Devotions from August 30 to September 5, 2021
“Trust and believe,” Mother Teresa of Calcutta used to say. “Every day there is a kind of miracle. Not a day goes by without a tender sign of God’s attention reaching us, a sign of his care.” “The greatest miracle,” in Mother Teresa’s words, “is that God uses little things like us. He uses us to do his work. Let God use you without consulting you. Trust in God. Feel the security of God’s providence. Trust in him. He will provide. Wait for him. Serve him. Trust and believe.” Let us welcome the advice of this great saint, whom we remember on September 5, and also look to the example of the other saints we celebrate this week. They too trusted in God and made their lives a masterpiece. May “Trust and believe” become our motto. Let us often repeat these words to ourselves so that we may live this week with joy and in the light of the Lord!
WEDNESDAY 1 SEPTEMBER
Start of the novena to Saint Nicholas of Tolentino
“Saint Nicholas of Tolentino was a man capable of listening and dialogue, fruits of hard, daily work on himself. An apostle of peace and truth, he was a true consolation for many, the consolation of the risen Lord. He never sought himself, but Jesus Christ alone, and thus found himself and helped many others find themselves” (Father Luciano De Michieli).
Let us invoke the intercession of this apostle of peace and truth, who trusted in God and believed. Let us imitate his radiant example.
To learn more:
• Saint Nicholas of Tolentino. The smile of humility
FRIDAY 3 SEPTEMBER
Saint Gregory the Great
Pope Saint Gregory, bishop of Rome between 590 and 604, earned from tradition the title of Magnus (Great) and was truly a great pope and Doctor of the Church. He alleviated the sufferings of the needy, overcame the economic crisis, and subdued Agilulf, king of the Lombards, through Queen Theodelinda. Before the bishops, Gregory was the first to use the title “servant of the servants”; before kings, he was more authoritative than authoritarian. With the poor, he was downright angelic, inviting them into his home on the Caelian Hill and serving them at table himself. Sensitive to the duties of the apostolate, he sent missionaries to all the countries of Europe. In the liturgy, he promoted the spread of that solemn plainchant which is still called “Gregorian chant.”
To learn more:
• “On Your Word” booklet September-October 2021
SUNDAY 5 SEPTEMBER
Saint Teresa of Calcutta
«Throughout her life, Mother Teresa was a generous dispenser of divine mercy, making herself available to everyone by welcoming and defending human life, both unborn life and life abandoned and discarded. She committed herself to defending life, constantly proclaiming that “the unborn are the weakest, the smallest, the most wretched.” She bent down to people exhausted and left to die on the margins of the streets, recognizing the dignity God had given them; she made her voice heard by the powerful of the earth, so that they might acknowledge their guilt before the crimes - before the crimes! - of poverty created by themselves. Mercy was for her the “salt” that gave flavor to all her work, and the “light” that illuminated the darkness of those who no longer even had tears with which to weep over their poverty and suffering. Her mission in the outskirts of cities and in the existential peripheries remains today an eloquent testament to God's closeness to the poorest of the poor.» These are words Pope Francis spoke in the homily at Mother Teresa's canonization Mass. Let us pray with confidence to this great Saint, who left an indelible mark and continues from Heaven to intercede for us all.
To learn more:
• “My secret: I pray”
• Mother Teresa. A Thought for Every Day of the Year
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
The Infant Jesus of Prague in Arenzano
Devotion to the Infant Jesus spread in the Prague convent thanks to the Carmelite friar John Louis of the Assumption in 1628. As soon as he was elected prior, he asked for a beautiful statue depicting the Son of God as a child, so that the young religious, by looking at it, would gradually be led to understand the humility of Jesus the Savior and could obtain his help in urgent needs. The statuette of the Infant Jesus of Prague, dressed as a king, blessing with his right hand and holding in his left a globe representing the world, began to bestow graces and favors, winning hearts. Today, the shrine of Arenzano is the most vibrant center from which devotion to him spreads in Italy.
To learn more:
• Devotion to the Infant Jesus
• Prayers to the Infant Jesus
• Novena and Chaplet to the Infant Jesus of Prague
«Let us ask the Lord to make saints of us, leaving in his hands the choice of the means that can lead us to this.» May these words of Mother Teresa accompany us and show us the path to follow, as we continue to trust and believe.
Have a good journey!
