On Knock Shrine Fb page today: ‘Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me, Christ in the eye of every one who sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the threeness Through confession of the oneness Of the Creator of Creation.’ - From the Lorica of St. Patrick. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to our parishioners at home, and across the world, from all of us at Knock Shrine.
He was enslaved by sin. He felt no purpose. He lived only for himself. And the Church now calls him St. Patrick of Ireland. Patrick grew up in a Roman villa on the coast of Britain, the son of a deacon and the grandson of a priest. But the faith was just background noise—something for old men and women, not for a young man with his whole life ahead of him. He later admitted that he did not know the true God, that he was a sinner who ignored the clergy and their warnings. Indifference ruled him. Sin felt normal. One day, at sixteen, his world ended. Irish raiders—pirates from across the sea—stormed his father's estate. They slaughtered the servants and dragged Patrick into slavery. He was sold to a pagan chieftain named Miliucc, taken to the cold hills of Antrim, and forced to herd sheep. Six years. Six years of isolation, hunger, and exposure. Six years of sleeping in snow and rain, clothed in rags, eating scraps. He was a social outcast even among slaves—shepherds were considered unclean, filthy from constant contact with animals. But in that desolation, something strange happened. The boy who had ignored God began to pray. Not from devotion at first—from desperation. He prayed in the forests. He prayed on the mountains. He rose before dawn in ice and freezing rain to whisper words to a God he wasn't sure he believed in. He prayed one hundred times a day. He prayed one hundred times at night. And grace slowly rewrote his heart. Patrick later wrote: "The love of God increased, and my sense of awe before God. Faith grew, and my spirit was moved... the Spirit was burning in me at that time." After six years, a voice spoke to him in a dream: "You have fasted well. Very soon you will return to your native country." The voice told him of a ship waiting two hundred miles away. Trusting in the word he heard, Patrick escaped his master, walked hundreds of miles to the coast, and found a ship waiting — just as the voice had said. Against all odds, he made it back home. Safe. Free. Restored. But freedom did not satisfy him. He studied for the priesthood. He was ordained. And then—one night years later—he had a vision that shattered his peace. He saw the people of Ireland — the same land of his suffering — calling out to him: “We beg you, holy boy, come and walk among us again.” He could have ignored it. He could have stayed safe. But he didn’t. He chose to go back. He returned to Ireland. Not as a slave, but as a servant. Not for revenge, but for love. He walked back into the land of his captivity, armed only with faith and the power of Christ. He preached to those who once enslaved him. He walked into hostile lands. He faced danger, rejection, and threats of death. Still, he continued. He spoke of Christ. He baptized thousands. He built churches. He transformed a nation. The boy who once trembled in fear now stood with courage. The slave had become a shepherd of souls. Saint Patrick teaches us: God can turn captivity into calling. God can use your wounds as your mission. God can send you back to the place that broke you — to heal it. If you feel forgotten… If your past still haunts you… If you’re afraid to follow where God is leading… This saint is proof: Grace doesn’t just rescue you. It sends you back stronger. St. Patrick of Ireland, pray for Us!
As i get older and perhaps because if the events in tge past two years of my life St Patrick's Day has become much more meaningful to me. I reflect on my mom and dad, aunts and uncles, cousins and friends who are now gone. Im so grateful for their love and for their help in instilling the faith of the Church. I count myself so blessed. And with much more earnestly recite the Lorica of St. Patrick- a strong man who instilled faith to a nation that then spread it all over the world. Its my prayer for Ireland and every where that the light St. Patrick first lit be rekindled in our hearts, families and our nations. Peace! I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through a belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness Of the Creator of creation. I arise today Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism, Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial, Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension, Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom. I arise today Through the strength of the love of cherubim, In obedience of angels, In service of archangels, In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward, In the prayers of patriarchs, In preachings of the apostles, In faiths of confessors, In innocence of virgins, In deeds of righteous men. I arise today Through the strength of heaven; Light of the sun, Splendor of fire, Speed of lightning, Swiftness of the wind, Depth of the sea, Stability of the earth, Firmness of the rock. I arise today Through God's strength to pilot me; God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me, God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me, God's hosts to save me From snares of the devil, From temptations of vices, From every one who desires me ill, Afar and anear, Alone or in a mulitude. I summon today all these powers between me and evil, Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul, Against incantations of false prophets, Against black laws of pagandom, Against false laws of heretics, Against craft of idolatry, Against spells of women and smiths and wizards, Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul. Christ shield me today Against poison, against burning, Against drowning, against wounding, So that reward may come to me in abundance. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me. I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through a belief in the Threeness, Through a confession of the Oneness Of the Creator of creation St. Patrick (ca. 377)
From Knock Shrine Fb page: Knock Basilica is illuminated in green this evening in honour of St. Patrick. Photo courtesy of Sinéad Mallee.
SAINT OF THE DAY WEDNESDAY, 18 MARCH, 2026 SAINT CYRIL OF JERUSALEM BISHOP, CONFESSOR AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH (315 - 18 March, 386) "Make your fold with the sheep; flee from the wolves: depart not from the Church," Cyril admonished catechumens surrounded by heresy. These were prophetic words for Cyril was to be hounded by enemies and heretics for most of his life, and although they could exile him from his diocese he never left his beloved Church. Cyril's life began a few years before Arianism (the heresy that Jesus was not divine or one in being with the Father) and he lived to see its suppression and condemnation at the end of his life. In between he was the victim of many of the power struggles that took place. We know little about Cyril's early life. Historians estimate he was born about 315 and that he was brought up in Jerusalem. He speaks about the appearance of the sites of the Nativity and Holy Sepulchre before they were "improved" by human hands as if he were a witness. All we know of his family were that his parents were probably Christians and he seemed to care for them a great deal. He exhorted catechumens to honor parents "for however much we may repay them, yet we can never be to them what they as parents have been to us." We know he also had a sister and a nephew, Gelasius, who became a bishop and a saint. He speaks as one who belonged to a group called the Solitaries. These were men who lived in their own houses in the cities but practiced a life of complete chastity, ascetism, and service. After being ordained a deacon and then a priest, his bishop Saint Maximus respected him enough to put him in charge of the instruction of catechumens. We still have these catechetical lectures of Cyril's that were written down by someone in the congregation. When speaking of so many mysteries, Cyril anticipated the question, "But some one will say, If the Divine substance is incomprehensible, why then do you discourse of these things? So then, because I cannot drink up all the river, am I not even to take in moderation what is expedient for me? Because with eyes so constituted as mine I cannot take in all the sun, am I not even to look upon it enough to satisfy my wants? Or again, because I have entered into a great garden, and cannot eat all the supply of fruits, would you have me go away altogether hungry?.. I am attempting now to glorify the Lord, but not to describe him, knowing nevertheless that I shall fall short of glorifying God worthily, yet deeming it a work of piety even to attempt it at all." When Maximus died, Cyril was consecrated as bishop of Jerusalem. Because he was supported by the Arian bishop of Caesarea, Acacius, the orthodox criticized the appointment and the Arians thought they had a friend. Both factions were wrong, but Cyril wound up in the middle. When a famine hit Jerusalem, the poor turned to Cyril for help. Cyril, seeing the poor starving to death and having no money, sold some of the goods of the churches. This was something that other saints including Ambrose and Augustine had done and it probably saved many lives. There were rumors, however, that some of the vestments wound up as clothing for actors.Actually, the initial cause of the falling out between Acacius and Cyril was territory not beliefs. As bishop of Caesarea, Acacia had authority over all the bishops of Palestine. Cyril argued that his authority did not include Jerusalem because Jerusalem was an "apostolic see" -- one of the original sees set up by the apostles. When Cyril did not appear at councils that Acacius called, Acacius accused him of selling church goods to raise money and had him banished. Cyril stayed in Tarsus while waiting for an appeal. Constantius called a council where the appeal was supposed to take place. The council consisted of orthodox, Arians, and semi-Arian bishops. When Acacius and his faction saw that Cyril and other exiled orthodox bishops were attending, they demanded that the persecuted bishops leave. Acacius walked out when the demand was not met. The other bishops prevailed on Cyril and the others to give in to this point because they didn't want Acacius to have reason to deny the validity of the council. Acacius returned but left again for good when his creed was rejected -- and refused to come back even to give testimony against his enemy Cyril. The result of the council was the Acacius and the other Arian bishops were condemned. There's no final judgment on Cyril's case but it was probably thrown out when Acacius refused to testify and Cyril returned to Jerusalem. This was not the end of Cyril's troubles because Acacius carried his story to the emperor -- embellishing it with details that it was a gift of the emperor's that was sold to a dancer who died wearing the robe. This brought about a new synod run by Acacius who now had him banished again on the basis of what some bishops of Tarsus had done while Cyril was there. This exile lasted until Julian became emperor and recalled all exiled bishops, orthodox or Arian. Some said this was to exacerbate tension in the Church and increase his imperial power. So Cyril returned to Jerusalem. When Acacius died, each faction nominated their own replacement for Caesarea. Cyril appointed his nephew Gelasius -- which may seem like nepotism, except that all orthodox sources spoke of Gelasius' holiness. A year later both Cyril and Gelasius were driven out of Palestine again as the new emperor's consul reversed Julian's ruling. Eleven years later, Cyril was allowed to go back to find a Jerusalem destroyed by heresy and strife. He was never able to put things completely right. He did attend the Council at Constantinople in 381 where the Nicene Creed and orthodoxy triumphed and Arianism was finally condemned. Cyril received justice at the same Council who cleared him of all previous rumors and commended him for fighting "a good fight in various places against the Arians." Cyril had eight years of peace in Jerusalem before he died in 386, at about seventy years old. PRAYER: O God, who through the Bishop Saint Cyril of Jerusalem led your Church in a wonderful way to a deeper sense of the mysteries of salvation, grant us, through his intercession, that we may so acknowledge your Son as to have life ever more abundantly. 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.
Blessed of the Day — March 18 Feria Quarta infra Hebdomadam IV in Quadragesima Today the Church commemorates Blessed Martha Le Bouteiller (1816–1883), a French Sister of the Congregation of Marie Madeleine Postel, who died on this very date at her convent of Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte in Normandy. Known for her utter simplicity and forty years of hidden, humble service in kitchen, fields and wine cellar, she is a model of sanctity within the reach of all. ◾Her beatification miracle, confirmed unanimously by the Vatican's Consulta Medica on 26 April 1989 as medically inexplicable, was the complete and lasting healing of a person suffering from severe tuberculosis of the lungs and the shoulder joint. Pope John Paul II approved the miracle on 21 December 1989 and beatified her on 4 November 1990. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aimée-Adèle_Le_Bouteiller Blessed Martha Le Bouteiller, pray for us.
SAINT OF THE DAY THURSDAY, 19 MARCH, 2026 SAINT JOSEPH FOSTER FATHER OF THE REDEEMER - CHASTE SPOUSE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY In the 'Mystical City of God', Ven. Mary of Agreda is given the following description of St. Joseph by the Blessed Virgin Mary. "The holy child Joseph was born most beautiful and perfect of body and caused in his parents and in his relations an extraordinary delight, something like that caused by the birth of Saint John the Baptist, though the cause of it was more hidden. The Lord hastened in him the use of his reason, perfecting it in his third year, endowing it with infused science and augmenting his soul with new graces and virtues. From that time the child began to know God by faith, and also by natural reasoning and science, as the cause and Author of all things. He eagerly listened and understood profoundly all that was taught him in regard to God and his works. At this premature age he already practiced the highest kinds of prayer and contemplation and eagerly engaged in the exercise of the virtues proper to his youth; so that, at the time when others come to the use of reason. at the age of seven years or more, Saint Joseph was already a perfect man in the use of it and in holiness. He was of a kind disposition, loving, affable, growing in virtue and perfection and advancing toward his espousal with most holy Mary by an altogether irreproachable life. For the confirmation and increase of his good qualities was then added the intercession of the blessed Lady; for as soon as She was informed that the Lord wished Her to enter the married state with him, She earnestly besought the Lord to sanctify Saint Joseph and inspire him with most chaste thoughts and desires in conformity with her own. The Lord listened to her prayer and permitted Her to see what great effects his right hand wrought in the mind and spirit of the patriarch Saint Joseph. They were so copious, that they cannot be described in human words. He infused into his soul the most perfect habits of all the virtues and gifts. He balanced anew all his faculties and filled him with grace, confirming it in an admirable manner. In the virtue and perfection of chastity the holy spouse was elevated higher than the seraphim; for the purity, which they possessed without body, Saint Joseph possessed in his earthly body and in mortal flesh; never did an image of the impurities of the animal and sensible nature engage, even for one moment, any of his faculties. This freedom from all such imaginations and his angelic simplicity fitted him for the companionship and presence of the most Pure among all creatures, and without this excellence he would not have been worthy of so great a dignity and rare excellence. Also in the other virtues, he was wonderfully distinguished, especially in charity; for he dwelt at the fountainhead of that living water, which flows on to eternal life (John 4, 14); he was in close proximity to that sphere of fire and was consumed without resistance. The best that can be said of the charity of our saint is that his love of God was really the cause of his mortal sickness and of his death. The manner of his death was a privilege of his singular love, for his sweet sighs of love surpassed and finally put an end to those of his sickness, being far more powerful. As the objects of his love, Christ and his Mother, were present with him always and as both of Them were more closely bound to him than to any of the woman-born, his most pure and faithful heart was unavoidably consumed by the loving effects of such a close union. Blessed be the Author of such great wonders and blessed be the most fortunate of mortals, Saint Joseph, who so worthily corresponded to their love. He deserves to be known and extolled by all the generations of men and all nations, since the Lord has wrought such things with no other man and to none has He shown such love.IN VIRTUE OF THESE SPECIAL PRIVILEGES THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT JOSEPH IS MOST POWERFUL: 1. For attaining the virtue of purity and overcoming the sensual inclinations of the flesh; 2. For procuring powerful help to escape sin and return to the friendship of God; 3. For increasing the love and devotion to most holy Mary; 4. For securing the grace of a happy death and protection against the demons in that hour; 5. For inspiring the demons with terror at the mere mention of his name by his clients; 6. For gaining health of body and assistance in all kinds of difficulties; 7. For securing issue of children in families. St. Joseph is invoked as patron for many causes. He is the patron of the Universal Church. He is the patron of the dying because Jesus and Mary were at his death-bed. Many religious orders and communities are placed under his patronage. ST. FAUSTINA, ST. JOSEPH AND THE MEMORARE TO OUR LADY This practice was recommended by St. Joseph himself to St. Faustina. It was in July 1937. She was at her congregation's rest home because she was quite ill. In her Diary (1203) she recorded that “St. Joseph urged me to have a constant devotion to him. He himself told me to recite three prayers (the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be) and the Memorare once every day. He looked at me with great kindness and gave me to know how much he is supporting this work (of mercy). He has promised me this special help and protection. I recite the requested prayers every day and feel his special protection.” PATRON: Against doubt; against hesitation; bursars; cabinetmakers; carpenters; confectioners; craftsmen; emigrants; engineers; expectant mothers; families; fathers; happy death; holy death; house hunters; immigrants; interior souls; laborers; people in doubt; pioneers; protection of the Church; travelers; unborn children Universal Church; Vatican II; wheelwrights; workers; working people. SYMBOLS: Bible; branch; carpenter's square; carpenter's tools; chalice; cross; hand tools; infant Jesus; ladder; lamb; lily; monstrance; old man holding a lily and a carpenter's tool such as a square; old man holding the infant Jesus; plane; rod. CONSECRATION TO ST. JOSEPH O dearest St. Joseph, I consecrate myself to thy honor and give myself to thee, that thou mayest always be my father, my protector, and my guide in the way of salvation. Obtain for me a great purity of heart and a fervent love of the interior life. After thine example, may I do all my actions for the greater glory of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary! And do thou, O Blessed St. Joseph, pray for me that I may share in the peace and joy of thy holy death. Amen.
S. Joseph Sponsi B.M.V. Confessoris ~ Duplex I. classis Commemoratio: Feria Quinta infra Hebdomadam IV in Quadragesima Among St. Joseph's greatest attributes is his powerful intercession to heal the sick — something that St. André Bessette (the famous "miracle worker of Montreal") and many other saints discovered throughout history. Several saints have sought the intercession of St. Joseph and had their wishes answered. St. Teresa of Ávila, for example, sought his intercession when she was gravely ill — and recovered. She went on to recommend him as a powerful advocate for the sick. ◾Miracles of Healing on The Feast of St. Joseph The Most Special: A Woman's Monthly Illness Cured — March 19, 1994 There was a woman who had been living by herself and was unable to eat or drink for many days at a time — this would happen once or even twice a month, sometimes requiring intravenous feeding. Feeling desperate in March 1994, she began a novena to St. Joseph. At the end of the novena, on March 19, 1994 — the Solemnity of St. Joseph — she received a miraculous healing that allowed her to live a completely normal life. A Man Healed from a Coma — on the Ninth Day, March 19 A man was gravely injured and fell into a coma, with doctors holding little hope for his survival. His children prayed a novena to St. Joseph. On the eighth day he opened his eyes and asked for a priest. On the ninth day — March 19th — he received Holy Communion and went on to make a full recovery. St. Joseph not only healed the man, but also healed his marriage. (ATX Catholic) A Family Miracle in Indianapolis — March 19, 1964 In 1960, Francis Hammans of Indianapolis was diagnosed with tuberculosis — a life-threatening disease. His family prayed fervently for his recovery. On March 19, 1964, St. Joseph's feast day, a phone call brought his family to tears of joy: Francis had recovered. The event left such a mark on their family that they celebrated it every year on St. Joseph's Day for generations. Philomène: A Healing Foretold for March 19 One of the most remarkable stories involves a woman named Philomène, who gained such trust in St. Joseph's intercession that she publicly announced her healing would take place on March 19, the Feast of St. Joseph. Even as her condition seemed to worsen during the novena, she held firm in her faith. A nun, sharing this confidence, even wrote to say she hoped to witness the healing on the 19th — the day their house was under St. Joseph's patronage.
I think one thing about St Joseph to me is how small he is. In this he is very like St Michael the Arcangel who to me also seems like a child. It reminds me of the words of Jesus, unless you become as little children you shall not enter the Kingdom of heaven. How did they get to be so small? They moved out of the road and made room for God. One thing I notice with Jesus and Mary is that they want us to be friends , they want us to be familiar with them. Again like a child talking to another child. No distance, no standing on titles. It is the same thing with Joseph. Confidence, trust, friendship.
