August 31: the feast day of Saint Raymond, priest and martyr - *

Saint Raymond was a priest in the 13th century. He preached tirelessly and suffered greatly as a result. He was arrested, imprisoned, and forced to run the gauntlet. Although sentenced to death by impalement, he was ultimately released in hopes of securing a ransom. But although he was released, steps were taken to ensure that he would not continue to preach the Gospel: his lips were pierced by a red-hot iron and closed with a padlock.

In light of all that he later suffered, these words from a letter he wrote seem quite fitting:

The preacher of God’s truth has told us that all who want to live righteously in Christ will suffer persecution. If he spoke the truth and did not lie, the only exception to this general statement is, I think, the person who either neglects, or does not know how, to live temperately, justly and righteously in this world.

May you never be numbered among those whose house is peaceful, quiet and free from care; those on whom the Lord’s chastisement does not descend; those who live out their days in prosperity, and in the twinkling of an eye will go down to hell.

When faced with adversity, may we be as courageous and faithful as Saint Raymond, and may we remember Jesus' words in Matthew 5: 10-11:

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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In this year for priests, as we celebrate the life of St. Raymond, I found a wonderful prayer composed by Father Austin Fleming, A Concord Priest:

A Prayer for Priests

Gracious God, loving Father,
font of every gift and good,
make of priests for us we pray:

men of faith, men of love,
humble servants of your Word,
prophets of your Spirit’s grace;

men of hope, men of peace,
strong defenders of the truth,
heralds of your holy gospel;

men of prayer, men of praise,
guardians of our sacred rites,
of the scriptures and tradition;

men of changelessness and change,
men who follow you each day,
when and where your Spirit leads;

men of tenderness and strength,
comfort for the sick and weary,
shepherds leading home the lost;

men of counsel, men of wisdom,
gentle guides for the confused,
lights along the darkened path;

men of mercy, patient men,
understanding and consoling
of the grieving and abused;

men of justice and compassion,
reconciling and forgiving,
men of healing in your name;

men of sacrifice and honor,
single minded in your service,
set apart to do your will;

men of holiness and joy,
men anointed by your grace,
men ordained to serve as Christ.

Make us one with them in faith
and in Christ your only Son
in whose holy name we pray.

Amen.

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Don’t forget to enter this week’s caption contest! You can find it here.

I'm planning on holding one every Wednesday - I've had fun seeing your creative ideas.