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Martyrology -14th February
Upon the 14th day of February, were born into the better life:
At Rome, upon the Flaminian Way, the blessed martyr Valentine, a Priest, who after much healing and teaching was cudgelled and beheaded under Claudius Caesar, [in the year 268.]
Likewise at Rome, the holy martyrs Vitalis, Felicula, and Zeno.
At Teramo, [in Umbria, in the year 273,] the holy martyr Valentine, Bishop of that see. He was heavily flogged and committed to jail, but as he would not yield he was thrown out of the prison in the silence of midnight and beheaded by command of Placidus, Prefect of the city. There likewise, [in the year 273,] the holy martyrs Proculus, Ephebus, and Apollonius, who were watching by the body of holy Valentine when they were apprehended by order of Leontius, the consular, and slain with the sword.
At Alexandria, the holy martyrs Bassus, Anthony, and Protolicus, who were drowned in the sea.
Likewise at Alexandria, the Priest Cyrion, Bassian the Reader, Agatho the Exorcist, and Moses, who were all burnt with fire and passed away to heaven.
Also likewise at Alexandria, the holy martyrs Denis and Ammonius, who were beheaded.
At Ravenna, the holy Confessor Eleuchadius, Bishop of that see.
In Bithynia, [in the year 470,] the holy Abbot Auxentius.
At Sorrento, the holy Abbot Antonino. He was in the monastery of Monte Cassino when it was destroyed by the Lombards, and he went thence to a solitude hard by the city of Sorrento, and there [in the year 830,] fell asleep in the Lord, famed for holiness. His body is daily remarkable for many miracles, most chiefly in the delivery of them that are vexed by evil spirits.
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 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.
Ask the Prayers of the Blessed Virgin, your Guardian Angel, and your Patron Saint.
I complete my meditation by saying:
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
Fr Hamon's Meditations - Tuesday after Sexagesima: The Passion of Our Lord
Summary of the Morrow’s Meditation
In order to conform ourselves to the Roman liturgy, which tomorrow sets before the faithful the Passion of the Saviour, we will consider: first, that devotion to the Passion is a duty of the heart; second, that everything in religion prescribes this duty to us. We will then make the resolution: first, to have a crucifix always on the wall of our chamber, another upon our writing-table, and the third on our breast; second, to salute the crucifix each time that we enter into our chamber, or wherever we perceive it. We will retain as our spiritual nosegay the words of the Apostle: “Think diligently upon Him that endured such opposition from sinners against Himself ” (Heb. xii:3).
Meditation for the Morning
Let us adore Jesus crucified, the great object of the devotion of all Christians. Let us unite ourselves with those who place all their happiness in meditating upon the crucifix and by means of this meditation gain the most sublime virtues.
Devotion to the passion is a duty of the heart
It would be to have no heart if we were to forget so great a benefit, to look with indifference at the crucifix, that most splendid trophy of the charity of a God, that admirable invention of the entrails of His mercy (Luke i:78), to which we owe everything, the adoption of children of God, grace during life, and glory in eternity. If a friend had given his life for us, and had died in our stead in ignominy and torments, we should remember it until our last sigh, we should recall with emotion all the circumstances of his agony, and we should kiss with tears of affection the picture representing him suffering and dying for us.
How much more should the love of Jesus crucified be impressed on our hearts and make us live and breathe only for Him! (II Cor. v:14–15) For upon the cross it is not for His friends that Jesus dies, but for those who had even become His enemies (Rom. v:8–9). It is written: “Forget not the kindness of thy surety: for he hath given his life for thee” (Sirach xxix:20). And this generous friend who has answered and paid for us, all unworthy as we were of such love, who is he, if it be not the Divine Crucified Jesus? Therefore, says St Augustine, if he who forgets the blessing of creation merits hell, he merits a thousand hells who forgets the blessing of redemption. Nevertheless, how many are there who scarcely ever think of it! Just because they have the crucifix constantly before their eyes, they become insensible to it, and just because they have the spectacle of love always in view, they become ungrateful; that was the great sorrow of St Francis of Assisi, that illustrious lover of the crucified Jesus. Day and night he shed tears over the ingratitude of men with regard to the cross of the Saviour, and when attempts were made to console him, “No,” he replied, “all my life shall be inconsolable that my Saviour having so loved men, men should, nevertheless, love Him so little.” Are we not of the number of those for whom the holy patriarch wept? What is our love for the crucifix? Do we ourselves wear it? Do we kiss it
often? Do we look at it lovingly?
Everything in religion preaches devotion to the passion of the saviour
The holy Mass, which is the principal act of religion, is nothing more than the reproduction of the sacrifice of Calvary. Consecrate and eat the Eucharist, said Jesus Christ to His apostles, in remembrance of Me, that is to say, according to the commentary of St Paul, in memory of My death, in honour of My cross (I Cor. xi:26). How admirable! Jesus Christ, wishing to inspire us all with a constant devotion for His cross, institutes, to be a memorial of it, not a temporary sacrament like the other sacraments, but a sacrament which alone has the privilege of being permanent, a sacrament which we possess day and night in the holy tabernacle, where this adorable Saviour lives continually in the state of a victim, preserving all the wounds upon His body, and showing them ceaselessly to us, in order that we may never lose the memory of them. Oh, who is there that would not respond to the desire of a God who conjures us not to forget Him, and who conjures us by a sacrament of so great price, by His last words, which the whole world looks upon as sacred: “Do this for a commemoration of Me” (Luke xxii:19).
All that we see in church equally preaches to us devotion to the Passion: the cross is above the tabernacle, as being the place where it is most apparent, and where it first strikes the eye; it is carried in processions; it surmounts the summit of churches; it is represented upon the sacred vestments; the august sign of it is made in every ceremony; one day in each week, Friday, and feasts at different epochs are consecrated to it; a particular season of the year, the fortnight before Easter, is wholly given up to it; the way of the cross attracts the devotion of the faithful everywhere and at all seasons: so greatly does the worship of Jesus crucified enter into the essence of Christianity. And therefore it is that the saints, in whom is found the plenitude of the Christian spirit, have made the cross the most habitual object of their piety. St Paul glorified himself in the cross alone; he would know nothing save the cross; he lived always attached to the cross (Gal. ii:19). St Augustine tells us that he fed his soul with meditation on the cross. St Francis of Assisi would not allow his followers to have any other object of meditation than the cross which he had placed in the place of reunion of his confraternity. St Bonaventure lived only in the wounds of the Saviour. “It is there,” he said, “where I watch, where I take my repose, where I read, where I converse, where I will always be.” It seems, remarks St Francis de Sales, as if when this great doctor wrote down the heavenly effusions of his soul, he had no other paper than the cross, no other pen than the lance which had pierced his Master’s side, no other ink than His precious blood. Oh, how far are we from possessing these sentiments of the saints with regard to the Passion of the Saviour! Let us reanimate our faith; let us rekindle
our love for Jesus crucified!
Resolutions and spiritual nosegay as above.
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