August 16, 2025

Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary

Grant your Church, we pray, Almighty God, that she may have St. Stephen of Hungary, who fostered her growth while a king on earth, has her glorious defender in heaven. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Daily Thought from the Saints

"Even when God's will does not correspond to your own desires, it is always beneficial for you."

— St. Arnold Janssen

Daily Scripture Verse

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching."

2 Timothy 4:1-2

Daily Meditation

"I believe we shall never learn to know ourselves except by endeavoring to know God, for, beholding His greatness we are struck by our own baseness, His purity shows our foulness, and by meditating on His humility we find how very far we are from being humble. Two advantages are gained by this practice. First, it is clear that white looks far whiter when placed near something black, and on the contrary, black never looks so dark as when seen beside something white. Secondly, our understanding and will become more noble and capable of good in every way when we turn from ourselves to God: it is very injurious never to raise our minds above the mire of our own faults."

— St. Teresa of Avila

Daily Catholic Wisdom

Men, this is Christlike authority. It is not chest-thumping domination. It is not forcing others to submit to your needs and wants. Christlike authority is the exact opposite—it is washing others’ feet. It is servanthood.

—Sam Guzman
from his book, “The Catholic Gentleman”

A Prayer from Notre Dame University

Rev. Thomas O’Hara, C.S.C.

Lord God, you came to us as a newborn child. As a child, you were dependent on Mary and Joseph to care for you, feed you and protect you. Help us understand our dependence on you, our God, father and mother to us, to care for us, protect us, and sustain us. We come to you this day as your children, asking you to be with us throughout this day, no matter what happens. We pray this in Christ’s name. Amen.