“They all attend Mass every day and say many Paternosters (rosaries) in public, … and whoever is at all able to read carries with him the Office of Our Lady; and they recite it in church with some companion in a low voice, verse by verse, after the manner of churchmen.” ~ From the Report of the Venetian Ambassador upon visiting England in 1496. The Little Office is one of the official prayers of the Church and the most venerable of all devotions in honour of Mary. This is why so many religious societies have adopted it as their meed of praise[…]

Prayers of Saint John the Baptist come from the official collection (Raccolta) of the Church’s prayers. I. O glorious Saint John the Baptist, greatest prophet among those born of woman (Luke 7, 28), although thou wast sanctified in thy mother’s womb and didst lead a most innocent life, nevertheless it was thy will to retire into the wilderness, there to devote thyself to the practice of austerity and penance; obtain for us of thy 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[…]

The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Most Holy Name of Jesus.  According to the 1962 Missal of the Roman Rite, this feast is celebrated on January 2nd.  The Church is assailed by fierce enemies from within and without. The World in Danger can be saved by the Holy Name of Jesus. The Name of Jesus is the shortest, the easiest and the most powerful of prayers. Everyone can say it, even in the midst of this daily work. The following text comes from the booklet “THE WONDERS OF THE HOLY NAME” by Fr. Paul O’Sullivan. The World[…]

The Feast of Corpus Christi (Latin for “Body of Christ”) is a Catholic liturgical solemnity celebrating the real presence of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the elements of the Eucharist—known as transubstantiation. The feast of Corpus Christi was established to create a feast focused solely on the Holy Eucharist emphasizing the joy of the Eucharist being the body and blood of Jesus Christ. By tradition, Catholics hear Mass then go in procession through the streets of their parish church’s neighborhood, all whilst praying and singing. The Eucharist, known as the Blessed Sacrament, is[…]

O most glorious Apostles Peter and Paul, who gave over your souls for Christ, and watered His pasture with your blood: Hearken unto the prayers and sighing of your children, that are now brought to you with a contrite heart. For behold, we are darkened by our iniquities, and for this cause we are enveloped by troubles as by a cloud;but we are destitute of the oil of good living, and cannot offer resistance to the predatory wolves that so boldly seek to tear apart the inheritance of God. O ye strong ones! Bear our weaknesses, depart not from us[…]

An Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart from the RaccoltaWritten by St. Margaret Mary Alacoquei. 300 Days, once a day. ii. Plenary, once a month. I, II, III, IV. (See Instructions.) 157 Leo XIII, January 13, 1898 ; Pius X, May 30, 1908. I N.N., give myself and consecrate to the Sacred Heart of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, my person and my life, my actions, pains and sufferings, so that I may be unwilling to make use of any part of my being, save to honor, love and glorify the Sacred Heart. This is my unchanging purpose, namely, to be[…]