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The martyrs fixed their eyes on heaven, and cried out in their torments:
Come, Lord, be with us in this hour, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Among the eleven martyrs commemorated this day, three were Dominicans. They were part of a band of preachers whose success at Avignonet, to the southwest of Toulouse, induced a number of Albigensian heretics to ambush the group and treacherously murder them on May 29, 1242.  As they died they gave witness to the faith by singing the Te Deum.  The Dominicans in this group were: Blessed William Arnaud, one of the first Dominicans to be appointed an inquisitor in the diocese of Toulouse; Blessed Bernard of Rochefort, a Dominican priest; and Blessed Garcia d’Aure of Orense, a cooperator brother.

Click here for more on the life and death of Blessed William and his companions.

O God, strength of the faithful,
you led Blessed William and his companions
to offer their lives in the name of Christ
and in obedience to the Church.
By the help of their prayers
may we share with them in the chalice of Christ
and ever grow in your love.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Come, spouse of Christ,
receive the crown the Lord has prepared for you from all eternity, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Mary Bartholomew Bagnesi was born in Florence on August 15, 1514, and there received the habit of a Sister of Penance in 1547.  For forty-five years she was confined to her bed and with great courage bore the pains she suffered.  By her spirit of faith and acceptance of God’s will, she was able to encourage and console many who came to her.  She died on May 28, 1577, and was buried at the Carmelite monastery in Florence.

Click here for more on the life of Blessed Mary Bartholomew.

O God,
in Blessed Mary Bartholomew
you brought together steadfastness in suffering
and innocence of life.
As we endure many trials
may we be helped by your grace.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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My life is at the service of the Gospel;
God has given me this gift of his grace, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Andrew, a member of the noble Franchi Boccagni family, was born in Pistoia, Italy, in 1335 and at the age of fourteen entered the Order in Florence. He worked to restore regular observance after the plague of the Black Death. As bishop of Pistoia he was an active promoter of peace among the people and was known for his personal austerity and his preaching.  He had a special devotion to the Infant Jesus and his Mother.  He resigned his office in 1400 and retired to the priory of Pistoia where he died on May 26, 1401.

O God,
you made Blessed Andrew excel
in holiness and teaching
and in preaching your word as a good pastor.
By the help of his prayers
may we persevere in your service
and so come to eternal life.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Uphold me, Lord, according to your promise, and I shall live;
let my hope in you not be in vain, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Columba was born in Rieti, Italy, in 1467.  She was clothed with the habit of the Sisters of Penance of Rieti.  Following in the footsteps of Saint Catherine of Siena, she showed an admirable charity towards the poor, the sick and the dying.  In Perugia she founded a convent of sisters where she made profession and became prioress in 1490.  There she was noted for her work of reconciliation for which she received the name “Dove of Peace.”  She died there on the feast of the Ascension, May 20, 1501.

For more on the life of Blessed Columba, click here and here.

God of all mercy,
you made Blessed Columba
shine forth by the innocence of her life
and by her zeal for peace.
By the help of her teaching may we live together in unity
and serve you with pure minds.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Come, spouse of Christ,
receive the crown the Lord has prepared for you from all eternity, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Jane, the only daughter of Alphonso V of Portugal, was born in Lisbon in 1452.  For a time she served as regent of Portugal during her father’s absence, but had little taste for the life of the royal court.  She desired to embrace religious life and despite the violent opposition of her brother and father, she entered the Dominican monastery of Aveiro in 1472.  Dedicated to prayer and penance she lived for the conversion of sinners and the liberation of the Christian captives in Africa.  She lived a life of humility and simplicity and died at the monastery on May 12, 1490.

Click here for more on the intriguing political and religious life of Blessed Jane.

O God,
in the midst of the royal court
you strengthened Blessed Jane
with purity of heart.
By her prayers
may your faithful turn from the things of earth
and seek after the things of heaven.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Albert was born in Valle d’Ogna near Bergamo in 1214.  As a married man he was known for his generosity to the poor, a virtue for which his wife reproached him.  Upon the death of his wife, being childless, he left his father’s farm and went to Cremona where he lived in poverty.  His poverty was a witness to a group of heretics there who boasted of their own poverty. Attracted by the life of Saint Dominic he joined the Brothers of Penance, which later became the Order of Penance of Saint Dominic, and lived at the Dominican priory.  He died on May 7, 1279.

Click here for more on the holy life of Blessed Albert.

Almighty and ever-loving God,
you led Blessed Albert to shine forth in humility of life,
in zeal for the truth,
and in apostolic charity.
May we follow in his footsteps
and so obtain the same reward.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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To Jesus through Mary!

Today the Church remembers St. Louis de Montfort, a French missionary priest and Dominican tertiary charged with preaching the Rosary and renewing Marian devotion in early eighteenth-century France.

From Catholic Online:

He was born Louis Marie Grignon in Montfort, France, in 1673. Educated at Rennes, he was ordained there in 1700, becoming a chaplain in a hospital in Poitiers. His congregation, also called the Daughters of Divine Wisdom, started there. As his missions and sermons raised complaints, Louis went to Rome, where Pope Clement XI appointed him as a missionary apostolic. Louis is famous for fostering devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary. In 1715, he also founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary. His True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin remains popular. Louis died at Saint-Laurent-sur-Sevre. He was canonized in 1947.

As is mentioned above, St. Louis’s True Devotion to Mary and The Secret of the Rosary remain must-read spiritual classics.

Click here and here for more on the life of St. Louis de Montfort.

Lord God,
you gave Saint Louis de Montfort
the spirit of truth and love
to shepherd your people.
May we who honor them on this feast
learn from their example
and be helped by their prayers.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Agnes bore the sufferings of Christ in her body,
that his life might be manifest in her, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Saint Agnes was born at Gracciano, Italy, in 1268 and entered a monastery at Montepulciano at the age of nine.  At the age of fifteen by indult of the Holy See she was appointed superior of a monastery of nuns at Viterbo.  In response to the entreaties of the people of Montepulciano she returned there in 1306 to take charge of a newly founded monastery which followed the Rule of St. Augustine.  A few years later she placed this monastery under the direction of the Order of Preachers and sought evangelical perfection according to the way of Saint Dominic.  Agnes was devoted to the infant Jesus and the Virgin Mary, manifested the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and was a model of prayer and charity.  She worked for civil peace and unity.  Saint Catherine of Siena regarded her as her “glorious mother.”  She died on April 20, 1317.

For more on the life of Saint Agnes, click here and here.

Merciful God,
you adorned Agnes, your bride,
with a marvelous fervor in prayer.
By imitating her example,
may we always hold fast to you in spirit
and so come to enjoy the abundant fruits of holiness.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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With all our heart we follow you in awe;
we long to see you face to face.
Lord, do not disappoint our hope, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Sibyllina, born at Pavia, Italy, about 1287, was left an orphan when quite young and at the age of twelve was afflicted with total blindness.  The Sisters of Penance befriended her and clothed her in the habit of the Order.  She had a special devotion to Christ crucified and to the Holy Spirit.  She lived as a recluse at the church of the Preachers where many people sought her out asking for prayers.  She died on March 19, 1367.

O Lord,
enkindle our hearts with the fire of the Spirit,
who wonderfully renewed Blessed Sibyllina.
Filled with that heavenly light
may we come to know Jesus Christ crucified
and always grow in your love.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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When the prince of pastors comes again,
you will receive from him an unfading crown of glory, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Isnard was born at Chiampo, near Vicenze, Italy, toward the end of the twelfth century and entered the Order at Bologna around 1218.  He was known as “a fervent religious, a grace-filled preacher, and a virgin in body and mind,” as well as a worker of miracles.  He founded the priory at Pavia, which he wisely governed until his death on March 19, 1244.

For more on the life of Blessed Isnard, click here.

God of truth,
you drive away the darkness of ignorance
by the light of your wisdom.
By the life and prayers of Blessed Isnard
increase the strength of our faith,
and let no trials extinguish in us the fire of your grace
which shone forth in him.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Come, let us worship God,
wonderful in his saints, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Catharine Mancini was born at Pisa around the middle of the fourteenth century.  By the time she was twenty-five she had been widowed twice and left bereft of all her children.  At the urging of Saint Catherine of Siena she became a Sister of Penance and later entered the monastery founded by Blessed Clara Gambacorta, where she took the name Maria.  There she devoted herself to contemplation and penance, and upon the death of Blessed Clara, became prioress.  She died there on January 22, 1431.

O God,
bestower of grace and consoler of the sorrowful,
you strengthened Blessed Maria in the adversities of life
with an admirable patience and unwavering constancy.
By the help of her prayers
may we follow your will with a sincere heart
and so be faithful to you
through the changing paths of life.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Come, let us worship God,
wonderful in his saints, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Clara was born in Pisa in 1362, married at the age of twelve and widowed at the age of fifteen.  She longed to join a religious order, but her family objected.  When at last they relented, upon the advice of Saint Catherine of Siena, she received the Dominican habit at the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Pisa.  In 1385 along with Blessed Maria Mancini she founded the Monastery of Saint Dominic in Pisa where regular observance was strictly maintained. She was noted for her great prudence and charity, especially in pardoning the assassin of her father and brothers.  She prized study and urged her sisters to do likewise.  She died on April 17, 1419.

Merciful God,
grant us a spirit of prayer and penance.
By following in the footsteps of Blessed Clara
may we be worthy to win the crown she has received in heaven.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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At Wednesday’s General Audience, Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the life and doctrine of St. Albert the Great, an early teacher of the Dominican Order who had the privilege of tutoring St. Thomas Aquinas.  As the Pope explains, it was St. Albert who inspired St. Thomas to dedicate his intellectual life to reconciling the truths of Aristotle’s philosophy with the divine truths revealed to us by Christ.  Thus in the 13th century, the Pope notes, were faith and reason brought together to develop one true theology, or as St. Albert called it, an “affective science.” Below is the full text of the Holy Father’s address.

GENERAL AUDIENCE ADDRESS
March 24, 2010

Dear brothers and sisters,

One of the greatest teachers of Medieval theology is St. Albert the Great. The title “great” (magnus) with which he has passed into history, indicates the vastness and depth of his doctrine, which he coupled with holiness of life. But already his contemporaries did not hesitate to attribute excellent titles to him; one of his disciples, Ulrich of Strasbourg, described him as “wonder and miracle of our age.”

Born in Germany at the beginning of the 13th century, he was still young when he went to Italy, to Padua, seat of one of the most famous universities of the Middle Ages. He dedicated himself to the study of the so-called liberal arts: grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music, that is, of the general culture, manifesting that typical interest for the natural sciences, which would soon become the favorite field of his specialization. During his stay in Padua, he frequented the church of the Dominicans, whom he later joined with the profession of religious vows. The hagiographic sources lead one to understand that Albert matured this decision gradually. The intense relationship with God, the example of holiness of the Dominican Friars, the listening of sermons of Blessed Giordano of Saxony, successor of St. Dominic in the leadership of the Order of Preachers, were the decisive factors that helped him to overcome every doubt, overcoming also family resistance. Often, in the years of youth, God speaks to us and indicates the plan of our life. As for Albert, so for all of us, personal prayer nourished by the Word of the Lord, the frequenting of the sacraments and the spiritual guidance of enlightened men are the means to discover and follow the voice of God. He received the religious habit from Blessed Giordano of Saxony.

After his priestly ordination, the superiors sent him to teach in several centers of theological study adjacent to monasteries of the Dominican Fathers. His brilliant intellectual qualities enabled him to perfect the study of theology in the most famous university of the time, that of Paris. From then on St. Albert undertook that extraordinary activity of writer, which he would then follow for his whole life.

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From the Dominican Ordo:

Born at Fabriano at the beginning of the fifteenth century, Blessed Constantius received the Dominican habit at the age of fifteen.  He was noted for his austere and prayerful life, as well as his efforts in promoting peace.  As prior at Fabriano, at Perugia, and at Ascoli he labored to restore regular life.  He died at Ascoli on February 24, 1481.

God of justice and truth,
you made Blessed Constantius renowned
for his unceasing prayer
and his zeal for peace.
By the hellp of his prayers
may we wwalk in the path of justice
and reach everlasting peace and glory.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Christopher was born at Milan around 1410.  He dedicated his whole life to itinerant preaching after the example of St. Vincent Ferrer.  The austerity of his life and his zeal for souls led an ancient chronicler to say of him: “He was truly a Christ-bearer, for he carried Christ not only in name, but in his heart and on his lips.”  While master of novices he wrote a treatise On the Service of God for them.  He died at Taggia in March, 1484.

Click here for more on the life of Blessed Christopher, including a description of his gift of prophesy.

God of all truth,
you made Blessed Christopher
a faithful herald of your word to the people.
By his life and ministry
may we keep Christ ever in our thoughts
and in the love of our hearts,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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From the Dominican Ordo:

Born at Zamora, Spain, towards the middle of the fourteenth century, Blessed Alvarez entered the Order in 1368.  He preached throughout Spain and Italy and established the priory of Scala Caeli at Cordova where he promoted the regular life.  By his preaching and contemplation of the Lord’s Passion he spread the practice of the Way of the Cross throughout the West.  He died on February 19, about the year 1430.

For more on Blessed Alvarez, click here.

God of mercy,
you endowed Blessed Alvarez
with the gifts of penance and divine love.
With the help of his prayers and example
may we always bear the suffering of Christ in our bodies
and your love in our hearts.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Whoever welcomes you welcomes me,
and the man who welcomes me welcomes him who sent me.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Sebastian, the son of a noble family, was born at Brescia, Italy, in 1414 and entered the Order in 1429.  Twice he was Vicar General of the reformed Province of Lombardy and served as prior in several convents.  He was severe in his personal life, but kind and patient in his dealings with others. He was one of the notable reformers of Dominican life in the fifteenth century. He died at Genoa at the monastery of Santa Maria di Castello in 1496.

For more on the life of Blessed Sebastian, click here.

Faithful God,
you made Blessed Sebastian an outstanding example
of evangelical perfection and truth.
By following his example
may we enter upon the path of perfect charity,
deepen the life of the spirit through penance
and so obtain your glory and eternal life.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirt,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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If anyone wishes to be first,
he must become the last and the servant of all.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Augustine Fangi was born at Biella in Piedmont, Italy, in 1430 and received the habit in his native city.  As prior of several houses he was concerned about restoring and maintaining regular observance.  He was noted for his life of prayer, his preaching, his patient endurance of suffering, and his ministry as a confessor.  He died at Venice on July 22, 1493.

For more on Blessed Augustine, click here and here.

God of all consolation,
you gave Blessed Augustine a wonderful love
for announcing the mysteries of salvation
and comforting those in sorrow.
May we follow in his footsteps
and grow in grace and knowledge of you.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit
one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

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When the Bridegroom came,
he found the wise virgin ready to enter the wedding feast with him.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Jane was born at Carnaiola, near Orvieto, Italy, about the year 1264 and was orphaned at an early age.  She joined the sisters of the Fraternity of St. Dominic and was known for her life of prayer.  She received many extraordinary spiritual favors, including the grace of experiencing physically the passion of Christ.  She died on July 23, 1306.

Click here for more on the life of Blessed Jane.

God of compassion,
you bestowed on Blessed Jane
your divine gifts of purity and love.
May we imitate her innocence of life
and her example of good works.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Priest of the Most High God and mirror of goodness,
you were a good shepherd to your people and pleasing to the Lord.

The Order remembers today a great figure from the thirteenth century, James of Voragine.  He is also known as Jacob of Voragine or James of Varazze.  As a Dominican friar, Blessed James was elected Archbishop of Genoa and became one of the most well known authors of the late Middle Ages.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed James was born at Varazze, near Gneoa, Italy, about the year 1226 and entered the Order in Genoa.  He taught theology and scripture in various houses of the Order and held several positions of responsibility, including that of provincial of Lombardy.  He is best known for  his collection of the lives of the saints, entitled The Golden Legend, a work which had a significant influence on Western spirituality.  After refusing to accept his election as Archbishop of Genoa in 1288, Pope Nicholas IV made him accept it in 1292 when he was again elected to the same position.  He died on July 13, 1298.

For more on the life and influence of Blessed James, click here and here.

Click here to view The Golden Legend online, and here to order a printed version.

God of all faithfulness,
you make Blessed James an outstanding herald of your truth
and promoter of peace.
By the help of his prayers
may we come to love both peace and truth
and so reach you in whom peace is most perfect
and truth most pure.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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He who loses his life because of me will find it forever.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Sir Adrian Fortescue was born in 1476 in Devonshire, England, of a family closely related to Anne Boleyn.  He was a husband and father of outstanding virtue, a justice of the peace for the county of Oxford and a professed member of the Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic at Oxford.  He led an ascetic life and tried to follow the will of God in all things, daily seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  After King Henry VIII broke with Rome, Sir Adrian observed the obligations of his religion and served the king as faithfully as he could. Although arrested in 1534, no charge was made, nor was any reason given for his subsequent release.  In 1539 he was again arrested and placed in the Tower.  The sentence of death was passed upon him, and he was beheaded on July 8 or 9, 1539.

Click here and here for more on the life and martyrdom of Blessed Adrian.

O God,
you specially strengthened Blessed Adrian
with a wonderful spirit of holiness and courage.
Hear the prayers of your people
and from his renowned example
may we learn to be obedient to you
rather than to human authority.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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I will give you shepherds after my own heart;
they will nourish you with knowledge and sound teaching.

Blessed Benedict XI was the second son of St. Dominic to be elected to the Chair of Peter.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Nicholas Boccasini was born at Treviso, Italy, in 1240 and entered the Order as a young man.  He was renowned for both his great compassion and his love for the common life.  He served as provincial of Lombardy and was elected the ninth Master of the Order in 1296.  His administrative skills were noted by Pope Boniface VIII, who appointed him a cardinal.  Nicholas stood by the pope when he was ill-treated by Nogaret, the ambassador of the French King, Philip the Fair.  In 1303, Nicholas himself was elected pope and took the name Benedict. In the nine months of his pointificate he made a great effort to bring peace to England and Germany, and to reconcile France with the Papacy.  He died suddenly at Perugia on July 7, 1304.

Blessed Benedict reigned briefly during very tumultuous times, and his sudden death may have been caused by his enemies.  Benedict was the last pope to live and serve in Rome before his successor moved the papal court to Avignon, thus beginning the “Babylonian Captivity” of the Church.  Decades later, another Dominican, St. Catherine of Siena, would work tirelessly to restore the papacy to Rome.

For more on the life of Blessed Benedict, click here and here.

Eternal Shepherd,
you made Blessed Benedict known
for his great love of the brethren
and his service to your flock.
By the help of his prayers
may we ever be ardent in our fellowship
and with one heart be steadfast
in the household of the Church.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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O Christ, Good Shepherd, I thank you for leading me to glory;
I pray that the flock you have entrusted ot my care
will share with me in your glory forever.

Today the Order remembers the first Dominican pope, Peter of Tarentaise, who took the name Innocent V.  He was elected to the See of Peter just sixty years after the foundation of the Order.  Before settling in Rome, Peter earned a reputation as a brilliant teacher.  His writings won him the title doctor famosissimus (“most famous doctor”).

From the Dominican Ordo:

Peter of Tarentaise was born in Savoy around 1224 and as a young man entered the Order at Lyons.  He was sent to study at Parish where he took the master’s degree and was given a chair at the university.  Together with Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Albert the Great, and two other Dominicans he was commissioned by the General Chapter of 1259 to draw up the first plan of studies for the Order.  In 1272 he was named archbishop of Lyons and created Cardinal Bishop of Ostia.  He was one of the outstanding figures at the Council of Lyons where he labored for the restoration of unity between the churches of East and west.  In 1276 Peter was elected Pope and took the name Innocent. He died within five months of his election on June 22, 1276.

Click here for more on the life of Blessed Innocent V.

Christie’s has listed a medieval manuscript of Bl. Innocent’s Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard.  If you have $14,500 lying around, you might consider snatching it for your collection.  Click here for details.

God of truth,
you bestowed on Blessed Innocent
the gifts of knowledge and prudence
and made him a promoter of peace and unity.
By the help of his prayers
may we cherish what is of heaven
and in perfect unity follow what is right.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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The Lord is my inheritance; he is good to those who seek him.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Margaret Ebner was born in 1291 at Donauworth in Bavaria and made her profession at the Dominican Monastery of Maria Medingen in 1306.  By her own account her true conversion to God began in 1311 when she was twenty years old.  Soon after she bacame seriously ill and was bedridden for nearly thirteen years.  These years of suffering and prayer brought her to the heights of contemplative union with God.  She became one of the more prominent of the Rhineland mystics, known to both John Tauler and Henry Suso.  She left an account of her mystical experiences in her “Spiritual Journal” (Revelationes) and wrote a treatise on the Lord’s Prayer.  She died on June 20, 1351.

Click here for more on the life of Blessed Margaret.

O God, source of all goodness,
you enkindled within Blessed Margaret the fire of the Holy Spirit
and drew her into the secrets of your divine love.
By the help of her prayers
and filled with that same Spirit
may we come to you by the paths of Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls;
he finds one of great value and gives all that he has to possess it.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Osanna Andreassi was born at Manua in 1449 and received the habit of the Sisters of Penance of Saint Dominic as a young girl.  With great wisdom she blended the practice of good words and the pursuit of secular occupations with a life of contemplation.  She enjoyed many extraordinary mystical graces during her life and many came to her for advice and consolation.  She died on June 18, 1505.

Click here for more on the life of Blessed Osanna.

O God, giver of all good things,
you led Blessed Osanna to prefer the unsearchable riches of Christ
above all else and to so teach others.
By following her example and teaching
may we grow in knowledge of you
and faithfully live according to the light of the gospel.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Prepare yourself, you sons of strength, and make ready for battle:
for it is better for us to die in battle,
than to see the wicked deeds of our nation
and the army of the saints arrayed against us.
As the will of God is in heaven, may it be on earth.

Today, Dominicans celebrate the feast of the Order’s first martyr, St. Peter of Verona.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Saint Peter was born at Verona, Italy, around 1205 of Manichean parents. While a student at Bologna, he entered the Order of Preachers, receiving the habit from the hands of Saint Dominic.  Full of zeal for the purity of the faith he preached the word of God and brought many people back to the true faith.  His concern for the growth of the faith among the laity led him to establish the Confraternity in Praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Association of the Faith.  He earnestly promoted community life and served the brethren as prior. Towards the end of his life he received the office of inquisitor, a ministry which he carried out to great effect.  On April 6, 1252, while returning from Como to Milan he was set upon by a group of heretics and was fatally stabbed.  As he lay dying on the roadway, he wrote on the ground with his own blood his final testament to the Cahtolic doctrine which he had so staunchly defended in life: Credo in unum Deum.

Because he was the first martyr of the Order, St. Peter became a favorite subject of early Dominican art.  For example, Fra Angelico included him in many of his San Marco frescos in Florence.  Whenever he’s depicted by any artist, St. Peter is rather easy to identify.  He’s the friar with a knife sticking out of his head (as above), or rather with a gaping cranial wound, the weapon having been removed.

For more on St. Peter of Verona, click here and here.

O God,
the author and guardian of our faith,
you crowned blessed Peter with martyrdom
for his perseverance in the confession of the truth faith;
grant that we your faithful people
may receive the salvation of our souls
by confessing that same faith in word and deed.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Blessed are the spirits and souls of the just,
pour out your songs of praise to the Lord, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

According to tradition Blessed Sadoc received the habit from Saint Dominic himself and at the General Chapter of Bologna in 1221 was chosen to accompany Master Paul of Hungary, who had been commissioned to establish a province in Hungary.  Later Blessed Sadoc moved on to Poland where he preached the Gospel for nearly forty years.  In 1260 he and the forty-eight members of the Dominican community at Sandomierz were martyred by the Tartars as they were singing the Salve Regina at Compline.  The custom of singing the Salve Regina at the deathbed of Dominicans stems from this incident.

Click here fore more on the life and death of Blessed Sadoc.

Lord Jesus,
in the midst of fierce attacks of the foe
Blessed Sadoc and his companions
greeted the Virgin Mary in song
and received the longed-for palm of martyrdom.
After this exile may your merciful and loving Mother
show us to you,
who live and reign in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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The servant proved himself faithful and wise;
the Lord entrusted the care of his household to him, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Born in Venice of the noble Salomonio family in 1231, James gave his patrimony to the poor and entered the Order of Preachers at the age of fourteen.  He lived most of his Dominican life at Forli where he was known for his austere and virtuous life.  Because of his charity to the poor he was called “Father of the Poor.”  He died on May 31, 1314.

Blessed James is a powerful patron for cancer patients.  Click here and here for more on his holy life.

God of endless ages,
in your providence you gave your people Blessed James
to attain the mystery of salvation.
By his life and prayers
may we come to know your Son
and so experience his presence
more fully in our lives.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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The martyrs fixed their eyes on heaven, and cried out in their torments:
Come, Lord, be with us in this hour, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Among the eleven martyrs commemorated this day, three were Dominicans. They were part of a band of preachers whose success at Avignonet, to the southwest of Toulouse, induced a number of Albigensian heretics to ambush the group and treacherously murder them on May 29, 1242.  As they died they gave witness to the faith by singing the Te Deum.  The Dominicans in this group were: Blessed William Arnaud, one of the first Dominicans to be appointed an inquisitor in the diocese of Toulouse; Blessed Bernard of Rochefort, a Dominican priest; and Blessed Garcia d’Aure of Orense, a cooperator brother.

Click here for more on the life and death of Blessed William and his companions.

O God, strength of the faithful,
you led Blessed William and his companions
to offer their lives in the name of Christ
and in obedience to the Church.
By the help of their prayers
may we share with them in the chalice of Christ
and ever grow in your love.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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