Novena to St. Andrew

It is piously believed that whoever recites the Prayer to St. Andrew, saying it 15 times each day from the feast of St. Andrew, November 30, until Christmas Day, will obtain what is asked.

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Miraculous Medal

O Mary, Conceived Without Sin, Pray for Us Who Have Recourse to Thee.

This week, let us consider the Virgin Mary's beautiful and powerful gift of the Miraculous Medal. Please consider wearing it and praying the novena.

Happy Thanksgiving

Today, not only give thanks to God but share the blessings that He has given to you.

Reflection on Jude 1:2
May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance.

Glorious Goodness, Merciful Love

Saint Faustina wrote in her diary beautiful words of trust and mercy that Jesus told her.

On one occasion, the Lord said to me, Why are you fearful and why do you tremble when you are united to Me? I am displeased when a soul yields to vain terror. Who will dare to touch you when you are with Me? Most dear to Me is the soul that strongly believes in My goodness and has complete trust in Me. I heap My confidence upon it and give it all it asks. (Diary entry 453)

Call on Saint Gertrude

Today, we honor a powerful saint. Gertrude was born at Eisleben in Saxony in 1221.She was characterized by great devotion to Our Lord in His Passion and in the Blessed Eucharist, and by a tender love for the Blessed Virgin. Gertrude was a mystic. By fasting, abstinence, perfect obedience and the denial of her own will, she subdued whatever could oppose the reign of the most holy will of God in her soul. She died in 1302.

Gertrude the Great is invoked for souls in purgatory and for living sinners. Our Lord told Saint Gertrude that the following prayer would release 1,000 souls from purgatory each time it is said. The prayer was extended to include living sinners as well. Pray it daily.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

Jesus, Son of David,Have Pity on Me!

Today's Gospel reading teaches us to call on Jesus for mercy no matter how others tell us to be quiet or how remote healing may seem. Jesus hears us. Don't be afraid. Trust in Him.


Luke 18:35-43

As Jesus approached Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
"Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."
He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me!"
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
"What do you want me to do for you?"
He replied, "Lord, please let me see."
Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you."
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Jesus's Gift of The ChapletOf Divine Mercy

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a special gift that Our Lord Himself gave to Saint Faustina to share with all of us to aid the world and to save souls. Let's pray the Chaplet with the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy.

Persevere in Prayer

Keep asking, seeking and knocking. The Lord hears and answers.

Luke 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable
about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
He said, "There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,
"Render a just decision for me against my adversary."
For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,
"While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,
because this widow keeps bothering me
I shall deliver a just decision for her
lest she finally come and strike me.""
The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?
Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Jesus, Speak to My Heart

In this passage from Saint Faustina's diary we see how we should act in the face of trouble and realize that we must not despair no matter how great the darkness. Go to the Blessed Sacrament for healing and comfort.

O my Jesus, despite the deep night that is all around me and the dark clouds which hide the horizon, I know that the sun never goes out. O Lord, though I cannot comprehend You and do not understand Your ways, I nonetheless trust in Your mercy. If it is Your will, Lord, that I live always in such darkness, may You be blessed. I ask You only one thing, Jesus: do not allow me to offend You in any way. O my Jesus, You alone know the longings and the sufferings of my heart. I am glad I can suffer for You, however little. When I feel that the suffering is more than I can bear, I take refuge in the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and I speak to Him with profound silence. (Diary entry 73)

Trust in the Passion of the Lord

Let us learn from Saint Faustina how to call upon God and seek His Most Abundant Mercy.

O Jesus, eternal Truth, our Life, I call upon You and I beg Your mercy for poor sinners. O sweetest Heart of my Lord, full of pity and unfathomable mercy, I plead with You for poor sinners. O Most Sacred Heart, Fount of Mercy from which gush forth rays of inconceivable graces upon the entire human race, I beg of You light for poor sinners. O Jesus, be mindful of Your own bitter Passion and do not permit the loss of souls redeemed at so dear a price of Your most precious Blood. O Jesus, when I consider the great price of Your Blood, I rejoice at its immensity, for one drop alone would have been enough for the salvation of all sinners. Although sin is an abyss of wickedness and ingratitude, the price paid for us can never be equalled. Therefore, let every soul trust in the Passion of the Lord, and place its hope in His mercy. God will not deny His mercy to anyone. Heaven and earth may change, but God's mercy will never be exhausted. Oh, what immense joy burns in my heart when I contemplate Your incomprehensible goodness, O Jesus! I desire to bring all sinners to Your feet that they may glorify Your mercy throughout endless ages. (Diary entry 72)

Today's Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19

R. I will bless the Lord at all times.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.

R. I will bless the Lord at all times.
The LORD has eyes for the just,
and ears for their cry.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.

R. I will bless the Lord at all times.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

R. I will bless the Lord at all times.

Full of Goodness

Romans 15:14-21

I myself am convinced about you, my brothers and sisters,
that you yourselves are full of goodness,
filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another.
But I have written to you rather boldly in some respects to remind you,
because of the grace given me by God
to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles
in performing the priestly service of the Gospel of God,
so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable,
sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast in what pertains to God.
For I will not dare to speak of anything
except what Christ has accomplished through me
to lead the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,
by the power of signs and wonders,
by the power of the Spirit of God,
so that from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum
I have finished preaching the Gospel of Christ.
Thus I aspire to proclaim the Gospel
not where Christ has already been named,
so that I do not build on another's foundation,
but as it is written:

Those who have never been told of him shall see,
and those who have never heard of him shall understand.

Prayer for Divine Mercy

O Greatly Merciful God, Infinite Goodness, today all mankind calls out from the abyss of its misery to Your mercy – to Your compassion, O God; and it is with its mighty voice of misery that it cries out Gracious God, do not reject the prayer of this earth's exiles! O Lord, Goodness beyond our understanding, Who are acquainted with our misery through and through, and know that by our power we cannot ascend to You, we implore You, anticipate us with Your grace and keep on increasing Your mercy in us, that we may faithfully do Your holy will all through our life and at death's hour, Let the omnipotence of Your mercy shield us from the darts of our salvation's enemies, that we may with confidence, as Your children, await Your final coming – that day known to You alone. And we expect to obtain everything promised us by Jesus in spite of all our wretchedness. For Jesus is our Hope: Through His merciful Heart as through an open gate we pass through to heaven. Amen.

Prayer for Souls

From the beautiful Pieta Prayer Book

There are more souls released from purgatory during the Consecration of the Mass than at any time.  Christmas is the day of the year when most souls are delivered; then feast days of Our Lord, Our Lady and great saints.

Souls receive much grace from prayers offered for them on their birthdays, day of baptism, anniversary of death.

Our Lady asked that we pray very much for the poor souls; that we pray:

5 I believe in God . . .
1 Hail Holy Queen . . .
1 Our Father . . .
1 Hail Mary . . .
1 Glory be to the Father . . .
1 Requiem (Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them and may they rest in peace.  Amen.)

Prayer to Release SoulsFrom Purgatory

St. Gertrude the Great is invoked for souls in purgatory and for living sinners. Our Lord told St. Gertrude that the following prayer would release 1,000 souls from purgatory each time it is said. The prayer was extended to include living sinners as well. Pray it daily.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

Litany for All Saints Day

Litany of Saints

Lord, have mercy on us. (Lord have mercy on us)
Christ, have mercy on us. (Christ have mercy on us)
Lord, have mercy on us. (Lord, have mercy on us)

Christ, hear us. (Christ, hear us)
Christ, graciously hear us. (Christ, graciously hear us)

God the Father of heaven, (have mercy on us)
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, (have mercy on us)
God the Holy Spirit, (have mercy on us.)
Holy Trinity, one God, (have mercy on us)
Holy Mary, Holy Mother of God, (pray for us*)
Holy Virgin of virgins,*
St. Michael,*
St. Gabriel,*
St. Raphael,*
All you holy Angels and Archangels,*
All you holy orders of blessed Spirits,*
St. John the Baptist,*
St. Joseph,*
All you holy Patriarchs and Prophets,*
St. Peter,*
St. Paul,*
St. Andrew,*
St. James,*
St. John,*
St. Thomas,*
St. Philip,*
St. Bartholomew,*
St. Matthew,*
St. Simon,*
St. Thaddeus,*
St. Matthias,*
St. Barnabas,*
St. Luke,*
St. Mark,*
All you holy Apostles and Evangelists,*
All you holy Disciples of the Lord,*
All you holy Innocents,*
St. Stephen,*
St. Lawrence,*
St. Vincent,*
SS. Fabian and Sebastian,*
SS. John and Paul,*
SS. Cosmas and Damian,*
SS. Gervase and Protase,*
All you holy Martyrs,*
St. Sylvester,*
St. Gregory,*
St. Ambrose,*
St. Augustine,*
St. Jerome,*
St. Martin,*
St. Nicholas,*
All you holy Bishops and Confessors,*
All you holy Doctors,*
St. Anthony,*
St. Benedict,*
St. Bernard,*
St. Dominic,*
St. Francis,*
All you holy Priests and Levites,*
All you holy Monks and Hermits,*
St. Mary Magdalen,*
St. Agatha,*
St. Lucy,*
St. Agnes,*
St. Cecilia,*
St. Catherine,*
St. Anastasia,*
All you holy Virgins and Widows,*

All you holy Saints of God, (make intercession for us.)
Be merciful, (spare us, O Lord.)
Be merciful, (graciously hear us, O Lord.)
From all evil, O Lord (deliver us*)
From all sin,*
From Your wrath,*
From sudden and unlooked for death,*
From the snares of the devil,*
From anger, and hatred, and every evil will,*
From the spirit of fornication,*
From lightning and tempest,*
From the scourge of earthquakes,*
From plague, famine and war,*
From everlasting death,*
Through the mystery of Your holy Incarnation,*
Through Your Coming,*
Through Your Birth,*
Through Your Baptism and holy Fasting,*
Through Your Cross and Passion,*
Through Your Death and Burial,*
Through Your holy Resurrection,*
Through Your admirable Ascension,*
Through the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.*
In the day of judgment.*

We sinners, (We implore you to hear us*)
That You would spare us,*
That You would pardon us,*
That You would bring us to true penance,*
That You would vouchsafe to govern and preserve Your holy Church,*
That You would vouchsafe to preserve our Apostolic Prelate,
and all orders of the Church in holy religion,*
That You would vouchsafe to humble the enemies of holy Church,*
That You would vouchsafe to give peace and true concord to Christian kings and princes,*
That You would vouchsafe to grant peace and unity to the whole Christian world,*
That You would call back to the unity of the Church all who have
strayed from her fold, and to guide all unbelievers into the light of the Gospel,*
That You would vouchsafe to confirm and preserve us in Your holy service,*
That You would lift up our minds to heavenly desires,*
That You would render eternal blessings to all our benefactors,*
That You would deliver our souls, and the souls of our brethren,
relations, and benefactors, from eternal damnation,*
That You would vouchsafe to give and preserve the fruits of the earth,*
That You would vouchsafe to grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed,*
That You would vouchsafe graciously to hear us,*
Son of God,*

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, (spare us, O Lord.)
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, (graciously hear us, O Lord.)
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, (have mercy on us.)

Christ, (hear us)
Christ, (graciously hear us)
Lord, have mercy, (Lord, have mercy)
Christ, have mercy, (Christ, have mercy)
Lord, have mercy, (Lord, have mercy)
Finally say the Our Father inaudibly.

Virtue of Mercy Shown to You

1 Romans 11:29-36

Brothers and sisters:
The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.

Just as you once disobeyed God
but have now received mercy
because of their disobedience,
so they have now disobeyed in order that,
by virtue of the mercy shown to you,
they too may now receive mercy.
For God delivered all to disobedience,
that he might have mercy upon all.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given him anything
that he may be repaid?

For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To God be glory forever. Amen.