PRAYER

ALL DAY LONG

Some people are morning people. They awake refreshed, renewed, and ready to meet the day, but by evening, the enthusiasm and energy begin to wear down. Others take a little longer to get going, but when the rest of their family and friends are ready to call it a day, they are hitting their stride, eager for more. But both kinds of people have to make it through the day—and do it well. The middle of the day can be the hardest time for both.

Among the early risers are those who have developed the discipline of a quiet time of devotional reading, meditation, and prayer before they face the challenges of the day. There is much to commend this approach—but not if you already have difficulty getting out of bed in time for work! The evening people can just as easily reserve time during the lunch hour or before they retire for the night to engage in specific spiritual exercises.

George Herbert, the sixteenth-century Anglican pastor and poet, gave some of the best advice. He wrote,

Sum up at night what thou hast done by day. And in the morning what thou hast to do, Dress and undress thy soul.1

The idea of dressing and undressing the soul, just as we dress and undress the body, has a special appeal because it points to the fact that the whole day needs to be lived in the light and power of our relationship with the Lord. This requires both preparation and evaluation. The day will present many and varied challenges and opportunities for which we need to be prepared and about which we need to be concerned.

Perhaps David said it best—”All day long I put my hope in you” (Ps. 25:5). He stated no preference for morning devotion or evening reflection, but his commitment to daily communion with the Lord and concentration on him probably required both.

Spiritual preparation and evaluation should make spiritual concentration easier during the day. Spiritual concentration is a matter of putting our trust in the Lord “all day long.” Should it be objected that the busy surgeon can’t be thinking of the Lord when he is taking out a tumour or that a truck driver can’t be praying when he’s driving a huge eighteen-wheeler down the freeway at sixty-five miles per hour, the objection would, of course, stand. However, it is possible to have an awareness of the Lord, and an inner sense of reliance on him, while doing these tasks.

If all men, including truck drivers and surgeons, start their day with a conscious waiting on the Lord, and they bear in mind that they will talk with the Lord about it at day’s end, they will be aware of living before the Lord “all day long.” Should crisis hit, their instincts will turn them promptly to the Lord. And at the end of the day, when the patient is sewn up or the truck is parked, they’ll hear the Lord saying, ”Well done.”

1.George Herbert, “The Temple.”

HAVE REVERENCE FOR CHRIST

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Saint Ludovico Pavoni pray for us

Profile

Trained in theology by the Dominican Father Carlo Ferrari, future bishop of Brescia, Italy. Ordained in 1807. Founded an Oratory for Christian education of poor boys in Brescia. Secretary to bishop Gabrio Nava in 1812.

Rector of Saint Barnabas church in 1818 where soon after he founded an orphanage and associated trade school, basing his work on the idea that improving social conditions will improve the spiritual life, and improving the spiritual life will improve social conditions. In 1821 the school became the Institute of Saint Barnabas. Along with carpentry, silversmithing, blacksmithing, shoemaking, agriculture, and tool and dye makers, the school stressed the trades of printing and publishing. In 1823 Ludivico established The Publishing House of the Institute of Saint Barnabas; it exists today under the name Ancora. That same year, the school began taking in deaf and mute students.

In 1825 he founded a religious congregation of priests and brothers to run the school; it became the Sons of Mary Immaculate or Pavoniani, Pavonians. Pope Gregory XVI authorized it for Brescia in 1843, and on 8 December 1847, Ludovico and the first members made their religious profession. Today there are 210 members in Brazil, Colombia, Eritrea, Germany, Italy and Spain, and they still publish books.

On 24 March 1849, Brescia was in rebellion against the Austrians. Both sides were ready to pillage the city and Father Ludovico led his boys to safety at Saiano, seven miles away. He died a week later as Brescia was in flames, but his boys were safe.

Readings

“This Jesus God has raised him up and of that we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32). The interior consciousness, that became a burning and invincible faith, guided the spiritual and priestly experience of Lodovico Pavoni, priest, founder of the Congregation of the Sons of Mary Immaculate. Gifted with a particularly sensitive spirit, he was totally given over to the care of poor and abandoned youngsters and even deaf-mutes. His activity branched out in many directions, from that of education to the publishing sector, with original apostolic intuitions and courageous innovations. At the basis of everything, there was a solid spirituality. By his example, he exhorts us to place our confidence in Jesus and to be ever more immersed in the mystery of his love. – from the beatification homily by Pope John Paul II

IT'S IN WRITING

¹I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness. ²Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens. ³The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with David, my chosen servant. I have sworn this oath to him: ⁴‘I will establish your descendants as kings forever; they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.’” ⁵All heaven will praise your great wonders, Lord; myriads of angels will praise you for your faithfulness. ⁶For who in all of heaven can compare with the Lord? What mightiest angel is anything like the Lord? ⁷The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God. He is far more awesome than all who surround his throne. ⁸O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord? You are entirely faithful.Psalm 89:1-8

You can learn a lot about a person by the way he or she keeps or breaks promises. Each promise kept endears that person to you proves the person’s character to you, and builds trust between you. On the other hand, each promise broken disappoints you, makes you wonder about the person’s character, and breaks down trust between you.

Psalm 89 celebrates some of the promises of the greatest promise keeper of all—God. The promises he keeps here have not only endeared him to the writer of this psalm but should also endear him to us.

Notice also the fulfilled promises in other psalms from this reading—promises of blessing, restoration, and answered prayer.

God promised that he would preserve David’s throne (Psalm 89:29). Even though Israel disobeyed God almost continually throughout its history, God promised to never fail his pledge to David (89:33). Through God’s patient reminders and warnings, a small portion, or “remnant” of God’s people always remained faithful to him. Centuries later, the Messiah arrived, the eternal King from David’s line, just as God had promised.

We all have worries, some great, some small, and some just plain bothersome. Yet we can trust God to help us overcome our worries because he has taken care of our biggest worry—sin. God can be trusted to save us as he promised he would (see Hebrews 6:13-18).

God is completely reliable. Trust him in times of trouble. Relax in the security that God always keeps his promises.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Saint Marie-Nicolas-Antoine Daveluy pray for us

Profile

Born to a prominent and pious family, his father was a factory owner, city councilman, and government official; Antoine and two of his brothers became priests. He studied at the Saint Sulpice Seminary in Issy-les-Moulineaux, Paris, France in October 1834, and was ordained a priest on 18 December 1841. Assistant pastor in a parish in Roye, France. Joined La Société des Missions Etrangères (Paris Foreign Missions Society) on 4 October 1843, and left for missionary work on 6 February 1844, intending to work on the Japanese Ryuku Islands. However, in Macau he was convinced by Bishop Jean-Joseph-Jean-Baptiste Ferréol to go to Korea instead; he travelled there with Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, and arrived in October 1846.

As part of his work, Father Antoine became fluent in Korean, and wrote a French–Korean dictionary, a history of Catholicism in Korea, revised material intended for new converts, and translated a number of works to Korean. Seminary rector in 1848. Appointed co-adjutor bishop of Korea and titular bishop of Akka by Pope Pius IX on 13 November 1855. In the late 1850’s he researched and wrote biographies of the martyrs and confessors of Korea. His missionary work in the Haut Nai-hpo region in 1865 and Keu-to-ri region in the spring of 1866 brought many converts to the faith. He became Apostolic Vicar of Korea on 8 March 1866 following the martyrdom of his predecessor, Saint Siméon-François Berneux. Bishop Antoine was arrested three days later on 11 March 1866; he was imprisoned and tortured for his faith and his work. He was given a chance in court to denouce Christianity, but instead he explained it to the judges in simple terms. Martyr. 

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Saint Joseph Sebastian Pelczar pray for us!

Profile

Raised in a pious family. Studied in Rzeszów, and entered the seminary at Przemysl in 1860. Ordained on 17 July 1864. Parish priest at Sambor.

Transferred to Rome in 1866, he studied at the Collegium Romanum (Gregorian University) and the Institute of Saint Apollinaris (Lateran University). Doctor of theology and a canon lawyer. Professor at the seminary at Przemysl from 1869 to 1877, and at the University of Krakow from 1877 to 1899, he was known as a great educator who was always available to students. Dean of the Theology Department. Rector of the University of Krakow from 1882 to 1883.

All the while he was teaching Joseph was still involved at the parish level. He worked with the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and was president of the Society for the Education of the People for 16 years. He started hundreds of libraries, delivered free lectures, published over a thousand books, wrote several books of history, theology and canon law himself, and started a school for servants. He founded the Fraternity of Our Lady, Queen of the Polish Crown in 1891; the Fraternity cared for the poor, orphans, apprentices, servants, the sick and unemployed. With Blessed Klara Szczesna, he co-founded the Sister Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on 15 April 1894 in Krakow to work with the sick and young women, and to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Bishop of Przemysl in 1900 until his death in 1924. He made frequent visits to the parishes, supported the religious orders, conducted three synods, and worked for the education and religious formation of his priests. He encouraged devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic devotions, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Virgin Mary. He built and restored churches, built nurseries, kitchens, homeless shelters, schools for the poor, and gave tuition assistance to poor seminarians. He worked for the implentation of the social doctrine described in the writings of Pope Leo XIII. He left behind a large body of work including books, pastoral letters, sermons, addresses, prayers and other writings.

 Readings

Earthly ideals are fading away. I see the ideal of life in sacrifice, and the ideal of sacrifice in priesthood. – Saint Joseph as a young man

The late Bishop of Przemysl personified the most beautiful qualities and talents of the episcopate. Witness his tireless pastoral zeal, his spirit of initiative combined with energy manifested in action; witness the splendor of his scholarship, or, even more noteworthy, the sanctity of his virtues; witness above all the shining example of his exceptional work combined with a truly youthful enthusiasm. – Father Antoni Bystrzonowski, Saint Joseph’s student and successor

YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK

THE LORD GIVES STRENGTH

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Blessed Panacea de’Muzzi of Quarona

Profile

Panacea’s mother died when the girl was an infant. When she was old enough, Panacea worked as shepherdess. Her father re-married, but her step-mother, Margherita di Locarno Sesia, quickly developed a hatred of the girl, partly because she would not work as ordered, and partially because Panacea was a pious little girl and Margherita hated religion. The conflict culminated when Margherita murdered Panacea while the girl was at prayer. 

PILGRIMAGE

Because we can worship God anyplace and anytime, we might fail to understand the psalmist’s longing. In Old Testament times a person made a pilgrimage to worship God. It was a yearly event and often involved a lengthy journey. That is why the psalmist sang of a dwelling place where he could be in the presence of the Lord. It’s why he expressed a desire to be even a lowly gatekeeper in God’s house (v. 10) so that he could worship God every single day! We have available to us what the psalmist could only hope for. When Christ hung on the cross, the heavy veil separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple ripped from top to bottom. This symbolic act shouted to the world that believers were no longer required to stand at a distance. We can walk into God’s presence and commune with him by name. Today many religions continue to require a pilgrimage to worship their gods. Christ made a way for you by making a pilgrimage of his own—the long, lonely walk to the cross—so that you could praise him wherever you are.

JESUS, I am thankful that I can worship you right where I am. I will enter your courts with thanksgiving. I will kneel at the mercy seat and find forgiveness. I will call out your name in praise. Lord, I pray for those who do not have intimacy with the living God. You have already made the pilgrimage for them. Open their eyes to see that they can find you right here, right now.

True peace is found by a man in the depths of his own heart, the dwelling place of God.

BE FOCUSED

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Saint Ludger of Utrecht pray for us

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

HIDING

If you’re looking for peace, you might want to think twice about buying a rental property. I purchased a lovely (or so I thought) piece of real estate a few years ago. I was certain it would be a good investment. But there was one problem—my beautifully decorated, upscale condo smelled. The odour would come and go, and it was hard to pin down exactly where the smell was coming from. I hired plumbers to check out P-traps and toilet seals, furnace repair technicians to look for dead animals or improperly installed equipment. At one point, I was certain I had fixed the problem only to discover that the smell had returned full force. No amount of household deodorizer could cover it.

Everything visible had been checked. So the problem, I reasoned, must be lurking behind walls or beneath the floor. My youngest daughter suggested with a hint of a smile that perhaps a bad fairy was hiding somewhere, cutting wind. Hmmm . . . I hadn’t thought of that.

Finally a plumber sent smoke bombs through the pipes and, lo and behold, smoke started billowing from the walls of the closet in the utility room. When the closet was ripped out, the plumber found the culprit—a pipe that had been improperly installed. Amazingly, it had escaped the notice of the builder and the city inspectors who signed off on the new construction. For four years it lay hidden behind the walls, spreading a noxious smell through the vents.

What’s the point of this smelly story? Simply that hidden problems can steal our peace. When we allow sin and weakness to lurk in our hearts, they will sooner or later make their presence known. It’s far better to deal with them openly and honestly. Otherwise, the Lord may need to lob a few smoke bombs our way in order to reveal the source of the problem so we can finally face it with his grace.

Father, you see through to the heart of every person. I ask you to reveal any hidden sins or weaknesses in my life. Help me to face these honestly and with hope, confident that you will stand by me and help me to change.

BE GENEROUS

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Saint Turibius of Mogroveio pray for us!

TODAY'S PRAYER

Giving ourselves to prayer

With such rapid growth in the numbers of believers, hard feelings and dissension were on the rise in the early church. So the disciples put their heads together and realized that they needed to spend their time and effort teaching and preaching the Word of God and giving themselves to prayer instead of administering a food program or judging disputes. So they did what wise and responsible leaders do: they settled on their highest priority and then delegated remaining important tasks to others.

Missionary and minister Andrew Murray compared a great time, effort, and diligence it takes for a farmer to bring forth a good harvest with the need for us to put time, effort, and diligence into prayer. Rather than relegate it to a tiny segment in our Day-Timers, we need to cultivate an ongoing, wholehearted giving of ourselves to intercession if we are to obtain the blessings God has for us and in the lives of others. Is the highest priority in your life to be diligent in prayer?

LORD, grant me a continual readiness and devotion to prayer. Open my eyes and heart to understand the great privilege you have given me in allowing me free access into your throne room. Give me a heart that is hungry to spend time with you. And as I do, prepare my mind and heart for the work you have for me to do for you and your kingdom.

The seed we sow on the soil of heaven, the efforts we put forth, and the influence we seek to exert in the world above, heed our whole being; we must give ourselves to prayer. But let us hold fast the great confidence that in due season we shall reap if we faint not. 

God forgives all our sins

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Saint Nicholas Owen pray for us

Also known as

• John Owen
• Little John

Memorial

• 22 March
• 25 October as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
• 3 May on some calendars
• 1 December on some calendars

Profile

Son of a carpenter, Nicholas was raised in a family dedicated to the persecuted Church, and became a capenter and mason. Two of his brothers became priests, another a printer of underground Catholic books, and Nicholas used his building skills to save the lives of priests and help the Church‘s covert work in England.

Nicholas worked with Saint Edmund Campion, sometimes using the pseudonym John Owen; his short stature led to the nickname Little John. When Father Edmund was martyred, Nicholas spoke out against the atrocity. For his trouble, he was imprisoned.

Father Henry Garnet, Superior of English Jesuits, employed Nicholas to construct hiding places and escape routes in the various mansions used as priest-centers throughout England. By day he worked at the mansion on regular wood– and stone-working jobs at the mansions so that no one would question his presence; by night he worked alone, digging tunnels, creating hidden passages and rooms in the house. Some of his rooms were large enough to hold cramped, secretive prayer services, but most were a way for single clerics to escape the priest-hunters. As there were no records of his work, there is no way of knowing how many of these hiding places he built, or how many hundreds of priests he saved. The anti–Catholic authorities eventually learned that the hiding places existed, but had no idea who was doing the work, or how many there were.

Due to the work, the danger, and the periodic arrests of the Jesuits, Nicholas never had a formal novitiate, but he did receive instruction, and in 1577 became a Jesuit Brother. On 23 April 1594 he was arrested in London and lodged in the Tower of London for his association with Father John Gerard. Not knowing who they had, the authorities released Nicholas soon after, and he resumed his work.

On 5 November 1605, Brother Nicholas and three other Jesuits were forced to hide in Hinlip Hall, a structure with at least 13 of his hiding places, to escape the priest-hunters. Owen spent four days in one of his secret rooms, but having no food or water, he finally surrendered and was taken to a London prison. There he was endlessly tortured for information on the underground network of priests and their hiding. He was abused so violently that on 1 March 1606, while suspended from a wall, chained by his wrists, with weights on his ankles, his stomach split open, spilling his intestines to the floor; he survived for hours before dying from the wound. Because he was under orders not to kill Nicholas, the torturer spread the lie that Owen had committed suicide. One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales