ability I have comes from Him?  Suffice it for Him to look into my heart and mind; for I am ready and indeed greatly desire it that He should give me His cup to drink, as He gave it to others who loved Him....I ask God for perseverance, to grant that I remain a faithful witness to Him for His own sake until my passing from this life."

"Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

"I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, 
Through belief in the Threeness, 
Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of Christ.
May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us."

March 16th
Saint Julian of Cilicia (305), Martyr; Antioch

"Who shall separate us from the love of Jesus Christ?"

Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain

"O unhappy people, senseless deluded victims of this world!  Whither are you hastening?  What is the object of your search?  Why will you not seek happiness at it source?  'Taste and see that the Lord is sweet; blessed is the man that hopes in Him.'"


Padre Pio (1887-1968), Confessor, Stigmatic; Pietrelcina, Italy; Feast day September 23rd

"If men were to understand the value of Holy Mass, for every Mass such crowds would come to church that police would be needed to keep order."

March 15th
St Louise de Marillac (1591-1660), Widow, Foundress; Oise, France

"Love the poor and honor them as you would honor Christ Himself."

"Certainly, it is the great secret of the spiritual life to abandon to God all that we love by abandoning ourselves to all that He wills."

Saint Abraham (d. 360), Hermit; Mesopotamia

"Most merciful God, look down on my weakness; assist me with Thy grace, that Thy name may be glorified.  Despise not the works of Thy own hands."


St Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1771), Confessor; Porto Maurizio, Italy; Feast day November 27th

"O you deluded people, what are you doing?  Why do you not hasten to the churches to hear as many Masses as you can?  Why do you not imitate the angels, who, when a Holy Mass is celebrated, come down in myriads from Paradise and take their stations about our altars in adoration to intercede for us?"

St Philip Neri (1515-1595), Confessor; Firenze, Italy; Feast day May 26th

"With prayer we ask graces from God; in the Holy Mass we constrain God to give them to us."

March 14th
Ss Acepsimas, Bishop; Joseph, Priest; Aithilahas, Deacon (d. 380), Martyrs; Assyria

"I return You the greatest thanks I am able, Christ, the Son of God, who have granted me this mercy, and washed me with this second baptism of my blood, to wipe away my sins."

Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471), Confessor; Kempen, Germany

"Good Jesus, strength and power of a soul suffering tribulation, teach me to accept all criticism and reproof with a calm spirit, and let me never show resentment in defending myself because of complaints unjustly made against me.  Rather, let me respond to them with gentle silence and, if I must speak, then let me answer my accusers in a pleasant and friendly tone."

St Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), Confessor, Founder; Assisi, Italy; Feast day October 4th

"Man should tremble, the world should quake, all Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest."

March 13th
St Euphrasia (380-410), Virgin; Constantinople

"Invincible emperor, having consecrated myself to Christ in perpetual chastity, I cannot be false to my engagement, and marry a mortal man, who will shortly be the food of worms.  For the sake of my parents, be pleased to distribute their estates among the poor, the orphans and the church.  Set all my slaves at liberty, and discharge my vassals and servants, giving them whatever is their due.  Order my father's stewards to acquit my farmers of all they owe since his death, that I may serve God without let or hindrance  and may stand before Him without the solicitude of temporal affairs.  Pray for me, you and your empress, that I  may be made worthy to serve Christ."

St Augustine (354-430), Confessor, Bishop, Father of the Church; Thagaste, Algeria; Feast day August 28th

"Late have I loved You, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved You!  You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you.  In my unloveliness, I plunged into the lovely things which You created.  You were with me, but I was not with You.  Created things kept me from You; yet if they had not been in You they would have not been at all.  You called, You shouted, and You broke through my deafness.  You flashed, You shone, and You dispelled my blindness.  You breathed Your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for You.  I have tasted You, now I hunger and thirst for more.  You touched me, and I burned for Your peace."


Ven. Louis of Granada (1505-1588), Confessor; Granada, Spain

"Lord, give me the grace to love You as much as I can, so that by the strength of this love I may disdain every earthly love."