St. Anne Butte Events - Unofficial

At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.

Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,
All his bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had passed.

Oh, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole begotten One!

Christ above in torment hangs,
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying, glorious Son.

Is there one who would not weep,
'Whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ's dear Mother to behold?

Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that mother's pain untold?

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender Child,
All with bloody scourges rent.

For the sins of his own nation
Saw him hang in desolation
Till his spirit forth he sent.

O sweet Mother! font of love,
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with yours accord.

Make me feel as you have felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.

Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.

Let me share with you his pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.

Let me mingle tears with you,
Mourning him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.

By the cross with you to stay,
There with you to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of you to give.

Virgin of all virgins blest!
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share your grief divine.

Let me to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of that dying Son of yours.
Wounded with his every wound,
Steep my soul till it has swooned
In his very Blood away.

Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die,
In his awful judgment day.

Christ, when you shall call me hence,
Be your Mother my defense,
Be your cross my victory.

While my body here decays,
May my soul your goodness praise,
Safe in heaven eternally.
Amen. (Alleluia)

Saint Peter Claver devoted his life to serving enslaved Africans arriving in Cartagena, recognizing in each person the dignity of a beloved child of God.

May his example move us beyond sympathy to concrete acts of love for the poor, suffering and forgotten.

Saint Peter Claver, pray for us.

Today we celebrate the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, nine months after the December 8 celebration of her Immaculate Conception, when she was conceived without original sin.

For more about the Nativity of Mary - https://ow.ly/CNYP50WFwF2

Today we honor **Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church**.

Gregory desired the quiet life of a monk, but God called him to shepherd the Church during a time of plague, famine, war, and uncertainty. As pope, he cared for the poor, strengthened the clergy, sent missionaries to proclaim the Gospel, and taught that Christian leadership must always be rooted in humble service.

He called himself the **“servant of the servants of God,”** reminding us that authority in the Church is not about status or power. It is about helping others encounter Christ.

Saint Gregory teaches us that holiness sometimes means setting aside the life we would choose and accepting the work God places before us.

**Saint Gregory the Great, pray for our pope, bishops, priests, and all who are called to lead and serve the Church.**

Today the Church remembers Saint Monica, a mother whose patient, persistent prayer helped change the course of Christian history.

For years, Monica prayed for the conversion of her son Augustine. She saw him wander far from the faith, yet she refused to give up on him—or on God.

Her life reminds us that when someone we love seems far from Christ, our prayers are never wasted.

We may not see what God is doing.
We may not see the answer when we want it.
But we can remain faithful.

“God is faithful.” — 1 Corinthians 1:9

Saint Monica, pray for all mothers, fathers, grandparents, spouses, and friends who are praying for someone they love to return to God.

Saint Monica, pray for us.

“Stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.” — 2 Thessalonians 2:15

This verse is worth slowing down over.

St. Paul tells the early Christians to hold fast to what the Apostles taught them in two ways: by word of mouth and by written letter.

As Catholics, this is what we mean when we speak of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. We are not talking about human customs being placed above the Bible. We are talking about the one apostolic faith handed down by those who knew Christ and were commissioned by Him.

For my Protestant friends, I think this is a beautiful passage for all of us to consider together: before the New Testament was collected into a single book, the Gospel was already being preached, taught, worshiped, and handed on in the Church.

The question is not, “Bible or Tradition?”

The deeper question is: How did Christ intend the faith of the Apostles to be faithfully preserved and passed on?

“Stand firm and hold fast.”
2 Thessalonians 2:15