St. Agnes was a girl of about twelve or thirteen who was martyred in Rome around the year 304 because she refused to give up her faith or her consecration to Christ. Her courage astonished the pagan city, and she became one of the most honored martyrs of the early Church. She is named in the Roman Canon of the Mass, and her name is linked to the Latin word for lamb, agnus. Lambs blessed on her feast provide the wool for the pallium worn by archbishops. Her feast is January 21

Evil or unwanted thoughts, whether of anger, lust, envy, resentment, or despair, come to everyone, and having them is not a sin. What matters is how we respond. The spiritual tradition teaches that the best defense is to turn quickly to God rather than argue with the thought. This traditional collect asks God, in the language of the old prayer books, to stretch out His right hand to protect us from evil thoughts and unclean desires. Pray it in the morning, at night when the m

Purity of heart, which Jesus blessed in the Beatitudes ("Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God"), is a grace to ask for daily. The Church has long entrusted the struggle for chastity to the Holy Family, and especially to Mary conceived without sin and to St. Joseph, her chaste spouse. These short aspirations are for any moment: when temptations arise, when you are online or alone, before sleep, or as a daily habit. The second line is the prayer of the Miracul

The Three Hail Marys is a simple traditional devotion for purity and perseverance, often prayed morning and night. The Prayer In honor of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary: 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. (1) Hail Mary... (2) Hail Mary... (3) By thy pure and Immaculate Conception

St. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591) was the eldest son of an Italian noble family who gave up his inheritance to become a Jesuit. While studying in Rome, he cared for plague victims during the epidemic of 1591, caught the disease himself, and died at the age of twenty-three. Known for his purity, prayerfulness, and self-discipline, he was canonized in 1726 and later named patron of young people and of students. His feast is June 21. This prayer asks St. Aloysius for purity of he