St. Raymond Nonnatus

Raymond became a priest due to his quiet persistence in prayer and study.

He was born to a noble Spanish family in 1204. His mother died during child birth and his father had high expectations for Raymond to serve in the country’s Royal Court.  However, the young Raymond felt drawn to religious life. In an attempt to dissuade him, his father ordered him to manage one of the family farms. However, Raymond spent his time with the workers, studying, and praying. His father finally gave up and allowed Raymond to enter the Mercederians.

Fr. Raymond spent his entire estate ransoming slaves. He even offered himself as a hostage to free another. He was sentenced to death but was spared because his ransom would bring in a large amount of money.

During his imprisonment, he succeeded at converting some of his guards. To keep him from continuing his preaching, his captors bored a hole through his lips with a hot iron, and attached a padlock. He was eventually ransomed, and he returned to Barcelona in 1239.

That year, he was named a cardinal by Pope Gregory IX.  The following year, in 1240, he was summoned to Rome, but barely made it out of Barcelona before he died at the age of 36.

St. Raymond is the patron saint of pregnant women, childbirth, and newborn infants.

Thank you to Our Lady of Victory School for this meme!

THOUGHTS OF ST. BERNARD ON THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY

On this day the glorified Virgin entered heaven and crowned by her presence the holy

pleasures of its inhabitants. But what mind can conceive the glory with which the

arrival of the Queen of the world was celebrated by the brilliant heavenly hosts,

their advance to greet her, their chanting as they led her to the magnificent throne?

Who can fancy the tender gaze, the loving countenance, the divine caresses with which

she was received by her Son and placed over all created beings, honored as became

such a mother, with the glory that became such a Son? What lips can describe the

assumption of Mary? As upon earth she, before all others, received special grace, so

in heaven she, before all others, receives special glory. If eye hath not seen, nor

ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to know the delights that God

has prepared for those that love Him, who shall say what is prepared for her who bore

Him and loved Him more than all! O blessed art thou, Mary! Most blessed wert thou,

when thou didst receive the Saviour; most blessed art thou, when the Saviour receives

thee!

ST. BERNARD'S PRAYER TO MARY

We accompany thee, on this day, with our most ardent wishes to thy Son, O glorious

Virgin, Queen of heaven! and follow thee from afar, O happy Virgin! Give thy mildness

to the world, give of the grace thou hast found with God. Obtain by thy blessed

intercession, grace for the guilty, recovery for the sick, strength for the

faint-hearted, aid for those in peril! Dispense to us thy servants, who on this

glorious festival-day invoke thy sweetest name, O gentlest Queen, the grace of Jesus

Christ, thy Son, our Lord and God, to whom be glory forever. Amen.