The Daily Pilgrimage

Good Morning, Pilgrim

Receive this day from God.

St. Paulinus surrendered wealth and rank for Christ and carried mercy so far that he gave himself to ransom a widow's captive son. His life explains supernatural charity concretely: it does not merely admire suffering, but gives possessions, time, comfort, and even liberty when love of God requires it.

Offer the first Hail Mary slowly, praising God's work in Our Lady and asking to live beneath her standard.

Formation in True Devotion - Day 208: Review and Deepening: True Praise beneath the Majesty of God

“Every day, from one end of the earth to the other, in the highest heights of the heavens and in the profoundest depths of the abysses, everything preaches, everything publishes, the admirable Mary!”
St. Louis-Marie de Montfort, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, no. 8

Ora — Begin with Prayer

Offer the day before spending it

Prayer gives the day its right beginning and its right end. Before work, conversation, news, or distraction claims the mind, adore the Blessed Trinity and offer every prayer, work, joy, suffering, and temptation to Jesus through Mary. Ask your Guardian Angel for help, and place the souls and needs entrusted to you beneath God's will.

Begin simply. Make the Morning Offering through the hands of Our Lady. Pray the Three Hail Marys for purity and final perseverance, ask your Guardian Angel to govern the senses and imagination, and name the soul or intention for which today's prayers and sacrifices will be offered. Do not rush these acts merely because they are familiar; let them place the whole day beneath God before the world begins to claim it.

O God, through St. Paulinus, free me from respectable charity that avoids sacrifice. Make me willing to descend in rank, comfort, time, or possessions to serve the afflicted.

Quote of the Day

“If it sometimes wander and withdraw itself from Him, do not much disquiet yourself for that: trouble and disquiet serve rather to distract the mind than to re-collect it: the will must bring it back in tranquility.”
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, The Practice of the Presence of God: The Best Rule of a Holy Life, Eighth Letter

Keep this word in the Wisdom Treasury

Today's Full Breviary Sermon or Proper Lesson

This is My Body: who will dare any longer to doubt?

Matins - Second Nocturn - Octave of Corpus Christi

The verified Breviary witness for this observance is identified below. A complete English transcription has not yet been admitted, so no excerpt or summary is presented as though it were the full appointed text.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures

“Since therefore it is He Who hath definitely stated and said, touching that Bread: This is My Body - who will dare any longer to doubt that It is so?”

• The Octave Day gathers the Eucharistic confession into clear catechesis: Christ's own words rule the faithful mind.
• St. Cyril teaches that the bread and wine are not common bread and common wine, but the Body and Blood of Christ under sacramental appearances.
• Faith must judge more surely than taste, because the Lord who changed water into wine can give His Body and Blood as true meat and drink.

Let Christ's words end argument in the obedient soul. Believe what He says, adore what He gives, and receive the Eucharistic mystery with faith stronger than sense.

Walk with the Church

The Church has already begun praying. Enter her prayer.

Today the Roman year keeps Octave of Corpus Christi. Receive the observance as the Church gives it: first understand what is commemorated, then let its doctrine and worship shape the day.

Roman Martyrology

June 22

At Nola, in Campania, the birthday of blessed Paulinus, bishop and confessor, who, although a most noble and wealthy man, made himself poor and humble for Christ; and what is still more admirable, became a slave to liberate a widow's son, who had been carried to Africa by the Vandals, when they devastated Campania. He was celebrated, not only for his learning and exceptional holiness of life, but also for his power over the demons. His great merit has been extolled by Saints Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine and Gregory, in their writings. His body, at first transferred to Benevento, and thence to Rome, was restored to Nola by order of Pius X. — At Rome, blessed Innocent V., pope, who labored with mildness and prudence to maintain liberty for the Church and harmony among Christians. The veneration paid to him, pope Leo XIII. approved and confirmed. — On Mount Ararat, the martyrdom of ten thousand holy martyrs, who were crucified. — At Verulam, in England, in the time of Diocletian, St. Alban, martyr, who gave himself up to save a cleric whom he had harbored. After being scourged and subjected to bitter torments, he was sentenced to capital punishment. With him suffered also one of the soldiers that led him to execution, who was converted to Christ on the way, and merited to be baptized, in his own blood. — At Samaria, fourteen hundred and eighty holy martyrs, under Chosroes, king of Persia. — At Rome, the translation of St. Flavius Clemens, ex-consul and martyr, who was put to death for the faith of Christ by the emperor Domitian. His body was found in the basilica of pope St. Clement, and buried there with great pomp. — The same day, St. Mcseas, bishop of the town of Bomatia, celebrated for his learning and holy life. — At Naples, in Campania, St. John, bishop, who was called to the kingdom of heaven by blessed Paulinus, bishop of Nola. In the monastery of Cluny, St. Consortia, virgin.

Gospel of the Day

He that eateth my flesh abideth in me.

Octave of Corpus Christi - John 6:56-59

“He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him.”

Remain with the Eucharistic Lord. Exile may wound access, but it should not cool desire, adoration, or reparation.

Learn from Today's Saint or Feast

St. Paulinus of Nola

Noble bishop who became poor and humble for Christ.

St. Paulinus of Nola, bishop and confessor, was noble and wealthy but made himself poor and humble for Christ.

The Martyrology praises his learning, holiness, power over demons, and charity so great that he became a slave to ransom a widow's son carried away by the Vandals.

Ask St. Paulinus for charity with weight. Mercy becomes real when it costs rank, comfort, money, or time.

Breviary Witness for the Day

The noble man who became poor for Christ.

Matins - St. Paulinus, Bishop of Nola and Confessor

• The Breviary honors St. Paulinus of Nola as bishop and confessor, noble by birth yet poor and humble for Christ.
• His witness teaches learning joined to mercy, and charity willing to lose status to ransom the afflicted.

Make charity costly in some concrete way. St. Paulinus teaches mercy that descends to help the captive.