Catholic Saints & Feasts of the Liturgical Year

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August 5: Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major—Optional Memorial
(Our Lady of the Snows)

c. 352

Prayer:
Our Lady of the Snows, you sent down a gentle, pure-white snow from Heaven on the spot where you wanted a Church that would be dedicated in your honor. You are the Mother of God, the Theotokos, and I honor you and love you as such. Please pray for me, that I may also become a God-bearer by bringing the presence of your divine Son to those in my life who are most in need. Our Lady of the Snows, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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August 4: Saint John Vianney (the Curé of Ars), Priest—Memorial

1786–1859
Patron Saint of parish priests, all priests, and confessors
Canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925
Liturgical Color: White

Quote:
…I think, brethren, that you would like to know what is the state of the lukewarm soul. Well, this is it. A lukewarm soul is not yet quite dead in the eyes of God because the faith, the hope, and the charity that are its spiritual life are not altogether extinct. But it is a faith without zeal, a hope without resolution, a charity without ardor. Nothing touches this soul: it hears the word of God, yes, that is true; but often it just bores it…Who can dare assure himself that he is neither a great sinner nor a tepid soul but that he is one of the elect? Alas, my brethren, how many seem to be good Christians in the eyes of the world who are really tepid souls in the eyes of God, Who knows our inmost hearts. Let us ask God with all our hearts, if we are in this state, to give us the grace to get out of it, so that we may take the route that all the saints have taken and arrive at the happiness that they are enjoying. That is what I desire for you.  ~Homily, Saint John Vianney

Prayer:
Saint John Mary Vianney, you loved God with all your heart and introduced God to your people. Through you, Ars and much of France were converted. Please pray for me, that I will be open to the ministry of priests, receiving God’s Word and grace through them, offering them the love, support and respect due to them. I especially pray for the priests in my life, that they become holy shepherds in imitation of Christ. Saint John Vianney, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You. 

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Image: St John Mary Vianney by Lawrence OP

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August 2: Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop—Optional Memorial

c. 283 (or early Fourth Century)–371
Patron Saint of Piedmont, Italy
Pre-Congregation Canonization
Liturgical Color: White

Quote:
When I receive a letter from one of you and see in your writings your goodness and love, joy mingles with tears, and my desire to continue reading is checked by my weeping. Both emotions are inescapable, as they vie with each other in discharging their duty of affection, when such a letter satisfies my longing for you. Days pass in this way as I imagine myself in conversation with you, and so I forget my past sufferings. Consolations surround me on all sides: your firm faith, your love, your good works. In the midst of so many great blessings I soon imagine myself in your company, in exile no longer. ~Letter from prison, Saint Eusebius

Prayer:
Saint Eusebius, you were a faithful pastor who loved his flock, cared for the clergy, and defended the divinity of Christ. For your fidelity, you suffered greatly. Pray for me, that I will never allow suffering to deter me from my calling to share the love of Christ and to defend the truth for the good of others. Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You. 

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Image: Sebastiano Ricci, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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August 2: Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Priest—Optional Memorial

1811–1868
Invoked for an increase of devotion to the Holy Eucharist
Canonized by Pope John XXIII in 1962
Liturgical Color: White

Quote:
Holy Father…Why does the greatest of all mysteries not have its own religious group like the other mysteries; why would it not have men with a perpetual mission of prayer at the feet of Jesus in his divine Sacrament?…The Society of the Most Blessed Sacrament would not limit itself to this mission of prayer and contemplation. It would dedicate itself apostolically to the salvation of souls by using all the [necessary] means inspired by a wise zeal enlightened by the charity of Jesus Christ. It would work to lead to the feet of Jesus Eucharistic as many adorers as possible, by forming associations of adorers in the world, by giving private and public retreats for men in their Cenacle, especially for secular priests…The Society would gladly embrace all the works of zeal which concern the adorable Eucharist, such as 40 hour devotions, clergy retreats, preparations for first Communions… ~Letter to Pope Pius IX, from Saint Peter

Prayer:
Saint Peter Julian Eymard, God inspired within you, from an early age, a deep and unwavering love for His divine presence in the Most Holy Eucharist. You responded to that inspiration and fulfilled God’s will by spreading devotion to the Holy Eucharist far and wide. Please pray for me, that I will more fully embark on a mission to understand God’s divine presence in the Eucharist so that I will make a continually deepening gift of myself to Him. Saint Peter Julian Eymard, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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Image: Bendi07, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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August 1: Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church—Memorial

1696–1787
Patron Saint of confessors and moral theologians
Invoked against scrupulosity, arthritis, and for final perseverance
Canonized by Pope Gregory XVI in 1839
Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1871
Liturgical Color: White

Quote:
In the beginning of the soul’s conversion, God often gives her a flood of consolations. In consequence of this, the soul is gradually weaned from attachment to creatures and gives herself to God; but not as yet in a perfect manner, for she acts more for the sake of the consolations of God than for the God of consolations, as St. Francis de Sales so beautifully says. It is a common fault of our fallen nature that in everything we do, we seek our own gratification. The love of God and Christian perfection do not consist in sweet feelings and sensible consolations, but in overcoming our self-love and in fulfilling the Will of God. In the lives of God’s greatest servants and saints we see the milk of consolations give place to the more substantial food of afflictions; and this it is that enables them to bear the burden of the cross on their journey to Calvary’s Mount. ~Saint Alphonsus, The School of Perfection, Chapter Twelve

Prayer:
Saint Alphonsus, though you hated sin, you loved the sinner and worked tirelessly to reconcile every sinner to God. You did so with compassion and mercy, in imitation of Jesus. Please pray for me, that I will share in your convictions and mission, and seek to love every person who has turned from God. Saint Alphonsus Liguori, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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Image: public domain, via Wikimedia Commons