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Martyrology - 9th of April
On the 9th day of April, were born into the better life:
At Antioch, holy Prochorus, one of the seven first deacons. He was illustrious for his faith and miracles, and was crowned with martyrdom. [He was the 3rd of the seven deacons, and 66th of the 72 disciples. He was a nephew of St Stephen. After being with St John in Asia, he was made Bishop of Nicomedia, in Bithynia, by St Peter, and later on sent to Antioch.]
At Rome, the holy martyrs Demetrius, Concessus, Hilary, and their Companions.
At Sirmium, suffered seven holy Virgins, all martyrs, who purchased eternal life at the price of their blood.
At Caesarea, in Cappadocia, [in the year 362,] the holy martyr Eupsychius, who was crowned with martyrdom under the Emperor Julian the Apostate for casting down the shrine of Fortune.
In Africa, the holy martyrs of Massylita, [probably Fez,] upon whose birthday holy Augustine made a discourse.
At Diarbekr, in Mesopotamia, [in the fifth century,] holy Acatius, Bishop of that see, who even melted down and sold the vessels of the Church to redeem captives withal.
At Rouen, the holy Confessor Hugh, Bishop of that see, [in the year 730.]
In the city of Die, [in the sixth century,] holy Marcellus, Bishop thereof, who was famous for miracles.
In Judea, holy Mary of Cleophas, sister of Mary the most Holy Mother of God.
At Rome is commemorated the translation of the body of holy Monica, mother of the blessed Austin, Bishop [of Hippo,] which the supreme Pontiff Martin V caused to be brought into the city from Ostia, and honourably buried in the church of the said blessed Augustine, [in the year 1439.]
At Mons, in Hainaut, [in the year 686,] the blessed Waldetrude, [First Abbess of Mons and Foundress of that City,] famous for the holiness of her life and for her miracles.
And elsewhere many other Holy Martyrs, Confessors and Holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God
Morning Prayer
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Place Yourself in the Presence of God, and adore His holy Name.
Most holy and adorable Trinity, one God in three Persons, I believe that Thou art here present: I adore Thee with the deepest humility, and render to Thee, with my whole heart, the homage which is due to Thy sovereign majesty.
An Act of Faith
O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; I believe that Thy divine Son became man, and died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.
An Act of Hope
O my God, relying on Thy infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
An Act of Love
O my God, I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all my love. I love my neighbour as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.
Thank God for All Favours and Offer Yourself to Him.
O my God, I most humbly thank Thee for all the favours Thou hast bestowed upon me up to the present moment. I give Thee thanks from the bottom of my heart that Thou hast created me after Thine own image and likeness, that Thou hast redeemed me by the precious blood of Thy dear Son, and that Thou hast preserved me and brought me safe to the beginning of another day. I offer to Thee, O Lord, my whole being, and in particular all my thoughts, words, actions, and sufferings of this day. I consecrate them all to the glory of Thy name, beseeching Thee that through the infinite merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour they may all find acceptance in Thy sight. May Thy divine love animate them, and may they all tend to Thy greater glory.
Resolve to Avoid Sin and to Practice Virtue.
Adorable Jesus, my Saviour and Master, model of all perfection, I resolve and will endeavour this day to imitate Thy example, to be, like Thee, mild, humble, chaste, zealous, charitable, and resigned. I will redouble my efforts that I may not fall this day into any of those sins which I have heretofore committed (here name any besetting sin), and which I sincerely desire to forsake.
Ask God for the Necessary Graces.
O my God, Thou knowest my poverty and weakness, and that I am unable to do anything good without Thee; deny me not, O God, the help of Thy grace; proportion it to my necessities; give me strength to avoid anything evil which Thou forbiddest, and to practise the good which Thou hast commanded; and enable me to bear patiently all the trials which it may please Thee to send me.
The Lord’s Prayer...
The Hail Mary...
The Apostles’ Creed...
At this point, please go to the relevant text of Fr Hamon’s Meditation. Once I have read and meditated on the text, and its various points . I complete my meditation by saying:
Ask the Prayers of the Blessed Virgin, your Guardian Angel, and your Patron Saint.
Holy Virgin, Mother of God, my Mother and Patroness, I place myself under thy protection, I throw myself with confidence into the arms of thy compassion. Be to me, O Mother of mercy, my refuge in distress, my consolation under suffering, my advocate with thy adorable Son, now and at the hour of my death.
Angel of God, my guardian dear, To whom His love commits me here, Ever this day be at my side, To light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
O great Saint whose name I bear, protect me, pray for me, that like thee I may serve God faithfully on earth, and glorify Him eternally with thee in heaven. Amen.
Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, hear us.
Jesus, 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 Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, ... Jesus, Son of the living God, ... Jesus, splendour of the Father, ... Jesus, brightness of eternal light, ... Jesus, king of glory, ... Jesus, sun of justice, ... Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary, ... Jesus, most amiable, ... Jesus, most admirable, ... Jesus, mighty God, ... Jesus, father of the world to come, ... Jesus, angel of great council, ... Jesus, most powerful, ... Jesus, most patient, ... Jesus, most obedient, ... Jesus, meek and humble of heart, ... Jesus, lover of chastity ... Jesus, lover of us, ... Jesus, God of peace, ... Jesus, author of life, ... Jesus, model of virtues, ... Jesus, zealous for souls, ... Jesus, our God, ... Jesus, our refuge, ... Jesus, father of the poor, ... Jesus, treasure of the faithful, ... Jesus, good shepherd, ... Jesus, true light, ... Jesus, eternal wisdom, ... Jesus, infinite goodness, ... Jesus, our way and our life, ... Jesus, joy of angels, ... Jesus, king of patriarchs, ... Jesus, master of apostles, ... Jesus, teacher of evangelists, ... Jesus, strength of martyrs, ... Jesus, light of confessors, ... Jesus, purity of virgins, ... Jesus, crown of all saints, ...
Be merciful, Spare us, O Jesus. Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Jesus.
From all evil, Jesus, deliver us. From all sin, Jesus, deliver us. From Thy wrath, ... From the snares of the devil, ... From the spirit of fornication, ... From everlasting death, ... From the neglect of Thy inspirations, ... Through the mystery of Thy holy incarnation, ... Through Thy nativity, ... Through Thine infancy, ... Through Thy most divine life, ... Through Thy labours, ... Through Thine agony and passion, ... Through Thy cross and dereliction, ...Through Thy faintness and weariness, ... Through Thy death and burial, ... Through Thy resurrection, ... Through Thine ascension, ... Through Thy joys, ... Through Thy glory, ...
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us, O Jesus.
Jesus, hear us. Jesus, graciously hear us.
Let us pray.
O Lord Jesus Christ, who hast said: Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; grant, we beseech Thee, unto us who ask, the gift of Thy most divine love, that we may ever love Thee with all our hearts, and in all our words and actions, and never cease from showing forth Thy praise. Make us, O Lord, to have a perpetual fear and love of Thy holy Name; for Thou never failest to govern those whom Thou dost solidly establish in Thy love. Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.
The Angelus
℣ The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
℟ And she conceived of the Holy Ghost.
Hail, Mary...
℣ Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
℟ Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail, Mary...
℣ And the Word was made flesh.
℟ And dwelt among us.
Hail, Mary...
℣ Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
℟ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord! Thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may, by His passion and Cross, be brought to the glory of His resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Evening Prayer
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Come, O Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.
Place Yourself in the Presence of God and Humbly Adore Him.
O my God, I present myself before Thee at the end of an other day, to offer Thee anew the homage of my heart. I humbly adore Thee, my Creator, my Redeemer, and my Judge! I believe in Thee, because Thou art Truth itself; I hope in Thee, because Thou art faithful to Thy promises; I love Thee with my whole heart, because Thou art infinitely worthy of being loved; and for Thy sake I love my neighbour as myself.
Return Thanks to God for All His Mercies.
Enable me, O my God, to return Thee thanks as I ought for all Thine inestimable blessings and favours. Thou hast thought of me and loved me from all eternity; Thou hast formed me out of nothing; Thou hast delivered up Thy beloved Son to the ignominious death of the cross for my redemption; Thou hast made me a member of Thy holy Church; Thou hast preserved me from falling into the abyss of eternal misery, when my sins had provoked Thee to punish me; Thou hast graciously continued to spare me, even though I have not ceased to offend Thee. What return, O my God, can I make for Thy innumerable blessings, and particularly for the favours of this day? O all ye saints and angels, unite with me in praising the God of mercies, who is so bountiful to so unworthy a creature.
The Lord’s Prayer...The Hail Mary...The Apostles’ Creed...
Ask of God Light to Discover the Sins Committed this Day.
O my God, sovereign judge of men, who desirest not the death of a sinner, but that he should be converted and saved, enlighten my mind, that I may know the sins which I have this day committed in thought, word, or deed, and give me the grace of true contrition.
Here Examine your Conscience; then Say:
O my God, I heartily repent and am grieved that I have offended Thee, because Thou art infinitely good and sin is infinitely displeasing to Thee. I humbly ask of Thee mercy and pardon, through the infinite merits of Jesus Christ. I resolve, by the assistance of Thy grace, to do penance for my sins, and I will endeavour never more to offend Thee.
The Confiteor
I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary, ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the saints, and to you, Father, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, all the saints, and you, Father, to pray to the Lord our God for me. May Almighty God have mercy upon us, and forgive us our sins, and bring us unto life everlasting. Amen.
May the Almighty and merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution, and remission of our sins. Amen.
Pray for the Church of Christ.
O God, hear my prayers on behalf of our Holy. Father Pope N., our Bishops, our clergy, and for all that are in authority over us. Bless, I beseech Thee, the whole Catholic Church, and convert all heretics and unbelievers.
Pray for the Living and for the Faithful Departed.
Pour down Thy blessings, O Lord, upon all my friends, relations, and acquaintances, and upon my enemies, if I have any. Help the poor and sick, and those who are in their last agony. O God of mercy and goodness, have compassion on the souls of the faithful in purgatory; put an end to their sufferings, and grant to them eternal light, rest, and happiness. Amen.
Commend Yourself to God, to the Blessed Virgin, and the Saints.
Bless, O Lord, the repose I am about to take, that, my bodily strength being renewed, I may be the better enabled to serve Thee. O blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of mercy, pray for me that I may be preserved this night from all evil, whether of body or soul. Blessed St. Joseph, and all ye saints and angels of Paradise, especially my guardian angel and my chosen patron, watch over me. I commend myself to your protection now and always. Amen.
Preparation for Meditation
At this point I will read the paragraph in the daily meditation from Hamon’s meditation of the next day entitled “Summary of the Morrow’s Meditation” and, if applicable, “Summary of the Meditation for the Feast...”
This will allow me to be passively thinking about, during the coming night, the meditation, and the points of the meditation, I will be doing in the morning, during my morning prayer.
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, 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 Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us. Holy Mother of God, pray for us. Holy virgin of virgins, ...
Mother of Christ, ...
Mother of divine grace, ...
Mother most pure, ...
Mother most chaste, ...
Mother inviolate, ...
Mother undefiled, ...
Mother most amiable, ...
Mother most admirable, ...
Mother of our Creator, ...
Mother of our Saviour, ...
Virgin most prudent. ...
Virgin most venerable, ...
Virgin most renowned, ...
Virgin most powerful, ...
Virgin most merciful, ...
Virgin most faithful, ...
Mirror of justice, ... Seat of wisdom, ...
Cause of our joy, ...
Spiritual vessel, ...
Vessel of honour, ... Singular vessel of devotion, ...
Mystical rose, ... Tower of David, ... Tower of ivory, ... House of gold, ... Ark of the covenant, ... Gate of heaven, ... Morning star, ... Health of the sick, ... Refuge of sinners, ... Comforter of the afflicted, ... Help of Christians, ... Queen of angels, ... Queen of patriarchs, ... Queen of prophets, ... Queen of apostles, ... Queen of martyrs, ... Queen of confessors, ... Queen of virgins, ... Queen of all saints, ... Queen conceived without original sin. ... Queen of the most holy rosary, ... Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may, by His passion and cross, be brought to the glory of His resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Easter Day: The Resurrection the Triumph of Faith and of Hope
At that time Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought sweet spices, that, coming, they might anoint Jesus. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen. And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they were astonished. Who saith to them: Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: He is risen, He is not here; behold the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples, and Peter, that He goeth before you into Galilee: there you shall see Him, as He told you.
The Gospel according to St Mark, xvi:1–7.
Summary of the Morrow’s Meditation
We will consecrate our meditation on the great feast of tomorrow to the consideration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the triumph, first, of our faith; second, of our hope. We will then make the resolution: first, to praise, glorify, and bless the risen Christ by frequent aspirations, alleluia! second, often to give expression to acts of faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ, in His religion, and in His Church, as well as acts of hope of a future life. Our spiritual nosegay shall be the exclamation of the Church on this great feast: “Praise and love to the risen Jesus Christ.”
Meditation for the Morning
Let us celebrate this morning in praising, adoring, and loving the risen Jesus. Let us rejoice and be thrilled with gladness. This is the day which the Lord has made, the day of victory and of triumph. Let us unite with the angels in singing glory to God, alleluia!
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the triumph of our faith
Jesus Christ has really risen again. The apostles who attest it and who sealed with blood their testimony could not have been deceived, seeing that they had conversed with Him during forty days; they could not have wished to deceive us, seeing that their dearest interests in this world and in the next were opposed to such an idea (I Cor. xv:19), and besides, Jesus Christ, if He had not risen again, could not have been, in their eyes, anything else but an impostor who had cheated them in predicting His resurrection; they would not have been able to deceive us even if they had wished to do so, since the Roman soldiers, who had been appointed to guard the sepulchre, would not have allowed them to carry away the body. It is therefore quite certain, O Lord Jesus, that Thou didst really rise again; it is really quite certain, therefore, that Thou art the great Almighty God, since a dead man cannot rise of himself (Rom. i:4), and that God alone, who is the Master of life and death, is capable of such a miracle. O holy feast of Easter! how dear thou art to me; the resurrection of my Saviour is a guarantee to me of His divinity, and is thereby the complete guarantee of all my beliefs (II Tim. i:12); for if Jesus Christ be God, His religion is divine; the Gospel, which is His word, is divine; the sacraments which He has established are divine; the Church which He has founded is divine, and in believing it I am certain of not deceiving myself. In following my faith, I am therefore following an infallible guide; and in making the sacrifices it demands from me, I know I do not lose my pains, and that God will recompense me. In vain the infidel attacks my belief, in vain the nations rage, the Jews cry out scandal, and the Gentiles folly; Jesus Christ risen replies to all, and there is not a single objection which does not fall into pieces against the stone of His sepulchre. What a consolation! what a triumph for faith which has no need of anything except this single fact in order to be fully justified! How just it is to reanimate this faith on this beautiful day, to believe the things which religion teaches us even as though we saw them (Heb. xi:27), and to show ourselves to be men of faith in our conduct, in our language, at prayer, in church, everywhere and always.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the triumph of our hope
Man, who lives only a little while here below in the midst of many miseries, has need of hope; but let him rejoice today by singing with the Church: “Jesus Christ, my hope, is risen.” The resurrection of the Saviour is the warrant and the assurance to us of a similar resurrection, which will compensate us for all the troubles of this life. “Christ is risen from the dead, the first fruit of them that sleep” (I Cor. xv:20), says the Apostle. Therefore, after Him, the others who are dead will also rise again from their ashes. We form with Him one perfect whole, a body of which He is the head, says the same apostle; but the members must follow the state in which is their head. What would a body be of which the head would be on one side and the limbs on another? Would it be suitable for the Holy Spirit thus to have designated, under the figure of a head and of members, Jesus Christ and the faithful, if they were to live separate from one another? As, therefore, we form but one body with Jesus Christ, His resurrection implies ours also, even as ours supposes His; the one is essentially connected with the other. “If Christ be preached” says St Paul, “that He arose again from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” (I Cor. xv:12) a consoling dogma, which forms the triumph of our hope amidst the labours and sufferings of this life; for, if we are destined to rise with Jesus Christ, our tears will be therefore changed into joy, our trials into delights, our poverty into abundance, our confusion into glory, our death into eternal life. “I know,” says Job, “that my Redeemer liveth, and in the last day I shall rise out of the earth, and I shall be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh I shall see my God, whom I myself shall see and my eyes shall behold. This my hope is laid up in my bosom” (Job xix:25–27). “The King of the world,” says the second of the Maccabees, “will raise us up, who die for His laws, in the resurrection of eternal life.” “These I have from heaven” said the third, “but for the laws of God I now despise them, because I hope to receive them again from Him.” “It is better” said the fourth, “being put to death by men, to look for hope from God, to be raised up again by Him” (II Macc. vii:9, 11, 14). Lastly, all the martyrs and all the just have died in this hope, awaiting a new earth and new heavens, where the bodies of the saints will be glorious, impassible, immortal, shining like the sun, agile like spirits, where there will be no more sorrows or tears, but where all will be glory and happiness. O magnificent hope! How thankful shall then be to have suffered in patience, to have mortified and deprived ourselves of the vain enjoyments of this world!
Resolutions and spiritual nosegay as above.