In God We Trust
It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.
George Washington
Independence Day
Images
Feast of Saint Thomas
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Prayer to Saint Thomas, the Apostle
O Glorious Saint Thomas,
your grief for Jesus was such
that it would not let you believe
he had risen unless you actually
saw him and touched his wounds.
But your love for Jesus
was equally great and it led you
to give up your life for him.
Pray for us that we may grieve
for our sins which were the cause
of Christ’s sufferings.
Help us to spend ourselves
in his service and so earn the title
of “blessed” which Jesus applied to
those who would believe
in him without seeing him.
Amen.
The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church
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Nero’s Torches (Christian Candlesticks), by Henryk Siemiradzki, 1876
O God, who consecrated
the abundant first fruits of the Roman Church
by the blood of the Martyrs,
grant, we pray, that with firm courage
we may together draw strength from so great a struggle
and ever rejoice at the triumph of faithful love.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
From the Mass Readings for the Feast of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church, Liturgy of the Hours. ‘Collect’ from the Common of Martyrs: For Several Martyrs