Praying with the Saints

There are so many beautiful prayers, especially the ones given to us by the saints and those found in Scripture.

Sometimes you find one that you want to make part of your daily prayers.

I recently found a beautiful prayer by St. John Neumann, whose memorial we celebrated Jan. 5. The excerpt I saw was printed in the Magnificat monthly prayer publication. And I think the prayer is a keeper.

"I feel within myself and ardent desire to love Jesus and to be closely united with Him. The daily reception of His Sacred Body and Blood brings with it immense graces to my soul. But I find that I am not sufficiently watchful over my senses. I am indolent in the discharge of my duties. I say my prayers with distraction. O my dearest Jesus, what a great privilege to visit You daily, as often as I choose, and to receive You each day in Holy Communion!...
O my God, I  have consecrated myself to You.
Do with me whatever is most pleasing to You.

I beg of You, O my God, to let me see clearly what I ought to do.
O Jesus, grant me and to all the courage to resist the evil that is in the world.
You know, O my Jesus, that I would willingly suffer and die for You, though I am unworthy of such a grace.
I have consecrated myself entirely to You! You are my only Lord.
How gladly, O Lord, I thank you for the innumerable benefits You give me.
You are the best of fathers. I will be faithful in keeping Your commandments.
Take entire possession of me, O my dearest Jesus. To You I consecrate all the powers of my soul, my body and my whole being.
Teach me Your will, O dearest Lord, that I may begin and end all my actions for Your greater glory."

Amen!

I have a long way to go to be like St. John Neumann, but may his prayer help me on the path to Heaven. May his prayers, and those of all the saints, bless us all!

And with the Lord's help, may sanctity be our New Year's resolution and lifelong goal.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

St. John Neumann

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops highlights an American saint each month during the Year of Faith. St. John Neumann, the patron saint for Catholic schools, is our saint for December.

 

In 1836 the Bohemia native sailed to the United States to be ordained a priest. At that time, Neumann was one of only 36 priests in the country. He served thousands in a 'parish' that stretched from Lake Ontario through Pennsylvania.

 

God accomplished much through one man. Here are some highlights taken from the Web sites of the USCCB and the National Shrine of St. John Neumann:

• The saint reached out to everyone. He learned Gaelic so he could hear the confessions of the Irish immigrants and had learned Italian as a seminarian in Bohemia. He founded the first national parish for Italians in the United States.
• He was the first Redemptorist to profess vows in the United States and was appointed general superior of the American Redemptorists.
• In 1852, on his 41st birthday, he was consecrated as the fourth bishop of Philadelphia. He had become a U.S. citizen four years earlier.
• He founded the first diocesan Catholic school system, which quickly grew from two schools to one hundred.
• He is known for helping to establish the 40 Hours Devotion in the United States.
• Under the recommendation of Pope Pius IX, Neumann set up a religious order, the Third Order of Sisters of St. Francis.

Today seems an appropriate day to tell a story about our saint. Bishop Neumann traveled to a small parish to confirm the young people just after a snowstorm. The pastor explained that one candidate lived further away and could not make it, "but that's okay, he can be confirmed next year."

 

"Does he have a soul?" the bishop asked. After confirmation Bishop Neumann walked to the candidate's house and stayed with the family that night. In the morning he celebrated Mass and confirmed the young man.

 

Above all, St. John Neumann was holy. Let's adopt his simple prayer from his first Mass as a newly ordained priest:

 

"Dearest God, give me holiness!"

 

 

Inspired by this Year of Faith we will be posting columns like this about exploring and/or deepening our faith. Watch for it on Thursdays.

A Saint Among Us

Today is the feast of St. John Neumann. As the fourth bishop of Philadelphia he oversaw the growth of the Catholic Schools from two to over 100. He is considered a Patron Saint of Catholic Schools. Because he was born 200 years ago, the Redemptorists are celebrating this as his Jubilee year.

After he was canonized in 1977, the National Shrine of Saint John Neumann was constructed at the Parish of St. Peter the Apostle in Philadelphia. His remains rest under the altar of the shrine within a glass-walled reliquary.

Mrs. Wilson's third grade glass is borrowing a relic of St. John Neumann and will have it in their classroom from his feast day through Catholic Schools Week.

Relics vary from a hair or bone of a saint to a piece of cloth touched to a saint. Relics can be a way to come closer to the saints and thus form a closer bond with God. A relic can never be sold.

Fr. Damian is talking to the Chancery about relics that may be available for our parish. We would like to be able to put a relic in the new altar as part of our remodeling.