Sixth Week of Easter
May 9
Thursday Morning Prayer
Thursday Evening Prayer II
May 10
St. Damien de Veuster
Friday Morning Prayer
Friday Evening Prayer II
May 11
Saturday Morning Prayer
Sunday Evening Prayer I
May 12
Sunday Morning Prayer
Sunday Evening Prayer II
May 13
Monday Morning Prayer
Monday Evening Prayer II
May 14
St. Matthias, Ap
Tuesday Morning Prayer
Tuesday Evening Prayer II
May 15
St. Isidore, Farmer
Wednesday Morning Prayer
Wednesday Evening Prayer II
May 16
St. Margaret of Cortona, OFS
1247-1297
Patroness of our Region
Feast
This Magdalen of the Franciscan Order came into the world in the year 1247 at Laviano near Cortona in the province of Tuscany. When she was 7 years old, she lost her pious mother. She was neglected by her careless father, who married again within a short time, and her unsympathetic stepmother was harsh with her so that when Margaret was 18 years old, she left home to earn her bread among strangers.
She was possessed of rare beauty, and ere long this became a snare for her. For the space of 9 years, she gave herself up to a life of sin and scandal. Then one day she waited a long time in vain for her accomplice in sin to return home to the place where she lived with him. Presently his dog came to her whining and tugging at her dress. She followed the animal into the heart of the forest, and there she suddenly stood before the blood-stained corpse of the unfortunate man; his enemies had murdered him.
At the appalling sight, Margaret was stunned like one struck by lightning. Filled with terror she asked herself, “Where is his soul now?” Then and there she firmly resolved in the future to be even greater in penance than she had been in sin. Like the prodigal son, she returned repentant to her native town of Laviano.
In a penitential garb, her hair cut short, a cord around her neck, she knelt at the door of the church and publicly asked all the congregation to forgive the scandal she had given. Many people were edified at this public humiliation, but her stepmother was all the more embittered at it. She, as well as Margaret’s father, forbade her to enter the parental home again. This reception severely tempted Margaret to return to the road of vice, but God’s grace sustained her.
Led by divine grace, she went to Cortona, made a contrite general confession to a Franciscan there, and submitted to the spiritual direction of her confessor. In a poor little hovel, she now lived a secluded life, in penance, tears, and prayer, earning her scanty nourishment by hard manual labor.
Again and again, she begged for the habit of the Secular Franciscan Order (Third Order), that she might be recognized by all the world as a penitent. But not until 3 years had elapsed and she had been severely tried, was her wish granted. She received the habit in 1277. Now her fervor increased, and it is almost incredible what rigorous penances she practiced from then on. Day and night she wept over her sins, and often sobs so choked her voice that she could not speak. Satan made use of every wile and snare to cause Margaret to relapse, but prayer, mortification, and humiliation successfully put him to flight.
When finally, after uninterrupted struggling, she had triumphed over every earthly inclination, God assured her that her sins were fully pardoned and granted her special proofs of His knowledge of the innermost secrets of hearts. In many instances, even when people came from great distances, she recalled grievous sins to their mind, while her exhortations and prayers were instrumental in bringing about conversion. Many souls were released from purgatory upon her prayers. Almighty God wrought many miracles through her even in her lifetime. Health was restored to the sick, a dead boy was raised to life, and at her approach evil spirits shuddered and left those whom they possessed.
Finally, after 23 years of rigorous penance, in the 50th year of her life, God called the great penitent to the Beatific Vision on February 22, 1297. Her body is preserved in a precious shrine in the Franciscan church at Cortona which bears her name. It is incorrupt even at the present day and frequently emits a pleasant perfume. Several popes have confirmed the public veneration accorded her. Pope Benedict XIII canonized her amid great solemnity in 1728.
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Thursday Morning Prayer
Thursday Evening Prayer II
May 17
Friday Morning Prayer
Friday Evening Prayer II
May 18
Saturday Morning Prayer
Sunday Evening Prayer I
May 19
Pentecost
Sunday Morning Prayer
Sunday Evening Prayer II
May 20
Monday Morning Prayer
Monday Evening Prayer II
May 21
Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, SFO
Secular Franciscan Order
Born in 1907 at St. Radegund in Austria, Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, SFO, refused to cooperate with the Nazi regime which had seized power in Austria in 1938; when repeatedly called up for military service, he declared himself bound to refuse by conscience and because of the commandment of the love for God and one’s neighbor, for “we must obey God rather than people”.
It was during this time that Blessed Franz joined the Secular Franciscan Order. Condemned to death in 1943 for undermining military discipline, he was beheaded on August 9 in Germany, and merited being united to the passion of Christ.
Pope Benedict XVI having issued a decree declaring him to be a martyr, on October 26, 2007, beatified him in Linz, Austria. His feast day is May 21.
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Tuesday Morning Prayer
Tuesday Evening Prayer II
May 22
Wednesday Morning Prayer
Wednesday Evening Prayer II
May 23
Thursday Morning Prayer
Thursday Evening Prayer II
May 24
Friday Morning Prayer
Friday Evening Prayer II
May 25
Saturday Morning Prayer
Sunday Evening Prayer I
May 26
Saint Mariana of Jesus, OFS
Secular Franciscan
1618 – 1645
After the death of Saint Mariana of Jesus de Paredes, a beautiful lily sprouted forth from her blood, and so she has been styled the Lily of Quito. But in far greater measure did Saint Mariana of Jesus deserve the name because of the innocence of her life. She preserved it unsullied in the midst of a wicked world, carefully protecting it by the practice of rare austerities.
From her earliest childhood Mariana, who was born in 1618, felt altogether drawn to God and to heavenly things. Meanwhile, she attached herself to the Immaculate Virgin with unbounded confidence and tender devotion. She received the habit of the Secular Franciscan Order from the Franciscans in her native town of Quito, Ecuador, and in consideration of her great virtue, she was permitted to take the three vows of religion. Then she repaired to her home where she led a life hidden in God and devoted to prayer and penance.
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Sunday Morning Prayer
Sunday Evening Prayer II
May 27
The Franciscan Feast of Our Lady, Mediatrix of Graces
Franciscans celebrate this feast to honor Mary as the one through whose hands her Divine Son deigns to bestow all graces on men. It was instituted by the Tertiary Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922), but its celebration is limited to the Franciscans and certain other groups and places. – from: The Franciscan Book of Saints, edited by Marion Habig, OFM
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Monday Morning Prayer
Monday Evening Prayer II
May 28
St. Mariana of Jesus de Paredes, OFS
Secular Franciscan Order
1618-1645
Memorial
After the death of Mariana of Paredes, a beautiful lily sprouted forth from her blood, and so she has been styled the Lily of Quito. But in far greater measure did she deserve the name because of the innocence of her life. She preserved it unsullied in the midst of a wicked world, carefully protecting it by the practice of rare austerities.
From her earliest childhood Mariana, who was born in 1618, felt altogether drawn to God and to heavenly things. Meanwhile, she attached herself to the Immaculate Virgin with unbounded confidence and tender devotion. She received the habit of the Third Order (Secular Franciscan) from the Franciscans in her native town of Quito, Ecuador, and in consideration of her great virtue, she was permitted to take the three vows of religion. Then she repaired to her home where she led a life hidden in God and devoted to prayer and penance.
She quit her home only when she went to attend divine services in church or when charity toward her neighbor required it. On such occasions, she won the hearts of all she met, even the most depraved among them, by her polite and friendly manner, and succeeded in leading them back to the path of virtue. Incidentally, it may be remarked, that almighty God favored His faithful servant with extraordinary mystical gifts in support of her apostolate. By means of the Sign of the Cross or by sprinkling holy water she restored many sick persons to health; she also raised a dead woman to life.
When the plague broke out, she offered her chaste young life as a sacrifice to God on behalf of the stricken citizens. God accepted the sacrifice. She died shortly afterward, in the 28th year of her age, in 1645. She was beatified by Pope Pius IX and canonized in 1950 by Pope Pius XII.
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Tuesday Morning Prayer
Tuesday Evening Prayer II
May 29
Wednesday Morning Prayer
Wednesday Evening Prayer II
May 30
St. Joan of Arc, OFS
1412-1431
Secular Franciscan Order
And…….
May 30 St. Ferdinand, King, OFS
1199-1252
Secular Franciscan Order
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Thursday Morning Prayer
Thursday Evening Prayer II
May 31
Friday Morning Prayer
Friday Evening Prayer II
June
Saturday Morning Prayer
Sunday Evening Prayer I
June
Sunday Morning Prayer
Sunday Evening Prayer II
June
Monday Morning Prayer
Monday Evening Prayer II
June
Saturday Morning Prayer
Sunday Evening Prayer I
June
Sunday Morning Prayer
Sunday Evening Prayer II
June
Monday Morning Prayer
Monday Evening Prayer II
June
Sunday Morning Prayer
Sunday Evening Prayer II