"This is the Charity of God, That We Keep His Commandments"

Part Eleven

by Thomas A. Droleskey

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And every one that loveth him who begot, loveth him also who is born of him. In this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the charity of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not heavy. (1 John 5: 1-3)

The late Jackie Gleason's most famous character, the fictional bus driver named Ralph Kramden, had a number of stock sayings that were uttered repeatedly. The timing of their use and their delivery by Gleason were flawless, remaining genuinely funny fifty years later even though one knows exactly what is coming.

One of Ralph Kramden's stock lines was uttered, well, roared, more accurately, when he had said something that he hadn't, when he opened his mouth to speak before he had thought about what it was he was going to say:

I HAVE A BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGG MOUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Truth be told, myself especially included, many of us have biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig mouths!!!!! Human beings have an immense propensity to broadcast news about themselves and others, sometimes mixing fact with fiction, sometimes mixing in reality with conjecture and outright exercises in self-delusion. As written and spoken forms of communication are the source of sins too many to number in each of our lives, it is important to teach our children at an early age to learn all of the precepts of the Eighth Commandment:

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Our Lord proclaimed Himself to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is Truth Incarnate. He said this when standing before the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate, who was disdainful of the whole concept of truth:

For this was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice. Pilate saith to him: What is truth? (Jn. 18: 37-38)

Pontius Pilate was a product of relativism. He believed in political expediency, looking for a way to release Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ without offending the Pharisees, whose collaboration he needed to keep the Zealots from threatening the Roman occupation of Palestine. The ends justified the means for him, as it did for the Sophists of Athens in the Fifth Century before Christ. Truth was not a matter of great concern. "Truth" was whatever a person decided to be at a given moment. There are many parallels between the relativism and positivism of ancient Greece and ancient Rome to our the events of our own day, both ecclesiastical and civil.

Relativists believe in a philosophical absurdity. They contend that there is no such thing as absolute truth, contending absolutely that there is nothing that is absolutely true, thereby contradicting themselves in the process of denying that nothing is absolutely true. The mere contention that there is no absolute truth is itself an assertion of absolute truth, of the certain belief that nothing is true. Thus, a relativist feels free to make statements that have no foundation in fact ("The Novus Ordo Missae is a continuation of the Church's Tradition," "We are living in the midst of the springtime of the Church," "Iraq is a thriving success"), believing that the mere assertion of a statement makes it true, which is the essence of positivism.

As one can see very readily, lies and mutually contradictory statements are the foundation of contemporary life, both ecclesiastical and civil. Father Regis Scanlon, O.F.M., Cap., wrote in New Oxford Review in 1999 about the mutually contradictory statements found in the work of the late Father Hans Urs von Balthasar, one of the chief mentors of the former Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope has himself said that we can understand dogma in a sense different from that in which it had been understood in the past, a direct contradiction of a decree of the First Vatican Council and of the entire patrimony of the Church. The anathemas of the past mean nothing to men who believe in the Hegelian lie that truth evolves because man, as a creature of the evolving God, is evolving.

Modernity itself is founded on the lie that it is possible for there to be order in the souls of men and in the midst of the societies where they live absent a total subordination of all aspects of personal and social life to the Social Reign of Christ the King as it must be exercised exclusively by the Catholic Church, the one and only true Church created by Our Lord upon the Rock of Peter, the Pope. Our children, therefore, must be taught to respect the fullness of the truths of the Faith as Our Lord entrusted them to the Apostles and as they have been taught perennially without one iota of change. One of the reasons we are more susceptible to accept the lies of popular culture today is because the Church in her human elements has embraced the anti-Incarnational lies upon which the Modern State is founded, thus predisposing people to be even more influenced by the Diabolical Disorientation of confusion and disarray and contradiction than their fallen human natures might otherwise make them.

Yes, fallen human nature inclines us to sin, it inclines us to lie, to seek exculpate ourselves in the midst of difficulties by shading the truth or attempting to shift blame for our own actions upon others. Granted. The world in which we live at present makes it far easier, though, for people to live their entire lives as liars and deceivers, especially when they are fed one lie after another from popes and cardinals and bishops about how the Faith must be "open" to "the spirit of the world." It is no accident that most Catholics have fallen away from the practice of going to Confession. Catholics do not go to Confession because they do not believe they have any sins, the ethos of the Novus Ordo Missae, and/or because they have been taught to accept the lie of Martin Luther that we are "forgiven in our hearts" as soon as we ask forgiveness, that there is no need for sacramental absolution to be imparted upon their souls by a validly ordained priest.

To teach our children to observe the Eighth Commandment perfectly, therefore, we must keep them all exposure to the liars and deceivers in shepherds' clothing. As horrible as the scandals involving the abuse of the bodies of Catholics by perverted priests (who will continue to be recruited to serve in dioceses and religious communities as a result of the relaxation of the originally loose language of the Vatican document that purported to make it difficult for such men to be ordained, which will be the subject of a forthcoming commentary) has been and continues to be, far worse is the molestation of the souls of Catholics of all ages by the liars and deceivers within the structures of the ecclesiastical institutions. The mere fact that Catholics must even be exposed to talk from curial cardinals close to the Supreme Pontiff is a scandal beyond any proper means to denounce it firmly enough.

Thus resolving to keep our children (and ourselves) away from the liars and deceivers in shepherds' clothing, we must realize the many ramifications of the Eighth Commandment. Here are the most significant, as found in the Catechism of the Council of Trent:

The great utility, nay the necessity, of carefully explaining this Commandment, and of emphasising its obligation, we learn from these words of St. James: If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man; and again, The tongue is indeed a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how small a fire, what a great wood it kindleth; and so on, to the same effect.

From these words we learn two truths. The first is that sins of the tongue are very prevalent, which is confirmed by these words of the Prophet: Every man is a liar, so that it would almost seem as if this were the only sin which extends to all mankind. The other truth is that the tongue is the source of innumerable evils. Through the fault of the evil­speaker are often lost the property, the reputation, the life, and the salvation of the Injured person, or of him who inflicts the injury. The injured person, unable to bear patiently the contumely, avenges it without restraint. The offender, on the other hand, deterred by a perverse shame and a false idea of what is called honour, cannot be induced to make reparation to him whom he has offended.

This Commandment Should Call Forth Our Gratitude

Hence the faithful are to be exhorted to thank God as much as they can for having given this salutary Commandment, not to bear false witness, which not only forbids us to injure others, but which also, if duly observed, prevents others from injuring us.

Two Parts Of This Commandment

In its explanation we shall proceed as we have done with regard to the others, pointing out that in it are contained two laws. The first forbids us to bear false witness. The other commands us to lay aside all dissimulation and deceit, and to measure our words and actions by the standard of truth, a duty of which the Apostle admonishes the Ephesians in these words: Doing the truth in charity, let us grow up in all things in him.

Negative Part Of This Commandment

With regard to the prohibitory part of this Commandment, although by false testimony is understood whatever is positively but falsely affirmed of anyone, be it for or against him, be it in a public court or elsewhere; yet the Commandment specially prohibits that species of false testimony which is given on oath in a court of justice. For a witness swears by the Deity, because the words of a man thus giving evidence and using the divine name, have very great weight and possess the strongest claim to credit. Such testimony, therefore, because it is dangerous, is specially prohibited; for even the judge himself cannot reject the testimony of sworn witnesses, unless they be excluded by exceptions made in the law, or unless their dishonesty and malice are notorious. This is especially true since it is commanded by divine authority that in the mouth of two or three every word shall stand.

"Against Thy Neighbour"

In order that the faithful may have a clear comprehension of this Commandment it should be explained who is our neighbour, against whom it is unlawful to bear false witness. According to the interpretation of Christ the Lord, our neighbour is he who needs our assistance, whether bound to us by ties of kindred or not, whether a fellow­citizen or a stranger, a friend or an enemy.' It is wrong to think that one may give false evidence against an enemy, since by the command of God and of our Lord we are bound to love him.

Moreover, as every man is bound to love himself, and is thus, in some sense, his own neighbour, it is unlawful for anyone to bear false witness against himself. He who does so brands himself with infamy and disgrace, and injures both himself and the Church of which he is a member, much as the suicide, by his act, does a wrong to the state. This is the doctrine of St. Augustine, who says: To those who do not understand (the precept) properly, it might seem lawful to give false testimony against one's self, because the words "against thy neighbour" are subjoined in the Commandment. But let no one who bears false testimony against himself think that he has not violated this Commandment, for the standard of loving our neighbour is the love which we cherish towards ourselves.

False Testimony In Favour Of A Neighbour Is Also Forbidden

But if we are forbidden to injure our neighbour by false testimony, let it not be inferred that the contrary is lawful, and that we may help by perjury those who are bound to us by ties of kinship or religion. It is never allowed to have recourse to lies or deception, much less to perjury. Hence St. Augustine in his book to Crescentius On Lying teaches from the words of the Apostle that a lie, although uttered in false praise of anyone, is to be numbered among false testimonies. Treating of that passage, Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have given testimony against God, that he hath raised up Christ whom he hath not raised, if the dead rise not again, he says: The Apostle calls it false testimony to utter a lie with regard to Christ, even though it should seem to redound to His praise.

It also not infrequently happens, that by favouring one party we injure the other. False testimony is certainly the occasion of misleading the judge, who, yielding to such evidence, is sometimes obliged to decide against justice, to the injury of the innocent.

Sometimes, too, it happens that the successful party, who by means of perjured witnesses, has gained his case and escaped with impunity, exulting in his iniquitous victory, soon becomes accustomed to the work of corrupting and suborning false witnesses, by whose aid he hopes to obtain whatever he wishes.

To the witness himself it must be most grievous that his falsehood and perjury are known to him whom he has aided and abetted by his perjury; whilst encouraged by the success that follows his crime, he becomes every day more accustomed to wickedness and audacity.

"Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness"

All Falsehoods In Lawsuits Are Forbidden

This precept then prohibits deceit, lying and perjury on the part of witnesses. The same prohibition extends also to plaintiffs, defendants, promoters, representatives, procurators and advocates; in a word, to all who take any part in lawsuits.

False Testimony Out Of Court Is Forbidden

Finally, God prohibits all testimony which may inflict injury or injustice, whether it be a matter of legal evidence or not. In the passage of Leviticus where the Commandments are repeated, we read: Thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not lie; neither shall any man deceive his neighbour.' To none, therefore can it be a matter of doubt, that this Commandment condemns lies of every sort, as these words of David explicitly declare: Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie.

This Commandment Forbids Detraction

This Commandment forbids not only false testimony, but also the detestable vice and practice of detraction, ­­ a pestilence, which is the source of innumerable and calamitous evils. This vicious habit of secretly reviling and calumniating character is frequently reprobated in the Sacred Scriptures. With him, says David, I would not eat; and St. James: Detract not one another, my brethren.

Holy Writ abounds not only with precepts on the subject, but also with examples which reveal the enormity of the crime. Aman, by a crime of his own invention, had so incensed Assuerus against the Jews that he ordered the destruction of the entire race. Sacred history contains many other examples of the same kind, which priests should recall in order to deter the people from such iniquity.

Various Kinds Of Detraction

But, to understand well the nature of this sin of detraction, we must know that reputation is injured not only by calumniating the character, but also by exaggerating the faults of others. He who gives publicity to the secret sin of any man, in an unnecessary place or time, or before persons who have no right to know, is also rightly regarded as a detractor and evil­speaker, if his revelation seriously injures the other's reputation.

But of all sorts of calumnies the worst is that which is directed against Catholic doctrine and its teachers. Persons who extol the propagators of error and of unsound doctrine are guilty of a like crime.

Nor are those to be dissociated from the ranks of evil­speakers, or from their guilt, who, instead of reproving, lend a willing ear and a cheerful assent to the calumniator and reviler. As we read in St. Jerome and St. Bernard, it is not so easy to decide which is more guilty, the detractor, or the listener; for if there were no listeners, there would be no detractors.

To the same category belong those who cunningly foment divisions and excite quarrels; who feel a malignant pleasure in sowing discord, dissevering by fiction and falsehood the closest friendships and the dearest social ties, impelling to endless hatred and deadly combat the fondest friends. Of such pestilent characters the Lord expresses His detestation in these words: Thou shalt not be a detractor nor a whisperer among the people. Of this description were many of the advisers of Saul, who strove to alienate the king's affection from David and to arouse his enmity against him.

This Commandment Forbids Flattery

Among the transgressors of this Commandment are to be numbered those fawners and sycophants who, by flattery and insincere praise, gain the hearing and good will of those whose favour, money, and honours they seek, calling good evil, and evil good, as the Prophet says. Such characters David admonishes us to repel and banish from our society. The just man, he says, shall correct me in mercy, and shall reprove me; but let not the oil of the sinner fatten my head. This class of persons do not, it is true, speak ill of their neighbour; but they greatly injure him, since by praising his sins they cause him to continue in vice to the end of his life.

Of this species of flattery the most pernicious is that which proposes to itself for object the injury and the ruin of others. Thus Saul, when he sought to expose David to the sword and fury of the Philistines, in order to bring about his death, ad dressed him in these soothing words: Behold my eldest daughter Merob, her will I give thee to wife: only be a valiant man and fight the battles of the Lord. In the same way the Jews thus insidiously addressed our Lord: Master, we know that thou art a true speaker, and teachest the way of God in truth.

Still more pernicious is the language addressed sometimes by friends and relations to a person suffering with a mortal disease, and on the point of death, when they assure him that there is no danger of dying, telling him to be of good spirits, dissuading him from confession, as though the very thought should fill him with melancholy, and finally withdrawing his attention from all care and thought of the dangers which beset him in the last perilous hour.

This Commandment Forbids Lies Of All Kinds

In a word, lies of every sort are prohibited, especially those that cause grave injury to anyone, while most impious of all is a lie uttered against or regarding religion.

God is also grievously offended by those attacks and slanders which are termed lampoons, and other defamatory publications of this kind.

To deceive by a jocose or officious lie, even though it helps or harms no one, is, notwithstanding, altogether unworthy; for thus the Apostle admonishes us: Putting away lying, speak ye the truth. This practice begets a strong tendency to frequent and serious lying, and from jocose lying men contract the habit of lying, lose all reputation for truth, and ultimately find it necessary, in order to gain belief, to have recourse to continual swearing.

This Commandment Forbids Hypocrisy

Finally, the first part of this Commandment prohibits dissimulation. It is sinful not only to speak, but to act deceitfully. Actions, as well as words, are signs of what is in our mind; and hence our Lord, rebuking the Pharisees, frequently calls them hypocrites. So, far with regard to the negative, which is the first part of this Commandment.

Judges Must Pass Sentence According To Law And Justice

We now come to explain what the Lord commands in the second part. Its nature and purpose require that trials be conducted on principles of strict justice and according to law. It requires that no one usurp judicial powers or authority, for, as the Apostle writes, it were unjust to judge another man's servant.

Again it requires that no one pass sentence without a sufficient knowledge of the case. This was the sin of the priests and scribes who passed judgment on St. Stephen. The magistrates of Philippi furnish another example. They have beaten us publicly, says the Apostle, uncondemned, men that are Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privately.

This Commandment also requires that the innocent be not condemned, nor the guilty acquitted; and that (the decision) be not influenced by money, or favour, hatred or love. For so Moses admonished the elders whom he had constituted judges of the people: Judge that which is just, whether he be one of your country or a stranger. There shall be no difference of persons, you shall hear the little as well as the great; neither shall you respect any man's person, because it is the judgment of God.

Witnesses Must Give Testimony Truthfully

With regard to an accused person who is conscious of his own guilt, God commands him to confess the truth, if he is interrogated judicially. By that confession he, in some sort, bears witness to, and proclaims the praise and glory of God; and of this we have a proof in these words of Josue, when exhorting Achan to confess the truth: My son, give glory to the Lord the God of Israel.

But as this Commandment chiefly concerns witnesses, the pastor should give them special attention. The spirit of the precept not only prohibits false testimony, but also commands the truth to be told. In human affairs, to bear testimony to the truth is a matter of the highest importance, because there are innumerable things of which we must be ignorant unless we arrive at a knowledge of them on the faith of witnesses. In matters with which we are not personally acquainted and which we need to know, there is nothing so important as true evidence. Hence the words of St. Augustine: He who conceals the truth and he who utters falsehood are both guilty; the one, because he is unwilling to render a service; the other, because he has the will to do an injury.

We are not, however, at all times, obliged to disclose the truth; but when, in a court of justice, a witness is legally interrogated by the judge, he is emphatically bound to tell the whole truth. Here, however, witnesses should be most circumspect, lest, trusting too much to memory, they affirm for certain what they have not fully ascertained.

Lawyers And Plaintiffs Must Be Guided By Love Of Justice

Attorneys and counsel, plaintiffs and prosecutors, remain still to be treated of. The two former should not refuse to contribute their services and legal assistance, when the necessities of others call for their aid. They should deal generously with the poor. They should not defend an unjust cause, prolong lawsuits by trickery, nor encourage them for the sake of gain. As to remuneration for their services and labours, let them be guided by the principles of justice and of equity.

Plaintiffs and prosecutors, on their side, are to be warned not to be led by the influence of love, or hatred, or any other undue motive into exposing anyone to danger through unjust charges:

All Must Speak Truthfully And With Charity

To all conscientious persons is addressed the divine command that in all their intercourse with society, in every conversation, they should speak the truth at all times from the sincerity of their hearts; that they should utter nothing injurious to the reputation of another, not even of those by whom they know they have been injured and persecuted. For they should always remember that between them and others there exists such a close social bond that they are all members of the same body.

There are occasions when the faults of others must be revealed. This is particularly the case when public statements or actions contrary to the Faith are made, yes, even by our shepherds. These faults are pointed out not in a spirit of glee or rejoicing. Not at all. They are pointed out, first and foremost, in a spirit of true charity for the person propagating errors, seeking to have him renounce his errors and to do reparation for them by adhering only to the fullness of the truths of the Catholic Faith without any deviation or novelty. These things are public and are in need of correction. Saint Thomas Aquinas himself noted the necessity of publicly rebuking pontiffs whose words and deeds were contrary to the good of souls. No one, myself include, who has had to write about the state of the Church likes doing so. As I have stated repeatedly, I would love nothing more than to be able to be a tenured professor at a college or university teaching political science from the perspective of the true Faith to college students, thus being able also to provide for my family. The fact that circumstances necessitate commentaries on the state of Church is not something one rejoices in; it is done only to help souls see the truths of our situation more clearly and to rely more fully upon Our Lady's maternal intercession as we keep company with her Divine Son in His Real Presence in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

On all other occasions, however, we must strive to be circumspect as regards the lives of private parties. We must not be eager to broadcast what we think we know about the lives of our friends and neighbors, looking for every opportunity to engage in idle gossip that eats away like a cancer at our souls. As noted in the discourse on the Eighth Commandment in the Catechism of the Council of Trent above, the private faults of others must not be revealed unless necessity requires it. And the standard for "necessity" is a lot higher than "I just want to give you a prayer intention to pray about."

That is, it might be necessary to reveal the hidden fault of another to a third party who is directly in need of the information (a fiancee, a business partner, an ecclesiastical superior). Before that fault is revealed, however, the person who believes he must reveal it to a third party has the positive obligation in the Eighth Commandment to seek out the subject of the information to explain to him that what fault, whether real or alleged, is about to be disseminated. If the subject of the information denies the accusation and the accuser has no independent, first-hand knowledge to contract the denial, then that is where the matter ends. One is not free to pass along information about second party to a third party if that second party denies an accusation and there is no other independent knowledge to verify the accusation. And if the information is verified, either by the second party or by independent facts, then the accuser must give the accused the opportunity to present the information to the third party himself. If the second party refuses to pass along a grave matter that has been verified as true, then and only then could the accuser go to the third party with the information. Anything else would be an exercise in calumny, that is, the passing along of information known to be false or not known with certainty to be true.

One of the chief remedies for sins against the Eighth Commandment is silence, especially about the lives of others. People who think that they know so much about the lives of others--and who pass along what they think they know so readily--will find out just how little they knew when the intentions of all hearts and the circumstances of all lives are made manifest on the Last Day at the General Judgment of the Living and the Dead. Those who think that anyone criticizes the Roman Pontiff's words and actions "hate" the Holy Father might just find out that the critic has been praying fervently for popes all of his life. Those who think that anyone who disagrees with their positions about the state of the Church and how to react to the real problems that exist is "outside of the Church" might just find out the hidden prayers and sacrifices of the neighbor he held so much in contempt for not agreeing with him were very fruitful, offered as they were to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Those who condemn as "prideful" the people who take a stand in behalf of the Faith in these difficult times may find out that it was love of the Church and the good of souls that prompted them to speak out, as Pope Gregory the Great noted in his Pastoral Guide. We can wait until the Last Day for the intentions of all hearts and the circumstances of all lives to be made manifest, can't we?

This silence starts, as I noted in my discussion of the Sixth and Ninth Commandments, in the home. Husbands and wives must not, instances of real emotional and/or physical abuse excepted, blab the details of their lives to anyone outside of a priest in the confessional. Period. Whatever problems exist and crosses are borne must be offered to Our Lady's Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart without complaint and without delay. Complaint about a spouse indicates a lack of fidelity of the heart and soul. It indicates a lack of love for hidden God Whom we say we love but Who we betray in the person of our espoused in Christ. Children watch. They observe very carefully. Imagine what harm is done to souls when a mother or a father complains to her or his children about their father or mother! Want to start a gossiper at an early age? Complain about your spouse or about your family's circumstances to anyone else. No one, not a mother or a father or siblings or close friends, is to be given the details of one's family life. Period.

Each of us is an offender against the Eighth Commandment. Have we hurt others by our speech, whether written or spoken? Seek out the forgiveness of God in the Sacrament of Penance and seek out the forgiveness of those we have hurt or offended. They won't forgive us? All right. Pray for them. Pray for a happy reunion, one that depends upon our persevering in a state of sanctifying grace until our dying breaths, on the Last Day when the souls of all of the just will be reconciled one unto another. Been hurt by someone else? Forgive them and then forget the offense. What if he doesn't seek out your forgiveness? Forgive him and forget the offense. Pray for him. Nothing anyone does to us is the equal of what one of our least venial sins caused Our Lord to suffer in His Sacred Humanity during His Passion and Death. Who are we to withhold from others what is given to us so freely by God Himself, who suffered and died so as to make it possible for us to be the beneficiaries of His Divine Mercy? Indeed, one of the conditions of our own sins to be absolved and wiped off of our sins for us to forgive those who trespass against us. Et dimmite nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimmitimus debitoribus nostris. If we pray this in the Pater Noster every day then we ought to get serious about practicing it at all times in our lives with all people no matter what we think they have done to us.

Our Lady is the Mother of Mercy. She is our life, our sweetness and our hope. We need to beseech her and her chaste spouse, the just and silent man of the House of David, Saint Joseph, to mirror the virtue of the Holy Family as we seek to found all of our words and actions in the splendor of Truth Incarnate Himself, Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ so that He, the Just Judge, will pronounce a sentence on our souls at the moment of our deaths that will lead us into the glory of an unending Easter Sunday of happiness in Heaven.

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And every one that loveth him who begot, loveth him also who is born of him. In this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the charity of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not heavy. (1 John 5: 1-3)

Our Lady, Help of Christians, pray for us.

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us.

Saint Fidelis, pray for us.

Saint Mark, pray for us.

Saints Cletus and Marcellinus, pray for us.

Saint Peter Damien, pray for us.

Saint Peter Verona, pray for us.

Saint John Nepomucene, pray for us.

Saint Mary Magdalene, pray for us.

Saint Philomena, pray for us.

Saint Lucy, pray for us.

Saint Agnes, pray for us.

Saint Agatha, pray for us.

Saint Bridget of Sweden, pray for us.

Saint Catherine of Sweden, pray for us.

Saint John of the Cross, pray for us.

Saint Teresa of Avila, pray for us.

Saint Therese Lisieux, pray for us.

Saint John Bosco, pray for us.

Saint Dominic Savio, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette Soubirous, pray for us.

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, pray for us.

Blessed Francisco, pray for us.

Blessed Jacinta, pray for us.

Sister Lucia, pray for us.