A Prayer for Zealous Shepherds

Thanks to Father Finigan we found this beautiful prayer of Saint John Fisher, dating from the year 1508, which he uttered during a Sermon. It is a prayer for the appointment to the Church of good bishops. Unfortunately the prayer was not answered as fully as we might have hoped. John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester since 1504, was the only Bishop in Catholic England to refuse to assent to the Act of Supremacy, the supreme arrogation of the vile despot Henry VIII (Tudor), severing England from Communion with the Roman Church. For such a refusal, Fisher was put to death by the King in June 1535. Pope Paul III had made him a Cardinal shortly before his death. Pope Pius XI canonised him four hundred years later (together with Sir Thomas More).

The portrait accompanying this post is described here  Based on Holbein's famous drawing, this portrait might easily be a photograph taken yesterday, so lifelike is it.

Lord, according to Your promise that the Gospel should be preached throughout the whole world, raise up men fit for such work. The Apostles were but soft and yielding clay till they were baked hard by the fire of the Holy Ghost.

So, good Lord, do now in like manner again with Thy Church militant; change and make the soft and slippery earth into hard stone; set in Thy Church strong and mighty pillars that may suffer and endure great labours, watching, poverty, thirst, hunger, cold and heat; which also shall not fear the threatening of princes, persecution, neither death but always persuade and think with themselves to suffer with a good will, slanders, shame, and all kinds of torments, for the glory and laud of Thy Holy Name. By this manner, good Lord, the truth of Thy Gospel shall be preached throughout all the world.

Therefore, merciful Lord, exercise Thy mercy, show it indeed upon Thy Church.

The Undoer of Knots

The Blessed Virgin Undoer of Knots

O Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, 

Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, 

Mother whose hands never cease to serve your beloved children because they are moved by the divine Love and immense Mercy that exist in your heart: 

Cast your compassionate eyes upon the Church and see the snarl of knots that exist in Her life.
You know very well how desperate we are, our pain and how we are bound by these knots.
Mary - Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of His children - 

we entrust into your hands the ribbon of our lives.
No one, not even the Evil One himself, 

can take it away from your precious care. 

In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone.
Mother most-powerful, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son, our liberator, 

our Lord Jesus Christ, 

take into your hands today the knots in Holy Mother Church.

We beg you to undo them for the glory of God, 

once for all. You are our hope!

O my Lady, you, the consolation God gives us, the fortification of our feeble strength, 

the enrichment of our destitution and with Christ the freedom from our chains:
Hear our plea.
Keep us, guide us, protect us, O safe Refuge!

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for us.