Catholic Morning Offering, Monday, November 17, 2025

Starting the morning off with God is the key to strength and success in your day!

Join me in praying the Catholic morning offering, as well as hear meditations, learn about the saint of the day,  and hear today's Scripture readings from Holy Mass.

To sign up to receive a daily email of the Morning Offering through The Catholic Company, go to https://www.morningoffering.com/

Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.

The Morning Glory Consecration Prayer is excerpted from "33 Days to Morning Glory:  A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration" by Michael E. Gaitley, MIC, © 2011 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M., p. 137.

If you have any comments, please email me at Deanna.pierre25@gmail.com.

Transcript

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Starting the morning off with God is the key to strength and success in your day. Good morning. Today is Monday, November 18th, 2025. Please join me in praying the morning offering prayer and prayers for our Holy Father. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen. O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day, for all the intentions of your sacred heart, in union with the holy sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, for the salvation of souls, the reparation of sins, the reunion of all Christians, and in particular for the holy intentions of the Holy Father this month. Amen. Prayers for the Holy Father. Almighty and everlasting God, have mercy upon thy servant, Pope Leo XV, our Supreme Pontiff, and direct him according to thy loving kindness in the way of eternal salvation, that of thy gift he may ever desire that which is pleasing unto thee, and may accomplish it with all his might, through Christ our Lord, amen. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen. Quote from Saint Benedict of Nurcia He who labors as he prays, lifts his heart to God with his hands. Meditation of the Day an excerpt from the Imitation of Mary in four books by Alexander de Rouville, pages one hundred ninety four through one ninety six. I know your neighbor is often a burden to you because of his moods and silly ideas and strange behavior, but if you are obedient to grace, it will teach you to overcome your repugnance and win great merit. The occasions for practicing heroic virtue did not come every day even to the saints, yet because they patiently put up with the faults of their neighbors, each day added a new luster to their crown. A Christian's life is a life of sacrifices, and a man's neighbor with his faults is constantly giving occasion for multiplying such sacrifices. All men sin many times. They ought therefore make of us the means they have of expiating their sins. One of the most effective of these means is to put up with one's neighbor in a spirit of penance. In addition, my child, every man has his faults. The most perfect man is simply the one who has fewer defects than anyone else. You will find defects in your brothers and they in you. Be not one of those who think they have no defects and by that very fact have the greatest defect of all. Your brothers put up with you as you are, put up with them as they are. In bearing with your neighbor, show the patience he needs in bearing with you and with the defects he cannot but observe in you. You have long been wearing yourself out trying to improve yourself, but your efforts until now have seen little success. How then can you claim to correct those of others as you wish? All your complaints at the annoyances you must put up with from certain people who displease you are not helpful and certainly will not bring about their correction. In dealing with such annoyances, the only course of action for you to take is to ask Jesus to help you in drawing profit from them, in testing yourself, and in gaining more solid virtues. Scripture verse of the day Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew chapter five verse forty eight. Saint of the day. The saint of the day for november seventeenth is Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary lived between twelve oh seven and twelve thirty one. She was born in Hungary, the daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary and his wife Gertrude. As a child she was sent to Thuringa. She was sent to Thuringia, now Germany, to be brought up with Prince Ludwig of Thuringia, whom she was to marry at the age of fourteen in order to solidify a political alliance between the two nations. Their marriage was a very happy one, and they had three children together. Although Elizabeth was a princess surrounded by a magnificent court, she lived a humble life serving the sick and poor outside her castle walls. No amount of disapproval from those who considered this behavior beneath her royal status could dissuade her from her faithfulness to this task. One day, on her way to feed the poor, her husband stopped her and asked to see what she concealed beneath her mantle. The food she carried was miraculously replaced by roses, signifying God's approval of her charity. When her husband, after six years of marriage, tragically died on his way to join the crusade in Jerusalem, Elizabeth was grief stricken. She vowed to never remarry and eventually left her life of nobility to join the secular Franciscans as a penitent. She continued her charitable works to an even greater degree and helped the Rinja recover from a famine by giving them a huge gift of grain. It was this act, along with her habit of distributing bread to the poor, that made her the patron saint of bakers. She is also the patron of hospitals, the homeless, widows, charities, and nursing homes. And today, november seventeenth, is the feast day of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. Devotion of the Month November is the month of the holy souls. The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of November to praying in a special way for the holy souls in purgatory. The holy souls, also called the faithful departed, are members of the Church, who await the purification of their souls before joining the saints in heaven for all eternity. Specifically, they are referred to as the church suffering, the saints in heaven are the church triumphant, and the faithful on earth are the church militant. The poor souls in purgatory cannot pray for themselves or do anything to hasten their entrance into heaven, but we can and ought to pray for them as an act of charity. Readings for Holy Mass for Thursday at the thirty third week in ordinary time. A reading from the Book of Revelation, chapter five, verses one through ten. I, John, saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who sat on the throne. It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a mighty angel who proclaimed in a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals? But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to examine it. I shed many tears because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to examine it. One of the elders said to me, Do not weep, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed, enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals. Then I saw standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and the elders, a lamb that seemed to have been slain. He had seven horns and seven eyes, these are the seven spirits of God sent out into the whole world. He came and received the scroll from the right hand of the one who sat on the throne. When he took it the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones. They sang a new hymn. Worthy are you to receive the scroll and break open its seals, for you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on earth. The word of the Lord. Responsorial Psalm, Psalm one hundred forty nine. The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God. Sing to the Lord a new song of praise in the assembly of the faithful. Let Israel be glad in their maker, let the children of Zion rejoice in their king. The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God. Let them praise his name in the festive dance. Let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp, for the Lord loves his people, and he adorns the lowly with victory. The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God. Let the faithful exalt in glory, let them sing for joy upon their couches, let the high praises of God be in their throats. This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia. The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke, chapter 19, verses 41 through 44. As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, If this day you only knew what makes for peace, but now it is hidden from your eyes, for the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you, they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation. The Gospel of the Lord. Prayer of Spiritual Communion In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen. My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most blessed sacrament. I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you were already there, and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen. Morning Glory Consecration Prayer. Mary, my mother, I give myself totally to you as your possession and property. Please make of me, of all that I am and have, whatever most pleases you. Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for bringing the greatest possible glory to God. Amen. Prayer to Saint Joseph. O glorious Saint Joseph, chosen by God to be the guardian of the Holy Family, whose protection is so great, so strong, in union with the Blessed Virgin Mary and our Savior Jesus Christ, send down from heaven a blessing from God to protect us from any harm, strengthen us in body, soul, and spirit. We ask this through thy powerful intercession. Holy Family, pray for us, amen. Guardian Angel Prayer O angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day be at my side to light and guard, to rule and guide, amen. Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel. Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl throughout the world, seeking the ruin of souls, amen. The three Hail Mary's Devotion The first Hail Mary, in honor of God the Father. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen. The second Hail Mary, in honor of God the Son. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen. The third Hail Mary, in honor of God, the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen. O my mother, preserve my soul from mortal sin during this day. Amen. Memori to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence I fly unto thee, O Virgin of Virgins, my mother, to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O mother of the Word incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Starting the morning off with God is the key to strength and success in your day.