August 27, 2025

Memorial of St. Monica

God of mercy, comfort of those in sorrow, the cheers of St. Monica moved you to convert her son St. Augustine to the faith of Christ. By their prayers, help us to turn from our sins and to find your loving forgiveness. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Daily Thought from the Saints

"The harm that comes to souls from the lack of reading holy books makes me shudder… What power spiritual reading has to lead to a change of course, and to make even worldly people enter into the way of perfection.”

— St. Padre Pio

Daily Scripture Verse

Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.

—St. Jerome

Daily Meditation

"Whenever we receive communion, we enter into communion with the holy Trinity. Did anyone ever tell you that? With each reception of holy Communion, we experience, already here on earth, the same Divine activity that we will one day experience in all its fullness in heaven – the divine activity of love eternally taking place within the Trinity… God wants to live his triune life in us. We are called to be the dwelling places for the holy Trinity and to enter into a personal relationship with each of the persons in God.”

— Vinney Flynn

Daily Catholic Wisdom

The essence of all sin therefore is not its transgressive violation of law, but it’s reality as a narcotic that never allows us to achieve a full awareness of the seriousness of things.

—Larry Chapp
From his Book, “Confession of a Catholic Worker”

Day by Day with Mary

The Gospel records the words of an unknown woman: “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!” (Luke 11:28) These words very rightly referred to Mary, at the same might be said of all mothers if their children, on the hard, rough ways of this life, know how to bear themselves like true Christians in accordance with the teaching they have received.

Pope St. John XXIII

A Prayer From Notre Dame University

Rev. Nicholas Ayo, C.S.C.

Lord God, your Son walked among us flawed human beings. He loved the poor, the sick, and the widowed. He delighted in little children. He sat at table with men and women who were sinners and called them to new life. Only hypocrisy raised anger in Jesus. Open our eyes and hearts to see ourselves as we are and to cast ourselves upon your mercy rather than to cover our shame by lying to ourselves and to those around us. Amen.