Category: May
Daily Prayers with the Saints
Saint Joseph the Worker
May 1 God My Father, the Feast Day of Saint Joseph the Worker was instituted to draw attention to the dignity of labor, and to remind us of the spirituality of our jobs. I give the workers of my family and circle of friends—and their jobs—to Saint Joseph’s intercession, and I especially ask for his …
Saint Athanasius
May 2 O Savior Jesus, Saint Athanasius defended You as true God and true man at a time when false teachings about Your divinity were spreading within the Church. Today, one of the false teachings of the New Age is that we are divine, we are the Christ, and we can work miracles without You …
Saints Philip and James
May 3 Jesus My Lord, You chose Saints Philip and James to be two of Your first disciples, because they so openly and obviously loved God, and then You sent them out as apostles to share what they had learned. As a baptized Christian, I, too, have been called to be an apostle, right where …
Saint Gothard
May 4 Dear Holy Spirit, Saint Gothard was elderly when he was appointed as bishop to reform the diocese. Relying on Your help, he built and restored churches, improved education, brought order to unruly parishes, and constructed a hospice for the poor—as if filled with youthful energy. Lord, You always supply what we need to …
Saint Angelus of Jerusalem
May 5 Our Father in Heaven, Saint Angelus of Jerusalem was born to Jewish converts and learned to respect Jews as well as to help them accept Jesus as the Messiah. After assisting in the formation of the first Carmelite house, he was sent to Italy where he converted many Sicilian Jews. I ask him …
Saint Evodius of Antioch
May 6 Lord Jesus, Saint Evodius of Antioch was one of the 72 disciples You commissioned—with a share of Your power—to go and make a difference in the world for the Kingdom of God. After Your ascension, Saint Peter ordained him a priest and then Bishop of Antioch. He was the first person to use …
Saint Domitian
May 7 O Loving Jesus, Saint Domitian was firm and powerful when he spoke out against heretics and pagans, and yet he always treated others with much compassion. This love overflowed into the desire to build churches and hospices to care for the religious and physical needs of the people. I ask Saint Domitian to …
Saint Michael the Archangel
May 8 Almighty God, Saint Michael the Archangel led the army of angels that defeated Satan and the demons when they rebelled against You. Because his name means “Who is like God,” Pope Saint Gregory the Great said, “Whenever some act of wondrous power must be performed, Michael is sent, so that his action and …
Saint Pachomius
May 9 Sweet Jesus, Saint Pachomius was the earliest Christian who created a monastery to focus on the spiritual life, and his idea attracted many. He eventually organized seven thousand people into groups that followed his Rule—a Rule from which Saints Basil and Benedict later drew. What started him on this ascetical path was the …
Saint John of Avila
May 10 Good Jesus, Saint John of Avila was the spiritual director of Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint John of God, and other saints. He used to say, “I pray God may open your eyes and let you see what hidden treasures he bestows on us in the trials from which the world thinks only …
Saint Ignatius of Laconi
May 11 Divine Savior, Saint Ignatius of Laconi was a door-to-door evangelist. He went from house to house asking for food and other donations for the friars. When people opened their homes to him, he consoled their sick, comforted the lonely, helped enemies reconcile, converted non-believers, and eased their anxieties by providing sound advice. I …
Saints Nereus and Achilleus
May 12 Blessed Redeemer, Saints Nereus and Achilleus were Roman soldiers who converted to Christianity during the early persecutions. They defected from the army because they could no longer obey orders or cooperate with their comrades. This took great courage, because it meant dying for You. I ask them to pray for me when I …
Saint Andrew Hubert Fournet
May 13 Beloved Jesus, Saint Andrew Hubert Fournet was a priest who held onto the worldliness, pettiness and superior attitudes of his childhood. His parishioners disapproved, but he did not experience full conversion until a rejected beggar criticized him. The comment made him realize that his life did not match the Gospel he preached. I …
Saint Matthias
May 14 Holy Spirit, before You descended on the disciples, You chose Saint Matthias to replace Judas as the twelfth apostle. This was the beginning of the apostolic succession and a reminder to us today that You are the One who calls men to the priesthood. I ask Saint Matthias to pray for an increase …
Saint Dymphna
May 15 Compassionate Lord, when Saint Dymphna was fourteen, her mother died and her distraught father thought he could fill the hole in his life by marrying his daughter. When she fled, he tracked her down. When she still refused to marry him, he cut off her head in a rage. I ask her to …
Saint John Nepomucene
May 16 O Jesus, Saint John Nepomucene was a holy priest who served as confessor to the queen. He taught her to imitate You as she carried the cross of being married to a hot-tempered king. When he refused to violate the sacred seal of the queen’s confession, the king imprisoned him. As the patron …
Saint Pascal Baylon
May 17 Holy Jesus, Saint Pascal Baylon defended Your true Presence in the Eucharist. Intensely devoted to Your consecrated Body and Blood, he often spent much of the night in prayer before the altar. You rewarded him with ecstasies and raptures, which he humbly kept hidden to avoid praise. I ask him to pray for …
Saint John I
May 18 O Blessed Father, Saint John I was a pope given difficult tasks by the ruler of Italy, and he tried hard to serve both his Church and his king in a holy manner. He successfully negotiated with the enemy to prevent war, and he reconciled the Western and Eastern Churches, but the paranoid …
Saint Dunstan
May 19 O My Savior, Saint Dunstan was a bishop who served the king of England as his personal advisor, until he directed the monarch to give up his degenerate sexual ways. Because the king wanted to remain blind to his sinfulness, he exiled the bishop. In certain ways, I am blind, too. I ask …
Saint Bernardine of Siena
May 20 Loving Lord, Saint Bernardine of Siena preached about Your mercy during a time when the Church was embattled by divisions. His preaching skills were so great and caused so many conversions, I ask him to intercede for speakers, advertisers, public relations and communications personnel, writers, publishers, and all in my church who employ …
Saint Godric of Finchale
May 21 Dear Father, Saint Godric of Finchale enjoyed living in solitude with You, spending much time in prayer and meditation. He developed the gift of music without being educated in the field. He received his lyrics and melodies from the Blessed Mother, and shared the songs with the Church. I ask him to pray …
Saint Rita of Cascia
May 22 Almighty Jesus, Saint Rita of Cascia had a special devotion to the Passion, because she felt unspeakable awe at what You did on the cross. She shared in Your suffering beginning at age twelve when her parents married her to an abusive man, and so she has become the patron of impossible causes. …
Saint John Baptist Dei Rossi
May 23 O Father, Saint John Baptist Dei Rossi was so aware of Your love, he felt he could never do enough for You. Though an epileptic, this priest ministered to the sick and the poor, housed the homeless with his own money, and befriended laborers in the marketplace to teach them and prepare them …
Saint Simeon Stylites the Younger
May 24 Jesus My Lord, because of the great holiness of Saint Simeon Stylites the Younger’s prayer life, and because of his growing reputation as a healer and miracle worker, the place where he lived as a hermit became a site for many pilgrimages. I ask him to pray for my reputation. Help me to …
Saint Bede the Venerable
May 25 Blessed Lord, Saint Bede the Venerable combined contemplative prayer with theological studies, always hungry to discover more of the riches of the Faith. He especially admired the spirituality of the Blessed Mother, because: “Mary attributes nothing to her own merits. She refers all her greatness to the gift of One whose essence is …
Saint Philip Neri
May 26 Spirit of God, Saint Philip Neri was a priest whom the people nicknamed the “Saint of Joy” because You had gifted him with a special sense of humor. His smile went with him when he visited the sick and the imprisoned, and when he served pilgrims who traveled to Rome. I ask him …
Saint Augustine of Canterbury
May 27 Holy God, Saint Augustine of Canterbury led a team of missionaries who converted the people of early England. He worked hard to establish in the Celtic churches liturgical practices that conformed to the Church of Rome, but he could not overcome the people’s determination to do things their own way. I ask him …
Saint Bernard of Menthon
May 28 Heavenly Father, Saint Bernard of Menthon protected travelers from thieves in the Alpine Mountains and established hospices for people making pilgrimages to Rome. In his memory, the noble dogs that are trained to search for missing victims in the mountains were named after him. I ask him to watch over me as I …
Saint Maximinius
May 29 Beloved Jesus, while Saint Maximinius was a bishop, he took a stand against those who persecuted the Church. He also protected other courageous bishops when they lost favor with those in political power. I ask Saint Maximinius to intercede for me when I am too concerned about being “politically correct” in the opinions …
Saint Ferdinand III of Castile
May 30 Christ the King, Saint Ferdinand III of Castile was a great administrator who had very deep faith. His friendship with You inspired him to be a just ruler, and he pardoned those who attacked his throne. I ask him to pray for the leaders and administrators who have been criticized unfairly by the …
Blessed Virgin Mary
May 31 Wonderful Lord, on the Feast of Blessed Virgin Mary’s visit with Elizabeth, we are reminded that You are a God of joy and that You always fulfill Your promises. I ask the Blessed Mother to intercede for me when I feel discouraged, so that my soul may always magnify You, O Lord. May …