April 21
Precious Savior, Saint Anselm of Canterbury actively fought against slavery in England, even getting politically involved and obtaining legislation that made it illegal to sell human beings. I ask him to intercede for people today who are enslaved in some way—in countries where slavery is still accepted, in family members and friends who are in bondage to addictions, in myself where sin has entrapped me, and in workplaces where there are people I care about who are being mistreated and made to work in illegal conditions. Lord Jesus, deliver us into the freedom You won for us on the Cross. Saint Anselm of Canterbury, pray for us. Amen.
QUOTES by Saint Anselm of Canterbury
For in saving us whom You (Lord) could justly damn, You are just not because You requite us as we deserve but because You do what befits You as supremely good, even as You are merciful not because You experience any emotion but because we experience the effect [of Your mercy]. So, then, without inconsistency, You both punish justly and spare justly. >>
Spare me through your mercy, do not punish me through your justice. >>
In your mercy heal us, in your love and tenderness remake us. In your compassion bring grace and forgiveness, for the beauty of heaven may your love prepare us. >>
From the moment of her fiat, Mary began to carry all of us in her womb. >>
Faith seeks understanding. I do not seek to understand in order to believe, but I believe in order to understand. For I believe this: unless I believe, I will not understand. >>
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Holy Jesus, as the prioress of her Dominican convent, Saint Agnes of Montepulciano served her sisters as if she were serving You personally. She believed that You—and not herself—was the one who was really in charge of the convent. In everything she did, she put You first and found great satisfaction in doing difficult penances and in humbling herself toward others. I ask her to pray for the right attitude in the way I treat people. Remind me that it is always You whom I serve, and give me eyes that can see You when I look at everyone else. Teach me how to put You in charge of my home, my job and my ministry. Saint Agnes of Montepulciano, pray for me. Amen.
Jesus My Savior, Saint Elphege understood the Passion You suffered for love of us. During his ministry as an archbishop, his country was attacked by pagans, so he rushed to the gruesome battlefield and redirected the enemy’s attack away from the people. The offenders burned his cathedral, tortured him and imprisoned him. When he refused to pay for his release with the Church’s money, he sealed his death. I ask him to pray for me to gain a better understanding of what it means to make sacrifices for love of others. Use my faith in You, O Lord, as a shield for those who are vulnerable to the enemy. Saint Elphege, pray for me. Amen.
Dear God, when Saint Perfecto was stopped by Moors who asked his opinion of Jesus, Perfecto explained, “Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world.” Even though they had promised that he would not be harmed for his answer, they arrested him for blasphemy, then tried him and executed him. Lord, help me to defend the Faith against non-Christian beliefs, professing Jesus as Your only Son, no matter what it might cost me. Give me courage with compassion to make use of every opportunity to speak the truth, and when I am deceived into believing I will not be persecuted, help me to forgive. Saint Perfecto, pray for me. Amen.
Lord Jesus, Saint Stephen Harding found great joy in imitating You through a life of poverty, praying, fasting, and working hard. When the other monks got tired of such a difficult life, Saint Stephen formed a new community, the Cistercians. I ask him to pray for me when life becomes a burden. Help me, O God, to discover the redemption that comes from doing what is not easy: giving up materialistic desires, spending more time in prayer, doing penance by making sacrifices and fasting, and completing work that is not pleasant. Overcome my laziness and my resistance to appreciating the difficult. Saint Stephen Harding, pray for me. Amen.