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The Roman Martyrology
Upon 14 of April, were born to better life:
On the morrow we keep the feast of the holy martyr Justin, the admirable philosopher. He had presented to the Emperors Marcus Antoninus Verus and Lucius Aurelius born modus his second book in defence of our religion, and was then earnestly spreading the same at Rome by his disputations when he was accused of Christianity through the devices of Crescens the Cynic, whose life and infamous manners he had rebuked, and for a reward of his faithful speaking he received upon this day the crown of martyrdom.
Likewise at Rome, upon the Appian Way, under the Emperor Alexander and the Prefect Almachius, the holy martyrs Tiburtius, Valerian, and Maximus. Tiburtius and Valerian had been converted to Christ by the exhortations of blessed Cicely and baptized by the holy Pope Urban, and for the confession of their faith were cudgelled and beheaded. Maximus was a chamberlain of the Prefect, and was moved to believe in Christ by beholding the steadfastness of Tiburtius and Valerian, and being confirmed in the same faith by an apparition of angels, he was lashed to death with scourges loaded with lead. At Terni, the holy martyr Proculus, Bishop of that see, [about the year 306.]
Likewise the holy Virgins and martyrs Domnina and her Companions, [about the year 272.]
At Alexandria, [in the fifth century,] the holy martyr Thomais.
On the same day, the holy martyr Ardalion. He was a player, and was making a mock upon the stage of the sacred rites of the Christians, when he was converted all of a sudden, and attested his conversion not only by his words but also by his blood, [about the year 300.]
At Lyon, the holy Confessor Lambert, Bishop of that see, [in the year 688.]
At Alexandria, the holy Abbot Fronto [—in the desert of Nitria, he had 70 monks—] famous for the holiness of his life, and for his miracles, [in the reign of Antonine, about the
year 151.]
At Rome, [in the sixth century,] holy Abundius, watchman of the Church of St. Peter.
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:
Evening Prayer
Friday in Easter Week: His Apparition upon a Mountain of Galilee
And the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And seeing Him, they adored, but some doubted. And Jesus, coming, spoke to them, saying: power is given to Me in heaven and in earth. Going, therefore, teach ye all nations, bap- tising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.
Summary of the Morrow’s Meditation
We will meditate tomorrow on the apparition of Jesus Christ to His apostles upon a mountain of Galilee, and we will make of the three portions of His discourse on that occasion the three points of our meditation. We will then make the resolution: first, often during the day to make acts of faith in the infallibility of the Church, and acts of love towards Jesus Christ, who, from love for us, gave it this blessed privilege; second, to keep ourselves recollected and united with Jesus Christ, who desires that we should be always with Him, even as He is always with us. Our spiritual nosegay shall be the words of Our Saviour: “Behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world” (Matt. xxviii:20).
Meditation for the Morning
Let us adore Jesus Christ at the approach of His ascension collecting His apostles together upon a mountain of Galilee, and there giving them the mission to preach the gospel to all the nations, and to their successors the mission to preach it to the end of the world. Let us thank Him for this mission, which interests in the highest degree the whole universe and all coming ages. Let us admire the power and goodness which is shown herein. Let us praise the power, let us love the goodness.
All power, said Jesus Christ, has been given me in Heaven and upon Earth
What words, and what other than a Man-God could utter them! We have indeed often seen men invested with great power, but it has always been a limited power. Who has ever yet had power over the heavens, and over the winds, over thunder and storms, over sicknesses and death? Jesus Christ alone has had unlimited power in heaven and over the earth; the power of commanding the elements, of acting according to His own will over all creation. Of Him alone the astonished people have been able to say: “Who is this whom the winds and the waves obey?” O almighty power of my Saviour! I adore and I bless thee with my whole heart. I tremble for the sinners who do not tremble in presence of Thy omnipotence, O Jesus; but I rejoice for the just who serve Thee, for the apostles whom Thou dost send to the conquest of the world. They are indeed lambs in the midst of wolves, but what does that signify? They have nothing to fear, seeing that Thy omnipotence accompanies them. Thou wilt defend them against all assaults; Thou wilt sustain them in difficulties and trials. O all-powerful and good Master! what a consolation it is to see Thee at the head of Thy Church! How much of honour and respect do we not owe Thee for what Thou art in Thyself; of gratitude and love for what Thou hast done in the past; of confidence for what Thou wilt do in the future!
Go then, said Jesus Christ, teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the Holy Ghost, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you
These words are the consequence of those which preceded them; it is as though Jesus Christ had said: In virtue of and with the aid of the omnipotence which has been given Me, go and teach all nations, convert all the peoples, and extend My empire to the very extremities of the earth. The enterprise is, I know, beyond your strength, but not beyond My omnipotence. Doctors and depositaries of My doctrine, by you will be preserved in My Church the faith which makes saints. Blessed are ye to be chosen for so beautiful a mission, one which glorifies God and which saves souls! If, said St Catherine of Siena, anyone could see the beauty of a single soul, he would die a hundred times a day in order to save it. May we esteem, at this lofty price, souls, and the mission of saving them! “Baptise the nations,” continued Jesus Christ, “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Thanks, Lord, thanks for this revelation of the Most Holy Trinity a revelation the most clear and the most precise which until then had ever been made to the world; thanks for this institution of baptism, which makes of each one of us a child of God, an heir of heaven, and one of Thy members; thanks for all the sacraments, of which baptism is, as it were, the door, and which are the marvellous channels through which Thy grace flows upon us. “Teach all nations,” again said the Saviour, “to observe all that I have commanded you” I understand it, my God; faith without works is of no avail; faith is the torch which directs (Ps. cxviii:105); it shows us what we must do; but we cannot be saved except inasmuch as we really do it, and that we act from motives of faith; for works without faith are of no more merit for salvation than is faith without works. Let us learn from hence always to perform our works so as to be in harmony with our faith.
Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world, said Jesus Christ in terminating his discourse
What magnificent words! They are the titles of the Church to infallibility; for if Jesus Christ assists it “all days” in its teaching, it cannot be deceived; he who listens to the Church listens to Jesus Christ. O delicious consolation! a God makes Himself the warrant of my belief. But it is not only whilst they teach that Jesus is with His apostles; He is even now with us all, through the love He bears us, and which follows us everywhere. To have Jesus Christ with us! What good the thought does to the heart which loves! Can one be in more delightful society? What good it does to the heart which feels itself to be weak! What have we to fear when we have His omnipotence with us? To have Jesus Christ with us in the blessed Tabernacle, where we can visit Him every day, speak to Him, expose to Him our joys and our sorrows; to have Jesus dwelling in the bottom of our hearts if we desire to find Him there, to enjoy Him by means of the practice of the interior
life, of recollection, and of love: what matter of confidence and peace!
Resolutions and spiritual nosegay as above.
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