Author name: sanjose

Saint Bruno

Born in Cologne, Germany in 1030. He became a famous teacher at Rheims and at the age of 45, he became the chancellor of the archdiocese. He took part in the fight against the decadence of the clergy and denounce the violent Archbishop Manasses de Gournai. He also founded the religious order, Carthusian Order, which symbolizes his passionate love of a life in penitence and solitude.

He always had a dream of living a life of hermitage, a life in solitary and in prayer. He was given a land by his friend which eventually became his foundation “in the Chartreuse”. He and his friends stayed there in individual cells, spending most of their time in solitude and only eating together during feasts. They mostly worked on copying manuscripts.

In 1674, Pope Clement X extended St. Bruno’s feast to the whole church despite never being officially canonized.

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Kasanggayahan Festival

The Kasanggayahan Festival is largest celebration for the whole province of Sorsogon. It commemorates the declaration of Sorsogon as a province. This festival is included in the Department of Tourism’s list of festivals and celebrations in the Philippines. With the term “kasanggayahan· meaning prosperity, the festival showcases the local products including products from the pili tree and other agricultural products.

The Pantomina sa Tinampo is one of the features of the Kasanggayahan Festival that makes it different from the other thanksgiving festivals in the country. Pantomina sa Tinampo is a native regional dance, which is the dance of the doves. This pantomime (pantomina) dance of love and courtship is done on the streets (tinampo), because of which it was month-long celebration commemorating Sorsogon’s Foundation Day

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St. Maria Faustina Kowalska

Third among 10 children, Faustina Kowalska was born on August 25, 1905 in Poland. Her birth name was Helena Kowalska. They were poor peasants, her father was a farmer and carpenter. At a young age of seven, she already felt the call to religious life. However, even after receiving her basic education, she was not permitted by her parents to join the convent.

At the age of 16, she started working as a housekeeper to support herself and her family. It was during this time that she received the Sacrament of Confirmation. When she was 19 years old, she received a vision instructing her to join the convent in Warsaw. She went to Warsaw without the permission of her parents and started looking for convents. She had a hard time finding a convent that would accept her due to her poverty. She finally found a convent that accepted her, the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. The convent allowed her to stay as long as she worked as a housemaid to earn her keep. In 1926, she was officially admitted to the convent and finally clothed in the habit. After completing her novitiate in 1928, she took her first religious vows. Her parents were present when took her vows.

On February 22, 1931, she received a vision of the Divine Mercy of Jesus. From then on, she devoted her work to spreading the image of the Divine Mercy along with the signature “Jesus, I trust in you”.

In 1938, her health started deteriorating and she returned home to Krakow. She died on October 5th of that year. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 18, 1993. She was then canonized on April 30, 2000.

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Isaiah 41:10

Verse:

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10

Prayer For Doubts and Fear

Dear Lord, I thank you for a new day like this. I thank you for the gift of life, and also for the true love you are showing and nothing can stop you from loving me. Guide me through temptation, do not let me fall into temptation. And let me be strong in you in a way that fear and doubt will have no space. Amen.

Sources:

Original version of the prayer: https://prayerist.com/prayer/doubtandfear

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Colossians 3:14

Verse:

“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” - Colossians 3:14

Prayer For Unity

Restore unity and peace, and may love, faith and hope invade the hearts of each of them. Mend the broken relationships within each circle. Let love never run dry for one another and let all situations be resolved. Allow all the lost ones who have been led astray by the world discover You again, Merciful Savior. Continue to bless us daily. Amen

Sources:

Original version of the prayer: https://prayerist.com/prayer/peaceandunity

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St. Francis of Assisi

Believed to be born around 1181-1182, St. Francis of Assisi was initially baptized as Giovanni but was then renamed as Francesco. He was born into a well-to-do family– his father was a merchant and his mother was believed to be part of a French noble family. He grew up to be a popular young noble with his lavish lifestyle and exuberant personality. He was not very studious as a child and even when he grew up he did not show any interest in his father’s business. Instead he wanted to be a knight. In 1202, he joined the men of Assisi in the war between Assisi and Perugia where they were defeated. He was captured and taken in as a prisoner for almost a year. St. Francis fell ill due to the miserable conditions in the prison.

St. Francis had many episodes of receiving visions but there were two visions that were notable. These visions, among others, led him to embrace a life of poverty. He renounced all worldly possessions and dedicated himself to repairing and refurbishing churches. He listened to mass and preached to townspeople. He attracted followers and started leading a group of 12 disciples. They went to Rome to seek the approval of Pope Innocent III to recognize his order. On April 12, 1210, Pope Innocent III gave his oral approval of the Franciscan rule of life. This marked the official founding of the Franciscan order.

St. Francis became totally blind later on in his life. He was also in constant pain brought on by the stigmata. He died on October 3, 1226 at the age of 44 in Assisi, Italy. Only two years after his death, he was already canonized as a saint on July 16, 1228 by his former protector Pope Gregory IX.

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Hebrews 4:16

Verse:

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” - Hebrews 4:16

Prayer For Favour and Divine Mercy

Lord, in whatever way that I have sinned against you and disobeyed your word and instructions, please show me mercy according to your loving kindness and forgive my sins according to your mercy that endures forever in Jesus name.

Sources:

Original version of the prayer: https://prayerist.com/prayer/divinemercyandfavour

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Saint Theodore Guerin

Anne-Thérèse Guérin, known as St. Theodora, was born on October 2, 1978 in Estables, France. St. Theodora exuded piousness at a young age. Even as a child, she loved prayers. She already knew that her vocation was to become a nun. However, life circumstances did not allow her to pursue her path to becoming a nun immediately. The loss of her two siblings, and then later on her father, took a toll on her mother. St. Theodora had to take care of her mother and her remaining sisters. She had take on the responsibility of managing their household. When she turned 25, she finally received her mother’s consent to leave home and pursue her religious path. She joined the Sisters of Providence who took care of the poor, sick, and the dying. They also served God through educating children.

In 1840, St. Theodora was tasked to lead a group of missionary sisters in the United States of America to establish her order there. She pushed through with her journey despite her fragile health and crossed the Atlantic until she reached St. Mary of the Woods. When they arrived, St. Mary of the Woods was only a tiny log chapel. But St. Theodora and her band of missionary sisters persevered through extreme hardships while serving in the mission. In less than a year after they arrived, St. Theodora was able to open the first Catholic women’s Liberal Arts college in the United States. St. Mary of the Woods College is still active until today. She died on May 14, 1856 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1998. In 2006, she was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI.

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Psalm 94:19

Verse:

“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.“ - Psalm 94:19

Prayer For Consolation

Dear Lord, I thank you that I can come to You always for any reason. I'm grateful that when I pray to You, You answer me. Help me to come to You at the beginning of my fears and anxieties instead of waiting until I can't stand them anymore. The quicker I come to You the better. You want to free me from all my fears. Help me look to You for help more often so that I can be radiant with Your joy. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.

Sources:

Original version of the prayer: https://prayerist.com/prayer/deliverancefromanxiety

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Blessed Antoine Chevrier T.O.S.F.

At a young age of 14, Blessed Antoine Chevrier had already realized that he wanted to be a priest. He started his studies for priesthood at 17 and was ordained on May 25, 1850 by Cardinal Louis Jacques Maurice de Bonald. He was sent to Saint-André de la Guillotière, where the poorest of Lyon resides, as an assistant priest. There he dedicated himself to helping the poor.

On Christmas Eve of 1856, as he was meditating before the Nativity creche, he was enlightened on his true mission. His calling is to not just help the poor by himself alone but to organize a religious congregation that is for the poor. He consulted with St. John Marie Vianney regarding this matter. Saint John Marie Vianney encouraged him to follow his true mission. A year after, he was permitted to leave the parish to follow his calling. He met with layman Camille Rambaud in June 1857 and he began working with and sheltering children that were poor, abandoned, sent to prison, and those that were working factories.

He also played a part in quelling the civil unrest between Lyon and Paris in 1871. The parade of the Eucharist in celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi went undisrupted by either side of the conflict.

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