Catholic devotions for the 3rd November
Scroll down for today's
Saint of the Day
Reading of the Martyrology
Dedication of the Month
Dedication of the Day
Rosary
Five Wounds Rosary in Latin
Seven Sorrows Rosary in English
Latin Monastic Office
Reading of the Rule of Saint Benedict
Celebration of Mass
Reading from the School of Jesus Crucified
Here followeth the life of Saint Winifred, Virgin and Martyr from the Golden Legend
After that the holy man Beuno had do make many churches, and had ordained the service of God devoutly to be said in them, he came to a place of a worshipful man named Tenythe, the which was the son of a noble senator called Elinde, and desired that he would give to him as much ground as he might build a church on in the honour of God. Then he granted him his asking with good will, and then did do build thereon a fair church, to the which this worshipful man, his wife, and his daughter Winifred, resorted daily for to hear therein divine service. And then Winifred was set to school to this holy man Beuno, and he taught her full diligently and informed her perfectly in the faith of Jesu Christ. And this holy maid Winifred gave credence to his words, and was so inflamed with his holy doctrine that she purposed to forsake all worldly pleasancies and to serve Almighty God in meekness and in chastity. And then it fortuned upon a Sunday she was diseased, and she abode at home and kept her father's house while they were at church. To whom there came a young man for to defoul her, who was named Cradok, the son of a king named Alane, which young man burned in the concupiscence of her by the enticing of the fiend, which had envy at this holy virgin, Winifred. And she demanded the cause of his coming. And when she understood his corrupt intent, she excused her and put him off all she might. And he, alway abiding in his foul purpose, would in no wise be answered. Then she, considering his foul desire, and fearing lest he would oppress her, feigned her as she would have consented, and said she would go into her chamber for to array herself for to please him the better. And when he had agreed to her, she closed fast the chamber door, and fled privily by another door toward the church. And when this young man had espied her, he followed her with his sword drawn like a wood man, and when he had overtaken her he said to her these words: Sometime I loved thee and desired to have thee to my wife, but one thing tell now to me shortly, either consent to me to accomplish my pleasure or else I shall slay thee with this sword. Then this blessed virgin Winifred thought firmly that she would not forsake the son of the everlasting king for to please the son of a temporal king, and said to him in this manner: I will in no wise consent to thy foul and corrupt desire, for I am joined to my spouse Jesu Christ which preserveth and keepeth my virginity. And trust thou verily, that I will not forsake him for all thy menaces and threatenings. And when she had said thus, this cursed tyrant full of malice, smote off her head. And in the same place whereas the head fell to the ground, there sprang up a fair well giving out abundantly fair clear water, where our Lord God yet daily showeth many miracles. And many sick people having divers diseases have been there cured and healed by the merits of this blessed virgin, S. Winifred. And in the said well appear yet stones besprinkled and speckled as it were with blood, which cannot be had away by no means, and the moss that groweth on these stones is of a marvellous sweet odour, and that endureth unto this day. And when the father and mother knew of their daughter, they made great lamentation for her death because they had no more children but her only.
And when this holy man Beuno understood the death of Winifred, and saw the heaviness of her father and mother, he comforted them goodly, and brought them to the place whereas she lay dead. And there he made a sermon to the people, declaring her virginity, and how she had avowed to be a religious woman. And after, took up the head in his hands, and set it to the place where it was cut off, and desired all the people that were there present to kneel down and pray devoutly to Almighty God that it might please him to raise her again unto life, and not only for the comfort of father and mother, but for to accomplish the vow of religion. And when they arose from prayer, this holy virgin arose with them also; made by a miracle alive again by the power of Almighty God. Wherefore all the people gave laud and praising unto his holy name for this great miracle. And ever, as long as she lived after, there appeared about her neck a redness round about, like to a red thread of silk, in sign and token of her martyrdom.
And this young man that had thus slain her had wiped his sword on the grass, and stood still there beside, and had no power to remove away, ne to repent him of that cursed deed. And then this holy man Beuno, reproved him, not only of the homicide, but also because he reverenced not the Sunday and dreaded not the great power of God, there showed upon this holy virgin, and said to him: Why hast thou no contrition for thy misdeed? But sith thou repentest not, I beseech Almighty God to reward thee after thy deserving. And then he fell down dead to the ground, and his body was all black, and suddenly borne away with fiends. Then after, this holy maid Winifred was veiled and consecrate into religion by the hands of this holy man Beuno. And he commanded her to abide in the same church that he had do make there by the space of seven years, and there to assemble to her virgins of honest and holy conversation whom she should inform in the laws of God. And after the seven years to go to some holy place of religion, and there to abide the residue of her life. And when this holy man should depart from her and go into Ireland, she followed him, till she came to the foresaid well, where they stood talking a long while of heavenly things. And when they should depart, this holy man said: It is the will of our Lord that thou send to me every year some token, which thou shalt put into the stream of this well, and from hence it shall by the stream be brought into the sea, and so by the purveyance of God it shall be brought over the sea the space of fifty miles, to the place where I shall dwell. And after they were departed, she with her virgins made a chasuble of silk work, and the next year following she wrapt it in a white mantle and laid it upon the stream of the said well, and from thence it was brought unto this holy man Beuno, through the waves of the sea, by the purveyance of God. After this, the blessed virgin Winifred increased from day to day in great virtue and goodness, and specially in holy contemplation with her sisters, moving them into great devotion and love of Almighty God. And when she had abode there seven years, she departed thence and went to the monastery called Wytheriachus, in which were both men and women of virtuous and holy conversation. And when she had confessed and told her life unto the holy abbot Elerius, he received her honourably and brought her to his mother, Theonia, a blessed woman which had the rule and charge of all the sisters of that place, and when Theonia was deceased out of this world, this holy abbot Elerius delivered to this holy virgin Winifred, the charge of the sisters, but she refused it as long as she might. But by constraint she took the charge and lived afterward a virtuous life, and more straiter and harder than she did tofore in giving good ensample to all her sisters. And when she had continued there in the service of God eight years, she yielded up her spirit to her maker, to whom let us pray to be a special intercessor for us. Amen.
The Reading from the Martyrology
This Day, the Third Day of November
At Cyrus in Syria, St. Marcian, confessor.
The Third Day of November
At Sant'Arcangelo near Rimini (Italy), Blessed Simon Ballachi, confessor, of the Order of Preachers. Although he came of a distinguished family, he chose to become a lay-brother. By his humility and self-denial, he set a marvelous example even to his extreme old age. A semi-duplex feast.
At Milan, the birthday of St. Charles Borromeo, cardinal, Bishop of Milan, and confessor. Pope Paul V numbered him among the saints because of his outstanding holiness and miracles. His feast, however, is celebrated on November 4.
On the same day, the birthday of St. Quartus, a disciple of the Apostles.
At Viterbo, the holy martyrs Valentine, priest, and Hilary, deacon. In the persecution of Maximian, because they confessed Christ, they were weighted down with a rock and cast into the Tiber. However, they were miraculously rescued by an angel. Eventually, they received the crown of martyrdom by being beheaded.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, the holy martyrs Germanus, Theophilus, Caesarius, and Vitalis. They courageously underwent martyrdom in the persecution of Decius.
At Saragossa in Spain, the countless holy martyrs who so admirably laid down their lives for Christ, in the time of Dacian, governor of Spain.
In England, St. Winifred, virgin and martyr.
In the monastery of Clairvaux in Gaul, the death of St. Malachy, Bishop of Connor in Ireland. He was enriched with many virtues and his life was written by Abbot St. Bernard.
On the same day, St. Hubert, Bishop of Tongres.
At Vienne in Gaul, St. Domnus, bishop and confessor.
Also, the death of St. Pirmin, Bishop of Meaux.
At Urgel in Spain, St. Hermengaud, bishop.
At Rome, St. Sylvia, mother of Pope St. Gregory.
Omnes sancti Mártyres, oráte pro nobis.
("All ye Holy Martyrs, pray for us", from the Litaniae Sanctorum, the Litany of the Saints)
November is the Month of the Poor Souls in Purgatory
NOVENA
For the Relief of the Poor Souls in Purgatory
SECOND DAY Pains of Purgatory
PREPARATORY PRAYER: Act of Faith: My God, I believe in Thee, because Thou art Truth itself; I firmly believe the truths revealed to the Church.
Act of Hope: My God, I hope in Thee, because Thou art infinitely good.
Act of Charity: My God, I love Thee with all my heart, and above all things, because Thou are infinitely perfect; and I love my neighbor as myself, for the love of Thee.
(Indulgence 7 years, 7 quarantines, each time. Benedict XIV., Jan. 28, 1756. Plenary once a month, if said every day. Benedict XIII., Jan. 16, 1728.)
MEDITATION: Let us go with our Guardian Angel to Purgatory, to that place where the Divine Justice purifies Souls before they are admitted into Heaven.
There we will meet again our parents and our friends. Had this devotion no other advantage than that of reminding us of our departed ones, we should be grateful to God for such a consolation.
Oh, my father! Oh, my mother! Oh, brothers! Oh, sisters! Oh, friends! I had forgotten you! What do you suffer, beloved Souls? What shall I do to deliver you?
Our pains, they reply, are beyond description. When separated from our body, we saw the face of God, our Supreme Good, the Infinite Perfection. Then would we rush into His bosom, but we were driven back by His Justice, we were banished! Oh, no! on earth below you will never understand our pain, our grief, because we are separated from God! Your troubles, your sorrows, are the mere shadow of our affliction. But we suffer through our fault. If we would return to our former place on earth, we would be glad to accept the hardest mortification in exchange for Purgatory. “Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends, because the hand of the Lord hath touched me!” (Job. 19, 21.) Appease the Divine Justice with your good works, pay our debts, hasten the day when we shall enter into Heaven, and then we will return our gratitude forever.
PRACTICE: Encourage all the works established for the relief of the Souls in Purgatory.
RESOLUTION: At night, in the examination of conscience, I will question myself: What have you done today for the relief of Poor Souls?
EXAMPLE: The soul of a pious lady, deceased at Luxemburg, appeared on All Saints’ Day to a young girl of great piety, to beg the assistance of her prayers. When the latter was going to church, when approaching the holy rails, she was followed by the soul. Outside the church it could not be seen. As the young girl inquired the reason for it, she was answered: “You cannot understand how painful it is to be away from God. I am attracted to God by impetuous transports, by intolerable anxiety, and I am condemned to live far away from Him. My sorrow is so intense, that the ardor of fire, which surrounds me, is a lesser suffering. To soothe my pain, God, in His mercy, has allowed me to come into this church, and to adore Him, veiled under the Host, until I might see Him face to face in Heaven.” She entreated the young girl to pray for her deliverance. It was done with so much fervor, that, on the 10th of December, the soul appeared, as bright as the sun, going to Heaven.
PRAYER: De Profundis
Let us pray for our departed parents:
Let us pray for our benefactors and friends: O God, Who bestowest forgiveness and salvation, we address Thy clemency that, through the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary and of all the saints, the Souls of our departed brethren, relatives and benefactors, may be admitted into the eternal glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
V. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
(300 days each time for saying these VV. and RR., applicable only to the dead. Pius X., Feb. 13, 1908.)
Friday is the Day dedicated Christ's Passion & His Sacred Heart
Fridays are penitential days and Catholics are to keep in mind Christ's suffering and to sacrifice something for the sake of penance and discipline. The traditional way to do this is to abstain from meat. On this day also, many Catholics make what is known as the "First Fridays Devotion" in honor of the Sacred Heart. This entails going to Mass and receiving Communion in reparation to the Sacred Heart on the first Friday of the month for nine consecutive months. Another Friday practice is to kneel and pray five Paters and five Aves, especially at 3:00pm, the hour Christ died on the Cross.
This prayer to the Cross has been attributed to St. Anselm and appears with the rest of his writings in Migne's work. However, evidence indicates it was not composed by him but by a later author who compiled Anselm's prayers and added his own to the list
SALVA me, sancta crux, quae in corpore Christi dedicata es, et ex membrorum eius compage tamquam margaritis ornata; quae pretium nostrum portare digna fuisti, et vitam aeternam nobis attulisti. Iesu bone, praesta mihi ut per signum et reparationem sanctae crucis, me ab omnibus inimicorum incursionibus liberes et tua bonitate conserves, peccata dimittas, veniam indulgentiae tribuas: qui vivis et regnas, Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
SAVE me, o holy Cross, who art consecrated with the body of Christ and ornamented as if by pearls from this union with his limbs; thou hast been made worthy to carry the price of our salvation and hast held up eternal life to us. O good Jesus, grant to me that through the reparation and mark of Thy holy Cross, Thou willst free me from the incursions of all my enemies, preserve me in Thy goodness, dismiss my sins, and grant me forgiveness: Thou who livest and reignest, God forever and ever. Amen.
The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary are prayed on Friday
"I would like to remind you that the Rosary is a biblical prayer, all filled with the Holy Scriptures." It is a prayer from the heart, in which the repetition of the Ave Maria directs the thought and affection towards Christ, and thus is made a confident prayer to Him and our Mother. It is a prayer that helps to meditate on the Word of God and assimilate the Eucharistic Communion, on the model of Mary who kept in her heart everything Jesus did and said and even His Presence. " Pope Benedict XVI
The Rosary in Latin
Chaplet of the Five Holy Wounds of Christ in Latin
Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady in English
Latin Monastic Office for today from Le Barroux in France Texts also provided
The Reading of the Rule of Saint Benedict for November 3
XXVII QUALITER DEBEAT ABBAS SOLLICITUS ESSE CIRCA EXCOMMUNICATOS
1 Omni sollicitudine curam gerat abbas circa delinquentes fratres, quia non est opus sanis medicus sed male habentibus.
2 Et ideo uti debet omni modo ut sapiens medicus, immittere senpectas, id est seniores sapientes fratres,
3 qui quasi secrete consolentur fratrem fluctuantem et provocent ad humilitatis satisfactionem et consolentur eum ne abundantiori tristitia absorbeatur,
4 sed, sicut ait item apostolus, confirmetur in eo caritas et oretur pro eo ab omnibus.
5 Magnopere enim debet sollicitudinem gerere abbas et omni sagacitate et industria currere, ne aliquam de ovibus sibi creditis perdat.
6 Noverit enim se infirmarum curam suscepisse animarum, non super sanas tyrannidem;
7 et metuat prophetae comminationem per quam dicit Deus: Quod crassum videbatis assumebatis et quod debile erat proiciebatis.
8 Et pastoris boni pium imitetur exemplum, qui, relictis nonaginta novem ovibus in montibus, abiit unam ovem quae erraverat quaerere;
9 cuius infirmitati in tantum compassus est, ut eam in sacris humeris suis dignaretur imponere et sic reportare ad gregem.
CHAPTER 27: THE KIND OF SOLICITUDE THE ABBOT SHOULD HAVE FOR THE EXCOMMUNICATED
1 It is with all solicitude that the abbot should care for delinquent brothers, for it is not the healthy who have need of a physician, but those who are sick (Matt 9:12).
2 And thus he should in every way act as a wise physician, sending senpectae, that is older and wise brothers,
3 who can, as it were in secret, console the wavering brother and convince him to make humble satisfaction, thus comforting him, lest he be devoured by excessive sorrow (2 Cor 2:7);
4 rather, as the Apostle also says, Let love towards him be intensified (2 Cor 2:8) and let all pray for him
5 With the greatest possible solicitude the abbot should hasten to employ all wisdom and diligence so as not to lose any one of the sheep entrusted to him.
6 For he should know that he has undertaken to care for weak souls, not to exercise tyranny over the strong;
7 and he ought to fear the threat of the prophet in which God says: What you saw to be fat you took for youselves, and what was injured you cast away (Ezek 34:10,4-6).
8 And he should imitate the loving example of the good shepherd, who, leaving the ninety-nine sheep on the mountains, went to seek the one which had lost its way:
9 its weakness inspired such compassion that He deigned to place it on His own sacred shoulders and thus carry it back to the flock (Luke 15:5).
Today's Celebration of the Mass
Jesus XPI Passio sit semper in cordibus nostris
May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts
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