Traditional Catholic Daily Devotional

It's the Feast of Dedication of the Lateran Basilica of Our Savior, 2nd Class, with the color of White, and a commemoration of St. Theodore, Martyr. In this episode: today in Church History: "Pius IX Condemns Modern Errors in Qui Pluribus (1846)", the meditation: "Jesus, Our Model", a preview of the Sermon: "The Sanctifying Power of the Church", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Jesus, Our Model" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"The Sanctifying Power of the Church" (SSPX Sermons) https://youtu.be/p0TWJGGQWNQSSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-journey

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

If you went to Rome and asked to see the pope’s cathedral, you might expect someone to point you toward Saint Peter’s. You’d be sent across town instead, to Saint John Lateran. That’s the church whose dedication we celebrate today, November ninth. The pope is the Bishop of Rome, and the Lateran is where he has his cathedral. The word cathedral comes from cathedra, the bishop’s chair. That chair tells you more about the church’s place in Rome than its size or the crowds outside. The basilica goes back to Emperor Constantine, who financed its construction in the fourth century. According to the traditional date, Pope Saint Sylvester dedicated it on November ninth, 324. Its original dedication was to Christ the Savior. The names of Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist came later, which explains why the church most people call Saint John Lateran appears in the traditional missal as the Basilica of Our Savior. Above the entrance is an inscription calling it the mother and head of all the churches of Rome and the world. That’s quite a claim to put over a door. And it helps explain why Catholics far from Rome celebrate the anniversary of this particular church. The bishop whose chair stands there is also the successor of Saint Peter. Listen to how the traditional Mass opens. It takes us back to Jacob, who wakes after dreaming of a ladder reaching to heaven. He realizes that the place where he lay down is the house of God and the gate of heaven. A man goes to sleep with a stone for a pillow and wakes up afraid to overlook the holiness of the ground beneath him. Then the Epistle takes us in the other direction. Saint John sees the heavenly Jerusalem coming down from God, and hears that God will dwell with His people. In the space of a few minutes, the Mass takes us from a solitary traveler sleeping outdoors to a whole city filled with the presence of God. You can hear those readings in a little parish church thousands of miles from the Lateran. The next time you step through its doors, even if you’ve done it a thousand times, think of Jacob waking up. He hadn’t realized where he was. Lord Jesus Christ, make us mindful of Thy presence whenever we enter Thy house, and bring us at last into the heavenly Jerusalem. Amen. - - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the V Sunday after Epiphany, 2nd Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: today in Church History: "Catholic Forces Triumph at White Mountain (1620)", the meditation: "The Good Seed", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Good Seed" — From Epiphany to Lenthttps://angeluspress.org/products/epiphany-to-lent
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-journey

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

The bishop had gone to a monastery, hoping to spend the rest of his life in silence. Then the message arrived: he had to go back. That reluctant shepherd was Saint Godfrey of Amiens, remembered in the Roman Martyrology on November eighth. His story includes something we don’t always picture when we think of saints: a good man who became deeply discouraged by the work God had given him. Godfrey had grown up among Benedictine monks from about the age of five. Monastic life formed his habits, his prayer, and his understanding of responsibility. As abbot of Nogent, he took charge of a struggling community and helped it flourish. Then, in 1104, he became Bishop of Amiens. The city was caught in bitter struggles between powerful lords and townspeople seeking to defend their rights. Reforming the clergy brought further opposition. Godfrey had entered a world where correcting someone’s conduct could also mean challenging the powerful people protecting him. Yet his gentleness toward the poor could be wonderfully practical. An old account tells of people suffering from leprosy who came asking for food. Godfrey ordered a meal prepared, but hours later they were still waiting. So the bishop went into the kitchen himself, found a large salmon, hoisted it onto his shoulders, and carried it out to them. His steward complained that this generosity would leave the bishop begging too. Godfrey’s answer was that people redeemed by Christ’s blood shouldn’t go hungry while their bishop enjoyed fine food. It’s an unforgettable picture: episcopal charity arriving with a fish over its shoulder. But kindness didn’t make the conflicts disappear. Worn down, Godfrey withdrew to the Grande Chartreuse, the Carthusian monastery in the mountains. He wanted solitude, prayer, and release from an office he believed he wasn’t worthy to hold. Church authorities required him to return. He obeyed, though the accounts describe his tears. Godfrey died only months afterward, in 1115, while staying at the Abbey of Saint-Crépin in Soissons. His life offers a searching reminder about perseverance. Sometimes we imagine holiness will make our responsibilities feel natural, or at least make us confident that we’re doing them well. Godfrey’s story leaves room for exhaustion, disappointment, and the painful admission that we want to leave. His final obedience was to return to the people entrusted to him. Saint Godfrey, generous friend of the poor and shepherd in discouragement, pray for us. - - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's Our Lady on Saturday, 4th Class, with the color of White. In this episode: today in Church History: "Bolshevik Revolution Begins, Echoing Fatima's Warning (1917)", the meditation: "Prayer for Our Dear Departed", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Prayer for Our Dear Departed" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-journey

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

Most pilgrims walk to a saint’s tomb. In Echternach, Luxembourg, they hop. Thousands of them, moving through the streets to music, keeping a centuries-old act of devotion alive. The saint behind that unusual pilgrimage is Willibrord, whom the traditional Roman Martyrology remembers on November seventh. An English monk who became a missionary bishop, he helped plant the faith in the lands we now call the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Born in Northumbria around 658, Willibrord grew up in the monastic world of Saint Wilfrid. He later studied in Ireland before crossing to the continent with companions to evangelize the Frisians. His mission brought him into places where Christianity challenged deeply rooted religious fears. Alcuin, writing within sixty years of Willibrord’s death, describes a remarkable encounter on an island called Fositeland. Its spring was considered so sacred that people drew water only in complete silence. Even the grazing cattle were protected by religious taboos. Willibrord baptized three people in that spring, pronouncing the name of the Blessed Trinity. The islanders expected terrible consequences. When none followed, they reported him to their ruler. Summoned before the angry king, Willibrord answered with a direct appeal to abandon idols and receive baptism. Alcuin portrays a man whose courage left the ruler astonished, even though he refused conversion. That same missionary also built something quieter and more enduring: communities where Christian life could take root. His monastery at Echternach became a lasting center of prayer, and his tomb became a destination for pilgrims after his death in 739. Which brings us back to the hopping. Every Whit Tuesday, the Tuesday after Pentecost, pilgrims gather in Echternach. Moving in rows, linked by handkerchiefs, they hop rhythmically through the town toward the basilica and Willibrord’s shrine. Musicians repeat the traditional melody as successive groups make their way along the route. The custom has long been associated with petitions for healing, particularly illnesses involving convulsions. Its precise beginnings are debated, but the devotion has survived changing governments, attempted restrictions, and generations of curious spectators. It’s an extraordinary legacy for a monk who left home to preach among strangers. The churches he founded needed living congregations, people willing to keep passing on the faith. And in Echternach, that inheritance remains visible in something as simple, and as demanding, as pilgrims moving together toward a saint’s tomb. Saint Willibrord, tireless apostle of the Frisians and builder of Christian communities, pray for us. - - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: today in Church History: "The Emperor Who Put a Pope on Trial - 963", the meditation: "The Silence of the Souls in Purgatory", today's news from the Church: "Lost Sheep", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Silence of the Souls in Purgatory" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"Lost Sheep" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/lost-sheep-61925
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-journey

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

If you wanted to thank a saint for getting you out of prison, what would you leave at his shrine? For medieval pilgrims devoted to Saint Leonard, chains were an obvious choice. November sixth is a feria on the traditional calendar, but the Roman Martyrology remembers this hermit of Noblac, near Limoges in France. His memory connects prison cells, difficult childbirths, and some beautifully decorated horses. Leonard is traditionally placed in the sixth century. His surviving biography, however, was written centuries later, so its stories need to be introduced as traditions. According to that account, he belonged to a noble Frankish family and could have enjoyed a comfortable position near the royal court. Instead, he chose religious life. He obtained the release of prisoners and eventually settled in solitude near Limoges. Another story tells of his prayers helping a queen through a dangerous delivery. Grateful for her recovery, the king gave Leonard land for his monastery. That tradition helps explain why women in childbirth joined prisoners in seeking his intercession. His reputation spread remarkably far. During the Crusades, captives called upon him for deliverance. Bohemond of Antioch, himself a former prisoner, visited Leonard’s shrine in 1106 and offered silver chains in thanksgiving for his freedom. Then the story takes a turn toward the farmyard. In Bavaria, Leonard became a beloved protector of horses and cattle. One explanation connects this patronage with the chains he carries in religious art: people associated them with the chains used for livestock. Whatever the precise route, the devotion became deeply rooted in farming communities. At Bad Tölz, his feast brings a pilgrimage called the  . Horses pull elaborately decorated wagons carrying pilgrims in traditional dress. Church bells ring as the procession climbs to the chapel on Calvary Hill, where horses and people receive a blessing. This isn’t simply a parade with a religious name attached. The town explicitly describes it as living popular devotion. Families preserve the wagons, clothing, and customs, and younger generations continue taking their places in the procession. There’s something very Catholic about that scene. The animals that help sustain a household, the work of the fields, the anxiety of a prisoner’s family, and a mother’s dangerous labor all find room in the Church’s prayer. Leonard’s chains became signs of hope: reminders that suffering people could ask heaven for help. Saint Leonard, friend of captives and helper of those in distress, pray for us. - - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: today in Church History: "Three Popes and a Church Divided - 1414", the meditation: "The Glorious Return of Jesus", today's news from the Church: "“The Virgin Mary versus the Spirit of Assisi” - Letter from the Superior General to friends and benefactors No. 95", a preview of the Sermon: "Holiness Is for Everyone", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

Every morning, the Church borrows the words of a man who once couldn’t speak. Every day, Catholics repeat the greeting of his wife. Today is a feria on the traditional calendar, but the Roman Martyrology remembers Saints Zachary and Elizabeth, the parents of Saint John the Baptist. And this couple has left quite a mark on our prayer lives. There’s a detail about Zachary’s Temple service that’s easy to miss. Offering incense was an extraordinary privilege. The Jewish Mishnah describes the lottery as open to priests who had never performed that service before. For Zachary, this was a moment a priest might await his whole life. And he wasn’t the high priest entering the Holy of Holies. He was an ordinary priest serving at the incense altar in the Holy Place, outside the inner sanctuary. Beyond him, the people prayed while the incense rose. That makes Gabriel’s appearance especially striking. God met Zachary in the middle of the worship entrusted to him. Elizabeth, meanwhile, belonged to the priestly family of Aaron herself. Luke introduces both spouses as righteous before God, before telling us they were childless. Their sorrow wasn’t evidence that God had rejected them. They were already pleasing to Him during those long, unanswered years. Their memory has become part of the landscape around Ein Karem, near Jerusalem. Pilgrims visit churches commemorating John’s birth and Our Lady’s visit to Elizabeth. At the Visitation shrine, another tradition remembers Elizabeth fleeing with her little son from Herod’s soldiers. An ancient apocryphal account describes a mountain opening to shelter them. That episode isn’t in Scripture, but a stone preserved at the shrine keeps the tradition visible. Their most familiar memorial, though, requires no pilgrimage. Elizabeth’s greeting to Our Lady gave us the words about Mary being blessed among women and the fruit of her womb being blessed. We repeat them in the Hail Mary, often without picturing the elderly woman who first spoke them, filled with the Holy Ghost. Zachary’s canticle, the Benedictus, became the Church’s daily morning prayer at Lauds. Its promise of light for those sitting in darkness fits the rising sun beautifully. One spouse welcomes the Mother of God. The other announces the approaching dawn of salvation. Across the centuries, this husband and wife still teach the Church how to pray. Saints Zachary and Elizabeth, faithful spouses whose words still shape the prayer of the Church, pray for us. - - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Charles Borromeo, 3rd Class, with the color of White, and a commemoration of Sts. Vitalis and Agricola, Martyrs. In this episode: today in Church History: "A New Seminary for Catholic Tradition - 2016", the meditation: "The General Resurrection", today's news from the Church: "Great Is the Confusion Under Heaven", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The General Resurrection" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"Great Is the Confusion Under Heaven" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/great-confusion-under-heaven-61847
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-journey

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

The cardinal was kneeling at prayer when someone shot him in the back. While his household panicked, he motioned for them to finish their prayers. That was Saint Charles Borromeo, whose feast the traditional calendar celebrates on November fourth. His determination to reform the Church had made him enemies, including members of a religious order who arranged that assassination attempt. He survived with only a slight injury, then tried to obtain mercy for the conspirators. Charles had begun life with every advantage. Born into an aristocratic family in 1538, he was a young man when his uncle became Pope Pius IV and made him a cardinal. A comfortable ecclesiastical career lay open before him. Then his older brother died unexpectedly. Charles could have stepped into leadership of the family. Instead, the loss deepened his determination to give himself completely to God. He helped bring the Council of Trent to its conclusion, then devoted himself to putting its reforms into practice. In Milan, that meant establishing seminaries, teaching the faith, correcting abuses, and visiting remote mountain communities. He expected priests to take their vocation seriously, and held himself to an exacting standard of prayer and penance. But the clearest picture of Charles comes during the plague of 1576. He stayed among his people, visiting the sick and organizing relief. As hunger followed disease, he poured his resources into feeding families and incurred debts to keep assistance coming. Even household tapestries and church hangings became material for clothing the needy. Imagine looking around an archbishop’s residence and deciding the furnishings would be more useful on somebody’s back. He also worked to sustain worship during quarantine. Altars were erected at crossroads so that people confined to their homes could follow Mass from their windows. The streets themselves became places of prayer. Another pilgrimage left a lasting mark. In 1578, Charles wanted to venerate the Holy Shroud. To shorten his journey, the Duke of Savoy brought it from Chambéry to Turin. Charles traveled there on foot, praying and fasting. The Shroud remained in Turin afterward. Charles died in 1584, aged just forty-six. His body is venerated beneath Milan Cathedral, where pilgrims still encounter the memory of a shepherd who spent himself for his flock. His motto was one word: Humilitas, humility. His life showed how much courage that virtue can require. Saint Charles Borromeo, courageous shepherd and father of the poor, pray for us. • • • •

Today in Church History: A New Seminary for Catholic Tradition - 2016

On November 4, 2016, more than a thousand Catholics gathered in the Virginia countryside to celebrate an extraordinary milestone for the Society of St. Pius X: the inauguration of its new St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary. For nearly three decades, the Society's American seminarians had studied in Winona, Minnesota. But with growing numbers of vocations, the old facilities were becoming increasingly crowded. Now, after years of planning, construction, fundraising, and countless sacrifices, an enormous new seminary had risen in Dillwyn, Virginia. Bishop Bernard Fellay, then Superior General of the SSPX, celebrated a Pontifical Mass and blessed the new buildings, surrounded by priests, seminarians, and faithful from across the country. The occasion fell on the feast of St. Charles Borromeo, the great reforming bishop who had worked tirelessly to establish seminaries following the Council of Trent. It was a particularly fitting coincidence. In his sermon, Bishop Fellay emphasized that the beauty and dignity of the new buildings were intended to help form priests whose lives would be entirely dedicated to God. For the Society, the project represented much more than a new campus. It was a continuation of Archbishop Lefebvre's central mission: preserving the Catholic priesthood, the Traditional Latin Mass, and the Church's perennial teachings for generations yet to come. - - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: today in Church History: "1867 - The Pope's Soldiers Defeat Garibaldi", the meditation: "The School of the Saints", today's news from the Church: "SALUS ANIMARUM – The Documentary Is Now Available", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The School of the Saints" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"SALUS ANIMARUM – The Documentary Is Now Available" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/salus-animarum-documentary-now-available-61928
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-journey

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

When Saint Malachy visited the monastery of Clairvaux in France, he found something he badly wanted: a place where he could finally settle down and be a monk. He even asked the pope’s permission to stay. The pope sent him back to Ireland with more responsibilities. You can imagine how that felt. Malachy had already spent years trying to untangle problems that powerful people preferred to leave tangled. Born at Armagh around 1094, he became a priest, an abbot, and a bishop in an Irish Church with a magnificent spiritual inheritance, but also some deeply entrenched abuses. At Armagh, control of ecclesiastical office had become the possession of a powerful family, passed along almost like inherited property. Malachy’s predecessor, Saint Celsus, had begun breaking that arrangement. Malachy had to carry the work forward. Opposition delayed his taking possession of Armagh, and the struggle involved rival claimants, political pressure, and competing claims to the ancient symbols of authority. There was nothing comfortable about this assignment. Malachy persevered, restoring ecclesiastical discipline and strengthening the Church’s connection with Rome. Eventually, he relinquished Armagh and continued his work as Bishop of Down. His friendship with Saint Bernard gave him encouragement. Malachy loved the prayerful life at Clairvaux, and although he couldn’t remain there, he arranged for Irish companions to receive formation among its monks. That friendship helped bring the Cistercians to Ireland, with the foundation of Mellifont Abbey in 1142. Something fruitful grew from the quiet life he had wanted for himself. Bernard’s account also gives us a wonderfully human glimpse of their affection. When Malachy returned in 1148, Bernard, despite his own weakness, hurried out to meet him, embracing and kissing his friend. The whole monastery rejoiced. Then Malachy developed a fever. He died there on November second, surrounded by the monks, with Bernard beside him. His Irish labors had ended, but he had reached the place where he had longed to rest. An especially touching detail survives in the accounts of their burial: Malachy was buried wearing Bernard’s habit. Five years later, Bernard was buried wearing Malachy’s. Centuries afterward, in 1982, a portion of Malachy’s relics returned to Armagh and was placed in the cathedral’s new altar. Centuries afterward, in 1982, a portion of Malachy’s relics returned to Armagh and was placed in the cathedral’s new altar. The bishop who had worked so hard for his people had, in that tangible way, come home. Saint Malachy, pray for us. - - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Commemoration of All Souls, 1st Class, with the color of Black. In this episode: today in Church History: "Priests Given Permission to Say Three Masses", the meditation: "The Existence of Purgatory", a preview of the Sermon: "Help the Poor Souls in Purgatory", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Existence of Purgatory" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"Help the Poor Souls in Purgatory" (SSPX Sermons) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5SfIAAFWgsSSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-journey

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

Yesterday, the Church celebrated the saints in heaven. Today, she asks us to remember those still waiting to enter its fullness. All Souls’ Day carries a very personal invitation: someone you love may still need your prayers.

Christians prayed for the dead long before this commemoration appeared on the calendar. But its familiar November date took shape in the monasteries of medieval France. In 998, Saint Odilo, abbot of Cluny, directed the monasteries under his authority to remember all the faithful departed on the day after All Saints. The observance gradually spread through the Western Church.

The placement makes sense. First, we rejoice with the Church triumphant. Then we help the souls in purgatory, who have died in God’s friendship but still need purification. Their salvation is assured. Their suffering is real. And through prayer, almsgiving, and especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we can help them.

One remarkable development came during the First World War. In 1915, Pope Benedict XV extended to priests throughout the Church the privilege of offering three Masses on All Souls’ Day. Amid so much death, the Church multiplied her greatest prayer for the departed.

Around that prayer grew some memorable local customs.

In England, people went “souling” around All Saints and All Souls. Poor neighbors and children visited houses asking for food, receiving small “soul cakes.” In return, they offered prayers for the household’s departed relatives. Charity reached in both directions: food for the hungry, prayers for the dead.

In Sicily, November second became a day children eagerly anticipated. Families prepared gifts and baskets of sweets, traditionally described as presents from deceased relatives. Among the treats were painted sugar figures and frutta martorana, almond sweets shaped and colored to resemble real fruit. This was family folklore, rather than Church teaching, but it helped keep departed grandparents and other relatives present in children’s memories.

Underneath the cakes, flowers, and family customs lies something wonderfully practical. Love still has work to do after a funeral. We can have Masses offered, visit a cemetery, give alms, or pause over a name and say a prayer.

And the Church remembers beyond our own family circle, asking mercy for all the faithful departed, including those whom nobody else remembers.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of All Saints, 1st Class, with the color of White, and a commemoration of XXIII Sun. of Pentecost. In this episode: today in Church History: "The Day the Society of St. Pius X Was Born", the meditation: "The Feast of All Saints", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Feast of All Saints" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-journey

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

If you walked into a Polish cemetery on the evening of November first, you might find it glowing with thousands of candles. Families gather around graves, bringing flowers and remembering those who have gone before them. It’s one of the most striking sights of All Saints’ Day, a feast whose history reaches back to the early Church.

Christians were celebrating the martyrs together by the fourth century. There were simply too many to give each one a separate feast. In Rome, the celebration gained a remarkable home: the Pantheon. In 609 or 610, Pope Boniface IV dedicated that former pagan temple to Our Lady and all the martyrs. Imagine the statement that made. A building once associated with Rome’s gods now honored Christians who had refused to worship them.

That dedication was celebrated on May thirteenth. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel at Saint Peter’s to all the saints, with an anniversary on November first. Under Gregory IV in the following century, the November celebration spread throughout the Western Church.

And the feast embraces far more people than those whose names appear in our missals. It honors everyone in heaven, including saints whose lives passed almost entirely unnoticed.

Over the centuries, Catholics gave this celebration some wonderfully local expressions.

In parts of Portugal, children go from house to house on November first asking for Pão por Deus, “bread for God’s sake.” Carrying bags and reciting little verses, they traditionally receive bread, cakes, nuts, or fruit. The details vary from village to village, but sharing food is at the heart of it.

In Spain, bakery counters fill with huesos de santo, “saints’ bones.” These little sweets traditionally have a marzipan exterior and a sweet egg-yolk filling. Apparently, even bones can become an occasion for good Catholic baking. Families also bring flowers to the cemetery, linking the feast with the remembrance of their dead.

Those cemetery customs overlap with All Souls’ Day on November second, but the Church makes a beautiful distinction. On All Saints, we rejoice with the blessed in heaven and ask their prayers. On All Souls, we pray for the faithful departed still being purified.

Together, the days remind us that our family in Christ reaches beyond the people we can see. Some are already home. Others still need our prayers. And we are walking toward the same heavenly homeland.

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Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Our Lady on Saturday, 4th Class, with the color of White. In this episode: today in Church History: "Pius XII Consecrates the World to Mary", the meditation: "Jesus, Our King", today's news from the Church: "Access to St. Peter's Denied to the Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Jesus, Our King" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"Access to St. Peter's Denied to the Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/access-st-peters-denied-summorum-pontificum-pilgrimage-61822
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-journey

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

Saint Alphonsus Rodríguez spent much of his life answering a door. But before he ever picked up the college keys, he had buried his wife, lost all three of his children, and watched his livelihood fall apart.

He had been a cloth merchant in Segovia, Spain. Marriage and fatherhood were his life, until a succession of deaths left him a grieving widower. When he turned toward religious life, even that door seemed closed. The Jesuits considered him too old, too poorly educated, and too frail. He tried again. Eventually, a superior recognized something the entrance requirements couldn’t measure, and Alphonsus entered as a brother in 1571.

His assignment brought him to the Jesuit college in Palma, on the island of Majorca. There he became the porter, welcoming visitors, carrying messages, finding people, and giving assistance to the poor.

You can imagine the interruptions. Just when you’ve settled down, somebody needs something. Again.

Alphonsus made those interruptions part of his prayer. When the bell rang, he would turn toward Christ with the words, “Here I am, Lord!” The person outside might need directions, food, or someone willing to listen. Alphonsus tried to receive each one as he would receive Our Lord.

One person who sought him out was a young Jesuit named Peter Claver. Peter had plenty of zeal, but wasn’t sure where to direct it. The elderly brother befriended him, talked with him about prayer, and encouraged him toward the missions in Spanish America. Peter eventually devoted his life to enslaved Africans arriving in Cartagena. The college doorkeeper had helped a future saint find his calling across the ocean.

There was also much more happening within Alphonsus than visitors could see. At his spiritual director’s urging, he recorded his interior life. His writings eventually filled eight published volumes. Behind the familiar face at the entrance was a man of profound prayer, penance, and extraordinary mystical graces. He hadn’t written to build a reputation. He was obeying his director and keeping account of God’s work in his soul.

Alphonsus died on October 31, 1617. In 1888, he and Peter Claver were canonized together. Their friendship had borne fruit in two very different places: among the suffering people of Cartagena, and at a college entrance where, day after day, someone rang the bell.

Saint Alphonsus Rodríguez, pray for us.

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feria VI after XXII Sunday after Pentecost, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: today in Church History: "Vatican II's Battle Over Papal Authority", the meditation: "Jesus, Our Model", today's news from the Church: "Bishop de Sivry in Écône: Be Proud of Our Lord Jesus Christ as King", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "Why Catholics Confess to a Priest", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Jesus, Our Model" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"Bishop de Sivry in Écône: Be Proud of Our Lord Jesus Christ as King" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/bishop-sivry-econe-be-proud-our-lord-jesus-christ-king-61811
The SSPX Podcast: "Why Catholics Confess to a Priest" (SSPX Podcast) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqcg0eQF2yEListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-journey

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

Saint Germanus of Capua is one of those early Italian bishops whose life is remembered largely because of an extraordinary friendship with another saint.

And that friend was none other than Saint Benedict.

Germanus lived during the late fifth and early sixth centuries, when Italy was going through enormous changes. The Western Roman Empire had collapsed, barbarian kingdoms were taking its place, and the Church was often the one institution holding communities together.

Germanus came from a distinguished family in Capua, near Naples. According to tradition, after his father's death, he gave much of his inheritance to the poor and entered the clergy.

He eventually became Bishop of Capua around the year 516.

And almost immediately, he found himself involved in one of the biggest controversies in the Church.

For decades, Rome and Constantinople had been divided by the Acacian Schism, a dispute involving the teaching of the Council of Chalcedon and the authority of the pope. In 519, Pope Hormisdas sent a delegation to Constantinople to negotiate an end to the division.

Germanus was one of the bishops chosen for the mission.

Think about that assignment.

Traveling from Italy to Constantinople in the sixth century was no small undertaking. Germanus had to deal with imperial officials, Eastern bishops, and decades of theological and political resentment.

But the mission succeeded.

The schism ended in 519, restoring communion between Rome and Constantinople after thirty-five years of division. Germanus had helped accomplish something that generations of churchmen had struggled to achieve.

But the most famous story about Germanus comes from the end of his life.

Pope Saint Gregory the Great tells it in his Dialogues.

One evening, Saint Benedict was praying in his monastery at Monte Cassino. Suddenly, he experienced an extraordinary vision. According to Gregory, Benedict saw the whole world gathered beneath a single ray of light.

And within that light, he saw a soul being carried to heaven by angels.

It was the soul of Germanus, Bishop of Capua.

Benedict immediately called one of his monks and told him what he had seen. A messenger was sent to Capua, where he discovered that Germanus had died at precisely the time Benedict had experienced the vision.

It's one of the most remarkable episodes in Gregory's account of Saint Benedict.

And it gives us an interesting glimpse into how the early Church understood the communion of saints. Two holy men, living in different places, were united in prayer so deeply that one was permitted to witness the other's entrance into eternity.

Germanus died around the year 540, and devotion to him became especially strong in southern Italy. His relics were eventually honored at Monte Cassino, the great Benedictine abbey whose founder had witnessed his passing.

Germanus had been a diplomat, a bishop, and a defender of Church unity.

But the story that endured wasn't about his negotiations with emperors.

It was about a monk watching his friend go to heaven.

Saint Germanus of Capua, peacemaker of the Church and holy friend of Saint Benedict, pray for us.

- - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: today in Church History: "Constantine Enters Rome", the meditation: "Man in the Image of God", today's news from the Church: "A New World Map of SSPX Mass Centers", a preview of the Sermon: "The Fight for Christ the King", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Man in the Image of God" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"A New World Map of SSPX Mass Centers" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/new-world-map-sspx-mass-centers-61795
"The Fight for Christ the King" (SSPX Sermons) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7ELmGWz33QSSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-journey

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

Saint Gaetano Errico is one of those Italian saints who spent nearly his entire life in one neighborhood, yet managed to build something that eventually spread across the world.

He was born in 1791 in Secondigliano, a working-class district outside Naples. His father made pasta, his mother worked as a weaver, and Gaetano was one of nine children.

There wasn't much money to spare.

But from an early age, Gaetano wanted to become a priest. He was ordained in 1815 and returned to Secondigliano, where he began teaching, preaching, hearing confessions, and caring for families who were struggling to get by.

And he became particularly interested in one thing.

Getting people back into the confessional.

Gaetano believed that many Catholics stayed away from confession not because they had stopped believing, but because they were frightened, ashamed, or convinced that God could never forgive what they had done.

He wanted to change that.

He became known for spending enormous amounts of time hearing confessions, patiently encouraging people who hadn't approached the sacrament in years.

But the most interesting part of his story began during a retreat.

In 1818, Gaetano traveled to Pagani, where he prayed at the tomb of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, the great moral theologian and founder of the Redemptorists.

According to Gaetano's own account, Alphonsus appeared to him and told him that God wanted him to establish a new religious congregation.

Gaetano was understandably overwhelmed.

He was a young parish priest with limited resources, and founding a religious order was hardly a small undertaking.

But he began working toward it.

He first built a church in Secondigliano dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, which became the center of his new community. Eventually, in 1833, he founded the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

Notice the plural.

Hearts.

Gaetano wanted his priests to contemplate both the love of Christ and the maternal compassion of His Blessed Mother. Their mission would be preaching, parish missions, religious instruction, and especially the sacrament of Penance.

The congregation faced years of financial difficulties, opposition, and uncertainty. Gaetano often had to keep the work going with very little money and even fewer assurances that it would succeed.

But he remained in Secondigliano.

That's one of the striking things about his life.

While other great missionaries crossed oceans, Gaetano kept returning to the same streets, the same families, and the same confessional.

He died in 1860, after forty-five years of priestly ministry.

His remains are still venerated in the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows in Secondigliano, and the congregation he founded continues its work in several countries.

Gaetano understood that you don't always have to travel far to find a mission field.

Sometimes it's the neighborhood where you grew up.

And sometimes the greatest miracle is helping someone who has been away from confession for twenty years finally believe that God still wants him back.

Saint Gaetano Errico, apostle of confession and devoted servant of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, pray for us.

- - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Sts Simon and Jude, 2nd Class, with the color of Red. In this episode: today in Church History: "1958 - Election of John XXIII", the meditation: "Lying", today's news from the Church: "Consecrations Without a Mandate: Why Was Patriarch Slipyj spared and the SSPX Is Condemned?", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Lying" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"Consecrations Without a Mandate: Why Was Patriarch Slipyj spared and the SSPX Is Condemned?" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/consecrations-without-mandate-why-patriarch-slipyj-spared-and-sspx-condemned-61793
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

Saints Simon and Jude share a feast day on October 28, and there's something rather interesting about these two Apostles.

They're among the Twelve, yet the Gospels tell us almost nothing about either of them.

Simon is called "the Zealot," which may suggest an association with Jewish religious nationalism, although it could simply describe his enthusiasm for the Law. Jude, meanwhile, is identified as Thaddeus and is traditionally associated with the short Epistle of Saint Jude in the New Testament.

But what happened to them after Pentecost?

That's where the traditions become much more interesting.

According to ancient Christian accounts, Simon preached in Egypt and other parts of North Africa, while Jude carried the Gospel into Mesopotamia and Persia. Later traditions bring the two Apostles together in Persia, where they preached, converted many people, and eventually suffered martyrdom.

Their deaths are traditionally described in rather gruesome ways.

Simon is sometimes said to have been sawed in half, which explains why religious art frequently depicts him holding a saw. Jude is often shown carrying a club or axe, recalling the instrument traditionally associated with his martyrdom.

But Jude has another distinction.

He became the patron saint of hopeless causes.

And there's a wonderfully curious explanation for that.

Because Jude shared a name with Judas Iscariot, Christians were sometimes reluctant to invoke him, fearing confusion with the Apostle who betrayed Christ. According to later devotional tradition, this meant Jude received fewer prayers than the other Apostles.

So when people finally did turn to him, it was often because they had exhausted every other possibility.

The association grew, and Jude became one of the Church's most beloved patrons for desperate situations.

His devotion became especially strong in the twentieth century. In Chicago, a Claretian priest established a national shrine to Saint Jude in 1929, during a period when economic hardship was beginning to overwhelm American families. As the Great Depression deepened, thousands turned to Jude for help.

Today, devotion to him remains enormous throughout the Americas, especially in Mexico, where crowds gather at churches dedicated to San Judas Tadeo on the twenty-eighth of each month.

There's also an interesting artistic detail. Jude is often depicted holding a small image of Christ against his chest. This recalls the ancient tradition of King Abgar of Edessa, who sought healing from Jesus and received an image associated with His holy face. Later accounts connect Jude with bringing Christ's image and the Gospel to Edessa.

Simon and Jude never became as famous as Peter, Paul, or John.

But their memory traveled across continents.

One became associated with the courage of martyrdom.

The other became the Apostle people call upon when everything seems lost.

Saints Simon and Jude, faithful Apostles of Christ and companions in martyrdom, pray for us.

- - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: today in Church History: "1986 - Assisi Prayer Meeting", the meditation: "The Restitution of Debts", today's news from the Church: "Hong Kong: Cardinal Zen's Conviction Confirmed on Appeal", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Restitution of Debts" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"Hong Kong: Cardinal Zen's Conviction Confirmed on Appeal" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/hong-kong-cardinal-zens-conviction-confirmed-appeal-61727
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Saint Frumentius of Axum helped bring Christianity to Ethiopia, and his story begins with a shipwreck, a royal palace, and two young brothers who found themselves very far from home.

Frumentius lived during the fourth century and came from the eastern Mediterranean, probably the city of Tyre. As a young man, he and his brother Aedesius accompanied a Christian scholar named Meropius on a voyage along the Red Sea.

Then disaster struck.

Their ship stopped along the African coast, where the travelers were attacked. Most of the party was killed, but the two boys survived and were taken to the royal court at Axum, in what is now northern Ethiopia.

And here's where the story takes an unexpected turn.

Rather than remaining ordinary captives, the brothers impressed the king with their intelligence and abilities. Aedesius became a royal cupbearer, while Frumentius was entrusted with important administrative responsibilities.

Eventually, Frumentius became a trusted adviser to the royal family.

When the king died, his widow asked Frumentius to help govern the kingdom and educate the young prince, Ezana.

Imagine that.

A Christian boy who had arrived as a captive was now helping raise the future king of one of Africa's most powerful kingdoms.

Frumentius used his position to encourage Christianity. He helped Christian merchants establish places of worship and gradually introduced the faith to people at court.

When the young king was old enough to rule, Frumentius traveled to Alexandria and met Saint Athanasius, the great defender of Christ's divinity.

Frumentius explained that Christianity was taking root in Axum and asked for a bishop.

Athanasius listened carefully.

Then he made a rather surprising decision.

He consecrated Frumentius himself.

Frumentius returned to Ethiopia as its first bishop and continued evangelizing the kingdom. Under King Ezana, Christianity became the religion of the royal court and eventually took root throughout the country.

There's a remarkable piece of evidence for this transformation.

Early coins of King Ezana displayed traditional pagan symbols. Later coins began featuring the Christian cross. You can actually see the kingdom's conversion reflected in its money.

Ethiopian Christians remember Frumentius by the affectionate title Abba Salama, meaning "Father of Peace." He is also called Kesate Birhan, or "Revealer of Light."

His influence lasted far beyond his lifetime.

Ethiopia developed one of the world's oldest continuous Christian traditions, preserving ancient liturgical practices, distinctive sacred art, and extraordinary churches carved directly into rock.

Even today, the Ethiopian Church remembers the young foreigner who arrived through tragedy and became the father of its Christian faith.

Frumentius never planned to become a missionary to Ethiopia.

He was simply trying to survive a terrible journey.

But God turned that unexpected arrival into the beginning of a Christian civilization that has endured for nearly seventeen centuries.

Saint Frumentius of Axum, Father of Peace and Apostle of Ethiopia, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria / Comm. St. Evaristus, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: today in Church History: "2009 - Rome and the SSPX Begin Historic Doctrinal Discussions", the meditation: "The Virtue of Justice", today's news from the Church: "France: One Less Religious Building Every Week", a preview of the Sermon: "The World and Church's First Commandment Problem", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Virtue of Justice" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"France: One Less Religious Building Every Week" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/france-one-less-religious-building-every-week-61752
"The World and Church's First Commandment Problem" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Christ the King, 1st Class, with the color of White. In this episode: today in Church History: "1147 - Two Battles in the Second Crusade", the meditation: "A Trick Question", today's news from the Church: "Spain: The Bishop of Malaga Encourages LGBT Activists to Transform the Church", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"A Trick Question" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"Spain: The Bishop of Malaga Encourages LGBT Activists to Transform the Church" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/spain-bishop-malaga-encourages-lgbt-activists-transform-church-61677
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Raphael the Archangel, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: today in Church History: "1260 - Consecration of Chartres", the meditation: "Blessed Are the Merciful", today's news from the Church: "The Fight for the Mass (1/3): The First Resistance Fighters", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Blessed Are the Merciful" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"The Fight for the Mass (1/3): The First Resistance Fighters" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/fight-mass-1/3-first-resistance-fighters-61720
Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop


 

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Anthony Mary Claret, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: today in Church History: "1956 – Catholic Hungary Rises Against Communism", the meditation: "The Example of a Saint", today's news from the Church: "SALUS ANIMARUM: A Documentary About the Episcopal Consecrations of 2026", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "What Is the Communion of Saints?", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Example of a Saint" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"SALUS ANIMARUM: A Documentary About the Episcopal Consecrations of 2026" (FSSPX.news) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjYc07qGfnI
The SSPX Podcast: "What Is the Communion of Saints?" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: today in Church History: "October 22, 1962 — Vatican II Begins Debating the Sacred Liturgy", the meditation: "The Imitation of Jesus Christ", today's news from the Church: "Cardinal Zuppi: The Reassuring Face of Modernism", a preview of the Sermon: "What Does It Mean to Forgive?", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Imitation of Jesus Christ" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"Cardinal Zuppi: The Reassuring Face of Modernism" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/who-are-you-judge-61240
"What Does It Mean to Forgive?" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

 It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "A Difficult Law", today's news from the Church: "The Cardinals Who Have Lost Their Way", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"A Difficult Law" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"The Cardinals Who Have Lost Their Way" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/cardinals-who-have-lost-their-latin-61680
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. John Cantius, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Forgiveness of Injuries", today's news from the Church: "Cardinal Roche Rules Out Any Return to Freedom for the Traditional Mass", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Forgiveness of Injuries" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent
"Cardinal Roche Rules Out Any Return to Freedom for the Traditional Mass" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/cardinal-roche-rules-out-any-return-freedom-traditional-mass-61638
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Peter of Alcantara, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Bankrupt Servant", today's news from the Church: "Leo XIV Revives the Assisi Scandal of 1986", a preview of the Sermon: "The Miracle of the Sun and the Reality of Hell", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Bankrupt Servant" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Leo XIV Revives the Assisi Scandal of 1986" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/assisi-leo-xiv-revives-scandal-1986-61599
"The Miracle of the Sun and the Reality of Hell" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of XXI Sun of Pentecost / St. Luke, 2nd Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "Divine Mercy", today's news from the Church: "The Appeal Against the Decree of Excommunication is Ongoing in Rome", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Divine Mercy" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"The Appeal Against the Decree of Excommunication is Ongoing in Rome" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/communique-general-house-appeal-against-decree-excommunication-ongoing-rome-61602
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

Saint Luke is traditionally remembered as a physician, a companion of Saint Paul, and the author of the third Gospel. But what makes him especially interesting is how differently he tells the story of Jesus compared with the other Evangelists.

For one thing, Luke wasn't writing primarily for a Jewish audience.

Matthew constantly points back to Old Testament prophecies, showing how Jesus fulfills the promises made to Israel. Luke certainly does that too, but he writes with a particular concern for the wider Greek-speaking world. His Gospel emphasizes that Christ came not only for Israel, but for every nation.

And he tells us something unusual right at the beginning.

Luke opens his Gospel almost like a historian. He explains that he has investigated the accounts handed down by eyewitnesses and carefully arranged them for a man named Theophilus, so that he can know the certainty of what he has been taught.

That's quite different from Mark, who launches almost immediately into John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness.

Luke also gives us stories we wouldn't have without him.

The Annunciation.

The Visitation.

The shepherds at Bethlehem.

The finding of Jesus in the Temple.

In fact, much of what Catholics know about the early life of Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin comes from Luke alone. Ancient Christian tradition has even suggested that Luke learned some of these details directly from Mary, although Scripture doesn't explicitly tell us that.

Then there are his parables.

The Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the Rich Man and Lazarus are all found only in Luke. Notice what they have in common: mercy, repentance, wealth, poverty, and the surprising ways God turns human expectations upside down.

Luke is especially attentive to people society overlooks.

Women appear prominently throughout his Gospel. So do the poor, tax collectors, Samaritans, and sinners. His account repeatedly shows Christ seeking people whom others have dismissed.

And Luke's story doesn't end with the Resurrection.

He also wrote the Acts of the Apostles.

That's a fascinating detail because Luke effectively gave the Church a two-volume history. His Gospel tells what Christ did during His earthly ministry. Acts shows how the risen Christ continued His work through the Apostles and the Holy Ghost.

Together, those two books make up more than a quarter of the New Testament.

There's also an old tradition that Luke painted the first image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Several famous icons, including ones venerated in Rome and the Christian East, have been attributed to him, although those artistic attributions cannot be historically verified.

That tradition is fitting, though.

Luke's Gospel has given Christian artists some of their most beloved scenes for nearly two thousand years.

Without Luke, we would know far less about Bethlehem, Our Lady's early experiences, the mercy of Christ, and the beginnings of the Church.

Saint Luke the Evangelist, faithful historian of Christ and herald of God's mercy, pray for us.

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Faith in the Angels", today's news from the Church: "Liquid Magisterium", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "The Roman Catechism: Who Belongs to the Church?", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Faith in the Angels" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Liquid Magisterium" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/liquid-magisterium-61534
The SSPX Podcast: "The Roman Catechism: Who Belongs to the Church?" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

Saint Richard Gwyn was a Welsh schoolteacher who had a remarkable talent for getting under the skin of the authorities. He was intelligent, stubborn, deeply Catholic, and apparently had a sense of humor that even imprisonment couldn't take away.

He was born around 1537 in Montgomeryshire, Wales, and received an excellent education, studying at Oxford and Cambridge. Eventually he returned to Wales, married a woman named Catherine, and became a schoolteacher. Together they raised a family while England and Wales were undergoing enormous religious changes.

Under Queen Elizabeth I, attendance at Protestant services was compulsory, and Catholics who refused could face heavy fines and imprisonment.

Richard refused.

He believed the Catholic Mass and the authority of the Pope were worth defending, even when doing so threatened his livelihood and his family.

Eventually, he was arrested.

The authorities tried several ways to make him conform. On one occasion, Richard was taken to a Protestant church and placed in front of the pulpit so he would have to listen to the sermon.

Richard had other ideas.

According to the traditional accounts, he began rattling his chains so loudly that nobody could hear the preacher.

When ordered to stop, he reportedly replied that he was making noise because he didn't want to hear what was being preached.

That didn't improve his relationship with the authorities.

During his imprisonment, Richard continued writing Welsh religious poetry, much of it defending the Catholic faith and criticizing the religious policies of the government. His verses are among the most interesting surviving examples of Welsh Catholic resistance during the Reformation.

And he wasn't imprisoned for just a few weeks.

Richard spent years in confinement, separated from his wife and children, repeatedly pressured to abandon his faith.

Eventually he was charged with treason, largely because of his refusal to accept the religious settlement and his defense of Catholic authority.

At his trial, Richard defended himself with the same sharp wit that had made him so troublesome in prison. When witnesses offered contradictory testimony, he pointed out the inconsistencies and refused to pretend the accusations were true.

He was condemned anyway.

On October 15, 1584, Richard was taken to the marketplace in Wrexham and executed by hanging, drawing, and quartering.

According to tradition, his final words included a prayer for his executioners and an appeal to God for mercy.

Today, Richard Gwyn is remembered as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970. His memory remains especially strong in Wales, where Catholic schools and churches bear his name.

There's something particularly appealing about Richard's story.

He wasn't a bishop.

He wasn't a famous theologian.

He was a husband, a father, and a teacher who refused to surrender his faith.

And when the authorities tried to silence him, he sometimes responded by making even more noise.

Saint Richard Gwyn, courageous Welsh martyr and joyful defender of the Catholic faith, pray for us.

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Hedwig, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "St. Michael in History", today's news from the Church: "Corsica: The Desecration of a Statue of the Virgin Mary Sparks Outrage", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"St. Michael in History" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Corsica: The Desecration of a Statue of the Virgin Mary Sparks Outrage" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/corsica-desecration-statue-virgin-mary-sparks-outrage-61546
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

Saint Hedwig of Silesia was a duchess who lived in a castle, raised a family, and had access to just about every comfort medieval Europe could offer.

Yet she became famous for something rather unusual.

She refused to wear shoes.

Hedwig was born around 1174 into a noble Bavarian family and married Henry the Bearded, Duke of Silesia, while still a young girl. Together they governed a large territory in what is now Poland, raised seven children, and became important supporters of the Church.

But Hedwig had very little interest in living like a wealthy duchess.

She wore simple clothing, fasted frequently, and often walked barefoot, even through the freezing winters of Silesia.

Her confessor eventually ordered her to wear shoes.

Hedwig obeyed, in a manner of speaking.

According to a beloved tradition, she began carrying her shoes in her hands instead of wearing them. When questioned, she could truthfully say she always had them with her.

Apparently, even medieval saints could be clever about following instructions.

But Hedwig's generosity was much more than a personal exercise in poverty.

She established hospitals, supported monasteries, helped prisoners, and regularly visited poor families. One particularly interesting practice involved people imprisoned for debt. Rather than simply paying their debts and sending them away, Hedwig sometimes arranged work for them so they could support themselves and their families.

She also took a personal interest in the women serving in her household, helping them obtain education, religious instruction, and suitable marriages.

Her greatest foundation was the Cistercian convent at Trzebnica, established with her husband in 1202. It became one of the most important religious houses in medieval Poland.

And her own family experienced considerable suffering.

Several of her children died young, and in 1241 her son Henry II was killed fighting the Mongol invasion at the Battle of Legnica. The defeat was devastating, and much of Silesia feared further destruction.

Hedwig mourned her son, but according to her early biography, she accepted the news with remarkable faith, entrusting him to God's mercy.

After her husband's death, she spent much of her remaining life near the convent at Trzebnica, where her daughter Gertrude was abbess. Although Hedwig never formally became a nun, she lived simply among the sisters and continued her works of charity.

She died in 1243.

Today, pilgrims still visit the magnificent Basilica of Saint Hedwig in Trzebnica, where her tomb has been venerated for centuries. She remains one of the great patron saints of Silesia and an important figure in both Polish and German Catholic history.

And there's something wonderfully memorable about her legacy.

She had a duchess's wealth, a noble family's influence, and a castle to live in.

Yet people remembered her bare feet.

Saint Hedwig of Silesia, generous mother of the poor and humble duchess of Christ, pray for us.

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Teresa of Avila, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Angels in the Old Testament", today's news from the Church: "Leo XIV Relaunches Vatican Diplomacy in Moscow", a preview of the Sermon: "Dwell in the Sacred Heart", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Angels in the Old Testament" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Leo XIV Relaunches Vatican Diplomacy in Moscow" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/russia-leo-xiv-relaunches-vatican-diplomacy-moscow-61543
"Dwell in the Sacred Heart" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

Saint Teresa of Ávila is famous for her mystical visions, her reform of the Carmelites, and her extraordinary writings on prayer. But some of the best stories about her reveal a woman who was practical, funny, occasionally exasperated, and remarkably good at handling difficult people.

For example, Teresa once found herself dealing with a nun who insisted she was receiving extraordinary supernatural revelations. Rather than immediately believing her, Teresa suspected the woman might be imagining things. According to an account in her Foundations, she arranged for the sister to eat properly, sleep more, and spend less time dwelling on her supposed visions.

Teresa understood something important.

Not every unusual spiritual experience comes from heaven.

She also had a wonderful sense of humor about her own difficulties. One famous story says that while traveling between convents, Teresa fell into a muddy stream and complained to God about how badly He treated His friends. According to the traditional telling, Our Lord answered, "Teresa, that is how I treat My friends."

Teresa supposedly replied, "No wonder You have so few!"

The exchange is probably legendary, but generations of Catholics have loved it because it sounds exactly like the Teresa they encounter in her writings.

Then there were her adventures in convent administration.

Teresa founded seventeen reformed Carmelite convents, often with almost no money, unreliable transportation, difficult local authorities, and buildings that needed enormous repairs. In her letters, she worried about everything from spiritual formation to whether the sisters had enough blankets.

She was a mystic who could spend hours in contemplation and then turn around and negotiate a property purchase.

One of her lesser-known accomplishments was her insistence that recreation mattered. Teresa wanted her nuns to laugh together, enjoy conversation, and avoid becoming gloomy or overly solemn. She believed that a community unable to live cheerfully together would struggle to grow in charity.

And she was remarkably suspicious of exaggerated holiness.

Teresa disliked unnecessary displays of penance, especially when they damaged someone's health or made life difficult for everyone else. She repeatedly emphasized obedience, common sense, and genuine charity over spectacular spiritual experiences.

There's also a fascinating detail about her death.

Teresa died on the night of October 4, 1582, just as Spain was adopting the Gregorian calendar. The calendar jumped directly from October 4 to October 15, meaning that Teresa's death became associated with the very date on which the Church now celebrates her feast.

She literally died during the disappearance of ten calendar days.

Teresa's greatness wasn't simply that she experienced extraordinary visions.

It was that she combined profound mystical prayer with an astonishing amount of practical wisdom.

She could contemplate heaven.

And then make sure the convent roof didn't leak.

Saint Teresa of Ávila, joyful reformer of Carmel and wise teacher of prayer, pray for us.

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Callistus, 3rd Class, with the color of Red. In this episode: the meditation: "The Mission of Guardian Angels", today's news from the Church: "Tomorrow, the Antichrist? When Theology Sheds Light on Geopolitics", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Mission of Guardian Angels" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Tomorrow, the Antichrist? When Theology Sheds Light on Geopolitics" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/tomorrow-antichrist-when-theology-sheds-light-geopolitics-61530
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

Saint Fortunatus of Todi is one of those early Italian bishops whose reputation survived for fifteen hundred years, thanks in large part to some remarkable stories preserved by Pope Saint Gregory the Great.

Fortunatus lived during the sixth century and served as Bishop of Todi, a hilltop town in central Italy. This was a difficult period for the region. The Western Roman Empire had collapsed, wars were sweeping through Italy, and bishops often found themselves responsible for far more than the spiritual needs of their people.

Fortunatus became especially known for his charity, his prayers, and, according to Gregory, an extraordinary gift for working miracles.

One of the most unusual stories concerns a horse.

A Gothic soldier had left his horse in Fortunatus's care. When the soldier returned, the animal became so wild that nobody could approach it. Fortunatus simply made the Sign of the Cross, and the horse immediately became calm.

Apparently, even the horses recognized a holy bishop.

But Gregory records something considerably more astonishing.

A man came to Fortunatus grieving the death of his son. He begged the bishop to restore the boy to life. Fortunatus initially refused, insisting that such power belonged to God alone.

The father wouldn't give up.

According to the account, Fortunatus eventually knelt beside the child's body and prayed. The boy was restored to life.

Gregory included this story in his Dialogues, a collection of accounts about the holy men and women of Italy. These weren't simply entertaining legends to Gregory. He wanted Christians living through frightening and uncertain times to remember that God had not abandoned His Church.

Fortunatus also became associated with the healing of the sick and the deliverance of those suffering from demonic oppression. His reputation spread well beyond Todi, and pilgrims began visiting his tomb after his death.

And here's something particularly interesting about his legacy.

The church dedicated to him in Todi eventually became one of the town's most magnificent buildings. The present Church of San Fortunato is a beautiful medieval structure overlooking the surrounding Umbrian countryside. Its crypt preserves the memory of the bishop, and the church also contains the tomb of Jacopone da Todi, the thirteenth-century Franciscan poet traditionally associated with the Stabat Mater.

So one church connects an early miracle-working bishop with one of medieval Catholicism's most famous religious poets.

Fortunatus died around the year 565, but his name never really left Todi.

For centuries, the townspeople have remembered him not as a powerful ruler or famous scholar, but as the bishop who cared for them and whose prayers, they believed, could accomplish extraordinary things.

Saint Fortunatus of Todi, compassionate shepherd and wonderworker of Umbria, pray for us.

- - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Edward the Confessor, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "St. Michael the Archangel", today's news from the Church: "The Essence of the Fatima Message of October 13, 1917", a preview of this week's episode of Abp. Lefebvre Audiobook: "I Have Handed On What I Received", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"St. Michael the Archangel" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"The Essence of the Fatima Message of October 13, 1917" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/essence-fatima-message-october-13-1917-22754
The SSPX Podcast: "I Have Handed On What I Received" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

Saint Edward the Confessor was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England, and his reign ended just months before one of the most famous events in English history: the Norman Conquest of 1066. But Edward's story is interesting for another reason. He was a king who became a saint not because he died in battle or suffered martyrdom, but because he tried to govern his kingdom with justice, generosity, and a genuine love for God. Edward was born around 1003 into the English royal family. His childhood was anything but peaceful. When Danish invaders took control of England, Edward was forced into exile in Normandy, where he spent much of his youth. Imagine growing up as a prince who couldn't actually live in his own country. He eventually returned to England and became king in 1042. By then, he was already known for his religious devotion and gentle character. Edward was not the sort of king who enjoyed warfare. He preferred settling disputes, helping the poor, and supporting the Church. One tradition says that he was so generous that when a beggar asked for money and Edward had none available, he removed a valuable ring from his finger and gave it away. That ring became part of one of England's most beloved royal legends. According to the story, years later two pilgrims traveling in the Holy Land encountered a mysterious old man who identified himself as Saint John the Evangelist. He gave them a ring to return to Edward, explaining that he had received it from the king while disguised as a beggar. The message also foretold Edward's approaching death. Another tradition says Edward possessed the gift of healing. People suffering from a disease known as   came to him for help, and he reportedly cured them through prayer and touch. This helped establish the famous English custom of the Royal Touch, in which later kings touched sufferers while praying for their healing. But Edward's most visible legacy is something you can still visit. He rebuilt Westminster Abbey. Edward wanted a magnificent church dedicated to Saint Peter beside his royal palace in London. The abbey was consecrated in December 1065, just days before Edward died in January 1066. The building we see today is largely a later Gothic reconstruction, but Edward's shrine remains at its heart. And here's where the story gets especially interesting. After Edward's death, England descended into a succession crisis. Within months, William the Conqueror invaded, defeated King Harold at Hastings, and changed English history forever. Yet the Norman kings who followed continued honoring Edward. In fact, his reputation for holiness became so important that later English monarchs looked to him as a model of Christian kingship. His crown, or at least the crown traditionally associated with him, became part of the symbolism of English coronations. Even today, the crown used for the most solemn moment of a British coronation is called Saint Edward's Crown. That's an extraordinary legacy for a king who died nearly a thousand years ago. Edward's title, "the Confessor," simply means that he witnessed to the faith through a holy life rather than through martyrdom. He never conquered a great empire. He never founded a religious order. But he left behind a shrine, an abbey, and an ideal of kingship that survived the very dynasty he belonged to. Saint Edward the Confessor, holy king of England and protector of the poor, pray for us. - - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "The Trial of the Angels", today's news from the Church: "Leo XIV Wanted to Rediscover the "Ecumenical Potential" of the Augsburg Confession", a preview of the Sermon: "Pray the Rosary Every Day", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Trial of the Angels" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Leo XIV Wanted to Rediscover the "Ecumenical Potential" of the Augsburg Confession" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/leo-xiv-wanted-rediscover-ecumenical-potential-augsburg-confession-61516
"Pray the Rosary Every Day" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

Saint Wilfrid of York was one of the most influential bishops in early English history, but he also had an extraordinary talent for getting into arguments.

With kings.

With bishops.

And occasionally with almost everyone at once.

He was born around 634 in Northumbria, in northern England, when Christianity was still taking root among the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. As a young man, Wilfrid spent time at the monastery of Lindisfarne before traveling to Rome, something that was still quite an adventure in the seventh century.

That journey changed his life.

Wilfrid became convinced that the English Church needed to follow the liturgical customs of Rome more closely. At the time, Christians in northern England followed traditions inherited from Irish missionaries, including a different method of calculating the date of Easter.

That might sound like a small disagreement.

It wasn't.

In 664, the famous Synod of Whitby gathered to settle the question. Wilfrid argued passionately for the Roman calculation of Easter, pointing to the authority of Saint Peter and the practice of the Roman Church.

King Oswiu eventually agreed.

That decision helped bring the churches of Northumbria into closer conformity with Roman practice, and Wilfrid became one of the most important churchmen in England.

But his troubles were just beginning.

Wilfrid was appointed Bishop of York, although disputes over his consecration and jurisdiction repeatedly interrupted his ministry. At one point, he returned from being consecrated in Gaul only to discover that another bishop had been installed in his place.

Later, when King Ecgfrith and Archbishop Theodore divided his enormous diocese into smaller territories, Wilfrid objected and appealed directly to Rome.

He won support from the pope.

The king was not impressed.

Wilfrid was imprisoned and eventually forced into exile.

And here's where his story takes an unexpected turn.

Rather than spend his exile simply complaining about what had happened, Wilfrid became a missionary.

He traveled to Sussex, where much of the population was still pagan, and began preaching Christianity. According to Saint Bede, the region was suffering from a terrible drought. Wilfrid taught the people how to fish using nets, something they apparently had not practiced successfully before.

Then, as he baptized converts, rain finally returned.

For the people of Sussex, that was quite an introduction to Christianity.

Wilfrid later carried out missionary work among the Frisians on the European mainland as well.

He eventually returned to Northumbria, although further disputes and exiles followed. His career was complicated, and even sympathetic accounts suggest he could be stubborn and difficult.

But he was also extraordinarily determined.

Wilfrid founded monasteries, built impressive stone churches, and helped establish Roman liturgical customs throughout northern England. His great foundations at Ripon and Hexham became important centers of Christian learning and worship.

One particularly fascinating survival is the seventh-century crypt at Hexham Abbey, traditionally associated with Wilfrid's original church. Visitors can still descend into the stone passages built during his lifetime, nearly fourteen hundred years ago.

Wilfrid died in 709 after decades of preaching, traveling, governing, arguing, and occasionally starting over.

He wasn't always easy to get along with.

But he believed the unity of the Church was worth fighting for.

Saint Wilfrid of York, tireless missionary and defender of the unity of the Church, pray for us.

- - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of XX Sunday after Pentecost, 2nd Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "The Existence of Guardian Angels", today's news from the Church: "La Reja: 14 Commitments, 2 taking of the Habit and first Vows", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Existence of Guardian Angels" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"La Reja: 14 Commitments, 2 taking of the Habit and first Vows" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/la-reja-14-engagements-2-taking-habit-and-first-vows-61515
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

One of the most extraordinary titles given to the Blessed Virgin Mary is also one of the oldest: Mother of God.

And believe it or not, there was a time when Christians argued fiercely over whether Mary could properly be called that.

The story takes us back to the fifth century, when a bishop named Nestorius became Patriarch of Constantinople. Nestorius objected to calling Mary Theotokos, a Greek word meaning "God-bearer" or "Mother of God." He preferred the title "Mother of Christ," fearing that the other title confused Christ's humanity with His divinity.

That might sound like a minor disagreement over words.

It wasn't.

The real question was who Jesus Christ actually is. Was He one divine Person, truly God and truly man, or could His humanity and divinity somehow be treated as belonging to separate subjects?

Saint Cyril of Alexandria strongly defended the title Mother of God, explaining that Mary did not give Christ His divine nature, but she truly gave birth to the Person who is God the Son.

In 431, bishops gathered at the Council of Ephesus to settle the controversy.

The council upheld Mary's title as Theotokos and condemned Nestorius's teaching.

According to ancient accounts, when the people of Ephesus learned the council's decision, they celebrated with enormous enthusiasm. Crowds accompanied the bishops through the streets carrying torches, rejoicing that the Church had defended both the divinity of Christ and the dignity of His Mother.

That celebration became one of the great moments in the history of Marian devotion.

But here's something interesting.

The feast of Mary's Divine Maternity on October 11 is actually much newer than the Council of Ephesus.

In 1931, exactly fifteen hundred years after the council, Pope Pius XI established the Feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the universal Roman calendar. He wanted Catholics to commemorate the anniversary of Ephesus and reflect on the extraordinary privilege God had given Mary.

The feast was assigned to October 11 and celebrated as a second-class feast in the traditional calendar.

Pius XI also issued the encyclical Lux Veritatis, explaining the importance of the Council of Ephesus and its teaching about Christ and His Mother.

The feast remained on October 11 in the 1962 Roman Missal. After the liturgical reforms, the separate October celebration was removed from the general calendar, while the ancient feast of January 1, honoring Mary's divine motherhood, became the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

There's something beautiful about the history of this feast.

The Church didn't call Mary Mother of God simply to give her another magnificent title.

She did it to defend the truth about her Son.

Because the Child Mary held in her arms at Bethlehem was not merely a holy man who would someday become united to God.

He was God Himself, made man.

And that makes Mary's motherhood unlike any other in human history.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

- - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Francis Borgia, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Heaven", today's news from the Church: "Pilgrimage to the Holy Martyrs Despite the Ban by the Cardinal of Toronto", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Heaven" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Pilgrimage to the Holy Martyrs Despite the Ban by the Cardinal of Toronto" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/canada-pilgrimage-holy-martyrs-despite-ban-cardinal-toronto-61508
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

 

Saint Francis Borgia had just about everything a man could want in sixteenth-century Spain. He was wealthy, powerful, happily married, and closely connected to the royal family.

Then one encounter with death changed the way he looked at everything.

Francis was born in 1510 into the famous Borgia family. His family included some of the most powerful figures in Renaissance Europe. Francis became a trusted member of the court of Emperor Charles V, married a noblewoman named Eleanor de Castro, and together they had eight children.

By his late twenties, he was already one of the most important noblemen in Spain.

Then, in 1539, Empress Isabella died.

Francis was assigned to accompany her body to Granada for burial. According to the famous account, when the coffin was opened to verify her identity, he was horrified by how quickly the beautiful young empress had begun to decay.

The experience shook him.

He reportedly resolved never again to serve a master who could die.

It wasn't that Francis suddenly abandoned everything. He still had a wife, children, and responsibilities. In fact, he became Duke of Gandía and spent several years governing his estates, raising his family, and caring for the poor.

But something had changed inside him.

When Eleanor died in 1546, Francis began seriously considering religious life. He had encountered the newly founded Society of Jesus and was deeply impressed by its spiritual ideals.

Eventually, he made an extraordinary decision.

He gave up his dukedom, arranged for his children's futures, and entered the Jesuits.

Imagine the scandal at court.

One of Spain's wealthiest noblemen had voluntarily exchanged his title, estates, and political influence for the life of an ordinary priest.

And he wasn't finished surprising people.

Francis eventually became the third Superior General of the Jesuits, succeeding Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Father Diego Laínez. Under his leadership, the order expanded dramatically. He strengthened Jesuit schools, encouraged missionary work, and helped send missionaries to distant parts of the world.

There's an interesting connection to Saint Teresa of Ávila, too. Francis met Teresa during the early years of her mystical experiences and encouraged her after hearing about her spiritual life. Two great reformers of the sixteenth-century Church found themselves supporting one another.

Francis died in Rome in 1572, exhausted after a demanding diplomatic mission undertaken at the pope's request.

His relics are venerated in Madrid, where devotion to him has continued for centuries.

Francis Borgia's life wasn't a rejection of marriage, family, or public service. He had lived all three faithfully.

But he learned that none of them, not even an emperor's favor or a nobleman's fortune, could last forever.

And he wanted to give his life to the One who could.

Saint Francis Borgia, humble Jesuit and nobleman who chose the treasures of heaven, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

- - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. John Leonardi, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Hell", today's news from the Church: "Saint Marys: Growth that Shows No signs of Slowing Down", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "What Does the Holy Ghost Do?", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Hell" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Saint Marys: Growth that Shows No signs of Slowing Down" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/saint-marys-growth-shows-no-signs-slowing-down-61478
The SSPX Podcast: "What Does the Holy Ghost Do?" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

Saint John Leonardi was a pharmacist who became a priest, founded a religious order, and eventually helped lay the groundwork for the Church's worldwide missionary efforts.

He was born in 1541 near Lucca, Italy, and as a young man trained to become an apothecary. In those days, an apothecary was part pharmacist, part herbalist, and part medical adviser. John learned how to prepare medicines, treat illnesses, and care for people who came looking for help.

But the more he worked with the sick, the more he began thinking about another kind of healing.

The healing of souls.

At thirty-one, John was ordained a priest, and he immediately noticed something troubling. Many Catholics in Lucca knew surprisingly little about their faith. The Council of Trent had called for better religious instruction, but putting those reforms into practice was taking time.

John decided to do something about it.

He began gathering children and young people for catechism lessons. Before long, other priests joined him, and in 1574 he founded the community that eventually became the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God.

And that's when the trouble started.

Not everyone appreciated John's enthusiasm for reform. His efforts to improve religious life brought him into conflict with influential people in Lucca. Opposition became so intense that he was eventually forced to leave his hometown.

Imagine founding a religious community to help your neighbors and then discovering that some of those neighbors would rather you stayed away.

John took the disappointment to Rome.

There, he became friends with Saint Philip Neri and continued working for the renewal of the Church. He also developed a remarkable interest in foreign missions.

Together with the Spanish priest Juan Bautista Vives, John promoted the idea of establishing a center in Rome where young men from different nations could be trained as missionaries.

That proposal helped prepare the way for the Church's later missionary institutions, including the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, established in 1622, thirteen years after John's death.

There's also an interesting connection to his original profession.

John never really stopped being an apothecary at heart.

He simply came to believe that the Church needed spiritual medicine just as urgently as sick people needed physical medicine. His approach to reform wasn't merely to criticize what was wrong. He wanted to provide better priests, better catechism, and better spiritual formation.

In 1609, when an epidemic struck Rome, John personally cared for the sick. He contracted the disease himself and died on October 9.

He was sixty-eight.

Today, his relics are venerated in the Church of Santa Maria in Campitelli in Rome, where the religious community he founded continues its work.

John Leonardi began his career preparing medicine for the body.

He spent the rest of his life trying to bring souls back to health.

Saint John Leonardi, devoted teacher of the faith and physician of souls, pray for us.

- - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Bridget of Sweden, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Wedding Garment", today's news from the Church: "SSPX Pilgrims Left at the Gates of the Chiquinquirá Basilica", a preview of the Sermon: "Your Best Self Is Your Holiest Self", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Wedding Garment" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"SSPX Pilgrims Left at the Gates of the Chiquinquirá Basilica" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/colombia-sspx-pilgrims-left-gates-chiquinquira-basilica-61432
"Your Best Self Is Your Holiest Self" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Saint Bridget of Sweden was a wife, a mother of eight children, a widow, a mystic, and eventually a religious foundress. And somewhere along the way, she also found time to tell kings and popes what they were doing wrong.

She was born in 1303 into one of Sweden's wealthiest noble families. As a young girl, Bridget developed a deep love for Christ's Passion, and according to tradition, she began experiencing visions when she was still a child.

At thirteen, she married a nobleman named Ulf Gudmarsson.

And by all accounts, they had a happy marriage.

Together they raised eight children, including their daughter Catherine, who would also become a saint. Bridget managed their household, helped the poor, and eventually served at the Swedish royal court. She and Ulf even made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

After Ulf died, Bridget's life took a very different direction.

She began receiving the extraordinary visions that would eventually fill several volumes known as her Revelations. These included detailed meditations on the Nativity and Passion of Christ, many of which influenced European religious art for centuries.

But Bridget wasn't content simply to write down visions.

She acted on them.

At the time, the popes were living in Avignon, France, rather than Rome. Bridget became convinced that the papacy needed to return to the Eternal City, and she wasn't particularly shy about saying so.

She sent messages to popes, kings, and bishops, sometimes warning them in remarkably direct language to reform their lives.

Imagine being a medieval king and receiving a letter from a Swedish widow explaining exactly how you were failing God.

Bridget eventually moved to Rome, where she spent years caring for the poor, visiting churches, and working to establish a new religious community.

That community became the Bridgettine Order, with its motherhouse at Vadstena in Sweden. One unusual feature was its double-monastery arrangement: monks and nuns lived separately but belonged to the same foundation, governed by an abbess.

There's also a fascinating connection to Christmas.

The familiar image of the Christ Child lying on the ground, surrounded by brilliant light while Mary kneels in adoration, owes much of its popularity to a vision Bridget described during a pilgrimage to Bethlehem. Before that, Western artists often portrayed Mary reclining after childbirth. Bridget's account helped change how generations imagined the Nativity.

She died in Rome in 1373 after returning from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Today, pilgrims can visit her rooms in Rome's Piazza Farnese or travel to Vadstena, where her relics are honored and her religious community took root.

Bridget's life is a reminder that holiness doesn't belong to just one stage of life. She served God as a wife, mother, widow, pilgrim, and religious foundress.

And she apparently never lost the courage to speak her mind.

Saint Bridget of Sweden, courageous mother, mystic, and pilgrim of Christ, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Feast of the Holy Rosary, 2nd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Attitude of Those Invited to the Feast", today's news from the Church: "Ireland: Three Days in the Footsteps of St. Declan", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Attitude of Those Invited to the Feast" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Ireland: Three Days in the Footsteps of St. Declan" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/ireland-three-days-footsteps-st-declan-61379
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

The Feast of the Most Holy Rosary on October 7 is famously connected with the Christian victory at Lepanto in 1571, when Pope Saint Pius V asked Catholics throughout Europe to pray the Rosary for the Christian fleet.

But that's only one chapter in a much larger story.

For centuries, Catholics have turned to the Rosary during moments when things seemed almost hopeless.

One of the strangest examples comes from nineteenth-century Italy and a man named Bartolo Longo.

Longo had grown up Catholic but drifted badly during his university years. He became involved in occultism and eventually described himself as having been ordained a satanic priest. His life became increasingly miserable until friends helped bring him back to the Catholic faith.

Even after his conversion, though, Longo was haunted by his past.

Then one day, while walking near Pompeii, he remembered words a priest had told him: "If you seek salvation, spread the Rosary."

So he did.

Longo spent the rest of his life promoting the Rosary, building the great Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary at Pompeii, helping orphans and the children of prisoners, and turning a place associated with ancient paganism into one of the world's great Marian pilgrimage sites.

The former occultist eventually became Blessed Bartolo Longo.

Then there is Fatima.

In 1917, Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children in Portugal and repeatedly asked them to pray the Rosary every day. At her final apparition on October 13, she identified herself as Our Lady of the Rosary.

But perhaps one of the most remarkable modern Rosary stories comes from Hiroshima.

When the atomic bomb exploded over the city in 1945, a small community of Jesuit priests was living only several blocks from the center of the blast. Their rectory was damaged, but the priests survived. One of them, Father Hubert Schiffer, later spoke publicly about their survival and said they believed they had been protected because they were living the message of Fatima and praying the Rosary daily.

Their survival has sometimes accumulated exaggerated details in retellings, so we should be careful about turning it into a scientific proof of a miracle.

But the priests themselves knew what they believed.

They credited Our Lady.

And that's really what makes the Rosary's history so fascinating.

It appears in enormous historical events like Lepanto.

It appears in apparitions like Fatima.

It appears in the conversion of a former occultist at Pompeii.

And it appears much more quietly beside hospital beds, in prison cells, around family tables, and in the hands of Catholics facing things they simply don't know how to fix.

The Rosary doesn't promise that every battle ends the way we want.

It gives us something to do when we've reached the point where there is nothing left to do except place the situation in God's hands.

One bead.

One Hail Mary.

And then another.

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, refuge in every trial and Mother who always leads us to Christ, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Bruno, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Spouse", today's news from the Church: "Sister Mary Michael, the First Sister of the SSPX Celebrates 50 Years of Her Profession", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Spouse" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Sister Mary Michael, the First Sister of the SSPX Celebrates 50 Years of Her Profession" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/sister-mary-michael-first-sister-sspx-celebrates-50-years-her-profession-61396
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Saint Bruno founded one of the strictest religious orders in the Catholic Church, and more than nine hundred years later, his monks are still living remarkably close to the way he did.

Bruno was born around 1030 in Cologne, Germany. He was brilliant, studied at some of Europe's best cathedral schools, and eventually became a respected teacher at Reims. Among his students was a man who would later become Pope Urban II.

Bruno could have had a very successful Church career.

Instead, he wanted silence.

In 1084, Bruno and six companions went looking for somewhere they could disappear. The Bishop of Grenoble, Saint Hugh, gave them an isolated valley high in the French Alps called Chartreuse.

It was perfect.

Cold.

Remote.

Difficult to reach.

Basically everything Bruno was looking for.

There the men built individual cells around a small church and began living an unusual combination of hermit and community life. Each monk spent most of his time alone, praying, studying, working, and eating in his cell. They gathered for certain prayers and on special occasions, but solitude remained at the heart of their vocation.

That little community became the Carthusian Order, taking its name from Chartreuse.

And the Carthusians became famous for something extremely rare in Church history.

They basically never needed a major reform.

Religious orders often go through periods of expansion, decline, reform, and renewal. The Carthusians simply kept doing more or less what they had always done. This gave rise to their famous saying: Stat crux dum volvitur orbis — "The Cross stands while the world turns."

Bruno himself didn't get to stay at Chartreuse as long as he wanted.

Remember that former student who became pope?

Urban II called him to Rome.

Bruno obeyed, but court life was almost unbearable for a man who had deliberately moved into the Alps to avoid exactly that sort of thing. Eventually he received permission to return to solitude, this time in Calabria in southern Italy, where he founded another hermitage.

There's also a funny connection to Bruno's legacy.

The Carthusian monks eventually became associated with the famous green and yellow Chartreuse liqueur, made from a secret recipe involving more than a hundred herbs and plants. Only a tiny number of monks know the complete recipe at any given time.

So one of the world's most secretive drinks comes from one of the world's most secretive religious orders.

Bruno died in Calabria in 1101.

Today, Carthusian monks still live behind monastery walls in profound silence, following a way of life that would be immediately recognizable to him.

In a world that seems increasingly incapable of being quiet for five minutes, Bruno's legacy feels almost radical.

He believed silence wasn't empty.

It was where he could finally hear God.

Saint Bruno, father of the Carthusians and lover of sacred silence, pray for us.

 

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "The Wedding Feast of the Son", today's news from the Church: "About Pope Leo XIV", a preview of the Sermon: "Prayer and St. Thérèse", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Wedding Feast of the Son" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"About Pope Leo XIV" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/about-pope-leo-xiv-61399
"Prayer and St. Thérèse" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Saint Flora of Beaulieu is one of those medieval saints whose life was almost completely hidden inside a convent, and yet the stories that survived about her are surprisingly vivid. She was born around 1300 in the Quercy region of southern France. Her family was prosperous, and like many parents of the time, they expected Flora eventually to marry. Flora had absolutely no interest in that plan. From childhood she wanted religious life, and while still young she entered the monastery of Beaulieu, where she became a nun of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, better known today as the Knights  . That alone is interesting. We usually picture the Hospitallers as armored knights defending pilgrims in the Holy Land. But the order also included religious women who lived lives of prayer and service. Flora belonged to one of those communities. And convent life was not immediately easy for her. Early accounts describe Flora going through years of spiritual dryness, anxiety, and temptation. At times she apparently wondered whether she had made a terrible mistake by entering religious life. She stayed. Eventually those difficult years gave way to an unusually intense life of prayer. Flora became especially devoted to the Passion of Christ and the Holy Eucharist, and other sisters began reporting that she would fall into ecstasy during prayer. One of the strangest traditions concerns the Eucharist. According to accounts of her life, while Flora was praying during Mass she saw Christ Himself in the Sacred Host. Other mystical experiences followed, and she became known for a remarkable awareness of events taking place far from the convent. One tradition says that during prayer she experienced a vision of a battle involving the Knights Hospitaller overseas and somehow knew of their victory before news could possibly have reached Beaulieu. For a cloistered nun in fourteenth-century France, that's quite a story. But Flora apparently wasn't interested in becoming a local celebrity. She continued the ordinary routine of convent life, trying to keep attention away from herself even as people increasingly sought her prayers. She died around 1347. Her relics remained at Beaulieu for centuries, and devotion to her became particularly strong in the surrounding region. The old convent church associated with her still survives near Issendolus, preserving the memory of a woman who spent most of her life within a few monastery walls. Flora never founded anything. She never traveled as a missionary. She barely went anywhere at all. Her entire adventure was interior. And perhaps that's what makes her interesting. Some saints traveled across continents looking for God. Flora stayed in one place and discovered just how much could happen there. Saint Flora of Beaulieu, hidden contemplative and lover of the Holy Eucharist, pray for us. Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >> - - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of XIX Sunday after Pentecost - Rosary Sunday, 2nd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The First Espousals", today's news from the Church: "In Flüeli, Pilgrims Kept Vigil Beside St. Nicholas", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The First Espousals" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"In Flüeli, Pilgrims Kept Vigil Beside St. Nicholas" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/switzerland-flueli-pilgrims-kept-vigil-beside-st-nicholas-61281
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Today is the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, but this year it also falls on Rosary Sunday, which gives us a perfect excuse to look at a side of Francis we don't talk about nearly as often: his deep love for the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Francis is usually remembered for poverty, the stigmata, and maybe a bird or two.

But one of the deepest threads running through his spirituality was his love for the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Francis lived before the Rosary had developed into exactly the form Catholics know today, so we shouldn't picture him walking around Assisi with a modern five-decade rosary. But Marian prayer was everywhere in his life.

And one little chapel became especially important.

Early in his conversion, Francis discovered a crumbling church outside Assisi dedicated to Saint Mary of the Angels. We know it better as the Portiuncula. Francis repaired it with his own hands and came to love the place so much that it became the spiritual home of the entire Franciscan movement.

He wanted his friars close to Mary.

According to his early biographer Thomas of Celano, Francis had an almost indescribable love for the Mother of Jesus because, as he put it, she "made the Lord of Majesty our brother."

That's such a Franciscan way of looking at Mary.

He loved her because she gave us Jesus.

Francis composed prayers in her honor as well. In his *Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary*, he piles title upon title upon her: Holy Lady, Queen, Mother of God, Virgin made Church.

And his Marian devotion became part of the DNA of the Franciscan Order.

Later Franciscans became some of the strongest defenders of the Immaculate Conception. Blessed John Duns Scotus provided the theological explanation that became enormously influential in the Church's understanding of the doctrine. Franciscans also helped spread devotions such as the Franciscan Crown, a seven-decade rosary meditating on the Seven Joys of Mary.

So there's a beautiful connection this year with Saint Francis's feast falling on Rosary Sunday.

Francis didn't see devotion to Mary as something competing with devotion to Christ. Quite the opposite.

Mary fascinated him because everything about her pointed toward Jesus.

And perhaps nowhere is that clearer than at the end of his life.

When Francis knew he was dying, he asked his brothers to carry him back to the Portiuncula.

Back to Saint Mary of the Angels.

Back to the little chapel dedicated to Our Lady where so much of his vocation had begun.

There, lying near the tiny church he loved, Francis died on the evening of October 3, 1226.

For all the enormous basilicas, paintings, statues, and stories that later surrounded him, Francis chose to finish his life beside a little chapel of the Blessed Virgin.

That's not a bad image for Rosary Sunday.

Stay close to Mary.

Because Francis understood exactly where she always takes us.

To Christ.

Saint Francis of Assisi, devoted son of Our Lady and joyful brother of Christ, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St Therese of the Child Jesus, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Acts and Fruits of Penance", today's news from the Church: "A Successful First Outing for the "O Roma Felix" Camp of the Sisters of the SSPX", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Acts and Fruits of Penance" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"A Successful First Outing for the "O Roma Felix" Camp of the Sisters of the SSPX" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/rome-successful-first-outing-o-roma-felix-camp-sisters-sspx-61235
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus is famous for her "Little Way," the idea that holiness doesn't necessarily require doing spectacular things. Sometimes it means doing something very small that costs you quite a lot.

And one of my favorite examples involves a nun Thérèse simply could not stand.

Thérèse entered the Carmelite convent at Lisieux at only fifteen. Life there meant living every day with the same small group of women. You prayed together. Ate together. Worked together. Saw each other constantly.

And inevitably, there was one sister whose personality rubbed Thérèse completely the wrong way.

Thérèse never names her in Story of a Soul, which is probably the first charitable thing she did for her.

She admits that this sister had "the faculty of displeasing me in everything." Her mannerisms bothered Thérèse. Her personality bothered her. Thérèse couldn't even explain everything that irritated her.

So she made a decision.

She would treat this sister as though she were her favorite person in the convent.

Whenever they met, Thérèse gave her a warm smile.

She prayed for her.

She looked for opportunities to help her.

When the sister said something irritating, Thérèse tried not merely to suppress an annoyed response, but to answer with genuine kindness. She even tried to discover something admirable about the sister so that her charity wouldn't become completely fake.

And apparently Thérèse became too good at it.

One day the sister finally asked her something along the lines of, "Sister Thérèse, would you tell me what attracts you so much to me? Whenever you look at me, I see you smile."

That's the best part of the story.

The poor woman had absolutely no idea.

Thérèse writes that what attracted her was Jesus hidden within this sister, because Christ makes lovable even what naturally seems unlovable.

There's another wonderfully human convent story. During prayer, a sister near Thérèse repeatedly made a small clicking or rattling noise that drove her crazy. Thérèse couldn't stop noticing it.

So instead of spending prayer mentally complaining about the noise, she deliberately listened to it and turned it into a kind of music offered to God.

That is the Little Way in real life.

Not floating around the convent feeling affectionate toward everyone.

Not pretending difficult people aren't difficult.

It's recognizing, "This person is driving me absolutely nuts, and I am going to love her anyway."

Thérèse died from tuberculosis in 1897 at only twenty-four. She never traveled as a missionary, founded a religious order, or accomplished anything the world would have considered particularly important.

She smiled at the nun who annoyed her.

She tolerated the irritating noise.

She did tiny things with enormous love.

And the Church eventually declared her a Doctor of the Church.

Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, teacher of the Little Way and saint of ordinary acts of love, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of First Fri /Holy Guardian Angels, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Arise and Walk", today's news from the Church: "From the Élysée Palace to the Stade de France, the First Day of Leo XIV in Paris", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Arise and Walk" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"From the Élysée Palace to the Stade de France, the First Day of Leo XIV in Paris" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/elysee-palace-stade-france-first-day-leo-xiv-paris-61328
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

The Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels celebrates one of those Catholic beliefs that many of us learn as children and then perhaps don't think about nearly enough as adults: God has entrusted each of us to the care of an angel.

The idea is deeply rooted in Scripture. Christ Himself speaks of children whose angels "always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." In the Book of Tobias, the Archangel Raphael accompanies young Tobias on a dangerous journey, protecting and guiding him even though Tobias initially has no idea who his traveling companion really is.

Early Christians took this very seriously.

Church Fathers wrote about angels assigned to individuals, and over the centuries devotion became increasingly personal. By the Middle Ages, Christians were regularly praying to their guardian angels for protection against temptation, danger, and especially a sudden or unprepared death.

But interestingly, the feast itself took a while to develop.

Local celebrations honoring guardian angels appeared during the Middle Ages, particularly in Spain. In the sixteenth century, devotion spread rapidly, and in 1608 Pope Paul V approved a feast of the Guardian Angels. Later in the seventeenth century, Pope Clement X extended it throughout the universal Church and fixed its celebration on October 2.

That placement makes perfect sense.

September 29 honors Saint Michael and the Archangels.

Three days later, October 2 honors the angels assigned to ordinary people like us.

One of the most charming parts of this devotion is how universal it became. Catholic children across completely different cultures learned essentially the same habit: before bed, ask your angel to watch over you.

The familiar English prayer begins, "Angel of God, my guardian dear," but versions of that prayer exist in languages all over the Catholic world.

And Catholic tradition doesn't imagine guardian angels merely preventing car accidents or helping children sleep peacefully.

Their real job is much bigger.

They help us get to heaven.

Saints wrote about asking their angels for help during prayer, sending them ahead when entering difficult conversations, and asking their guardian angel to cooperate with the guardian angel of another person. Saint Padre Pio famously encouraged people to "send me your guardian angel" when they needed his prayers.

There's something wonderfully humbling about the whole idea.

According to Catholic teaching, an intelligent spiritual creature far more powerful than we are has been given an assignment by God.

You.

Not because you're famous.

Not because you're important.

Simply because God considers one human soul worth guarding.

And apparently, our guardian angels have been watching us make questionable decisions since childhood without requesting reassignment.

That's patience.

Holy Guardian Angels, our unseen companions and guides on the road to heaven, watch over us and pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Faith of the Paralytic", today's news from the Church: "Pokrov: The Protection of the Mother of God", a preview of the Sermon: "The Strength of St. Michael", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Faith of the Paralytic" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Pokrov: The Protection of the Mother of God" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/paris-banner-addressed-leo-xiv-support-sspx-61327
"The Strength of St. Michael" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook
Saint Remigius of Reims baptized one man and, in doing so, helped change the religious future of France. He was born around the year 437 in Roman Gaul, as the Western Roman Empire was coming apart. Roman authority was disappearing, Germanic kingdoms were taking its place, and nobody really knew what the political map of Europe would look like a generation later. Remigius became Bishop of Reims while still quite young and would remain there for an astonishing seventy years. Then a Frankish king named Clovis entered his life. Clovis was a pagan warrior who was steadily conquering much of Gaul. His wife, Clotilde, was Catholic and had spent years encouraging her husband to accept Christianity. Eventually, after a military crisis in which Clovis reportedly prayed to the God of Clotilde for help, he agreed to be baptized. That brought him to Remigius. Tradition places the baptism at Reims, probably around the year 496, on Christmas Day. Clovis entered the church with thousands of his warriors, and Remigius baptized the king. One famous line has echoed through French history ever since. Remigius is traditionally said to have told Clovis: "Bow thy head, proud Sicambrian. Adore what thou hast burned, and burn what thou hast adored." In other words: everything changes now. Clovis's conversion was enormously important because many of the other Germanic rulers in Western Europe had embraced Arian Christianity, which denied the full divinity of Christ. Clovis instead became Catholic. And his people followed. That helped create the alliance between the Frankish monarchy and the Catholic Church that would shape medieval France for centuries. Then comes one of the most fascinating traditions associated with Remigius. According to later accounts, during Clovis's baptism the sacred chrism was running short. A dove miraculously appeared carrying a small vial of holy oil, the Sainte Ampoule. That vial became one of the great relics of the French monarchy. For centuries afterward, kings of France traveled to Reims for their coronations, where oil associated with the Sainte Ampoule was used to anoint them. From Louis VIII in 1223 through Charles X in 1825, Reims became the great coronation city of France. Even Napoleon noticed the symbolism. When he crowned himself emperor, he deliberately chose Paris rather than Reims and created a completely different ceremony. The original Sainte Ampoule was publicly smashed during the French Revolution in 1793, although fragments were reportedly rescued and later preserved. So when you walk into the magnificent Notre-Dame de Reims today, you're standing in a place whose royal traditions ultimately reach back to one bishop pouring baptismal water over the head of a pagan Frankish king. Remigius probably couldn't have imagined what would follow. He simply baptized a convert. History took it from there. Saint Remigius of Reims, apostle of the Franks and baptizer of Christian France, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Jerome, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Our Spiritual Healing", today's news from the Church: "A Banner Addressed to Leo XIV in Support of the SSPX", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Our Spiritual Healing" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"A Banner Addressed to Leo XIV in Support of the SSPX" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/paris-banner-addressed-leo-xiv-support-sspx-61327
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Jerome is one of the great Doctors of the Church, but he may also be one of the saints you'd least want criticizing your work.

He was brilliant, sarcastic, argumentative, occasionally hot-tempered, and absolutely obsessed with getting the words of Scripture right.

Jerome was born around the year 347 in Stridon, somewhere near the borderlands of the Roman Empire in the Balkans. His family sent him to Rome for an excellent education, and Jerome became fascinated with classical literature. He loved Cicero and the great Latin authors so much that, according to his own account, he once had a terrifying dream in which he stood before God's judgment seat and was accused of being "a Ciceronian, not a Christian."

That got his attention.

Jerome eventually embraced a much more serious Christian life and spent several years living as an ascetic in the Syrian desert.

But he brought books.

Lots of books.

He studied Greek, and then did something unusual for a Western Christian scholar of his time: he learned Hebrew, reportedly receiving lessons from Jewish teachers. That decision would eventually change the Bible used by Western Christianity.

In the 380s, Pope Damasus I asked Jerome to revise the existing Latin translations of Scripture, which varied considerably from place to place.

Jerome didn't simply tidy up the wording.

He spent years comparing manuscripts, consulting the original languages, and eventually translating much of the Old Testament directly from Hebrew. The result became the foundation of what we call the Latin Vulgate, the Bible that would shape Western Catholic worship, theology, art, and culture for more than a thousand years.

And Jerome definitely had opinions while doing it.

His surviving letters show a man who could be warm and deeply pastoral one moment and absolutely devastating toward an opponent the next. He once complained about people criticizing his translations who didn't know Hebrew themselves. Jerome was not especially interested in losing an argument politely.

Later in life, he settled in Bethlehem, where he established monasteries and spent roughly three decades studying Scripture near the place of Christ's birth.

Visitors to the Church of the Nativity can still visit a cave traditionally associated with Jerome's years of work. There's something wonderfully fitting about imagining one of history's greatest biblical scholars surrounded by manuscripts in a cave beneath Bethlehem.

Artists often depict Jerome with a lion because of a later legend that he removed a thorn from the animal's paw and the grateful lion remained with him afterward. He's also usually surrounded by books, which is probably much closer to historical reality.

Jerome could be difficult.

He could also be wrong.

But he believed Sacred Scripture deserved a lifetime of serious study.

And he gave it one.

Saint Jerome, brilliant Doctor of Scripture and tireless translator of the Word of God, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel, 1st Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Sacrament of Penance", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "Audiobook: Operation Survival", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Sacrament of Penance" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
The SSPX Podcast: "Audiobook: Operation Survival" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

The Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, traditionally called Michaelmas, was once one of the great landmarks of the year in Catholic Europe.

We know Saint Michael from Scripture as the great defender of God's people, the archangel who battles the dragon in the Apocalypse. But September 29 developed a personality all its own, combining liturgy, pilgrimage, harvest customs, food, folklore, and even the way people organized the calendar.

The feast's September date is traditionally connected with the dedication of a basilica of Saint Michael near Rome. By the Middle Ages, Michaelmas had become an important feast throughout Western Europe, and because it arrived just after the autumn equinox, it naturally became associated with the end of the harvest.

In England and Ireland, Michaelmas goose became the traditional dinner. There's even an old belief that eating goose on Michaelmas would protect you from financial need during the coming year. Geese were fat after feeding on the harvested fields, so the tradition was practical as well as festive.

Then there are the blackberries.

An old British and Irish legend says that when Saint Michael cast Lucifer from heaven, the devil landed in a blackberry bush. Furious, he cursed the berries, and in some versions spat on them. So after Michaelmas, you weren't supposed to eat blackberries anymore.

It's probably one of the stranger ways a theological battle ever became agricultural advice.

Michaelmas also became a major legal and economic date. Rents were due. Accounts were settled. Servants were hired. Courts opened. Even today, British universities such as Oxford use the name Michaelmas Term for their autumn academic session.

Across Europe, meanwhile, Saint Michael became associated with extraordinary mountaintop shrines.

In Italy, pilgrims traveled to the ancient sanctuary of Monte Gargano, where tradition holds that Saint Michael appeared in the fifth century. In Normandy, the magnificent Mont-Saint-Michel rose from a tidal island. Across the Channel, England had its own Saint Michael's Mount in Cornwall.

And strangely enough, several famous shrines dedicated to Saint Michael appear along a roughly northwest-to-southeast line across Europe and the Mediterranean. Modern popular devotion sometimes calls this the Sword of Saint Michael. The idea of a deliberately designed ancient straight line is modern rather than an old Church tradition, but the geography itself is fascinating.

Michaelmas was also traditionally one of the quarter days in England, dates that divided the year into four sections for contracts, rents, and business. So September 29 wasn't merely something Catholics noticed at Mass.

It helped organize ordinary life.

That's perhaps the most interesting thing about Michaelmas. Medieval Catholics didn't keep feast days locked inside the church building. A feast could determine what you ate, when you harvested, when you paid your rent, when school began, and where you went on pilgrimage.

September 29 meant autumn had arrived.

And standing at the doorway of the darker half of the year was Saint Michael, sword in hand.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Wenceslaus, 3rd Class, with the color of Red. In this episode: the meditation: "Spiritual Paralysis", today's news from the Church: "Jesus, Doctor of Souls", a preview of the Sermon: "The Vocation of Charity: Christ's Blood Changes Everything", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Spiritual Paralysis" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Jesus, Doctor of Souls" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/vienna-holy-name-mary-resounds-streets-61288
"The Vocation of Charity: Christ's Blood Changes Everything" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Simon de Rojas became famous for a prayer containing only 2 Latin words.

Ave Maria.

He loved the name of Mary so much that those words seemed to follow him everywhere.

Simon was born in Valladolid, Spain, in 1552. According to tradition, he was unusually slow to begin speaking as a child, which worried his parents. When he finally did speak clearly, the first words attributed to him were "Ave Maria."

Whether that happened exactly as later tradition remembered it or not, it certainly predicted the rest of his life.

Simon entered the Trinitarian Order, the community originally founded to ransom Christians held captive in Muslim territories. He was intelligent, became a priest, studied theology, and eventually taught philosophy and theology himself.

But Simon's real gift was dealing with people.

He became a celebrated preacher and confessor and eventually attracted the attention of the Spanish royal family. King Philip III and later Philip IV trusted him enough that Simon became connected with the royal court and served as spiritual adviser to members of the family.

That's usually where court life gets comfortable.

Simon somehow made it uncomfortable instead.

He used his access to the wealthy to talk constantly about the poor. Money and gifts given to him had a habit of disappearing into the hands of struggling families, prisoners, and people living on the streets of Madrid.

He became especially concerned about poor children and founded charitable works to provide them with food and education.

But the devotion that defined Simon was his love for the Holy Name of Mary.

He wanted people to develop the habit of calling upon Our Lady throughout the day, so he promoted the simple greeting "Ave Maria" everywhere he went. He even founded the Congregation of the Slaves of the Sweet Name of Mary to spread Marian devotion and care for the poor.

Simon apparently greeted people with "Ave Maria" rather than the ordinary greetings of the day.

Eventually people began calling him the Apostle of the Ave Maria.

There's something wonderfully simple about that.

Simon was a theologian. He advised kings. He held important positions in his religious order.

Yet the message people remembered was basically:

Say Mary's name.

Remember her.

Ask her to lead you to Christ.

Simon died in Madrid in 1624. His reputation for holiness was so strong that enormous crowds came to honor him, including members of the royal court and many of the poor whom he had served.

His story fits beautifully near the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary. Simon understood that sometimes the shortest prayers are the ones we can carry with us everywhere.

Three words were enough for him.

Saint Simon de Rojas, Apostle of the Ave Maria and friend of the poor, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of XVIII Sunday after Pentecost, 2nd Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "Spiritual Paralysis", today's news from the Church: "Who Are You to Judge?", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Spiritual Paralysis" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Who Are You to Judge?" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/who-are-you-judge-61240
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Hiltrude of Liessies is one of those saints whose life never became famous far beyond her own region, but whose story has been quietly remembered in northern France for more than a thousand years.

She lived during the eighth century and was born into a noble Frankish family. Her father, Wibert, founded a monastery at Liessies, near what is now the French-Belgian border. Her brother, Guntrad, became its abbot.

Hiltrude, meanwhile, was expected to get married.

A suitable husband was found, the arrangements were made, and everyone seemed to know what Hiltrude's future would look like.

Everyone except Hiltrude.

She wanted to give her life entirely to God.

According to tradition, when the proposed marriage became unavoidable, Hiltrude fled rather than go through with it. She eventually returned after her family accepted her decision and allowed her to live as a consecrated woman.

But she didn't simply join a large convent.

Instead, Hiltrude chose a much more secluded life.

She lived in a small cell near the monastery at Liessies, close enough to participate in its spiritual life but separated enough to maintain the solitude she desired. Her brother, as abbot, became an important support in her vocation.

There's something interesting about that arrangement.

Medieval Christianity included all sorts of religious vocations that don't fit neatly into our modern categories. Some people became monks or nuns. Others became hermits. Still others, like Hiltrude, lived almost as recluses, attached to a church or monastery but spending much of their lives in prayer and solitude.

Hiltrude became known locally for exactly that kind of hidden holiness.

No enormous missionary journeys.

No royal courts.

No theological controversies.

Just years of prayer in one small corner of northern France.

After her death, her tomb at Liessies became a local place of pilgrimage, and devotion to her spread through the surrounding region of Hainaut. Her relics were treasured there for centuries.

The monastery itself had a much longer life. Liessies Abbey grew into an important Benedictine house and survived for roughly a thousand years before the French Revolution brought monastic life there to an end. Much of the abbey disappeared, but the village still preserves its memory, along with that of the young woman who chose solitude over the comfortable future her family had planned.

Hiltrude's story isn't dramatic.

That's actually what makes it interesting.

She believed that a life could be completely given to God without being particularly visible to anyone else.

And for her, that was enough.

Saint Hiltrude of Liessies, hidden daughter of prayer and solitude, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Ember Sat of Sept, 2nd Class, with the color of Violet. In this episode: the meditation: "Purity of Intention", today's news from the Church: "The SSPX Renews the Consecration of Germany to the Immaculate Heart of Mary", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Purity of Intention" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"The SSPX Renews the Consecration of Germany to the Immaculate Heart of Mary" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/sspx-renews-consecration-germany-immaculate-heart-mary-61222
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

The North American Martyrs were eight French Jesuit missionaries who entered seventeenth-century North America knowing that the work might kill them.

For several of them, it did so in extraordinarily brutal ways.

The best known are Saints Isaac Jogues, Jean de Brébeuf, and their six companions. They worked primarily among Indigenous peoples in what is now Canada and the northeastern United States, especially the Wendat, or Huron. Their mission unfolded amid warfare, epidemics, and fierce conflict among Native nations, so their story is inseparable from a very complicated period of North American history.

Brébeuf arrived in New France in 1625.

He threw himself into learning the Wendat language and culture. He became so fluent that he compiled dictionaries and translated prayers and catechetical material. The famous Christmas hymn known today as the Huron Carol is traditionally attributed to him, originally composed in the Wendat language.

Isaac Jogues had an even stranger story.

In 1642, he was captured by Mohawk warriors, tortured, and held captive for months. Several of his fingers were mutilated, creating a serious problem for a priest because Church law at the time normally required intact hands for celebrating Mass.

Eventually Jogues escaped.

He made it back to France.

At that point, most people would probably consider the mission complete.

Jogues asked to go back.

The pope gave him special permission to celebrate Mass despite his damaged hands, and Jogues returned to North America, knowing exactly what might happen.

In 1646, he was killed in present-day New York.

Brébeuf and Gabriel Lalemant were killed three years later during attacks on the Wendat missions. Others among the eight died at different mission stations during the same violent period.

But there are fascinating pieces of their world still visible today.

Near Midland, Ontario, the Martyrs' Shrine stands near the reconstructed Jesuit mission of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons. In Auriesville, New York, another shrine remembers Jogues and his companions near the area traditionally associated with his captivity and death.

And there is an extraordinary connection to another saint.

At the Mohawk settlement where Jogues had once been held prisoner, a girl was born about ten years after his death.

Her name was Kateri Tekakwitha.

The missionaries died without knowing what would become of their work. Their missions were destroyed, communities scattered, and years of labor seemed lost.

Yet the faith they planted didn't disappear.

Saints John de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, and the Holy North American Martyrs, courageous missionaries of the New World, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Ember Fri of Sept, 2nd Class, with the color of Violet. In this episode: the meditation: "Holiness and Charity", today's news from the Church: "The French District of the SSPX Calls for Prayers for the Pope", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "The Roman Catechism: What Does "He Descended Into Hell" Mean?", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Holiness and Charity" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"The French District of the SSPX Calls for Prayers for the Pope" (FSSPX.news) https://sspx.org/en/news/visit-leo-xiv-french-district-sspx-calls-prayers-pope-61267
The SSPX Podcast: "The Roman Catechism: What Does "He Descended Into Hell" Mean?" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Vincent Strambi is one of those saints whose story becomes especially interesting near the end, when an elderly bishop apparently offered his own life for the pope.

He was born in 1745 in Civitavecchia, the port city outside Rome. His father hoped he would marry and continue the family business.

Vincent had other plans.

He wanted to become a priest, although by his own admission he wasn't naturally very pious as a boy. After ordination, he became increasingly drawn to preaching and eventually met Paul of the Cross.

Vincent joined the Passionists.

It was a perfect fit.

The congregation centered its spirituality on the Passion of Christ, and Vincent became an extraordinary missionary preacher. He traveled throughout Italy giving missions that could last for days or weeks. His preaching was direct, emotional, and practical, and crowds came in enormous numbers.

He also became one of Saint Paul of the Cross's closest companions and eventually wrote his biography, giving us much of what we know about the Passionist founder today.

Then Vincent was made Bishop of Macerata and Tolentino.

He didn't want the job.

That seems to happen to saints fairly often.

As bishop, Vincent lived simply, visited parishes, improved seminaries, and continued preaching. But his episcopacy happened during one of the most chaotic periods in Italian history: the Napoleonic era.

When Napoleon demanded an oath of loyalty that Vincent believed violated his obligations to the Church, he refused.

So he was expelled from his diocese.

For years, Vincent lived in exile before eventually returning after Napoleon's fall. By then he was elderly and exhausted, and he finally received permission to retire.

Then came one last remarkable episode.

Vincent moved to Rome and became a close adviser to Pope Leo XII. In 1823, the newly elected pope became gravely ill. According to Passionist tradition, Vincent celebrated Mass and offered his own life to God in exchange for Leo's recovery.

The pope recovered.

Vincent became ill almost immediately.

Within days, he was dead.

He was seventy-nine years old.

Whether we understand that event as miraculous or as a beautiful act of self-offering, it fits Vincent's entire life. He belonged to a religious community built around the Passion of Christ, and his final act was an attempt to imitate Christ by offering himself for another.

His relics are venerated in Macerata, while his memory remains especially strong among the Passionists.

Vincent spent decades preaching about the Cross.

In the end, he tried to make his own life into one final sermon.

Saint Vincent Strambi, Passionist preacher and generous shepherd of souls, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "Holiness and Charity", today's news from the Church: "St. Bernard's Birthplace will be Restored", a preview of the Sermon: "Who Are You, O Immaculata?", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Holiness and Charity" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"St. Bernard's Birthplace will be Restored" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/france-st-bernards-birthplace-will-be-restored-61196
"Who Are You, O Immaculata?" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

The Feast of Our Lady of Ransom has one of the more dramatic origins among the Church's Marian feasts. It grew out of a very real medieval problem: Christians were being captured, enslaved, and held for ransom around the Mediterranean.

In the early thirteenth century, Christian and Muslim powers were constantly fighting across Spain and the Mediterranean. Raids produced captives on both sides, and Christians taken into North Africa could spend years in slavery unless family, religious communities, or charitable organizations could raise enough money to free them.

Into that world came Peter Nolasco.

Peter had already begun using his own money to ransom Christian captives. According to Mercedarian tradition, however, something extraordinary happened on the night of August 1, 1218.

The Blessed Virgin appeared to Peter and asked him to establish a religious order dedicated specifically to freeing captives.

And the tradition says he wasn't the only one.

Our Lady also appeared separately to King James I of Aragon and to Saint Raymond of Peñafort. When the three men compared what had happened, the mission became clear.

The new community became the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, better known as the Mercedarians.

Their members took the usual religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Then they added a fourth.

If necessary, a Mercedarian promised to take the place of a Christian captive whose faith was in danger.

Think about that for a moment.

These men didn't simply collect donations for prisoners.

They promised that if the ransom couldn't be paid another way, they were willing to remain behind themselves.

Mercedarian friars traveled repeatedly into Muslim-controlled territories carrying money donated by Christians throughout Europe. They negotiated with captors, located prisoners, paid ransoms, and brought the freed men, women, and children home.

Over the centuries, the order traditionally claimed tens of thousands of captives redeemed through its work.

Devotion to Our Lady of Ransom, also called Our Lady of Mercy, naturally grew alongside the order. Mary was pictured sheltering captives beneath her mantle or holding broken chains, a powerful image for families waiting at home for someone who might never return.

The feast eventually spread beyond the Mercedarians and was placed on September 24 in the Roman calendar.

There's something wonderfully concrete about this title of Our Lady.

"Ransom" isn't poetic language here.

There were actual prisoners.

Actual chains.

Actual money exchanged.

And religious men willing to trade their own freedom for somebody else's.

That makes the title point beautifully toward Christ Himself, who said He came "to give His life a redemption for many."

Our Lady of Ransom, Mother of Mercy and hope of captives, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Ember Wed in September, 2nd Class, with the color of Violet. In this episode: the meditation: "Intimacy with God", today's news from the Church: "The Interior Renewal Effected by the Spiritual Exercises", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Intimacy with God" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"The Interior Renewal Effected by the Spiritual Exercises" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.asia/en/news/interior-renewal-effected-spiritual-exercises-60355
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Adomnán of Iona is one of those saints who becomes more interesting the more you dig into him. He was a monk and abbot, but also a historian, biographer, diplomat, traveler, and the driving force behind one of medieval Europe's earliest attempts to protect civilians during warfare.

He was born in Ireland around 624 and eventually entered the great monastery of Iona, the island community off the coast of Scotland founded by Columba.

About a century after Columba's birth, Adomnán became Iona's ninth abbot.

And fortunately for us, he liked to write.

His Life of Saint Columba is one of the most valuable works surviving from early medieval Britain and Ireland. Adomnán collected stories from older monks who had known people close to Columba himself. He recorded miracles, voyages, conversations, kings, monasteries, and little details of daily life that otherwise would have disappeared completely.

So a surprising amount of what we know about Saint Columba comes from Adomnán.

He also wrote a fascinating book about the Holy Land.

Adomnán had never been there.

Instead, a Frankish bishop named Arculf was apparently shipwrecked near Britain after making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He eventually reached Iona and described everything he had seen. Adomnán carefully interviewed him and turned those conversations into On the Holy Places, complete with descriptions of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and other biblical sites.

But perhaps the most remarkable part of Adomnán's story came later.

According to Irish tradition, he encountered a woman who had been brutally injured during warfare. The experience deeply disturbed him.

Adomnán began pushing Irish kings and churchmen to agree that some people simply should not be legitimate targets in war.

In 697, a major gathering at Birr adopted what became known as the Law of Adomnán, or Cáin Adomnáin. It offered special legal protection to women, children, and clerics and established penalties for killing, assaulting, or abusing them.

For the seventh century, that's extraordinary.

It wasn't modern humanitarian law, of course, but it came from a strikingly familiar conviction: even warfare needs limits, and the vulnerable deserve protection.

Adomnán died in 704, leaving behind something unusual for an early medieval saint. We don't just have legends about him.

We have his books.

You can still visit Iona today and walk the island where he governed the monastery and gathered stories about Columba more than thirteen centuries ago.

Saint Adomnán reminds us that preserving history, protecting the vulnerable, and telling the stories of holy people can themselves become works of Christian charity.

Saint Adomnán of Iona, keeper of sacred memory and defender of the vulnerable, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Thomas of Villanova, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Charity and Friendship", today's news from the Church: "Leo XIV increases salaries in the Curia", a preview of this week's episode of The Archbishop Lefebvre Audiobook: Ch. 18: "Strongholds of Reconquest", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Charity and Friendship" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Leo XIV increases salaries in the Curia" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/rome-leo-xiv-increases-salaries-curia-61195
Lefebvre Audiobook: " Strongholds of Reconquest " (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Thomas of Villanova became an archbishop, but he apparently never got very good at looking like one.

He was born in Spain in 1486 and grew up in Villanueva de los Infantes. His family was comfortable but remarkably generous. His father regularly gave food to the poor, and Thomas absorbed that habit early. One story says that when his parents were away, young Thomas gave away several of the family's chickens to people who needed food.

That instinct never really left him.

Thomas was brilliant. He studied at the University of Alcalá and became a professor of philosophy before entering the Augustinian Order in his thirties. He quickly became known as an exceptional preacher and eventually served in leadership positions within the order.

Then, in 1544, he was appointed Archbishop of Valencia.

Thomas did not want the job.

When obedience finally forced him to accept, the cathedral chapter gave him money to furnish his new residence appropriately.

Thomas gave the money to a hospital.

Apparently, the old furniture was good enough.

That pretty much describes his entire episcopacy.

Thomas wore patched clothing, kept a simple household, and distributed enormous amounts of the archdiocese's income to the poor. People sometimes criticized him for giving money too freely, but Thomas was actually quite thoughtful about charity. He didn't want merely to hand someone a coin and send him away. He tried to provide work, tools, education, and opportunities that could help families escape poverty permanently.

He also had a particular concern for abandoned babies.

Valencia had many infants left without families, so Thomas established programs to provide them with nurses, clothing, food, and eventually apprenticeships or dowries as they grew older.

His generosity became so famous that people called him the "Father of the Poor."

But Thomas wasn't simply a charitable administrator.

He was also trying to reform an archdiocese badly in need of attention. He visited parishes, improved the formation of priests, established a seminary, and preached constantly. His sermons became famous throughout Spain for being direct, practical, and understandable.

There's a wonderfully characteristic story from near the end of his life.

Thomas knew he was dying and began giving away almost everything remaining in his possession. He even gave away the bed he was lying on, although he borrowed it back long enough to die in it.

That's Thomas of Villanova in one image.

Even his deathbed wasn't really his anymore.

He died in 1555 while Mass was being celebrated nearby. His funeral drew enormous crowds, especially the poor of Valencia, who knew they had lost someone who had treated them not as a problem to manage, but as members of his own family.

Saint Thomas of Villanova, father of the poor and humble shepherd of Valencia, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Matthew, 2nd Class, with the color of Red. In this episode: the meditation: "The Love of God for Us", today's news from the Church: "The Jesuits leave Liège, 450 years after their arrival", a preview of the Sermon: "The Power of Humility", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Love of God for Us" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"The Jesuits leave Liège, 450 years after their arrival" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/belgium-jesuits-leave-liege-450-years-after-their-arrival-61143
"The Power of Humility" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Matthew has one of the shortest conversion stories in the Gospel.

Jesus walks past a tax booth, sees Matthew sitting there, and says, "Follow Me."

Matthew gets up and goes.

But there's much more packed into that moment than it first appears.

Matthew was a publican, a tax collector working within the Roman system. Tax collectors were deeply disliked, partly because they cooperated with the occupying power and partly because the system gave plenty of opportunity for corruption. To respectable Jewish society, Matthew was not an obvious candidate for an Apostle.

Jesus chose him anyway.

And Matthew's first reaction is interesting.

He threw a dinner.

He invited Jesus, the disciples, and a collection of tax collectors and other people respectable society labeled "sinners." Matthew had only just begun following Christ, but he was already bringing his friends along.

After Pentecost, Matthew disappears from the New Testament record, and this is where ancient traditions begin to diverge.

Early Christian writers agreed that he preached first among the Jews. Papias of Hierapolis, writing in the early second century, recorded a tradition that Matthew compiled sayings of Jesus in the "Hebrew dialect." Exactly how that relates to the Greek Gospel of Matthew we possess today remains debated, but it shows how early Matthew was connected with preserving Christ's teaching in written form.

Later traditions send him much farther afield.

Some place his missionary work in Persia. Others speak of Syria or lands south of the Caspian Sea. The strongest later tradition associates his martyrdom with Ethiopia, although ancient sources differ enough that we shouldn't pretend we know exactly where or how he died.

His relics have an interesting story too.

By the Middle Ages, they were believed to have reached southern Italy and eventually the city of Salerno. Today, the Salerno Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Matthew, and his relics are venerated in the crypt beneath the cathedral. His presence became so important to the city that Matthew is still honored as Salerno's patron.

There's also a nice bit of symbolism in Christian art.

Matthew is represented by a winged man or angel, one of the four creatures associated with the Evangelists. The symbol fits because his Gospel begins with Christ's human genealogy: "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ."

But perhaps the most interesting thing about Matthew is still that tax booth.

Christ didn't wait for Matthew to clean up his reputation, find better friends, or prove himself worthy.

He simply said, "Follow Me."

And Matthew stood up.

Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, who left everything at the call of Christ, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of XVII Sun of Pentecost, 2nd Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "Jesus Christ, Son of God", today's news from the Church: "Preconception Genetic Screening: A New Form of Eugenics?", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Jesus Christ, Son of God" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Preconception Genetic Screening: A New Form of Eugenics?" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/preconception-genetic-screening-new-form-eugenics-61142
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

The story of the Korean Martyrs begins in a way that's almost unique in Catholic history.

Christianity reached Korea before missionaries did.

During the eighteenth century, Korean scholars traveling to China encountered Catholic books written by Jesuit missionaries. They brought them home and began studying Christianity on their own. A small group became convinced that the faith was true.

There was just one problem.

They didn't have any priests.

So Korean lay Catholics began teaching one another, baptizing converts, gathering for prayer, and building an underground Church largely by themselves. When they eventually learned more about how the Church actually worked, they wrote to the Bishop of Beijing essentially saying: please send us a priest.

That request became increasingly dangerous.

Korean society was built around Confucian customs, including ancestral rites that Catholics came to understand they could not participate in as religious worship. Christianity also taught that every person possessed equal dignity before God, an idea that could unsettle a rigid social hierarchy.

Persecution followed.

Over the next century, thousands of Korean Catholics were killed.

Among the best known was Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, the first native Korean Catholic priest. His journey to ordination was incredible. Because there was no seminary in Korea, he secretly traveled hundreds of miles to Macau, studied for the priesthood, was ordained in Shanghai, and then slipped back into Korea to serve Catholics in hiding.

He lasted about a year.

Andrew was arrested in 1846, tortured, and beheaded at only twenty-five.

Another remarkable figure was Saint Paul Chong Hasang, a layman who repeatedly crossed into China seeking priests for Korea. He even wrote directly to the pope asking for help establishing a permanent Catholic mission.

He was eventually executed too.

What makes the Korean Martyrs especially striking is the variety among them.

They included priests and laypeople, nobles and servants, husbands and wives, elderly believers and teenagers. Some families lost several generations.

And yet the underground Church survived.

When religious freedom finally began emerging in the late nineteenth century, missionaries discovered something astonishing: Catholic communities had continued praying, baptizing children, teaching the faith, and waiting for priests through decades of persecution.

Today, several major shrines around Seoul preserve their memory, especially the sites where executions took place along the Han River.

The Korean Church wasn't originally built around a missionary arriving from somewhere else.

It began with ordinary laypeople reading books, discovering the Catholic faith, and deciding it was worth risking everything to keep it.

Holy Martyrs of Korea, courageous priests, families, and lay apostles who kept the faith alive, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Januarius and Companions, 3rd Class, with the color of Red. In this episode: the meditation: "Sunday Rest", today's news from the Church: "France: Will Convents Disappear?", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Sunday Rest" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"France: Will Convents Disappear?" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/france-will-convents-disappear-61083
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop



Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Januarius is one of those early martyrs whose death is remarkable, but what has happened to his blood afterward has made him one of the most famous saints in Italy.

Januarius, or San Gennaro as the Italians call him, was Bishop of Benevento during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian around the year 305. When several Christians were arrested near Naples, Januarius didn't keep a safe distance.

He went to visit them.

That got him arrested too.

Among those caught up in the persecution were the deacons Festus and Proculus, the lector Desiderius, and the laymen Sosius, Eutyches, and Acutius. Ancient traditions vary on some details, but all seven came to be remembered together as companions in martyrdom.

According to one popular account, they were thrown before wild beasts.

The animals refused to attack.

So the authorities settled on something considerably more reliable.

They beheaded them.

Januarius's body was eventually brought to Naples, where he became the city's great patron. But sometime afterward, another tradition appeared. A Christian woman named Eusebia was said to have collected some of Januarius's blood after his execution and preserved it in small glass ampoules.

Those ampoules still exist.

And this is where the story gets fascinating.

Several times each year, the dried substance inside is publicly displayed in the Naples Cathedral. During the ceremony, what normally appears as a dark solid mass frequently becomes liquid.

Neapolitans have been watching this happen for centuries.

The best-known ceremony takes place around September 19. The cathedral fills with people, including a traditional group of local women known affectionately as the "aunts of Saint Januarius," who pray, call out to the saint, and sometimes become increasingly impatient if the liquefaction takes too long.

It's one of those wonderfully human Catholic traditions.

When the blood liquefies, bells ring and word quickly spreads through Naples.

The Church permits devotion to the phenomenon but has not defined the liquefaction itself as a supernatural miracle. Scientists have proposed various explanations, but because the sealed relic cannot simply be opened for unrestricted testing, the phenomenon remains a fascinating subject of debate.

For Neapolitans, however, San Gennaro is much more than a scientific curiosity.

His image appears throughout the city. His feast fills the streets. His treasure includes centuries of gifts from kings, queens, popes, and ordinary people. Even Neapolitans who rarely enter a church often speak of him almost like a member of the family.

Seventeen centuries after Januarius and his companions were executed, Naples still waits every September to see the blood of its bishop.

That's a remarkable afterlife for a martyr Rome intended everyone to forget.

Saint Januarius and Companions, martyrs of Campania and courageous witnesses to Christ, pray for us

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Joseph of Cupertino, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Servile Works", today's news from the Church: "The Priory of Notre-Dame du Pointet Celebrates its 50th Anniversary", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "Suffered, Crucified, Died, and was Buried", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Servile Works" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"The Priory of Notre-Dame du Pointet Celebrates its 50th Anniversary" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/priory-notre-dame-du-pointet-celebrates-its-50th-anniversary-61082
The SSPX Podcast: "Suffered, Crucified, Died, and was Buried" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Joseph of Cupertino may have one of the strangest biographies in the entire calendar. He struggled in school, was considered absent-minded and clumsy, barely made it through his studies for the priesthood, and then became famous because he reportedly flew during prayer.

He was born in 1603 in Cupertino, southern Italy, into a poor family. Joseph had difficulty concentrating and learning, and even simple tasks seemed to go wrong. He tried joining religious communities and was dismissed because he wasn't considered capable of handling the work.

Eventually, the Conventual Franciscans allowed him to work in their stables.

Joseph was good with animals.

And slowly, something changed. The friars noticed his humility, obedience, and remarkable life of prayer. They eventually allowed him to become a Franciscan and begin studying for the priesthood.

This created another problem.

Joseph was terrible at studying.

According to the famous story, he managed to learn one Gospel passage particularly well: "Blessed is the womb that bore thee." When his examination for the diaconate arrived, the bishop happened to ask him about exactly that passage.

He passed.

Later, during the examination for priestly ordination, the candidates questioned before Joseph answered so well that the bishop simply passed the remaining men without examining them individually.

Joseph became a priest almost despite himself.

Then things got much stranger.

During Mass or intense prayer, Joseph would sometimes fall into ecstasy. Witnesses reported that he actually rose from the ground, sometimes remaining suspended for significant periods. These incidents became so frequent that crowds started coming specifically to watch him.

Imagine being his superior.

You're trying to maintain a quiet Franciscan monastery, and one of your friars keeps levitating during Mass.

Church authorities investigated the reports carefully. Joseph was even questioned by the Roman Inquisition. Rather than being celebrated publicly, he was repeatedly moved and eventually ordered to avoid public ceremonies because the crowds had become so disruptive.

One particularly famous story says that when Joseph saw a statue of the Blessed Virgin being carried in procession, he suddenly flew toward it in ecstasy.

For obvious reasons, he eventually became the patron saint of aviators, pilots, and air travelers.

Students also adopted him as a patron, especially students facing examinations. Given the rather unusual way Joseph passed his own exams, that devotion makes perfect sense.

But underneath all the extraordinary stories was a remarkably humble man. Joseph never treated these experiences as achievements. In fact, they frequently embarrassed him. He preferred ordinary work, silence, and prayer.

He died in 1663 at Osimo, Italy, where his body remains venerated today in the Basilica of Saint Joseph of Cupertino.

Joseph's life is a wonderful reminder that God does not necessarily choose the person with the best résumé.

Sometimes He chooses the friar who barely passed the exam.

And occasionally, apparently, He lets him fly.

Saint Joseph of Cupertino, patron of students, aviators, and everyone who has ever struggled through an exam, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "Sanctification of the Family Through Mass", today's news from the Church: "Discovery of Two Unpublished Sermons by St. Augustine", a preview of the Sermon: "Friend, Go Up Higher", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Sanctification of the Family Through Mass" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Discovery of Two Unpublished Sermons by St. Augustine" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/poland-discovery-two-unpublished-sermons-st-augustine-61081
"Friend, Go Up Higher" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

The Commemoration of the Stigmata of Saint Francis celebrates one of the strangest and most extraordinary events in the life of one of the Church's best-known saints.

It happened in September of 1224, just two years before Francis died.

By this point, the Franciscan Order had exploded across Europe. Thousands of friars had joined, and Francis increasingly withdrew from leadership. He was physically exhausted, often sick, and worried that the movement he had begun was becoming something much bigger and more complicated than he had ever intended.

So he went somewhere quiet.

Francis withdrew to Mount La Verna, a rugged mountain retreat in Tuscany, to spend several weeks fasting and praying in preparation for the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel.

According to the earliest Franciscan accounts, Francis prayed for two particular graces before his death: to understand something of the love Christ experienced during His Passion, and something of the suffering He endured on the Cross.

Then came the vision.

Around the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Francis saw what appeared to be a seraph with six wings, bearing the figure of a crucified man.

When the vision disappeared, Francis discovered wounds on his own body.

His hands and feet bore marks corresponding to the nails of the Crucifixion, and his side carried a wound resembling the wound made by the soldier's lance.

Francis tried to hide them.

That's an important detail.

He wasn't showing people the wounds or using them to prove his holiness. He wrapped his hands, wore footwear when possible, and told very few people what had happened. Brother Leo and a handful of companions eventually saw enough to understand.

After Francis died in 1226, however, the wounds were seen openly by many who came to view his body.

The event became known as the stigmata, from the Greek word meaning a mark or brand. Francis is traditionally regarded as the first person in Christian history to receive the visible wounds of Christ in this extraordinary way.

La Verna remains one of the most moving Franciscan pilgrimage sites in Italy. Pilgrims can still walk through the mountain forest to the rocky place traditionally associated with the event. A chapel now stands there, and each day the friars process from the basilica to the Chapel of the Stigmata, singing and praying along the same cliffs where Francis once sought solitude.

The Church eventually gave the event its own liturgical commemoration on September 17.

And perhaps the most important part of the feast is easy to miss.

Francis had spent his entire Christian life trying to imitate Christ.

Near the end of that life, according to Franciscan tradition, that imitation became visible even in his flesh.

Saint Francis of Assisi, marked with the wounds of the Crucified Christ, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org  

It's the Feast of Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian, 3rd Class, with the color of Red. In this episode: the meditation: "Sanctification of the Family Through Mass", today's news from the Church: "Small but Important Victory in the Euthanasia Law in France", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Sanctification of the Family Through Mass" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Small but Important Victory in the Euthanasia Law in France" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/france-small-important-victory-euthanasia-law-61080
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Euphemia is one of those early martyrs whose story didn't end with her martyrdom. More than a century after her death, her tomb became connected with one of the most important councils in Church history.

Euphemia lived in Chalcedon, across the water from Constantinople, around the beginning of the fourth century. She came from a Christian family and was still a young woman when Emperor Diocletian's great persecution reached the city.

According to the ancient accounts, the governor ordered everyone to participate in sacrifices to the pagan god Ares.

Euphemia refused.

She was arrested with other Christians and subjected to a series of tortures intended to make her abandon the faith. The traditional account describes the rack, fire, and eventually the arena, where she was exposed to wild animals. She died around the year 303.

Christians buried her with honor in Chalcedon, and a great basilica eventually rose over her tomb.

And that's where the story gets especially interesting.

In 451, nearly 150 years after Euphemia's death, hundreds of bishops gathered in Chalcedon to settle an enormous controversy over the Person of Christ. The question was how Christians should speak correctly about Christ being both truly God and truly man.

The meetings took place in the basilica dedicated to Euphemia.

According to a beloved Eastern Christian tradition, the disagreement became so intense that representatives placed competing statements of faith inside Euphemia's tomb and sealed it.

Then everyone prayed.

When the tomb was reopened, tradition says the orthodox profession was found in Euphemia's hand, while the rejected statement lay at her feet.

Whether we treat that account as miraculous history or later devotional tradition, it tells us how closely Christians associated Euphemia with the Council of Chalcedon. She became not merely a martyr of the early persecutions, but a symbol of the Church's defense of the truth about Christ.

Her relics also had quite a journey.

After Persian invasions threatened Chalcedon, they were eventually brought across the Bosporus to Constantinople. During the later Iconoclast persecutions, tradition says her relics were thrown into the sea, recovered, and eventually restored.

They can still be venerated today in the Church of Saint George in Istanbul, the cathedral of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

That's an extraordinary journey for a young woman killed more than seventeen centuries ago.

Euphemia never wrote a theological book.

She never attended a council.

She simply refused to deny Christ.

Yet generations later, bishops debating exactly who Christ is gathered around her tomb to do it.

Saint Euphemia, great martyr and witness to the true faith of Christ, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Seven Sorrows of Our Lady, 1st Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Attendance at Mass", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "Audiobook Chapter 17 "I Adhere to Eternal Rome"", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Attendance at Mass" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
The SSPX Podcast: "Audiobook Chapter 17 "I Adhere to Eternal Rome"" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows asks us to look at the life of Christ from a perspective we don't always stop to consider: what was all of this like for His Mother?

Catholics have meditated on Mary's suffering since the earliest centuries, especially her presence at Calvary. Simeon had foretold it when Jesus was still an infant: "Thy own soul a sword shall pierce." Medieval Christians eventually began identifying particular moments when that sword seemed especially sharp.

These became the Seven Sorrows of Mary: Simeon's prophecy, the Flight into Egypt, losing the Child Jesus in Jerusalem, meeting Christ on the road to Calvary, standing beneath the Cross, receiving His dead body, and watching Him placed in the tomb.

And devotion to them became enormous.

By the Middle Ages, Christians were meditating on Mary's sorrows through prayers, artwork, processions, and hymns. The most famous is the Stabat Mater, traditionally attributed to the thirteenth-century Franciscan Jacopone da Todi. Its opening image is simple and devastating: Mary standing beside the Cross while her Son dies.

The Servite Order made this devotion especially their own. Founded in Florence in the thirteenth century by the Seven Holy Founders, the Servites spread devotion to the Seven Sorrows throughout Europe. The familiar image of Mary's heart pierced by seven swords comes directly from this tradition.

Interestingly, the Church eventually had two feasts honoring Mary's sorrows.

One developed on the Friday of Passion Week, focusing particularly on Mary's compassion during the Passion. The other was celebrated by the Servites in September. In 1814, after returning to Rome following his captivity under Napoleon, Pope Pius VII extended the September feast to the universal Church in thanksgiving. Pope Pius X later fixed it on September 15, immediately after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

That placement is almost perfect.

September 14: look at the Cross.

September 15: look at the Mother standing beneath it.

The feast also inspired some striking traditions, particularly in Mediterranean countries. In Spain, Italy, Malta, and parts of Latin America, statues of the Sorrowful Mother are carried through streets dressed in dark robes, sometimes beneath elaborate canopies. During Holy Week, confraternities still carry enormous images of the Dolorosa, surrounded by candles and flowers, while crowds watch in silence.

Our Lady of Sorrows isn't really about asking which of Mary's sufferings was worst.

It's about remembering that she stayed.

At Bethlehem, she held Christ when almost no one knew Him.

At Calvary, she remained when almost everyone had left.

Our Lady of Sorrows, Mother who stood faithfully beneath the Cross, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross, 2nd Class, with the color of Red. In this episode: the meditation: "The Sanctification of Sunday", today's news from the Church: "Could the SSPX still wait for Rome?", a preview of the Sermon: "Trusting Providence", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Sanctification of Sunday" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Could the SSPX still wait for Rome?" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/could-sspx-still-wait-rome-61047
"Trusting Providence" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross has one of the most interesting histories on the Catholic calendar because it celebrates not simply Christ's Crucifixion, but the strange journey of the Cross itself through history.

The story begins with Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine. Around the year 326, Helena traveled to Jerusalem looking for the places associated with the Passion of Christ. According to ancient tradition, excavations near Calvary uncovered three crosses.

That created an obvious problem.

Which one was Christ's?

Tradition says the True Cross was identified through a miraculous healing when a sick woman touched it. Other versions tell of a dead man being restored to life. Whatever the precise details, devotion to the Cross in Jerusalem developed very early.

Constantine soon ordered a magnificent church built over Calvary and Christ's tomb. The complex was dedicated in September of 335 and eventually became the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The following day, September 14, the relic of the True Cross was solemnly displayed, or "exalted," before the people so everyone could venerate it.

That's where our feast gets its name.

But the Cross wasn't finished traveling.

In 614, Persian armies captured Jerusalem, destroyed churches, and carried away the relic of the True Cross as war booty.

Imagine the shock.

One of Christianity's holiest relics was now in the hands of an invading army.

Years later, the Byzantine emperor Heraclius defeated the Persians and recovered the Cross. In 629, he solemnly returned it to Jerusalem.

Then comes one of the feast's most memorable traditions.

Heraclius supposedly approached Calvary wearing his imperial robes, jeweled crown, and all the splendor of an emperor. But when he tried to carry the Cross forward, he couldn't move.

The Patriarch of Jerusalem pointed out the obvious contrast.

Christ had carried that Cross wearing a crown of thorns.

Heraclius was carrying it dressed like a king.

So the emperor removed his crown, exchanged his rich garments for simple clothing, took up the Cross again, and this time carried it forward.

Whether every detail happened exactly that way or not, medieval Christians loved the story because it captures the entire meaning of the feast.

The Cross was once an instrument designed to humiliate criminals.

Christianity turned it into a throne.

That's why Catholics place crosses above altars, wear them around their necks, and raise them over churches. We don't honor suffering for its own sake. We honor the Cross because Christ took the thing meant to destroy Him and made it the instrument of our salvation.

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of XVI Sun of Pentecost, 2nd Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "The Virtue of Religion", today's news from the Church: "In Salzburg, Artisans Are Building a Church "For Eternity"", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Virtue of Religion" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"In Salzburg, Artisans Are Building a Church "For Eternity"" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/austria-salzburg-artisans-are-building-church-eternity-61040
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Amatus of Remiremont is one of those early medieval saints whose story involves an unusual amount of moving farther and farther away from everyone, only to discover that people kept following him.

He was born around the year 560 in the region of Grenoble in southeastern France. As a young man, Amatus entered the famous monastery of Agaunum, today's Saint-Maurice in Switzerland. It was built near the traditional site of the martyrdom of the Theban Legion and had become one of the great monastic centers of the region.

Amatus liked monastic life.

He just wanted even more silence.

So he eventually withdrew to live as a hermit high in the mountains. Tradition places him near a rocky retreat where he spent years praying, fasting, and living largely alone.

That worked for a while.

Then Eustace of Luxeuil came looking for him.

Eustace persuaded Amatus to leave his solitude and join the great monastery of Luxeuil, founded by the Irish missionary Saint Columbanus. Amatus became a preacher there and soon attracted the attention of a wealthy nobleman named Romaric.

Romaric listened to Amatus, converted his enormous estate into a religious foundation, and eventually became a monk himself.

Together, the two men established a monastery in the Vosges Mountains around the year 620.

And this monastery was unusual.

Rather than following the arrangement that would later become standard in Western monasteries, Remiremont developed as a double monastery, with communities of men and women living separately but sharing a common spiritual life. According to early tradition, the monks maintained something called the laus perennis, or "perpetual praise," organizing themselves so that the Psalms and prayers continued through the day and night.

Imagine building an entire community around the idea that somebody should always be praying.

Amatus became its first abbot, while Romaric eventually succeeded him. The monastery became so closely associated with Romaric that the surrounding settlement eventually took his name: Remiremont, essentially "Romaric's mountain."

That town still exists in northeastern France.

Over the centuries, the monastery changed dramatically. Its community of women eventually became an influential house of noble canonesses, and Remiremont developed into an important religious and political center of medieval Lorraine.

Amatus probably would have found all that rather surprising.

He had originally gone into the mountains because he wanted to be left alone with God.

Instead, his life helped create a religious community, a town, and a tradition of prayer that survived for more than a thousand years.

Sometimes God has a funny way of using people who want obscurity.

Saint Amatus of Remiremont, hermit of the mountains and father of perpetual prayer, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of The Most Holy Name of Mary, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Resurrection of the Body", today's news from the Church: "Freemasonry in France: Thirty days of influence in the open", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Resurrection of the Body" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Freemasonry in France: Thirty days of influence in the open" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/freemasonry-france-thirty-days-influence-open-61041
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary celebrates something wonderfully simple: the name by which Christians have called upon the Mother of God for nearly two thousand years.

The name Mary comes to us through the Hebrew Miriam, and scholars have proposed several meanings over the centuries. Christian writers have especially loved titles such as "Star of the Sea." Saint Bernard famously developed that image, telling Christians caught in the storms of temptation and suffering to look toward the star and call upon Mary.

But the feast itself has a surprisingly dramatic history.

Devotion to Mary's name existed long before there was a universal feast. By the Middle Ages, Catholics regularly invoked her name in hymns, prayers, and preaching. A formal feast developed in Spain during the sixteenth century and gradually spread elsewhere.

Then came Vienna in 1683.

The Ottoman Empire had advanced deep into Europe, and a massive army surrounded Vienna. If the city fell, the road into central Europe would be dangerously exposed. For weeks the defenders held out while relief forces gathered under the Polish king John III Sobieski.

Before the battle, Sobieski and his soldiers attended Mass and entrusted themselves to the Blessed Virgin.

On September 12, the Christian relief army attacked.

Sobieski's famous Polish Winged Hussars joined what is often described as one of the largest cavalry charges in history, sweeping down upon the Ottoman positions. By evening, the siege had been broken.

Sobieski reportedly adapted Julius Caesar's famous words afterward: "We came, we saw, God conquered."

Pope Innocent XI attributed the deliverance of Vienna to divine assistance obtained through Our Lady's intercession. In thanksgiving, he extended the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary to the universal Church, connecting it permanently with September 12.

So behind this gentle-sounding feast stands one of the most dramatic moments in European history.

The devotion itself, however, is much quieter.

Catholics have traditionally been encouraged simply to develop the habit of saying Mary's name with love and confidence, especially during temptation, fear, or suffering. Saints repeatedly recommended it as one of the simplest prayers a person can make.

You don't always need many words.

Sometimes "Mary, help me" is enough.

And perhaps that's why this feast has endured. It celebrates no complicated theological idea and requires no elaborate devotion. It simply reminds us that God has given Christians a Mother, and children naturally call for their mother by name.

Most Holy Name of Mary, consolation of Christians and terror of demons, be always on our lips and in our hearts.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "Christian Hope", today's news from the Church: "700 Traditional Pilgrims at the Feet of Our Lady of Częstochowa", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "What Is the Difference Between a Priest and a Bishop?", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Christian Hope" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"700 Traditional Pilgrims at the Feet of Our Lady of Częstochowa" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/poland-700-traditional-pilgrims-feet-our-lady-czestochowa-60973
The SSPX Podcast: "What Is the Difference Between a Priest and a Bishop?" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint John Gabriel Perboyre spent years dreaming about the missions in China before he ever imagined he would actually go there.

He was born in 1802 in a small farming village in southern France, one of eight children. As a boy, John Gabriel wasn't originally planning to become a priest. He accompanied his younger brother to a school run by the Vincentians and intended to stay only long enough to help him settle in.

Instead, John Gabriel discovered his own vocation.

He entered the Congregation of the Mission, founded by Vincent de Paul, and was ordained in 1826. His great desire was to become a missionary in China, partly inspired by his younger brother Louis, who had volunteered for the Chinese missions but died during the voyage.

John Gabriel asked to take his place.

His superiors initially refused because his health seemed too fragile.

Eventually, they changed their minds.

In 1835, he sailed for China. After months at sea, John Gabriel entered the country disguised in Chinese clothing, learned the language, and began traveling between scattered Catholic communities. Missionary life meant long journeys, unfamiliar food, hiding from authorities, hearing confessions, celebrating Mass secretly, and teaching Catholics who might see a priest only occasionally.

Then, in 1839, persecution intensified.

John Gabriel was betrayed for money, arrested, and dragged from prison to prison. Authorities repeatedly demanded that he renounce Christianity. When he refused, he was beaten and tortured.

One detail of his imprisonment is particularly striking.

His captors tried to force him to trample on a crucifix.

He wouldn't do it.

Eventually John Gabriel was condemned to death. On September 11, 1840, he was taken to an execution ground near Wuchang and strangled on a wooden cross-like structure.

The resemblance to the Passion of Christ was not lost on later Catholics.

His body was eventually recovered by Christians and buried in China. Years later, his remains were returned to France and placed in the Vincentian motherhouse in Paris, where they can still be venerated today.

There's also a fascinating family detail. John Gabriel wasn't the only Perboyre drawn toward religious life. Several of his siblings entered religious communities, and the brother whose death opened the way for John's mission to China had wanted exactly the same vocation.

John Gabriel finally reached the country he had prayed to serve, but he spent only a few years there.

It was enough.

In 1996, he became the first canonized saint among the missionaries martyred in China.

Saint John Gabriel Perboyre, missionary of China and courageous imitator of the Crucified Christ, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Nicholas Tolentino, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Particular Judgement", today's news from the Church: "Pilgrimage to Bourguillon Under the Theme "Francis, Repair My Church"", a preview of the Sermon: "Without Me You Can Do Nothing", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Particular Judgement" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Pilgrimage to Bourguillon Under the Theme "Francis, Repair My Church"" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/switzerland-pilgrimage-bourguillon-under-theme-francis-repair-my-church-60927
"Without Me You Can Do Nothing" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Nicholas of Tolentino became one of the most beloved Augustinian saints of the Middle Ages, and his story has a little bit of everything: miraculous bread, visions, souls in Purgatory, and a lifetime spent quietly helping ordinary people.

He was born around 1245 in central Italy. His parents had struggled for years to have a child, so they made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Nicholas of Myra in Bari and prayed for a son.

When that son finally arrived, there wasn't much debate about the name.

Nicholas eventually joined the Augustinians and was ordained a priest. After several assignments, he was sent to the town of Tolentino, where he would spend roughly thirty years.

And apparently, he became the priest everybody came looking for.

Nicholas preached, heard confessions, visited prisoners, settled arguments, cared for the poor, and spent long hours in prayer. He was especially known for seeking out people who had drifted away from the Church rather than simply waiting for them to return.

One of the most unusual traditions about Nicholas concerns blessed bread.

During a serious illness, Nicholas was reportedly told in a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary to eat a small piece of bread dipped in water. He recovered, and afterward he began blessing pieces of bread and giving them to the sick.

The custom never really went away.

Even today, Augustinians bless what are called the Breads of Saint Nicholas, which are distributed to the faithful and used as a sacramental, especially in prayers for healing and protection.

But Nicholas is probably best known for his connection with Purgatory.

According to tradition, a deceased friar appeared to him and begged for Masses because he and many other souls were suffering in Purgatory. Nicholas spent the following days offering Mass and prayers for them. The friar later appeared again, this time surrounded by souls who had been released through those prayers.

That story spread everywhere.

Nicholas became one of the great patrons of the souls in Purgatory, and medieval paintings frequently show him celebrating Mass while souls rise from the flames toward heaven.

His relics are still venerated at the Basilica of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino. The basilica's extraordinary medieval frescoes make it one of the most interesting Augustinian shrines in Italy.

Nicholas never founded an order or became a bishop.

He simply stayed in one town for thirty years, said Mass, heard confessions, fed people, prayed for the dead, and helped whoever showed up.

Sometimes that's more than enough for a lifetime.

Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, friend of the poor and tireless intercessor for the souls in Purgatory, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St Peter Claver, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "A Salutary Meditation", today's news from the Church: "The Hymn of the Society of Saint Pius X", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"A Salutary Meditation" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"The Hymn of the Society of Saint Pius X" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/hymn-society-saint-pius-x-60879
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Peter Claver spent nearly forty years meeting ships that most people in seventeenth-century Cartagena wanted nothing to do with.

He was born in Spain in 1580 and entered the Jesuits as a young man. While studying on the island of Majorca, he met an elderly Jesuit brother, Saint Alphonsus Rodríguez, who became convinced that Peter's vocation was waiting for him across the Atlantic.

So Peter went to Colombia.

Cartagena was one of the great ports of the Spanish Empire, and tragically, one of the principal entry points for enslaved Africans brought to South America. Ships arrived carrying hundreds of people who had endured weeks below deck in horrific conditions. Many were sick. Some were dying. Few spoke Spanish.

Peter decided this would be his parish.

Whenever word came that a slave ship was approaching, he headed for the docks carrying whatever he could gather: water, fruit, bread, medicine, clothing, tobacco, and interpreters who spoke African languages.

Then he went below deck.

The conditions were awful. Heat, disease, filth, and fear filled the holds. Peter crawled into those spaces anyway, tending wounds and reassuring people who had no idea where they were or what was going to happen next.

He called himself "Petrus Claver, Aethiopum servus," Peter Claver, slave of the Africans.

And he meant it.

Peter understood that preaching Christianity to people while ignoring their suffering would ring hollow. So he cared for bodies first. He washed wounds, fed the starving, embraced people others refused to touch, and then, with interpreters and religious pictures, taught them about Christ and prepared many for baptism.

Tradition credits him with baptizing roughly 300,000 people during his ministry.

But his work didn't stop at the docks.

Peter visited plantations and prisons, confronted slave owners about mistreatment, and insisted that the Africans he baptized be treated as Christians with human dignity. He could not dismantle the enormous slave system surrounding him, but he refused to let that system convince him that the people trapped inside it were anything less than children of God.

Near the end of his life, Peter became seriously ill and spent several years largely confined to his room. The man who had cared for thousands was himself often neglected.

He died in 1654.

Today his remains are venerated in the San Pedro Claver Church and Convent, only a short distance from the harbor where he spent his life meeting those terrible ships.

There's something powerful about that location.

Cartagena remembers the wealth of an empire.

Peter Claver reminds us who paid for it.

Saint Peter Claver, servant of the enslaved and defender of forgotten souls, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, 2nd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Thought of Death", today's news from the Church: "Sisters of the Society of Saint Pius X: Their Life in 100 Images", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "Audiobook Chapter 16", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Thought of Death" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Sisters of the Society of Saint Pius X: Their Life in 100 Images" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/sisters-society-saint-pius-x-their-life-100-images-60865
The SSPX Podcast: "Audiobook Chapter 16" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of only three birthdays celebrated in the Church's liturgical year: the birth of Christ, the birth of Saint John the Baptist, and the birth of Our Lady.

Interestingly, the Bible never tells us when Mary was born.

Even the names of her parents, Saints Joachim and Anne, come from ancient Christian tradition rather than Scripture. One of the earliest sources is the second-century Protoevangelium of James, which tells the beautiful story of Joachim and Anne as an elderly, childless couple whose long prayers were finally answered with the birth of Mary.

The feast itself seems to have developed first in Jerusalem, where Christians honored a church dedicated to Saint Anne near the traditional site of Mary's childhood home. By the sixth century, Mary's birth was being celebrated in the Christian East, and over the following centuries the feast spread westward to Rome.

But why September 8?

There's actually a wonderfully simple explanation.

The Church celebrates Mary's Immaculate Conception on December 8.

Count forward nine months.

September 8.

In fact, historically the Nativity came first. The date of the Immaculate Conception was later calculated backward nine months from Mary's traditional birthday.

The feast developed some wonderfully local customs across Catholic Europe. In parts of France, it became associated with the grape harvest, and farmers brought their finest grapes to church to be blessed. In Austria and other Alpine regions, Mary's birthday became connected with thanksgiving for the summer harvest.

One of the most colorful celebrations developed in Malta, where September 8 became known as the Bambina, or "Little Mary." Statues of the infant Virgin are carried through decorated streets amid processions, music, fireworks, and enormous crowds. The date gained even greater significance because several major military victories in Maltese history occurred around September 8, including the end of the Great Siege of Malta in 1565.

In parts of Italy, devotion focuses on Maria Bambina, Mary as a little child. Small statues show the infant Mary wrapped in swaddling clothes, sometimes resting in an ornate cradle. One of the best-known shrines to Maria Bambina is in Milan, where devotion to the image became especially popular in the nineteenth century.

There's something charming about this feast because it celebrates no miracle Mary performed and no words she spoke.

She's a baby.

That's the whole point.

The world didn't know it yet, but the little girl born to Joachim and Anne would become the Mother of God. Salvation history was quietly moving forward in a home where, as far as the neighbors could tell, a perfectly ordinary child had just been born.

Holy Mary, whose birth announced the approaching dawn of our salvation, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "The Sorrowing Mother", today's news from the Church: "St. Pius X Against Half-Hearted Journalism", a preview of the Sermon: "Total Confidence in God", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Sorrowing Mother" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"St. Pius X Against Half-Hearted Journalism" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/st-pius-x-against-half-hearted-journalism-60892
"Total Confidence in God" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Magdalene of Nagasaki was only twenty-two when she was killed, but by then she had already watched nearly every spiritual guide in her life suffer for the Catholic faith.

She was born around 1611 near Nagasaki, Japan, into a Christian family. This was no longer the hopeful age when Saint Francis Xavier had first brought the Gospel to Japan. Christianity was now outlawed, missionaries were hunted, and Catholic families faced imprisonment, torture, or death.

Magdalene's own parents were reportedly martyred while she was still young.

She remained Catholic.

Later, she came under the spiritual direction of Augustinian missionaries, including Saints Francis of Jesus and Vincent of Saint Anthony. She wanted to belong more completely to God, so she became an Augustinian tertiary, living a consecrated life while helping the underground Church.

Then her priests were arrested and killed.

Magdalene remained Catholic.

She worked with two more missionaries, Saints Martin of Saint Nicholas and Melchior of Saint Augustine.

They were killed too.

At some point, hiding probably began to feel like simply waiting for the authorities to find her.

So Magdalene did something extraordinary.

She turned herself in.

According to the traditional accounts, she appeared before the authorities wearing her Augustinian habit and openly declared that she was a Christian. She hoped that by publicly defending the faith, she might strengthen Catholics who were frightened into silence.

The authorities subjected her to one of the most horrifying punishments used during the Japanese persecution, the ana-tsurushi, or "pit torture." The prisoner was suspended upside down over a pit, often with the body tightly bound and the head lowered into the opening. The torture could continue for days because the authorities wanted apostasy, not simply death.

Magdalene endured it for nearly two weeks.

Witnesses later remembered her remarkable composure. Even during the torture, she reportedly continued praying and singing hymns.

Eventually she died in 1634, probably from suffocation after heavy rain flooded the pit.

The authorities burned her body and scattered the ashes into Nagasaki Bay so Christians would have no relics to venerate.

That didn't erase her memory.

In fact, Nagasaki became home to one of the most astonishing stories in Catholic history. For more than two centuries after the missionaries were expelled, communities of hidden Christians, the Kakure Kirishitan, secretly preserved baptism, prayers, and fragments of Catholic tradition without priests.

Magdalene never lived to see that.

But she belonged to the generation whose courage made that survival possible.

Saint Magdalene of Nagasaki, fearless daughter of Japan's hidden Church, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of XV Sun of Pentecost, 2nd Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "The Resurrection of the Widow's Son", today's news from the Church: "The Hymn of the Society of Saint Pius X", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Resurrection of the Widow's Son" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"The Hymn of the Society of Saint Pius X" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/hymn-society-saint-pius-x-60879
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Blessed Liberato of Loro Piceno is one of those medieval Franciscan figures where the history is a little hazy, but the tradition surrounding him gives us a beautiful glimpse into the earliest generations after Saint Francis.

Liberato lived in thirteenth-century Italy and came from Loro, in the Marches, the region facing the Adriatic Sea. Some traditions identify him with a nobleman named Liberato da Loro who gave up wealth and status to enter the Franciscan life.

And this was still very early Franciscanism.

Saint Francis had died only a generation before. His memory was fresh. Friars were still trying to figure out exactly what it meant to live his radical ideal of poverty after the order had expanded across Europe.

Liberato wanted the simplest version possible.

He withdrew to a small hermitage at Soffiano, in the wooded hills near Sarnano. There he lived with other friars in prayer, fasting, manual work, and the kind of poverty that had characterized the first companions of Saint Francis.

The place itself is worth imagining.

No great monastery.

No elaborate choir stalls.

Just a few friars living in the hills, trying to pray and stay out of everyone's way.

One reason Liberato became remembered is his connection with an extraordinary medieval book, the Little Flowers of Saint Francis. A friar named Liberato appears in stories surrounding the hermitage of Soffiano, along with Brothers Humble and Pacificus. These accounts describe a small community marked by contemplation and mystical prayer.

One particularly beautiful tradition says that Liberato received a warning in prayer that his death was approaching. Rather than being frightened, he prepared quietly, received the sacraments, and entrusted himself to God.

After his death, devotion remained local but persistent.

And that's fitting, because Liberato's entire life was local.

The region around Loro Piceno and Sarnano is still filled with Franciscan history. Ancient hermitages, mountain sanctuaries, and little churches dot the landscape, preserving the memory of friars who deliberately chose places where almost nobody would notice them.

Liberato never became a famous preacher like Saint Anthony.

He never led the Franciscan Order like Saint Bonaventure.

He didn't leave behind great books.

Instead, he belonged to that quieter stream of Franciscan life: men who heard Francis say that poverty, prayer, and simplicity were enough, and then spent their lives trying to prove it.

There's something refreshing about a saint whose great accomplishment was essentially disappearing into the hills to pray.

Blessed Liberato of Loro Piceno, hidden son of Saint Francis and lover of holy poverty, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Lawrence Justinian / First Sat, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Recourse to God", today's news from the Church: "Education: An Agreement Between Parents", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Recourse to God" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Education: An Agreement Between Parents" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/education-agreement-between-parents-60845
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Lawrence Justinian became the first Patriarch of Venice, but he spent most of his life trying to avoid exactly the kind of attention that came with that title.

He was born in Venice in 1381 into the powerful Giustiniani family. Wealth, connections, and a comfortable future were all waiting for him. As a young man, however, Lawrence became convinced that God was calling him somewhere very different.

So he joined a community of canons living on the little island of San Giorgio in Alga, across the lagoon from Venice.

His family wasn't exactly thrilled.

According to tradition, when relatives tried to persuade him toward a prestigious marriage, Lawrence chose instead a life of poverty, prayer, and penance. Once ordained, he became known for walking through Venice begging alms for his community. That could be humiliating for anyone. For a member of one of Venice's noble families, it was especially noticeable.

When people insulted him or refused him, he simply moved on.

When they gave generously, he sometimes deliberately returned to houses where he had been treated badly, reasoning that begging was supposed to teach humility, not make him popular.

Eventually, his reputation reached Rome, and in 1433 Pope Eugene IV appointed him Bishop of Castello, the diocese that then included much of Venice.

Lawrence reportedly tried very hard to get out of it.

He failed.

As bishop, he lived with the same simplicity he had practiced in the monastery. He reduced unnecessary expenses, improved the formation of clergy, visited parishes, and quietly redirected money toward the poor. His episcopal household looked considerably less impressive than people expected from a Venetian bishop.

Then, in 1451, something historically important happened.

The old Patriarchate of Grado was reorganized and united with the Venetian see. Lawrence became the first Patriarch of Venice, beginning the line of patriarchs that continues today. Centuries later, three Patriarchs of Venice would become popes: Pius X, John XXIII, and John Paul I.

Lawrence was also a serious spiritual writer. His works focused especially on prayer and the interior life, and people sought his advice because he had a gift for making deep spiritual ideas practical.

When he died in 1456, devotion spread quickly. His body became an object of particular veneration and was preserved for centuries in Venice.

There's something wonderfully Venetian about his story. Lawrence lived amid one of Europe's wealthiest cities, surrounded by merchants, palaces, ships, and political power.

Yet right in the middle of all that splendor, he chose simplicity.

He became important almost despite himself.

And when the Church gave him greater authority, he simply found more people to serve.

Saint Lawrence Justinian, first Patriarch of Venice and humble shepherd of the poor, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria / 1st Fri, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "Trust In Providence", today's news from the Church: "What "Communion"?", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "The Incarnation and the Virgin Birth", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Trust In Providence" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"What "Communion"?" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/what-communion-60832
The SSPX Podcast: "The Incarnation and the Virgin Birth" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Ultan of Ardbraccan is one of those early Irish saints whose biography comes to us in fragments, but one particular detail makes him stand out immediately.

He cared for abandoned children.

Ultan lived in seventh-century Ireland and became bishop and abbot at Ardbraccan, in what is now County Meath. He belonged to the remarkable age of Irish monasticism when monasteries were not simply places where monks prayed. They functioned as schools, farms, libraries, hospitals, and centers of charity for the surrounding countryside.

Then Ireland was struck by a terrible epidemic.

A plague sometimes called the Buidhe Chonaill, or Yellow Plague, swept through the country during the seventh century. Among its victims were enormous numbers of adults, leaving children without parents to care for them.

Ultan saw what was happening and stepped in.

Later Irish tradition remembers him gathering orphaned children around the monastery at Ardbraccan and personally helping care for them. One particularly memorable story says that there were so many infants needing to be fed that Ultan devised ways of supplying them with milk, including keeping cows specifically for the children.

It's a wonderfully practical image of sanctity.

A bishop surrounded by crying babies, trying to figure out how to feed everybody.

For that reason, Ultan became especially associated with the care of children and the poor. Centuries before orphanages or organized social services existed, monasteries like his often became the only safety net available when families were destroyed by disease or famine.

But Ultan wasn't only remembered for charity.

Irish tradition also describes him as a scholar and a collector of writings about Saint Brigid of Kildare. One medieval source even credits him with assembling hymns and accounts concerning her life. That gives us another glimpse of what an Irish bishop actually did in this period: care for the poor, govern a monastery, teach, preserve manuscripts, and somehow keep the local Church functioning.

Even the place connected with him is interesting.

Ardbraccan comes from the Irish Ard Breacáin, meaning the "height of Breacán." It became an important ecclesiastical center for centuries after Ultan's time. The old Diocese of Ardbraccan was eventually absorbed into the Diocese of Meath, but the area retained its religious importance long afterward.

Very little of Ultan's personal story survives.

But maybe the detail that survived is exactly the one worth remembering.

When plague swept through Ireland and children were left with nobody to care for them, Ultan didn't write a treatise about the problem.He picked them up.He fed them.And he gave them a home.

Saint Ultan of Ardbraccan, father of orphans and protector of abandoned children, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St Pius X, 1st Class (SSPX), with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Meaning of Our Trials", today's news from the Church: "Ceuta in Turmoil: Can Christian Charity Ignore the Common Good?", a preview of the Sermon: "St. Pius X and His Example for Us", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Meaning of Our Trials" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Ceuta in Turmoil: Can Christian Charity Ignore the Common Good?" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/ceuta-turmoil-can-christian-charity-ignore-common-good-60746
"St. Pius X and His Example for Us" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Pius X became pope in 1903, but he never really stopped thinking like the village priest he had once been.

He was born Giuseppe Sarto in 1835 in Riese, a small town in northern Italy. His family was poor. His father worked as a postal carrier, and Giuseppe sometimes walked miles to school, reportedly carrying his shoes to keep from wearing them out and putting them on when he reached town.

From parish priest to bishop, cardinal, and eventually pope, he kept moving upward through the Church almost despite himself.

When he was elected pope, he reportedly protested that he was unworthy and begged the cardinals to choose someone else.

They didn't.

Pius chose as his motto: "To restore all things in Christ."

And he got to work.

One of his most important reforms affected something Catholics today barely think twice about: frequent Holy Communion. In many places, even devout Catholics received Communion only occasionally. Pius strongly encouraged frequent, even daily, Communion for properly disposed Catholics.

Then he turned his attention to children.

At the time, First Communion was often delayed until twelve, fourteen, or even later. Pius thought that made very little sense. If a child could understand the basic difference between ordinary bread and the Eucharist, why keep him away from Our Lord?

In 1910, he lowered the normal age of First Communion to around seven, the age of reason.

Millions of Catholic childhoods changed because of that decision.

Pius also loved sacred music and wanted Gregorian chant restored to Catholic churches. He reformed seminaries, reorganized parts of Church government, promoted better catechesis, and began the enormous project of organizing centuries of canon law into a single code.

But his pontificate also involved a serious intellectual battle.

Pius saw Modernism as a threat that could hollow out Catholic doctrine from within by treating dogma as something that evolved according to changing religious experience. In 1907, he condemned these errors in Pascendi Dominici Gregis and required strong measures to prevent them from spreading through seminaries and Catholic institutions.

Then came 1914.

Europe moved toward war.

Pius watched the crisis with horror and repeatedly urged peace. According to those around him, the prospect of Catholic nations tearing one another apart weighed heavily on him. He died on August 20, only weeks after the First World War began.

There's a wonderfully tangible connection to him in Rome today. His body rests beneath an altar in Saint Peter's Basilica, dressed simply in papal vestments. Pilgrims still stop there to pray before the pope who wanted ordinary Catholics, especially children, to draw much closer to the Eucharist.

And perhaps that's the simplest way to remember Pius X.

For all the reforms, controversies, and enormous responsibilities of his pontificate, he wanted Catholics to know Christ, receive Christ, and build their lives around Christ.

Saint Pius X, pope of the Eucharist and courageous defender of the faith, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St Stephen, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Tribulations of the Holy Family", today's news from the Church: "Rosa Mystica Mission in the Philippines: Testimonies from Volunteers", a preview of the Sermon: "How to Live Free", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Tribulations of the Holy Family" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Rosa Mystica Mission in the Philippines: Testimonies from Volunteers" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/rosa-mystica-mission-philippines-testimonies-volunteers-60733
"How to Live Free" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Blessed Brocard of Mount Carmel takes us back to a version of the Carmelite Order that looked very different from the Carmelites we know today.

No Saint Teresa of Ávila yet.

No Saint John of the Cross.

Not even the familiar Carmelite monasteries of Europe.

Instead, picture a handful of Western hermits living in small cells scattered across the slopes of Mount Carmel in the Holy Land.

Brocard lived around the beginning of the thirteenth century, during the Crusader period. Very little is known about his early life, and even some details of his later story come from Carmelite tradition rather than contemporary records. But he is remembered as one of the earliest leaders of the hermits on Mount Carmel, succeeding Saint Berthold.

These men had gathered near a spring traditionally associated with the prophet Elijah. They lived separately in little cells, coming together for Mass and community prayer. And they had a particular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Their small chapel was dedicated to her.

Eventually, they needed something more organized.

The hermits asked Albert of Jerusalem, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to give them a formal rule of life. Around the beginning of the thirteenth century, Albert wrote what became the Rule of Saint Albert, traditionally addressed to Brocard and his companions.

It's surprisingly short.

Rather than creating an elaborate system, the Rule tells the hermits to remain in their cells meditating on the law of the Lord, pray the Psalms, celebrate Mass together, work, fast, keep silence, and obey their prior.

That little document became the foundation of Carmelite spirituality.

And here's the fascinating part.

The order that would eventually produce Teresa of Ávila, Thérèse of Lisieux, John of the Cross, Elizabeth of the Trinity, and generations of contemplatives began with these mostly anonymous hermits trying to pray quietly on a mountain.

Brocard's own life remained largely hidden. Later Carmelite tradition remembers him as a holy superior who guided the community through its fragile early years. Some accounts connect him with miracles and with dealings involving the rulers of the Holy Land, but the historical evidence is thin, so it's better not to make those the center of his story.

The more interesting legacy is the place itself.

Mount Carmel rises above the Mediterranean near modern Haifa, and Carmelites still live there. The Stella Maris Monastery preserves the order's connection with the mountain from which it takes its name.

Brocard didn't leave us famous books or sermons.

He helped preserve something quieter: a way of life.

Eight hundred years later, Carmelites around the world are still living from it.

Blessed Brocard of Mount Carmel, guardian of Carmel's first contemplative spirit, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "The Thoughts of the Heart of Jesus", today's news from the Church: "Defending the Liturgical Reform Despite a Crisis", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "Audioboook Ch. 15 - Charter of Resistance", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Thoughts of the Heart of Jesus" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Defending the Liturgical Reform Despite a Crisis" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/defending-liturgical-reform-despite-crisis-stemming-novus-ordo-60728
The SSPX Podcast: "Audioboook Ch. 15 - Charter of Resistance" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Anna the Prophetess appears in only a few verses of Saint Luke's Gospel, but those few verses describe a woman who had spent almost her entire adult life waiting for one particular moment.

She lived in Jerusalem and belonged to the tribe of Asher, one of the ancient tribes of Israel. Luke even preserves the name of her father, Phanuel, which is remarkable considering how little Scripture tells us about her.

Anna had been married as a young woman, but her husband died after only seven years.

And then she did something unusual.

Rather than remarry, Anna devoted the rest of her life to God. By the time we meet her in the Gospel, she is an elderly widow, traditionally understood to be eighty-four years old. Saint Luke tells us that she "departed not from the temple," serving God night and day with fasting and prayer.

Think about how many ordinary days that represents.

She watched generations of families enter the Temple.

She saw priests come and go.

She watched children grow into adults and bring children of their own.

And she kept praying.

Then one day, an ordinary-looking young couple walked in carrying a baby.

Mary and Joseph had come to present Jesus according to the Law of Moses. There was no royal procession. No crowd waiting for the Messiah. Just two parents carrying a child and making the offering of a poor family.

But Anna knew.

The elderly Simeon had already taken Jesus into his arms and proclaimed Him the salvation God had promised. Then Anna approached.

Scripture doesn't tell us exactly what she said, which almost makes the scene more intriguing. We are simply told that she began giving thanks to God and speaking about the Child "to all that looked for the redemption of Israel."

In other words, Anna became one of the very first evangelists.

Before the Apostles.

Before John the Baptist began preaching.

Before Jesus had spoken a single public sermon.

An elderly widow was already telling people that the Redeemer had arrived.

There's another beautiful detail hidden in her name. Anna, or Hannah, means "grace" or "favor." Her father Phanuel's name recalls Peniel, "the face of God." Ancient Christian writers naturally saw something fitting there: Anna, after decades of prayer, was finally given the grace of looking upon the face of God in the Christ Child.

And then she almost completely disappears from history.

We don't know how long she lived afterward or what became of her.

Perhaps that's appropriate.

Anna's whole life wasn't about becoming known. It was about being ready.

She reminds us that years spent quietly praying are never wasted. Sometimes God is preparing us for a moment we cannot yet see.

Holy Anna the Prophetess, patient watcher of Israel and joyful herald of the Christ Child, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Raymond Nonnatus, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Ritual Of the Miracle", today's news from the Church: ""I am the one you seek!"", a preview of the Sermon: "The Virtue of Obedience", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Ritual Of the Miracle" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
""I am the one you seek!"" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/i-am-one-you-seek-60727
"The Virtue of Obedience" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne helped bring Christianity to northern England, and one of the best things about his story is that he got the job because somebody else was apparently terrible at it.

In the seventh century, King Oswald of Northumbria wanted his newly recovered kingdom evangelized. He asked the monks of Iona in Scotland to send a missionary. Their first choice returned frustrated, complaining that the Northumbrians were stubborn and practically impossible to teach.

Aidan listened and suggested that perhaps the missionary had simply expected too much too quickly. Maybe, he said, the people needed the "milk of simpler teaching" before they were ready for stronger things.

The monks apparently looked around the room and thought:

Fine. You go.

So Aidan went.

And he was exactly the right man.

King Oswald gave him the island of Lindisfarne, just off the Northumbrian coast. There Aidan founded a monastery in 635 that became one of the great centers of Christianity in medieval Britain.

At first, there was a language problem.

Aidan spoke Irish.

The Northumbrians spoke Old English.

So Oswald, who had learned Irish during his years of exile, sometimes sat beside Aidan and translated his preaching for the people. It's a wonderful image: the king acting as interpreter for the missionary bishop.

Aidan's own missionary method was remarkably personal. He preferred walking rather than riding horseback because it allowed him to stop and talk with ordinary people along the road. If they were Christians, he encouraged them. If they weren't, he gently introduced them to the faith.

Someone eventually gave him a fine horse so he could travel more efficiently.

Aidan gave it away to a poor man.

When the donor complained, Aidan reportedly asked why the son of a mare should be valued more highly than a son of God.

That pretty much ended the discussion.

Aidan also used gifts from wealthy people to ransom slaves, and some of those freed men later became his students and eventually priests.

His monastery at Lindisfarne became known as Holy Island, and its influence continued long after Aidan's death. Missionaries trained there traveled throughout England establishing churches and monasteries. Later, Lindisfarne would produce the magnificent Lindisfarne Gospels, one of the treasures of medieval Christian art.

Visitors can still reach Holy Island today by a tidal causeway. Twice each day, the sea covers the road completely, temporarily cutting the island off from the mainland. Pilgrims have to check the tide tables before crossing, which somehow feels appropriate for a place where monks once built their lives around rhythms of prayer and nature.

Aidan died in 651, leaning against the outside wall of a church near Bamburgh.

He had arrived among people another missionary considered hopeless.

He simply approached them differently.

Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne, gentle Apostle of Northumbria and friend of the poor, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of XIV Sun of Pentecost, 2nd Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "The Healing of the Deaf-Mute", today's news from the Church: "Leo XIV Consolidated Women's Access to Church Government", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Healing of the Deaf-Mute" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Leo XIV Consolidated Women's Access to Church Government" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/leo-xiv-consolidated-womens-access-church-government-60725
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Rose of Lima was the first canonized saint born in the Americas, but during her lifetime she was mostly known as a young woman who took prayer and penance much more seriously than anyone around her expected.

She was born Isabel Flores de Oliva in Lima, Peru, in 1586. According to tradition, a servant once saw the infant's face mysteriously transform into the appearance of a rose, and the nickname stuck. Rose herself later took the name formally at Confirmation.

She was famous for her beauty, which actually became something of a problem.

Her family expected her to marry.

Rose had absolutely no intention of doing that.

When admirers praised her appearance, she deliberately tried to avoid encouraging the attention. Eventually she consecrated herself to God and became a Dominican tertiary, taking Catherine of Siena as one of her great models.

But Rose didn't enter a convent.

Instead, she built herself a tiny hermitage in her family's garden.

There she spent long hours in prayer while still helping support the household by sewing, embroidering, and growing flowers to sell. She also turned part of the family home into a place where she cared for sick and poor people who had nowhere else to go.

Her penances could be extremely severe, even by the standards of her time, and they're probably not the part of her life most people should try to imitate. What mattered underneath them was something simpler: Rose had an intense desire to belong completely to Christ.

And she lived in an extraordinary Catholic city.

Seventeenth-century Lima produced an almost unbelievable cluster of saints. Rose knew Martin de Porres, and she was confirmed by Turibius of Mogrovejo. Imagine having three canonized saints crossing paths in the same city within a single generation.

Rose died in 1617 at only thirty-one.

Her funeral became an enormous public event. Crowds filled the streets, and important officials reportedly helped carry her coffin because so many people already considered her a saint.

Her canonization in 1671 was historic. She became the first saint canonized from the New World and soon became a patroness not only of Peru, but of the Americas and the Philippines.

Today, visitors to Lima can still see the house where she lived and the garden connected with her little hermitage. One particularly beloved tradition involves a well there. Pilgrims write letters containing their prayers and intentions and drop them into the well, continuing a devotion that draws thousands of visitors each year.

Rose spent much of her life trying to disappear into a garden and pray.

Instead, she became one of the most beloved saints of an entire hemisphere.

Saint Rose of Lima, first flower of sanctity in the Americas, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Beheading of St. John the Baptist, 3rd Class, with the color of Red. In this episode: the meditation: "Prayer", today's news from the Church: "Bishops Consecrated Clandestinely to Ensure "The Survival of the Church"", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Prayer" — From the Assumption to Advent
https://angeluspress.org/products/assumption-to-advent

"Bishops Consecrated Clandestinely to Ensure "The Survival of the Church"" (FSSPX.news)
https://fsspx.news/en/news/china-bishops-consecrated-clandestinely-ensure-survival-church-60711

The Spiritual Life— Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press)https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Sabina is one of those early Roman saints whose biography is difficult to separate from ancient tradition, but whose name has been preserved in a very tangible way.

You can still walk into her church in Rome.

According to tradition, Sabina was a wealthy Roman widow who lived sometime around the end of the first or beginning of the second century. She belonged to the upper levels of Roman society and lived on the Aventine Hill, one of the city's most fashionable neighborhoods.

Her path to Christianity began through someone Roman society probably considered far less important: an enslaved woman named Serapia.

Serapia was a Christian.

Through her influence, Sabina became interested in the faith and eventually converted. It's a fascinating little reversal of the social world of ancient Rome. The wealthy mistress possessed money, property, and status, but the enslaved woman possessed the one treasure Sabina didn't have.

She introduced her to Christ.

Eventually Serapia was arrested for being a Christian and put to death. Sabina recovered her body and gave her an honorable burial.

That was dangerous.

In the Roman world, publicly caring for the body of an executed Christian could advertise your own allegiance. According to tradition, Sabina was soon denounced, arrested, and ordered to sacrifice to the pagan gods.

She refused.

Sabina was beheaded, probably sometime in the early second century, and Christians preserved her memory alongside that of Serapia.

But here's where the story becomes especially tangible.

About three hundred years later, a magnificent basilica was built on the Aventine Hill, traditionally over or near Sabina's home. The Basilica of Santa Sabina still stands today, and it is one of the best-preserved early Christian basilicas anywhere in Rome.

Even its wooden doors are extraordinary.

They date from the fifth century and contain some of the oldest surviving carved Christian scenes in the world, including what may be the earliest surviving public depiction of Christ's Crucifixion.

Centuries later, Santa Sabina became closely connected with the Dominican Order. Dominic lived there, and the basilica eventually became the headquarters of the Dominicans. Saint Thomas Aquinas also taught there.

So the memory of an obscure Roman widow ended up attached to a church that has witnessed nearly sixteen centuries of Catholic history.

And perhaps the most interesting part of Sabina's story is still where it began: with Serapia.

A woman with almost no social power helped convert a woman with enormous social privilege.

Together, they became saints.

Saint Sabina and Saint Serapia, courageous daughters of the early Roman Church, pray for us.

• • • • •

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Augustine, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Means of Acquiring Humility", today's news from the Church: "Does the SSPX practice a "Free Examination" of Tradition?", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "Catechism: What Catholics Mean By Christ", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Means of Acquiring Humility" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Does the SSPX practice a "Free Examination" of Tradition?" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/does-sspx-practice-free-examination-tradition-60713
The SSPX Podcast: "Catechism: What Catholics Mean By Christ" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Augustine may be one of the easiest saints to relate to because he spent a surprising amount of his early life knowing exactly what he should do and finding reasons not to do it yet.

He was born in 354 in North Africa. His mother was Monica, whose years of prayer for her son we've already talked about. Augustine was brilliant, ambitious, and restless. He studied rhetoric, built a successful teaching career, and searched everywhere for answers, including philosophies and religions far outside Christianity.

The problem wasn't that Augustine never thought about God.

He thought about God constantly.

He just wasn't ready for God to interfere with his lifestyle.

In his Confessions, Augustine famously remembers praying, essentially, "Lord, give me chastity and continence... but not yet."

That's Augustine in one sentence.

Eventually he moved to Milan, where he began listening to Ambrose of Milan. Augustine initially went because Ambrose was famous as a speaker. Then, inconveniently, he started realizing that what Ambrose was saying actually made sense.

His conversion finally came in a garden.

Tormented by indecision, Augustine heard what sounded like a child's voice repeating, "Take and read." He opened the letters of Saint Paul and read a passage calling him to abandon his old life.

That was it.

The years of arguing stopped.

Augustine was baptized by Ambrose in 387, with Monica finally seeing the answer to the prayers she had offered for decades.

He eventually returned to North Africa, hoping for a quiet life of prayer and study.

That plan lasted about as well as most plans to become a quiet saint.

While visiting Hippo, Augustine attended Mass, and the local bishop mentioned that the Church needed another priest. The congregation apparently decided Augustine was the obvious candidate. They surrounded him and essentially pushed him toward ordination.

He later became Bishop of Hippo and spent more than thirty years preaching, writing, debating heresies, caring for his people, and producing some of the most influential works in Christian history.

His Confessions still feels surprisingly modern. Augustine writes openly about ambition, lust, friendship, grief, memory, temptation, and the strange ways we hide from ourselves. His famous line captures the whole journey: "Our heart is restless until it rests in Thee."

Augustine died in 430 while Vandals were literally besieging Hippo outside the city walls. As his world collapsed around him, the former restless young man spent his final days praying the penitential psalms.

He had spent decades searching everywhere for happiness.

In the end, he found exactly where his mother had always told him it would be.

Saint Augustine of Hippo, restless seeker who became a great Doctor of grace, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Joseph Calasanctius, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Priest in the Confessional", today's news from the Church: "In Cusco, Pachamama Precedes Leo XIV", a preview of the Sermon: "Lessons from the Good Samaritan", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Priest in the Confessional" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"In Cusco, Pachamama Precedes Leo XIV" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/peru-cusco-pachamama-precedes-leo-xiv-60650
"Lessons from the Good Samaritan" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Joseph Calasanctius discovered his life's work almost by accident.

He was born in 1557 in Aragon, Spain, into a respected family. Intelligent and well educated, Joseph studied philosophy, theology, and law before becoming a priest. His abilities seemed to point toward a comfortable Church career, and eventually he traveled to Rome hoping to advance his position.

Then he started walking through the poorer neighborhoods.

What he saw changed everything.

Rome was filled with children whose families simply couldn't afford an education. Many spent their days working, begging, or roaming the streets. Education was largely a privilege of families who could pay for it.

Joseph began teaching some of them.

Then more showed up.

And more.

Before long, what had started as a small act of charity became something much bigger. In 1597, Joseph opened a free school for poor children in the parish of Santa Dorotea in Trastevere. It is often described as the first free public school in Europe.

His idea sounds completely normal today.

At the time, it was radical.

Joseph believed poor children deserved serious education, not simply enough instruction to keep them out of trouble. They learned reading, writing, arithmetic, religion, and practical subjects that could actually help them build a future.

Eventually he founded the Piarists, formally the Clerks Regular of the Poor Schools of the Mother of God, a religious order dedicated specifically to educating children.

And then everything nearly collapsed.

Joseph was a gifted educator, but administration brought enormous problems. Internal disputes, financial troubles, and serious misconduct by some members of the order eventually reached Rome. Joseph, already an old man, was removed from leadership. The Piarists were stripped of their status as a religious order, and the work he had spent decades building seemed finished.

Imagine being in your eighties and watching your life's work dismantled around you.

Joseph didn't leave.

He didn't become bitter.

He simply continued serving the children and trusted that the work belonged to God.

He died in 1648 at ninety years old without seeing the Piarists fully restored.

Eight years later, the congregation was revived.

Today, Piarist schools continue educating young people around the world.

There's something wonderfully appropriate about Joseph's story. He spent his life teaching children that failure wasn't the end of their future, and then had to live that lesson himself.

His rooms and the school connected with his work can still be visited at San Pantaleo in Rome, where his relics are venerated.

Saint Joseph Calasanctius, patient teacher and father of the poor, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "Confession: Source of Light", today's news from the Church: "The Archbishop of Bourges on the Consecrations of July 1st (Part 2)", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Confession: Source of Light" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"The Archbishop of Bourges on the Consecrations of July 1st (Part 2)" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/archbishop-bourges-consecrations-july-1st-part-2-60595
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Teresa of Jesus Jornet Ibars found her vocation by noticing a group of people that almost everyone else had forgotten.

The elderly poor.

She was born in 1843 in a small village in Catalonia, Spain, into a large Catholic farming family. Teresa was intelligent, practical, and deeply religious, but figuring out what God wanted from her took time. She trained as a teacher and worked in education. She considered religious life and even spent time with the Poor Clares, but poor health forced her to leave.

For a while, nothing seemed to fit.

Then she met a priest named Saturnino López Novoa.

He had become deeply concerned about elderly men and women who had reached the end of their lives with no family, no money, and nowhere to go. In nineteenth-century Spain, there was very little public assistance for someone in that situation. If your family couldn't care for you, old age could become frighteningly lonely.

Teresa immediately understood the need.

In 1873, she and a small group of women opened a home in Valencia and founded the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly.

The name tells you almost everything about their mission.

Teresa wanted the sisters to create something more than institutions where elderly people could simply be housed and fed. She wanted them to have homes. The residents were to be treated with affection, dignity, patience, and the kind of attention someone would give an aging parent.

And apparently Spain desperately needed exactly that.

The congregation grew at an astonishing pace. Teresa traveled constantly, opening new houses, training sisters, finding resources, and somehow keeping the original family spirit alive as the work expanded.

Within only a few decades, houses had opened throughout Spain and beyond.

Teresa herself wasn't physically strong. Her health had already interrupted one religious vocation, and the constant travel and responsibility took a toll. But she had an extraordinary ability to keep moving without becoming harsh or impatient.

One of her favorite ideas was beautifully simple: "Let us care for the bodies in order to save the souls."

She understood that feeding someone, changing a bed, sitting beside a lonely person, or listening to the same story for the tenth time could become genuine works of holiness.

Teresa died in 1897 at only fifty-four years old.

The congregation she founded didn't disappear with her. Today, the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly continue caring for older people in countries around the world.

There's something especially timely about her story. A society can reveal a great deal about itself by how it treats people who can no longer produce, earn, or contribute in obvious ways.

Teresa saw something different.

She saw someone's mother.

Someone's father.

And above all, she saw Christ.

Saint Teresa Jornet Ibars, loving mother of the abandoned elderly, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St Louis IX, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Confession: Remedy for Sin", today's news from the Church: "Papal Infallibility: What Are the Limits?", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "Abp. Lefebvre Audiobook Chapter 14: Superior General", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Confession: Remedy for Sin" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Papal Infallibility: What Are the Limits?" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/papal-infallibility-what-are-limits-60640
The SSPX Podcast: "Abp. Lefebvre Audiobook Chapter 14: Superior General" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Louis IX of France is one of those saints whose life raises an interesting question: what does holiness look like when you are one of the most powerful people in Europe?

Louis became king of France at only twelve years old in 1226. His mother, Blanche of Castile, governed while he was young and gave him an intensely Catholic upbringing. One line traditionally attributed to her captures that formation: she would rather see her son dead than know he had committed a mortal sin.

Louis apparently took that seriously.

As an adult, he built his day around Mass, the Divine Office, government business, and care for the poor. He regularly invited poor people to his table and personally served them. He founded hospitals and charitable institutions and was known for hearing the complaints of ordinary people who otherwise had little access to a king.

There's a wonderful image associated with Louis as judge.

Rather than always sitting in some intimidating royal courtroom, he sometimes heard cases beneath an oak tree at Vincennes. People could approach the king directly, explain their dispute, and ask for justice. Whether every detail of the famous image is literal or idealized, it reflects how medieval Christians remembered him: a ruler who believed kingship meant responsibility before God.

Louis also left behind one of the most spectacular buildings in Paris.

After acquiring what was believed to be Christ's Crown of Thorns and other Passion relics, he built the Sainte-Chapelle to house them. Walk inside today and the walls almost disappear behind enormous panels of medieval stained glass. It feels less like entering a stone building and more like stepping inside a jewel box.

Louis himself often carried the Crown of Thorns barefoot during solemn processions.

His reign also included two Crusades, and this part of his story was much less successful. During the Seventh Crusade in Egypt, Louis was captured along with much of his army and had to be ransomed. Years later, despite poor health, he attempted another expedition to North Africa.

It ended disastrously.

Disease swept through the camp outside Tunis, and Louis became seriously ill. He died there in 1270, reportedly lying on a bed of ashes and speaking of Jerusalem.

One particularly beautiful piece of his legacy is the advice he wrote for his son. Louis told the future king to love God, avoid mortal sin, care for the poor, administer justice fairly, and accept suffering patiently. It reads less like political strategy and more like a father trying to teach his child how to get to heaven.

That's really the key to understanding Saint Louis.

He wanted to be a good king.

But even more than that, he wanted to be a saint.

Saint Louis IX, Christian king, defender of justice, and servant of the poor, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St Bartholomew, 2nd Class, with the color of Red. In this episode: the meditation: "The Leprosy Of Sin", today's news from the Church: "Bishop de Castro-Mayer's Response to the Holy See's Secret Inquiry Into the Mass", a preview of the Sermon: "The Truth About Our Dark Side", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Leprosy Of Sin" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Bishop de Castro-Mayer's Response to the Holy See's Secret Inquiry Into the Mass" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/bishop-castro-mayers-response-holy-sees-secret-inquiry-mass-60625
"The Truth About Our Dark Side" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Émilie de Vialar was the kind of woman who saw suffering and had a hard time simply walking past it.

She was born in 1797 in Gaillac, in southern France, into a wealthy family. Her mother died when Émilie was young, and as she grew older, her relationship with her father became difficult. He expected a fairly conventional future for his daughter.

Émilie had other plans.

She began quietly helping poor families, teaching children, visiting the sick, and using whatever money she could spare for people who needed it. Then, in her thirties, she inherited a substantial fortune from her grandfather.

Most people would call that financial security.

Émilie treated it like startup money.

In 1832, she bought a house and gathered several women around her. Together they founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Apparition, named for the Gospel scene in which the angel appears to Saint Joseph and tells him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife.

The congregation took off remarkably quickly.

Within a few years, Émilie was asked to send sisters to Algeria. She went herself. The sisters opened schools, cared for the sick, and worked among people of different languages, cultures, and religions. Soon new requests began arriving from other places.

And Émilie kept saying yes.

Her sisters eventually established communities throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East, including Tunisia, Malta, Cyprus, Lebanon, Palestine, and Greece.

Remember, this was the 1800s.

Every new foundation meant ships, long journeys, unfamiliar languages, disease, unreliable communication, and political instability. There was no easy way home if something went wrong.

And plenty went wrong.

Émilie faced financial problems, opposition from government officials, disputes with Church authorities, and painful conflicts surrounding some of the communities she had founded. At one point, she even lost control of houses established through her own money and work.

She kept going.

That's probably the most impressive thing about her story.

Émilie wasn't successful because everything worked out smoothly. She was successful because setbacks never convinced her that God had stopped asking her to serve.

By the time she died in Marseille in 1856, she had helped establish dozens of houses in only twenty-four years. The congregation she began in one French home had already become international.

And there's something fitting about Saint Joseph being at the center of it all. Joseph's own life repeatedly involved God interrupting his plans and telling him to go somewhere unexpected.

Émilie understood that kind of vocation very well.

Today, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Apparition continue the work she began in schools, hospitals, and missions around the world.

Saint Émilie de Vialar, courageous missionary and friend of the poor, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of XIII Sun after Pentecost, 2nd Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "Our Native Misery", today's news from the Church: "Archbishop Lefebvre's Apostolic Journey - Part 4", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Our Native Misery" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Archbishop Lefebvre's Apostolic Journey - Part 4" (FSSPX.news) https://sspx.org/en/news/archbishop-lefebvres-apostolic-journey-part-4-60606
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Eugene of Ardstraw is one of those early Irish saints whose biography has almost disappeared, but whose name somehow survived for fifteen centuries.

His original Irish name was Eoghan, which eventually gave us forms like Owen and Eugene. He lived sometime around the sixth century, during that remarkable period when Ireland was becoming filled with monasteries, schools, and missionary communities.

According to tradition, Eugene's childhood took a dramatic turn when he was captured by raiders and carried across the Irish Sea to Britain.

Eventually, he escaped.

But something important had happened during those years away. Eugene had encountered monastic Christianity and received an education among religious communities. So when he returned to Ireland, he came back prepared to take part in the enormous missionary movement then transforming the island.

Later traditions connect him with several famous centers of early Christianity, including the community associated with Saint Ninian in Britain and, back in Ireland, with Kevin of Glendalough. With saints from this period, it's difficult to separate every historical detail from stories added centuries later. But Eugene clearly belonged to the network of monks who moved between Ireland and Britain carrying books, learning, and the faith with them.

Eventually he settled at Ardstraw, in what is now County Tyrone in Northern Ireland.

The name itself is interesting. Ardstraw comes from the Irish Ard Sratha, meaning roughly "height of the river valley" or "height of the strath." Eugene established a monastery there and became remembered as its first bishop.

And the place lasted.

Ardstraw developed into an important center of the Irish Church, eventually giving its name to an entire medieval diocese. Centuries later, that diocese was united with Derry, where Eugene also became honored as one of the local patrons.

That's one of the fascinating things about these early Irish saints.

They often didn't leave us books.

They left us maps.

Across Ireland, their names remain attached to villages, holy wells, ruined churches, islands, valleys, and entire dioceses. Sometimes that's the only biography we have left.

Ardstraw itself still exists beside the River Derg. The monastery Eugene knew is long gone, but the place continues to carry the memory of the man who helped establish Christianity there nearly fifteen hundred years ago.

For someone whose personal story is mostly lost, that's an impressive legacy.

Eugene reminds us that we don't always know how far the work we begin will travel. Sometimes our job is simply to plant something worth preserving and let the generations after us carry it forward.

Saint Eugene of Ardstraw, ancient shepherd of Tyrone and builder of the Irish Church, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin, 2nd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "On the Road to Heaven", today's news from the Church: "Archbishop Lefebvre's Apostolic Journey - Part 3", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"On the Road to Heaven" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Archbishop Lefebvre's Apostolic Journey - Part 3" (FSSPX.news) https://sspx.org/en/news/archbishop-lefebvres-apostolic-journey-part-3-60605
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary celebrates something Scripture mentions almost in passing, but the Church has spent centuries thinking about.

Twice in Saint Luke's Gospel, we're told that Mary kept the events surrounding Christ and "pondered them in her heart." And when the infant Jesus was presented in the Temple, Simeon told her that a sword would pierce her soul. Mary's heart, then, became a way of speaking about her entire interior life: her love for God, her purity, her sorrow, and especially her complete union with her Son.

The devotion grew slowly.

By the Middle Ages, Catholics were already meditating on Mary's joys and sorrows, but one of the great figures who gave the devotion a clearer shape was John Eudes. In fact, we met him just a few days ago. In 1648, he composed a Mass and Office honoring the Holy Heart of Mary and began celebrating a feast with his communities.

That was more than two centuries before Fatima.

Then came 1917.

At Fatima, Our Lady told the three shepherd children that God wished to establish devotion to her Immaculate Heart in the world. The children described seeing her heart surrounded by thorns, a striking image of Mary's sorrow over sin and her maternal concern for souls.

The devotion suddenly took on a much greater urgency.

In 1942, with the Second World War raging, Pope Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Two years later, he extended the feast to the universal Church, assigning it to August 22, the octave day of the Assumption.

That placement was beautiful.

August 15 celebrated Mary being taken body and soul into heaven. Eight days later, the Church honored the heart that had loved Christ so perfectly throughout her earthly life.

In the traditional calendar, that remains the date of the feast. After the calendar reforms following the Second Vatican Council, the celebration was moved to the Saturday following the Sacred Heart of Jesus. That new placement emphasizes another important part of the devotion: the union between the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

The imagery surrounding the Immaculate Heart is especially rich. Mary's heart is usually shown surrounded by roses, representing purity and love, but pierced by a sword, recalling Simeon's prophecy. At Fatima, the thorns surrounding her heart added another layer, representing the sins by which mankind wounds the heart of its Mother.

So this devotion isn't simply about honoring Mary's emotions.

It's about learning to love Christ the way she did.

To keep His words.

To ponder them.

To remain near Him at the Cross.

And to allow our own hearts to become more like hers.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, burning with love for Jesus and compassion for sinners, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Jane Frances Fremiot de Chantal, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Spirit of Sacrifice", today's news from the Church: "The Archbishop of Bourges on the July 1st Consecrations (Part 1)", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "Sacred Restorations: New Novitiate for the Consoling Sisters in Denver, CO", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Spirit of Sacrifice" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"The Archbishop of Bourges on the July 1st Consecrations (Part 1)" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/archbishop-bourges-july-1st-consecrations-part-1-60573
The SSPX Podcast: "Sacred Restorations: New Novitiate for the Consoling Sisters in Denver, CO" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Jane Frances de Chantal lived several lives in one lifetime. She was a wife, mother, widow, religious foundress, and spiritual friend of one of the Church's great saints. And much of her holiness grew out of a tragedy she never expected.

She was born Jane Frances Frémyot in Dijon, France, in 1572. At twenty, she married Baron Christophe de Rabutin-Chantal. By all accounts, they genuinely loved each other. Jane managed the family estate, cared for the poor living nearby, and raised their children while her husband was frequently away.

Then, after only nine years of marriage, everything changed.

Christophe went hunting with a friend. During the hunt, the friend accidentally fired his gun, striking Christophe in the leg. He died several days later.

Jane was devastated.

She also struggled intensely to forgive the man who had killed her husband. This wasn't an abstract spiritual exercise. She knew him. She saw him. And for years, the pain remained.

Eventually, Jane did something remarkable. She not only forgave him, but became godmother to one of his children.

A few years later, another relationship changed her life.

While attending a Lenten sermon in Dijon, Jane heard Francis de Sales preach. She immediately recognized him as the spiritual guide she had been praying to find. Francis, remarkably, believed he had already seen Jane in a vision.

The two developed one of the great spiritual friendships in Catholic history.

Under Francis's direction, Jane gradually discovered that holiness didn't require dramatic penances. He encouraged her toward patience, gentleness, and doing God's will in ordinary circumstances.

Together they founded the Order of the Visitation in 1610. Their original idea was unusual. They wanted a community open even to women who were older, widowed, or physically unable to endure the severe austerities required by many religious orders. The sisters would combine prayer with works of charity.

Jane understood those women because she had already lived through marriage, motherhood, grief, and middle age herself.

By the time she died, she had helped establish dozens of Visitation monasteries across Europe.

There's also a beautiful connection that Jane never lived to see. Fifty years after the order's founding, a young Visitation nun named Margaret Mary Alacoque would receive the famous revelations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The community Jane and Francis created became the home from which that devotion spread throughout the Catholic world.

Jane died in 1641 after nearly seventy years filled with joy, loss, responsibility, friendship, and service.

Her story is a reminder that God doesn't waste the different chapters of our lives. Marriage prepared Jane for motherhood. Grief taught her forgiveness. Widowhood opened the way to religious life. And all of it became part of her path to heaven.

Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, courageous widow and gentle mother of the Visitation, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

- - - - - -

Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Bernard, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Renouncing Our Own Interests", today's news from the Church: "Unjustly Condemned: Respond With Charity", a preview of the Sermon: "The Letter Kills, The Spirit Gives Life", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Renouncing Our Own Interests" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Unjustly Condemned: Respond With Charity" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/unjustly-condemned-respond-charity-60596
"The Letter Kills, The Spirit Gives Life" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux was a monk who wanted a quiet life of prayer and somehow ended up advising popes, preaching crusades, settling Church disputes, and becoming one of the most influential men in Europe.

He was born in Burgundy, France, in 1090 into a noble family. After the death of his mother, Bernard began seriously considering religious life and eventually decided to enter the new Cistercian monastery at Cîteaux.

He didn't go alone.

Bernard was apparently so persuasive that when he announced his decision, about thirty relatives and friends went with him. Brothers, cousins, and companions all followed. Family gatherings must have gotten noticeably smaller.

The monastery suddenly had the opposite problem most monasteries have: too many vocations at once.

A few years later, Bernard was sent out to establish a new monastery in a remote valley. The place became known as Clairvaux, the "Valley of Light," and Bernard would spend the rest of his life associated with it.

He loved the simplicity of monastic life, but Europe refused to leave him alone.

Kings asked his advice. Bishops sought his help. Popes called upon him to settle disputes. When rival claimants threatened to divide the Church, Bernard traveled throughout Europe persuading rulers and bishops to support the legitimate pope. One of his own former monks eventually became Pope Eugene III, which created the unusual situation of a pope receiving spiritual advice from his former abbot.

Bernard could be forceful and controversial, particularly in his preaching of the Second Crusade. When that expedition ended disastrously, he carried much of the public disappointment himself.

But the Bernard who appears in his spiritual writings feels surprisingly different.

He wrote with extraordinary tenderness about Christ and especially about the Blessed Virgin Mary. Medieval devotion to Our Lady owes a great deal to him. The famous prayer Memorare has long been associated with Bernard, although historians do not believe he actually composed the familiar text. He did, however, preach beautiful sermons about Mary as the "Star of the Sea," urging Christians caught in temptation or sorrow to look toward her as sailors look toward a guiding star.

There's another charming tradition about him. While praying before a statue of Our Lady, Bernard is said to have greeted her with the words, "Hail, Mary." The statue responded, "Hail, Bernard." True or legendary, it captures the affection medieval Catholics associated with his Marian devotion.

Bernard died in 1153. The abbey he built at Clairvaux was later largely destroyed and, remarkably, part of the site became a prison after the French Revolution.

Yet Bernard's words survived everything.

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, preaching Doctor and devoted son of Our Lady, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. John Eudes, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Charity: A Virtue That Acts", today's news from the Church: "Bishop Schneider: The SSPX Provides the Church a Historic Service", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Charity: A Virtue That Acts" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Bishop Schneider: The SSPX Provides the Church a Historic Service" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/bishop-schneider-sspx-provides-church-historic-service-60603
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint John Eudes was one of the great missionary priests of seventeenth-century France, but his most lasting contribution came from something Catholics today take almost for granted: devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

He was born in Normandy in 1601 and entered the priesthood during a difficult period for the Church in France. Many Catholics received very little religious instruction, and the formation of priests could be uneven at best.

John decided to go where the people were.

For decades, he traveled through towns and villages preaching parish missions. These weren't quick Sunday sermons. A mission might last several weeks, with preaching, catechism, confessions, and instruction filling the day. Thousands sometimes attended, and John could spend hours in the confessional afterward.

Then the plague arrived.

When an epidemic struck Normandy, John volunteered to care for the sick. He knew that returning each evening to his religious community might expose the other priests, so according to tradition, he lived for a time in a large barrel or cask in a field outside town.

It's an odd image.

One of France's great future saints finishing a day of ministry to plague victims and going home to sleep in a barrel.

But it tells you something about him.

John also became convinced that reforming Catholic life required better priests. Complaining about bad clergy wasn't going to fix anything. So he founded seminaries to give young priests serious spiritual and theological formation. Eventually he established the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, known today as the Eudists, to continue that work.

But his deepest legacy came from the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

Long before devotion to the Sacred Heart became widespread through Margaret Mary Alacoque, John Eudes was preaching about the Heart of Christ as the burning center of His love for mankind. He also taught that the Heart of Mary was perfectly united to the Heart of her Son.

And he didn't stop at preaching about it.

In 1648, John composed and celebrated a liturgical feast in honor of the Holy Heart of Mary. Later, in 1672, he established a feast honoring the Sacred Heart of Jesus within his communities. He wrote the Mass texts and Divine Office himself.

That makes him one of the great pioneers of two devotions that would eventually spread throughout the entire Catholic world.

John died in 1680, but the prayers and liturgical texts he composed continued long after him. Today, the Church remembers him not simply as someone devoted to the Sacred Heart, but as one of the men who helped give that devotion its liturgical voice.

Saint John Eudes, apostle of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "The Extent of Charity", today's news from the Church: "Read About God's Love for Us", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "Audiobook Chapter 13: Herald of Christ the King", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Extent of Charity" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Read About God's Love for Us" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/read-about-gods-love-us-60522
The SSPX Podcast: "Audiobook Chapter 13: Herald of Christ the King" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Macarius of Pelekete lived during one of those periods of Church history when possessing a religious image could actually get you arrested.

He was born in the eighth century in the Byzantine Empire and was originally named Christopher. As a young man, he entered monastic life, received the name Macarius, and eventually became abbot of the monastery of Pelekete, near the Sea of Marmara in what is now Turkey.

This was the age of Iconoclasm.

Several Byzantine emperors had decided that sacred images of Christ, Our Lady, and the saints encouraged idolatry. Icons were removed from churches, destroyed, or burned. Monks were particularly troublesome to the government because many of them refused to cooperate.

Macarius was one of them.

To understand why he cared so much, it's important to remember that Christians weren't worshipping pieces of wood and paint. The controversy touched something much deeper. If Christ truly became man, then He really possessed a human face. Christians believed that depicting that face was a way of defending the reality of the Incarnation.

So Macarius refused to surrender the icons.

And it cost him.

Under Emperor Leo V, the persecution became especially severe. Macarius was arrested and pressured to accept the emperor's religious policy. When he refused, he was imprisoned and tortured.

Then something unusual happened.

The emperor died.

For a moment, it looked as though Macarius might finally be free. The new emperor, Michael II, released a number of imprisoned monks and churchmen. Macarius was brought before him and again encouraged to compromise.

He still wouldn't do it.

This time he was exiled to the island of Aphousia in the Sea of Marmara. After years of imprisonment, beatings, and hardship, Macarius died there around the year 830.

His monastery has an interesting archaeological story of its own. Pelekete was one of several important monastic communities clustered along the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara, a region filled with Byzantine monasteries before many disappeared through war, earthquakes, and centuries of political change. Ruins traditionally associated with the monastery survive near modern Tirilye in Turkey, giving us a tangible connection to the world Macarius knew.

What makes Macarius especially interesting is that he died before the controversy was finally settled. He never lived to see the great restoration of sacred images in 843, when icons were solemnly returned to the churches of Constantinople.

He fought for something he would never personally see restored.

And yet, every time we enter a Catholic church and see a crucifix, statue, painting, or stained-glass image of a saint, we're enjoying a Christian inheritance that men like Macarius suffered to preserve.

Saint Macarius of Pelekete, courageous defender of sacred images and steadfast monk of Christ, pray for us.

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Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Hyacinth, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "The Good Samaritan", today's news from the Church: "Bishop Strickland: "We must find the courage to speak of modernism as a living danger."", a preview of the Sermon: "The Greatest Privilege in Life", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Good Samaritan" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Bishop Strickland: "We must find the courage to speak of modernism as a living danger."" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/heaven-gift-never-right-60519
"The Greatest Privilege in Life" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Hyacinth is sometimes called the "Apostle of Poland," but that title almost undersells him. He was one of the great traveling missionaries of the thirteenth century, helping carry the newly founded Dominican Order across Poland, Prussia, Lithuania, and into the lands of Kievan Rus'.

He was born around 1185 into a noble Polish family and received an excellent education. His life changed during a trip to Rome, where he encountered Dominic and saw the new Order of Preachers firsthand.

Hyacinth joined almost immediately.

Dominic personally gave him the Dominican habit and then sent him back north.

That was quite an assignment.

The Dominicans barely existed yet, and Hyacinth was essentially being asked to build the order as he traveled. He preached, established priories, trained friars, and kept moving. Tradition places his missionary journeys across an enormous portion of Eastern Europe.

But the story everyone remembers about Hyacinth involves a burning monastery and a statue of Our Lady.

According to tradition, Hyacinth was celebrating Mass in Kiev when invading forces entered the city. He grabbed the ciborium containing the Blessed Sacrament and began fleeing the church.

Then he heard a voice.

"Hyacinth, are you going to leave me behind?"

The voice seemed to come from a heavy stone statue of the Blessed Virgin.

Hyacinth reportedly answered that the statue was far too heavy for him to carry.

Our Lady told him to pick it up anyway.

So Hyacinth took the ciborium in one hand, lifted the statue with the other, and carried both to safety. In some versions of the story, he and his companions then crossed the Dnieper River miraculously, walking across the water or using his cloak as a raft.

That's why religious art often makes Hyacinth very easy to identify. If you see a Dominican holding a monstrance or ciborium in one hand and a statue of Mary in the other, you've probably found Saint Hyacinth.

There's another unusual legacy attached to him.

In parts of Poland, Hyacinth became associated with pierogi. A traditional Polish invocation, "Saint Hyacinth with pierogi!" recalls stories that he fed people during famine or after crops were destroyed by storms. Whether Hyacinth actually served medieval pierogi is impossible to establish, but it's hard not to love a saint who became associated with both Eucharistic devotion and dumplings.

Hyacinth died in Kraków in 1257. His tomb remains in the Dominican church there, where pilgrims have honored him for centuries.

His life left an enormous footprint. He entered an order that was barely beginning and helped plant it across a huge section of Europe.

Saint Hyacinth, Apostle of Poland, protector of the Eucharist, and devoted son of Our Lady, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of XII Sun of Pentecost, 2nd Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "From Jerusalem to Jericho", today's news from the Church: "Heaven Is a Gift, Never a Right", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"From Jerusalem to Jericho" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Heaven Is a Gift, Never a Right" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/heaven-gift-never-right-60519
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Joachim, the father of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandfather of Our Lord, occupies a quiet but important place in the history of salvation. Much of the tradition surrounding him comes from early Christian writings, which describe Joachim as a devout and generous man who gave abundantly to God and to the poor. After years of childlessness, he and Saint Anne prayed and fasted for a child. Their prayers were answered with the birth of Mary, whom they later presented to God for service in the Temple.

The Church’s liturgy has honored Saint Joachim for centuries, although his feast has appeared on several different dates. In the traditional Roman calendar, it is celebrated on August 16, immediately following the Assumption. That placement is significant. Throughout much of the Church’s liturgical tradition, Joachim’s feast has been deliberately placed near a feast of his daughter, emphasizing that his greatness as a saint is intimately connected with his fatherhood.

The traditional Mass for Saint Joachim develops this theme beautifully. He is praised as the blessed man who fears the Lord, gives generously to the poor, and whose descendants will be blessed. The Gospel recounts the genealogy of Christ, reminding us that Joachim’s ordinary, natural fatherhood became part of God’s extraordinary plan for the Redemption.

Perhaps the most beautiful image comes in the Communion antiphon, where Joachim is presented as the “faithful and wise steward” placed over his master’s household. He fulfilled that stewardship above all by preparing his daughter for God. Together with Saint Anne, he offered Mary to the Lord, helping prepare the woman who would become the Mother of God.

Saint Joachim therefore offers a particularly powerful example for fathers. Fatherhood is a stewardship. A father receives his children from God, forms them, protects them, and ultimately prepares them not merely for success in this world, but for their vocation and eternity.

And Saint Joachim’s fatherhood did not end with his earthly life. The Church asks for his paternal protection and intercession, confident that the father of Our Lady continues to care for the spiritual children of his daughter and grandson.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, 1st Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Listening to God", today's news from the Church: "Bishop de Sivry Visits a Camp of the Eucharistic Crusade", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Listening to God" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Bishop de Sivry Visits a Camp of the Eucharistic Crusade" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/bishop-sivry-visits-camp-eucharistic-crusade-60496
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

The History of the Feast of the Assumption of Mary

The Feast of the Assumption may feel like one of those celebrations that has simply always been on the Catholic calendar. And in a sense, it almost has. Christians were celebrating the end of Our Lady's earthly life many centuries before the Church formally defined the Assumption as a dogma.

The earliest celebrations developed in the Christian East. By the fifth and sixth centuries, August 15 was associated with a feast commemorating Mary's death, or "Dormition," meaning her falling asleep. The emperor Maurice helped establish August 15 throughout the Byzantine Empire, and the feast gradually became one of the great celebrations of Eastern Christianity.

But here's where the history gets interesting.

Christians possessed tombs and relics associated with countless Apostles and martyrs. Yet there was no universally accepted shrine claiming to possess the body of the Blessed Virgin. Ancient traditions instead spoke of Mary's tomb being found empty after her death, because God had taken her body into heaven.

Those traditions spread westward.

By the seventh century, the feast was being celebrated in Rome. Pope Sergius I included it among the great Marian feasts marked by a solemn procession through the city. Over time, Western Christians increasingly called it the Assumption, emphasizing that Mary had been taken body and soul into heavenly glory.

Medieval Europe absolutely embraced the feast.

August 15 became one of the great holidays of the Christian year. Churches were dedicated to the Assumption, towns held processions, and artists filled churches with images of Mary being carried heavenward by angels. In many agricultural regions, the feast became connected with the blessing of herbs, flowers, and the first fruits of the harvest. The custom survives especially in parts of Germany, Austria, Poland, and central Europe, where elaborate bundles of herbs are still brought to church for blessing.

France developed an especially interesting connection. In 1638, King Louis XIII solemnly consecrated France to the Blessed Virgin and ordered special observances of the Assumption each August 15. For generations afterward, great Marian processions on that day became part of French Catholic life.

Then, in 1950, something happened that was actually quite unusual.

Pope Pius XII formally defined the Assumption as a dogma of the Catholic faith in Munificentissimus Deus, declaring that Mary, "having completed the course of her earthly life," was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.

The definition was new.

The belief wasn't.

By that point, Christians had already been celebrating Mary's Assumption for well over a thousand years.

And that may be the most fascinating part of the feast. August 15 shows us how Catholic tradition often works. The Church prayed, celebrated, preached, painted, processed, and believed this mystery for century after century before finally defining formally what generations of Christians had already professed.

Our Lady assumed into Heaven, Queen of angels and saints, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Vigil of the Assumption, 3rd Class, with the color of Violet. In this episode: the meditation: "The Mortification of the Tongue", today's news from the Church: "What Is the Doctrinal Credibility and Moral Authority of Cardinal Fernández?", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "Catechism #4: Why We Call God Father", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"The Mortification of the Tongue" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"What Is the Doctrinal Credibility and Moral Authority of Cardinal Fernández?" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/what-doctrinal-credibility-and-moral-authority-cardinal-fernandez-60492
The SSPX Podcast: "Catechism #4: Why We Call God Father" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Athanasia of Aegina lived in ninth-century Greece, and her story begins with something she didn't particularly want: marriage.

Athanasia had hoped from a young age to dedicate her life completely to God. But her parents had other plans, and while still a teenager she was married to a young military officer.

The marriage lasted only sixteen days.

Her husband was killed during an Arab raid on the island of Aegina, leaving Athanasia a widow almost immediately.

She still hoped for religious life, but circumstances intervened again. According to her ancient biography, an imperial decree encouraged unmarried and widowed women to marry soldiers, and Athanasia entered a second marriage. This time, however, something remarkable happened.

Her husband began sharing her desire for a more serious spiritual life.

Together they gave generously to the poor and opened their home to people in need. Eventually, with Athanasia's encouragement, her husband entered a monastery. Athanasia was finally free to pursue the religious life she had wanted for years.

She gathered several other women around her and formed a small community. Athanasia became their abbess, but apparently she wasn't very interested in being treated like one.

She insisted on taking her turn with the ordinary work.

She cooked.

She cleaned.

She served the other sisters.

And when someone tried giving her special treatment because she was abbess, she resisted it.

Eventually the community moved to a more secluded location near an ancient church dedicated to Saint Stephen. Athanasia became known throughout the area for her prayer, charity, and spiritual counsel. People traveled to see her, which was probably frustrating for someone who had spent much of her life trying to get away from attention.

One unusual tradition associated with Athanasia concerns her death. According to her early life, she had predicted the day she would die. She passed away around the year 860, but forty days later the sisters reportedly experienced a vision of Athanasia surrounded by heavenly glory. Later traditions also spoke of miracles and healings associated with her relics.

Her island of Aegina has an extraordinary Christian history. Centuries after Athanasia, it would become home to another beloved Greek saint, Nectarios of Aegina. Even today, monasteries and small Byzantine churches dot the island, reminders of its long tradition of prayer.

Athanasia's life took almost none of the turns she originally planned. Marriage, widowhood, another marriage, religious life, and leadership all arrived unexpectedly.

Yet she found a way to serve God in every one of them.

Saint Athanasia of Aegina, humble abbess and patient follower of God's providence, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's a Feria, 4th Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Sin of the Ears", today's news from the Church: "Belgium: A Bishop in Favor of Married Priests", a preview of the Sermon: "Why Was Mary Assumed Into Heaven", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Sin of the Ears" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Belgium: A Bishop in Favor of Married Priests" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/belgium-bishop-favor-married-priests-60453
"Why Was Mary Assumed Into Heaven" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint John Berchmans is a refreshing kind of saint because, honestly, almost nothing dramatic happened to him.

He didn't found a religious order.

He wasn't martyred.

He didn't travel to distant countries as a missionary.

He never even became a priest.

John simply became extraordinarily good at doing ordinary things well.

He was born in 1599 in the Belgian town of Diest, the son of a shoemaker. His family wasn't wealthy, and as a teenager John sometimes had to work simply to continue his education. Eventually he encountered the newly founded Society of Jesus and became fascinated by the Jesuit way of life.

His father wasn't thrilled.

The family needed him, and joining a religious order meant giving up whatever career might have helped support them. John entered anyway, convinced that God was calling him.

What happened next is almost wonderfully uneventful.

John studied.

He prayed.

He served Mass.

He helped around the house.

He followed the community schedule.

And he tried to do every one of those things as well as he possibly could.

That became his spirituality. John believed you didn't need to go searching for enormous sacrifices if God had already placed a hundred small opportunities for holiness in front of you every day. He became known for saying, in essence, that his greatest penance was simply ordinary community life faithfully observed.

Eventually his superiors sent him to Rome to study philosophy at the Roman College. John was an excellent student, but people remembered him even more for his cheerfulness. He wasn't gloomy or overly serious. He loved jokes, enjoyed friendships, and somehow managed to combine intense devotion with being genuinely pleasant to live with.

Then his life ended almost without warning.

After participating brilliantly in a public academic debate, John became sick with what was probably dysentery. Within days, it became clear that he was dying.

He was only twenty-two.

As death approached, John reportedly held three things close to him: his crucifix, his rosary, and the book of Jesuit rules he had tried so faithfully to live.

That little detail really sums him up.

There was no dramatic final sermon. No great unfinished mission. Just a young man who had tried to love God in whatever happened to be in front of him.

His tomb can still be visited in Rome at the Church of Saint Ignatius, while his heart was returned to his native Belgium and is preserved in Leuven.

For students especially, John Berchmans became a wonderfully approachable patron. His life suggests that sanctity doesn't always require doing something extraordinary.

Sometimes it means doing your homework, showing up on time, being cheerful, saying your prayers, and doing today's duty well.

Saint John Berchmans, joyful patron of students and saint of ordinary things, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Explore more:

Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St Clare of Assisi, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Detraction", today's news from the Church: "Faith in God Does Not Stop at His Unity", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Detraction" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"Faith in God Does Not Stop at His Unity" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/faith-god-does-not-stop-his-unity-60477
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Lelia of Killeely is one of those early Irish saints who almost disappears into the mist of history. We don't have a detailed biography, famous sermons, or dramatic stories about her life. But we do have something very Irish: a holy woman, an ancient church site, a local tradition, and a name that has survived for well over a thousand years.

Lelia, sometimes called Liadhain, probably lived sometime around the sixth century, during the great flowering of Irish monasticism. Tradition places her in County Limerick, where she is associated especially with Killeely.

Even that place name tells part of the story.

Irish place names beginning with Kil or Cill usually point back to a church or monastic cell. Killeely is traditionally understood as the "church of Lelia." So even though the details of her life have largely vanished, her name became attached to the landscape itself.

That's quite a way to be remembered.

Tradition describes Lelia as a consecrated virgin or abbess who gathered other women around her in a small religious community. These early Irish foundations were usually nothing like the enormous stone monasteries we picture from later centuries. Think instead of a small church, simple dwellings, gardens, animals, prayer, work, and a handful of women trying to build their lives entirely around God.

One tradition also connects Lelia with Saint Patrick, although the chronology is uncertain and the details come from later accounts. That's fairly common with these early Irish saints. Their stories were passed down locally for generations before anyone thought to write them down.

What is more tangible is the devotion that remained after her death.

For centuries, people in the Limerick area remembered Lelia as their local saint. A holy well associated with her became a place where people came to pray, particularly for healing. Ireland is filled with these ancient wells, some of them preserving the memory of saints whose biographies have otherwise almost completely disappeared.

And that's what makes Lelia interesting.

We usually think someone has to leave behind books, miracles, or great institutions to be remembered. Lelia did none of those things, at least none that history preserved. Instead, she left behind a Christian community strong enough that people simply kept saying her name.

A church carried it.

A village carried it.

Families carried it.

More than a thousand years later, the name Lelia is still found in Ireland, particularly around the region connected with her devotion.

Sometimes that's how the earliest saints survive. Not through history books, but through the landscape and the memory of the people who lived there.

Saint Lelia of Killeely, hidden daughter of the ancient Irish Church, pray for us.

Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>

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Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of Feria, 4th Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "Liturgical Rituals", today's news from the Church: "John Senior: What the American Professor Thought About the Crisis in the Church (3)", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "Episode 9, Chapter 12: In the Turmoil of the Council", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org

Sources Used Today:

"Liturgical Rituals" — From Trinity Sunday to the Assumptionhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption
"John Senior: What the American Professor Thought About the Crisis in the Church (3)" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/john-senior-what-american-professor-thought-about-crisis-church-3-59742
The SSPX Podcast: "Episode 9, Chapter 12: In the Turmoil of the Council" (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com
The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook! Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2o\Donate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Saint Clare of Assisi is often introduced simply as the female counterpart to Saint Francis. But Clare was no supporting character in someone else's story. She was strong-willed, remarkably determined, and spent much of her life fighting to protect one very simple idea: she wanted absolutely nothing except Christ.

Clare was born in 1194 into one of Assisi's wealthy noble families. Her future was basically planned for her. She would marry well, raise a family, and remain part of the comfortable world of medieval Italian nobility.

Then she heard Francis preach.

Something clicked.

At eighteen, Clare secretly left her family home on Palm Sunday night and met Francis and his friars at the little Portiuncula chapel. There, she exchanged her expensive clothing for a rough habit and had her hair cut short as a sign that she belonged entirely to God.

Her family was furious.

Relatives actually came to drag her home. Clare reportedly clung to the altar and revealed her shorn head, making it perfectly clear that she wasn't changing her mind.

Before long, other women joined her, including her sister Agnes and eventually even her mother. Their community settled at San Damiano, the little church Francis himself had once repaired.

Clare's version of Franciscan poverty was radical. She didn't simply want individual sisters to own nothing. She wanted the entire convent to own nothing. Church officials repeatedly worried that this was impractical and tried to persuade her to accept property that would guarantee the sisters a reliable income.

Clare politely refused.

For decades.

She even obtained from the pope what became known as the "Privilege of Poverty," official permission for her community to possess no property and depend entirely upon God's providence.

One of the most famous stories about Clare came when soldiers threatened the convent. Too sick to walk, Clare had herself carried to the doorway with the Blessed Sacrament. According to tradition, she prayed before the Eucharist, and the attacking soldiers suddenly withdrew. This is why artists often depict her holding a monstrance or ciborium.

There's also a surprisingly modern connection to Clare. Near the end of her life, when illness prevented her from attending Mass, tradition says she miraculously saw and heard the Christmas liturgy projected onto the wall of her room. Because of that story, she was later named patron saint of television.

Clare died in 1253 after more than forty years at San Damiano. Just two days before her death, Pope Innocent IV finally approved the rule she had fought so long to preserve.

Visitors to Assisi today can pray before her incorrupt remains in the Basilica of Saint Clare and see the original San Damiano Cross that played such an important role in the Franciscan story.

Saint Clare of Assisi, fearless daughter of poverty and lover of the Holy Eucharist, pray for us.

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Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/

What is the SSPX Podcast?

The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.  

What is the SSPX?

The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org