Franciscan Media

O gracious Parent! Elevate our souls, and give us access to thy sublime throne, that stable seat of pure delight! All earth-born cares remove; dispel the mists of sense; and with a ray from heaven illumine our darkened minds. Allow us to see thy light; let us view the source of good unveiled; and fix, O ever fix, our eyes on thee. –Roman Boethius,

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You.

The words of this prayer given to the young visionaries of Fatima may seem simple. But the words outline our responsibilities as Christians—to believe, to adore, to hope, and to love God. As well, to ask pardon for those who do not act in this way. And further, to beg pardon for them. We should make reparation for their sins too.

Pope St. John Paul II said that we don’t find ourselves until we lose ourselves in Christ. In other words, true happiness only comes from commitment and self-sacrifice. Throughout the Bible, we see what is a contradiction by the world’s standard spelled out over and over again. When we lose our life for love’s sake, we gain it back tenfold. That’s the heart of the Christian message, and it’s the only way we will reach our true destination: heaven.

By embracing our human condition—in everything but sin—Jesus revealed the new dignity and the surpassing worth of our human condition and the need in love to care for the human person. He tied and linked himself to us forever—to each one of us—by taking on our human flesh. He ennobled the human condition and raised it to the level of his divinity.

Almighty, eternal, just, and merciful God, grant us in our misery that we may do for your sake alone what we know you want us to do, and always what pleases you; so that, cleansed and enlightened interiorly and fired with the ardor of the Holy Spirit, we may be able to follow in the footsteps of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
— Francis of Assisi

Almighty God, who gave to the just man from Nazareth, St. Joseph, the privilege of serving as earthly Father to Jesus your Son, through his intercession, watch over our families and guide us in your ways. May this son of David, in whom the shoot from the stump of Jesse has blossomed, guide your people with care and protect your Church from harm. United with Mary his spouse and Jesus our Lord, may we be joined forever in the joys of your heavenly kingdom.