# Wednesday, September 16, 2026 *Today’s Prayer for Saint Cornelius, pope, and Saint Cyprian, bishop, mart.* [[#☀️ Morning Offering|Morning Offering]] | [[#🕰️ Liturgy of the Hours|Liturgy of the Hours]] | [[#📖 Daily Readings & Verse|Daily Readings]] | [[#🕊️ Today's Meditation|Today's Meditation]] > ***[[day-16-daily-prayer-for-seminarians-and-priests|Day 16 - Let us pray for seminarians Michael Snyder and Jorge Caloca]]*** # ☀️ Morning Offering > [!quote] Carmelite Morning Offering (St. Thérèse) > O my God, I offer You all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its merciful love. O my God, I ask of You for myself and for those whom I hold dear the grace to know You, and to know and fulfill perfectly Your holy will, to accept for love of You the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in Heaven for all eternity. Amen. [[20260917-morning-offering|Next →]] ## 🕰️ Liturgy of the Hours > [!links] Universalis & Office > - [Office of Readings](http://www.universalis.com/20260916/readings.htm) | [Morning Prayer (Lauds)](http://www.universalis.com/20260916/lauds.htm) > - [Evening Prayer (Vespers)](http://www.universalis.com/20260916/vespers.htm) | [Night Prayer (Compline)](http://www.universalis.com/20260916/compline.htm) ## 📖 Daily Readings & Verse > [!cite] Daily Readings > **Verse:** "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you."John 14:15-17 > > **Resources:** [USCCB Readings](http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/091626.cfm) | [Daily Reflections (Evangeli.net)](https://evangeli.net/gospel) ## 🕊️ Today's Meditation > [!abstract]- Daily Reflection > "Prayer is the best armor we have, it is the key which opens the heart of God."Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina > > “In the case of biblical parables we must always expect that the addressees will be brought into a situation in which they believe they are going to enjoy a thrilling story—and then all at once everything changes: they are confronted with the will of God or the evil situation in which they are living in God’s eyes.”—Gerhard Lohfink, p.17 > [!abstract]- Divine Intimacy Meditation > [[304-the-gift-of-piety|Meditation #304, The Gift of Piety - O Holy Spirit, Spirit of piety, give to my heart the spirit of filial love]] ## 🏛️ Saint of the Day: Pope St. Cornelius > [!info]+ The Cloud of Witnesses > > > Pope St. Cornelius (d. 253 A.D.) was a Roman citizen and a holy priest who became the twenty-first successor to the chair of St. Peter, following a fourteen-month vacancy when Pope St. Fabian was martyred by Roman Emperor Decius. When the Emperor temporarily left Rome, the persecution against the Christians subsided long enough for the Church to elect St. Cornelius as the new Roman Pontiff. During Pope St. Cornelius' two year reign a great controversy arose as to what to do with Catholics who apostatized from the Christian faith under threat of death during the persecution. Many were being received back to the sacraments without any penance. In response to the scandal, some maintained that apostates could not be forgiven and could only be admitted back to the sacraments if they were re-baptized. Chief among them was a priest named Novatian, who, as a result of the scandal, caused a schism when he had himself consecrated as an anti-pope. In response, Pope St. Cornelius convened a synod of bishops to confirm his rightful authority as Pope. Novatian was excommunicated and his doctrine was condemned as heresy. Pope St. Cornelius proclaimed that the Church had the power and authority to forgive repentant apostasy, and that converted apostates could be readmitted to the sacraments after true contrition with adequate penance. Soon a new wave of persecution against the Christians broke out, and Pope St. Cornelius was driven into exile and martyred. His feast day is celebrated on September 16th. ## 🕯️ Monthly Devotion: Month ofOur Lady of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa) > [!attention]- Focus: Month ofOur Lady of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa) > > > Opening prayer of Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows:O, Mother most holy and sorrowful, Queen of Martyrs, you who stood by your Son as He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition with childlike trust.Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross.Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us poor, sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our sweetness, our life, and our hope, and your prayer will be heard.Amen. ## 🙏 Daily Prayers > [!todo]- Daily Prayers > **Spiritual Communion:** 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. > > **Prayer for the Dead:** In Your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life You embraced them with Your tender love; deliver them now from every evil and bid them eternal rest. > > **For the Holy Father:** Almighty and everlasting God, have mercy upon Thy servant, our Supreme Pontiff, and direct him, according to Thy loving kindness, in the way of eternal salvation. --- [[20260915-morning-offering|← Previous]] | [[Calendar|Liturgical Calendar]] | [[20260917-morning-offering|Next →]]