Quotes from St John of the Cross: Endeavor to be inclined always: Not to the easiest, but to the most difficult...

 In my studies with the secular Carmelite order of which I am a member, I heard this wonderful quote from John of the Cross. A lot of Catholics see his spirituality as very difficult and austere and off-putting. But delving into his spirituality can reveal a lot of complexity and nuance. He is not always the easiest to understand, but pondering his quotes can reveal a lot of insight: 

Endeavor to be inclined always:

Not to the easiest, but to the most difficult;

Not to the most delightful, but to the most distasteful;

Not to the most gratifying, but to the less pleasant;

Not to what means rest for you, but to hard work;

Not to the consoling, but to the unconsoling;

Not to the most, but to the least;

Not to the highest and most precious, but to the lowest and most despised;

Not to wanting something, but to wanting nothing;

Do not go about looking for the best of temporal things, but for the worst, and, for Christ, desire to enter into complete nakedness, emptiness, and poverty in everything in the world.”

From psalm 35

Your ways, O Lord, make known to me. Teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are my God and my savior. 

Remember that your compassion, O Lord, and your love are from of old. The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not. In your kindness, remember me, because of your goodness, O Lord. 

Good and upright is the Lord. Thus he shows sinners the way. He guides the humble to justice. He teaches the humble his way.  

6 October 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Tuesday of the 26th week in Ordinary time

Lord Jesus - you came as a servant. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us hope. 

Lord Jesus - you are seated at the right hand of the Father. 

Priest: With faith and hope, we now present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. That we may keep Christ as the center of our attention and never tire of calling out for God’s help in the challenges of life. 

2. That we not be confused nor distracted by the different voices that cry out to us in the world. 

3. For an openness to God’s call and our vocation as Christians. 

4. As we celebrate respect life month, may we live out the spirit of the Gospel of life in our words and our actions each day. 

5. For all missionaries and evangelizers. May their zeal for sharing their faith with others bring Christ’s light to the world. 

6. For our children, youth, and college students. That the Lord continue to accompany them on their journey. 

7. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts today. 

Priest: We present our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

Catholic Dismissal Blessing for blessing of couple for anniversary of marriage

Bow down for the blessing:

Then the Priest, with hands extended over the couple, says:

May God the all-powerful Father

grant you his joy. ± Amen.

May the Only Begotten Son of God

stand by you with compassion in good times and in bad.

± Amen.

May the Holy Spirit

always pour forth his love into your hearts.

± Amen.

And may almighty God bless all of you, who are gathered here,

the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

± Amen.

Prayers of the faithful: Catholic Marriage Anniversary and Renewal of Vows of Holy Matrimony

Priest: Let us call upon the mercy of God the almighty Father,

who in his most provident plan willed that the history of salvation

be signified in marital love and fidelity:

1. Renew the fidelity of your servants, Lord. Holy Father, who are called faithful, rewarding the observance of your covenant,

be pleased to fill with your blessings these your servants

who celebrate the (twenty-fifth, fiftieth, sixtieth) anniversary of their Marriage. ± We pray to the Lord. 

2. Holy Father, who with the Son and the Holy Spirit enjoy from eternity perfect oneness of life and communion of love, grant that these your servants may always remember and faithfully keep

the covenant of love they made in the Sacrament. ± We pray to the Lord. 

3. Holy Father, who in your providence order all the experiences of human life so as to lead the faithful to share in the mystery of Christ, grant that these your servants, serenely accepting both good times and bad, may strive to cling to Christ and live for him alone. ± We pray to the Lord. 

4. Holy Father, who willed that the partnership of Marriage should be an example of Christian living, grant that all married couples may be witnesses in the world to the mystery of your Son’s love. ± We pray to the Lord. 

Priest: O God, in whose plan family life has its firm foundation, hear with compassion the prayers of your servants and grant that, following the example of the Holy Family, they may praise you without end in the joy of your house. Through Christ our Lord. ± Amen.

6 October 2026 - St Mary Frances of the five wounds of Jesus - Tuesday of the 27th week in ordinary time - Galatians 1:13-24

God calls different people to different missions and ministries. God gives us different gifts to use on our journey of faith. Throughout the Old Testament, the Lord called different prophets to bring particular messages to his people. As we hear from St Paul’s letter to the Galatians in our readings this week, we think of the particular calling that Paul received from God.  Paul recounts how although he once very zealously persecuted the followers of the way of Jesus, he was converted and traveled long distance as a missionary to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles in far off lands. 

We see particular callings in the lives of the saints. The saint we celebrate today followed God in a very particular unique path, uniting with Christ in the wounds he suffered. St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds, born Anna Maria Gallo in 1715, was a deeply spiritual lay woman who lived according to the rule of the third order Franciscans. She was born in the Spanish quarter, a rough neighborhood in the city of Naples, Italy. She lived a life dedicated to prayer and to service to the poor.  The "five wounds" refer to the stigmata of Jesus  During her lifetime, Mary Frances exhibited external marks of the five wounds inflicted on Jesus during his crucifixion. She would wear gloves to cover the marks on her hands while she did her work. She chose her name to express her devotion to St. Francis of Assisi and to the Blessed Mother. She died in 1791. When St. Mary Frances was canonized in 1843, Pope Pius IX declared her to be a patroness of expectant mothers, women having difficulty conceiving, and those with chronic pain. 

2 October 2026 - prayers of the faithful - FRIDAY of the 26th week in Ordinary time - prayers of the faithful for the mass of the holy guardian angels

Lord Jesus - you are the beloved son of the Father. 

Christ Jesus - you are the living word of God. 

Lord Jesus - you give us hope.

Priest - As we celebrate the feast day of the guardian angels today, we present our our prayers to our heavenly Father -

1. That we may be good stewards of our gifts, our talents, and all of God’s creation. 

2. That we respect human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. 

3. That we may grow in our love and devotion to Mary. 

4. That our Church leaders may lead us to be missionary in spirit. 

5. For the sick and the afflicted. For healing in body, mind, and spirit. 

6. For the prayers we hold in our hearts today. We unite our prayers with the prayers of the angels and the saints.  We pray with our guardian angels. 

Priest - With faith and hope, we present our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.