MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Let us discover the profound meaning of this feast in the words of Saint John Paul II: “Just as the crucified Christ is raised up by faith in the hearts of all who believe, so he raises those same hearts with a hope that cannot be destroyed. Since the cross is the sign of redemption, and redemption contains the promise of the resurrection and the beginning of new life: the elevation of human hearts… The feast of the Exaltation of the Cross calls to mind and, in a certain sense, makes present the elevation of Christ on the cross. The feast is the elevation of Christ the Redeemer: whoever believes in the crucified Christ will have eternal life.

Christ’s elevation on the cross marks the beginning of humanity’s elevation through the cross. And the ultimate fulfillment of this elevation is eternal life… At the same time, the cross itself is also raised up. It ceases to be the sign of an infamous death and becomes the sign of the resurrection, that is, of life.”

May the cross be a sign of life for us!

For further reading:
• On Your Word. Mass book September – October 2020

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Beginning of the novena to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

From September 14 to 22, we can prepare for the liturgical memorial of Padre Pio (September 23) by praying the novena. May he, who said “the best consolation is that which comes from prayer,” teach us to be constant and trusting in prayer.

For further reading:
• Novenas to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
• The Heart of Padre Pio
• Padre Pio. A Thought for Every Day of the Year

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
Blessed Virgin Mary of Sorrows

The commemoration of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Sorrows teaches us that, in moments of pain, our hearts must open to faith and hope, confident that the Lord will not abandon us.
Today we offer her the prayer of the servant of God, Monsignor Tonino Bello: Hail Mary, Virgin of the Night.
Holy Mary, Virgin of the Night, we implore you to stay close to us when pain looms, trials break in, the wind of despair whistles, the cold of disappointment, or the stern wing of death. Free us from the shivers of darkness.
At the hour of our Calvary, you who experienced the eclipse of the sun, spread your mantle over us, so that, wrapped in your breath, the long wait for freedom may be more bearable.
Lighten the suffering of the sick with a Mother’s tender caresses. Fill the bitter time of those who are alone with friendly and discreet company. Protect our loved ones who struggle in distant lands from every harm, and comfort, with the poignant flash of your eyes, those who have lost faith in life. Sing the song of the Magnificat once more today, and announce overflowing justice to all the oppressed of the earth. If, in moments of darkness, you draw near to us, the springs of tears will dry upon our faces. And together we will awaken the dawn. Amen.

For further reading:
• Prayers for the sorrows and tears of Our Lady

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Beginning of the novena to Saints Cosmas and Damian

On September 26, the Church commemorates the physician saints Cosmas and Damian. Starting today, you can prepare for their feast by praying the novena and, if you wish, learning more about their story, a story of faith and the many wonders that the Lord worked through them.

For further reading:
• The physician saints Cosmas and Damian

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Saint Joseph of Copertino

Giuseppe Maria Desa was born on June 17, 1603, in Copertino (Lecce), in a stable in the town. Rejected by some orders “because of his limited education, simplicity, and ignorance,” after much persistence he managed to be accepted by the Conventuals of the “Grottella,” and soon expressed his desire to become a priest. He undertook his studies with great difficulty, but the bishop examining him, opening the book at random, asked him about the only passage he knew how to explain. Thus he was ordained a priest by the will of God. He was subject to the phenomenon of levitating from the ground because of his continuous ecstasies. He moved from one convent to another until he was assigned to Osimo (Ancona), where he died in 1663.

For further reading:
• Saint Joseph of Copertino - The saint of wonders

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
Blessed Virgin Mary of La Salette

On September 19, 1846, on the small plateau of Mount Planeau, above the village of La Salette, the Virgin Mary (the “Beautiful Lady”) appeared to two young shepherds: Maximin Giraud and Mélanie Calvat. Near a small spring, the two saw, on a pile of stones, a globe of fire. Frightened, they approached, and a beautiful Lady appeared there, seated with her head in her hands, her elbows on her knees, weeping. The Virgin Mary appeared at La Salette to reveal the presence, in our world and in our lives, of the power of salvation found in Christ Jesus. “I am here to announce a great message to you.” The message of La Salette is a message of hope, because our hope is sustained by the one who is the Mother of all humanity. The night of sin disappears before the light of divine mercy.

For further reading:
• Choose life, then. The apparition and message of Our Lady of La Salette
• La Salette. The shocking message of a merciful Mother

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Beginning of the novena to the holy archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael

“God sends the archangels to accompany us on the journey of life. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael play an important role on our journey toward salvation” (Pope Francis). Aware of what the Pope says, today let us begin praying the novena to the holy archangels, whom the Church commemorates on September 29.

For further reading:
• Prayers with the angels