“Stabat mater dolorosa – The Sorrowful Mother was standing.” This is the first line of one of the most celebrated Catholic hymns sung by Catholics for over eight centuries when walking from one station of the Cross to the next. The Stabat Mater teaches us that every fallen child of Adam and Eve benefits from uniting sacrificially with Jesus and Mary. Meditate on the first three stanzas in this blog.
“It is Heaven that has decided”. In this blog, unpack the fundamental truth about marriage found in the Book of Tobit. The beauty of God's plan for each married couple is reflected in the story of Tobias and Sarah, who were brought together by the angel Raphael. Discover what this means for your marriage, or for marriage preparation and catechesis, in this extract from "7 Words on Marriage".
Consecrate your marriage to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus with this beautiful prayer, asking Jesus to be at the centre of your marriage.
When there is an awareness of danger or evil, these prayers may be recited to seek God’s mercy and intervention. These powerful prayers also serve as a reminder that our authentic prayers are never solitary. We are never alone in praying for what is good. The angels and saints are constant in union with us in prayer.
For 40 years, Pope Francis has been praying this prayer to St Joseph every day: "It is very beautiful, but more than a prayer it is a challenge, to this friend, to this father, to this our guardian, who is Saint Joseph. It would be wonderful if you could learn this prayer and repeat it."
To protect yourself from the powers of darkness, immediate prayers can be used on occasions of perceived danger or temptation. This blog, extracted from the CTS book Deliver Us From Evil and offered to the faithful by the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, provides prayers for immediate use in those times.
