Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 06-27-14, SOL, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 06-27-14 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

June 27, 2014

Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

 

 

Reading 1 Dt 7:6-11

Moses said to the people:
"You are a people sacred to the LORD, your God;
he has chosen you from all the nations on the face of the earth
to be a people peculiarly his own.
It was not because you are the largest of all nations
that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you,
for you are really the smallest of all nations.
It was because the LORD loved you
and because of his fidelity to the oath he had sworn your fathers,
that he brought you out with his strong hand
from the place of slavery,
and ransomed you from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
Understand, then, that the LORD, your God, is God indeed,
the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenant
down to the thousandth generation
toward those who love him and keep his commandments,
but who repays with destruction a person who hates him;
he does not dally with such a one,
but makes them personally pay for it.
You shall therefore carefully observe the commandments,
the statutes and the decrees that I enjoin on you today."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 10

R/ (cf. 17) The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and forget not all his benefits.
R/ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R/ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R/ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Reading 2 1 Jn 4:7-16

Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God.
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

God is love, and whoever remains in love
remains in God and God in him.

Gospel Mt 11:25-30

At that time Jesus exclaimed:
"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

[Salvation]

The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Solemnity

Friday following the Second Sunday after Pentecost

Saint Margaret Mary's Vision of the Sacred Heart from a tradional prayer card

History | Readings | Litany to the Sacred Heart | Pope John Paul II's Angelus Message 2002 | Pope Benedict XVI | Pope Francis | Family Activities | Enthronement of the Sacred Heart | Haurietis Aquas | Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

Back to Liturgical Calendar

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is a wonderful historical expression of the Church's piety for Christ, her Spouse and Lord: it calls for a fundamental attitude of conversion and reparation, of love and gratitude, apostolic commitment and dedication to Christ and His saving work.

Directory on Popular Piety 172 - Excerpt on Sacred Heart Devotions

"With Joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation"
Isaiah 12:3

History of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is a form of devotion to the person Jesus, and especially to His Love.

The Catholic Encyclopedia details a history of this devotion. It observed that from the time of Saint John and Saint Paul there has always been in the Church something like devotion to the love of God, Who so loved the world as to give it His only-begotten Son, and to the love of Jesus, Who has so loved us as to deliver Himself up for us. But, accurately speaking, this is not the devotion to the Sacred Heart, as it pays no homage to the Heart of Jesus as the symbol of His love for us. From the earliest centuries, Christ's open side and the mystery of blood and water were meditated upon, and the Church was beheld issuing from the side of Jesus, as Eve came forth from the side of Adam. But there is nothing to indicate that, during the first ten centuries, any worship was rendered the wounded Heart.

It is in the eleventh and twelfth centuries that we find the first unmistakable indications of devotion to the Sacred Heart. Through the wound in the side the wounded Heart was gradually reached , and the wound in the Heart symbolized the wound of Divine Love. In the Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries devotion arose, although it is impossible to say what where the first texts. Saint Gertrude (d. 1302) had a vision on the feast of John the Evangelist. She was resting her head near the wound in the Savior's side and hearing the beating of the Divine Heart. She asked Saint John if on the night of the Last Supper, he had felt these delightful pulsations, why he had never spoken of the fact. Saint John replied that this revelation had been reserved for subsequent ages when the world, having grown cold, would have need of it to rekindle its love.

From the thirteenth to the sixteeenth century, the devotion was practiced as a private, individual devotion of the mystical order. In the sixteenth century, the devotion took an onward step and passed from the domain of mysticism into that of Christian asceticism. It was constituted an objective devotion with prayers already formulated and special exercises of which the value was extolled and practice commended.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart developed further during the seventeenth century. Ascetic writers spoke of it, especially those of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Alvarez de Paz, Luis de la Puente, Saint-Jure and Nouet and Father Druzbicki, small work "Meta Cordium, Cor Jesu".

The devotion was greatly increased by the visions Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690), a French Visitandine nun at the convent of Paray-le-Monial. She had a vision of Christ's Heart on the feast of Saint John that was similiar to that of Saint Gertrude. Jesus permitted her to rest her head upon His Heart, and then disclosed to her the wonders of His love, telling her that He desired to make this known to mankind and to diffuse the treasures of His goodness, and that He had chosen her for this work, (probably 1673, Dec. 27). In June or July o f 1674, Sister Margaret Mary said, Jesus asked to be honored under the figure of His Heart of Flesh and asked for a devotion of expiatory love -- frequent Communion, Communion on the first Friday of each month and the observance of Holy Hours.

In another visioin, on the feast of Corpus Christi 1675, Sister Margaret Mary reported that Jesus told her, "Behold the Heart that has so loved men...instead of gratitude I receive from the greater part (of mankind) only ingratitude..." Jesus then asked for a feast of reparation on the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi. bidding her to consult Father de la Colombiére, then superior of the small Jesuit house at Paray. He recognized the action of the Spirit of God and consecrated himself to the Sacred Heart and directed Sister Margaret Mary to write down her account and to circulate it throughout France and England. Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque was canonized in the 20th century.

(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition, )

Twentieth Century Popes Promote Devotion to Sacred Heart

On May 25 1899, Pope Leo XIII, in his encyclical Annum Sacrum, declared that all Catholics should consecrate themselves to the Christ's Sacred Heart, and his intention to solemnly consecrate all mankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus -- although the Pope pointed out that this would simply be giving Christ what is already His:

"[In His infinite goodness and love, He in no way objects to our giving and consecrating to Him what is already His, as if it were really our own; nay, far from refusing such an offering, He positively desires it and asks for it: "My son, give me thy heart." We are, therefore, able to be pleasing to Him by the good will and the affection of our soul. For by consecrating ourselves to Him we not only declare our open and free acknowledgment and acceptance of His authority over us, but we also testify that if what we offer as a gift were really our own, we would still offer it with our whole heart. We also beg of Him that He would vouchsafe to receive it from us, though clearly His own. Such is the efficacy of the act of which We speak, such is the meaning underlying Our words.

"And since there is in the Sacred Heart a symbol and a sensible image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love one another, therefore is it fit and proper that we should consecrate ourselves to His most Sacred Heart - an act which is nothing else than an offering and a binding of oneself to Jesus Christ, seeing that whatever honor, veneration and love is given to this divine Heart is really and truly given to Christ Himself. "

(To read the complete Annum Sacrum go to the Vatican Website: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/leo_xiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_25051899_annum-sacrum_en.html

MISERENTISSIMUS REDEMPTOR -- Encyclical of Pope Pius XI ON REPARATION TO THE SACRED HEART, May 8, 1928 Pope Pius XI (also on the Vatican Website)

On May 15, 1956 Pope Pius XII wrote The Sacred Heart Encyclical, The Doctrinal Foundations of Devotions to the Sacred Heart in Scripture, Tradition and the Liturgy.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus continued to grow among pious Catholics until the early 1960s, when private devotions like this fell into sharp decline. Some believed these devotions were a distraction from the Mass.

In December 2001, the Holy See issued a Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (complete on Vatican web site) which encourages popular devotions as an authentic means of meditation on the mysteries of the Eucharist and of drawing people to a personal understanding of Christ's love and the meaning of His sacrifice. About the Sacred Heart devotion, the Directory said, in part,

"Devotion to the Sacred Heart is a wonderful historical expression of the Church's piety for Christ, her Spouse and Lord: it calls for a fundamental attitude of conversion and reparation, of love and gratitude, apostolic commitment and dedication to Christ and his saving work." (§172)

Click HERE for a Directory excerpt on this site on the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Pope John Paul II Focuses on the Heart of Jesus

On Sunday, June 24, 2002 Pope John Paul II's address before he prayed the Angelus with the faithful in St. Peter's Square explained the devotion to the Sacred Heart as follows:

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

1. The month of June is singled out, in a particular way, for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. To celebrate the Heart of Christ means to turn toward the profound center of the Person of the Savior, that center which the Bible identifies precisely as his Heart, seat of the love that has redeemed the world.

If the human heart represents an unfathomable mystery that only God knows, how much more sublime is the heart of Jesus, in which the life of the Word itself beats. In it, as suggested by the beautiful Litanies of the Sacred Heart that echo the Scriptures, are found all the treasures of wisdom and science and all the fullness of divinity.

In order to save man, victim of his own disobedience, God wished to give him a "new heart," faithful to his will of love (see Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:26; Psalm 50[51]:12). This heart is the heart of Christ, the masterpiece of the Holy Spirit, which began to beat in the virginal womb of Mary and was pierced by the lance on the cross, thus becoming for all the inexhaustible source of eternal life. That Heart is now the pledge of hope for every man.

2. How necessary for contemporary humanity is the message that flows from contemplation of the heart of Christ. Where, indeed, if not from that source will it be able to attain the reserves of meekness and forgiveness necessary to heal the bitter conflicts that bloody it?

Today I would like to entrust in a special way to the merciful heart of Jesus all those who live in the Holy Land: Jews, Christians and Muslims. That Heart that, burdened with insult, never nourished sentiments of hatred and vengeance, but asked for forgiveness for his executioners, that Heart shows the only way to emerge from the spiral of violence: the way of pacification of spirits, of reciprocal understanding and reconciliation.

3. Together with the merciful heart of Christ we venerate the Immaculate Heart of Mary Most Holy, Mediatrix of grace and salvation.

We turn to her now with faith to implore for mercy and peace for the Church and the whole world.

[Translation by ZENIT]

Pope Benedict XVI

ANGELUS MESSAGE
St Peter's Square
Sunday, June 5, 2005

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Last Friday we celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, a devotion that is deeply rooted in the Christian people. In biblical language, "heart" indicates the centre of the person where his sentiments and intentions dwell. In the Heart of the Redeemer we adore God's love for humanity, his will for universal salvation, his infinite mercy.

Practicing devotion to the Sacred Heart of Christ therefore means adoring that Heart which, after having loved us to the end, was pierced by a spear and from high on the Cross poured out blood and water, an inexhaustible source of new life.

The feast of the Sacred Heart is also World Day for the Sanctification of Priests, a favorable opportunity to pray that priests will put nothing before love of Christ. Blessed Bishop Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, patron of migrants, was deeply devoted to the Heart of Christ; we commemorated the centenary of his death on June 1. He founded the men and women Missionaries of St Charles Borromeo, known as the "Scalabrinians", to proclaim the Gospel among Italian emigrants.

In recalling this great Bishop, I turn my thoughts to those who are far from their homeland and also often from their family, and I hope that on their way they will always meet friendly faces and welcoming hearts that can sustain them in the difficulties of daily life.

The heart that resembles that of Christ more than any other is without a doubt the Heart of Mary, his Immaculate Mother, and for this very reason the liturgy holds them up together for our veneration. Responding to the Virgin's invitation at Fatima, let us entrust the whole world to her Immaculate Heart, which we contemplated yesterday in a special way, so that it may experience the merciful love of God and know true peace.

From a letter May 23, 2006, from Benedict XVI to Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach S.J., superior general of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), for the 50th anniversary of Pope Pius XII's Encyclical "Haurietis aquas" on devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

"Gazing at the side pierced by the lance, where shines God's boundless will for salvation, cannot then be considered as a passing form of veneration or devotion. The adoration of God's love, which found historical-devotional expression in the symbol of the pierced heart, remains irreplaceable for a living relationship with God."

***

ANGELUS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 1st June May 2008

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On this Sunday, which coincides with the beginning of June, I am pleased to recall that this month is traditionally dedicated to the Heart of Christ, symbol of the Christian faith, particularly dear to the people, to mystics and theologians because it expresses in a simple and authentic way the "good news" of love, compendium of the mystery of the Incarnation and Redemption. Last Friday, after the Most Holy Trinity and Corpus Christi, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the third and last feast following Eastertide. This sequence calls to mind a movement toward the centre: a movement of the spirit which God himself guides. In fact, from the infinite horizon of his love, God wished to enter into the limits of human history and the human condition. He took on a body and a heart. Thus, we can contemplate and encounter the infinite in the finite, the invisible and ineffable Mystery in the human Heart of Jesus, the Nazarene. In my first Encyclical on the theme of love, the point of departure was exactly "contemplating the pierced side of Christ", which John speaks of in his Gospel (cf. 19: 37; Deus Caritas Est, n. 12). And this centre of faith is also the font of hope in which we have been saved, the hope that I made the object of my second Encyclical.

Every person needs a "centre" for his own life, a source of truth and goodness to draw from in the daily events, in the different situations and in the toil of daily life. Every one of us, when he/she pauses in silence, needs to feel not only his/her own heartbeat, but deeper still, the beating of a trustworthy presence, perceptible with faith's senses and yet much more real: the presence of Christ, the heart of the world. Therefore, I invite each one of you to renew in the month of June his/her own devotion to the Heart of Christ, also using the traditional prayer of the daily offering and keeping present the intentions I have proposed for the whole Church.

Next to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the liturgy invites us to venerate the Immaculate Heart of Mary. With great confidence let us entrust ourselves to her. Once again I would like to invoke the maternal intercession of the Virgin for the populations of China and Myanmar struck by natural calamities and for those who are going through the many situations of pain, sickness, material and spiritual poverty that mark humanity's path.

***

POPE FRANCIS
ANGELUS
Sunday, June 9, 2013

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Good morning! The month of June is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the greatest human expression of divine love. In fact last Friday we celebrated the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and this feast sets the tone for the entire month. Popular piety highly values symbols, and the Heart of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of God’s mercy. But it is not an imaginary symbol; it is a real symbol which represents the centre, the source from which salvation flowed for all of humanity.

In the Gospels we find various references to the Heart of Jesus. For example there is a passage in which Christ himself says: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Mt 11:28-29). Then there is the key account of Christ’s death according to John. Indeed this Evangelist bears witness to what he saw on Calvary, that is, when Jesus was already dead a soldier pierced his side with a spear and blood and water came out of the wound (cf. Jn 19:33-34). In that apparently coincidental sign John recognizes the fulfillment of the prophecies: from the Heart of Jesus, the Lamb sacrificed on the Cross, flow forgiveness and life for all people.

The mercy of Jesus is not only an emotion; it is a force which gives life that raises man! Today’s Gospel also tells us this in the episode of the widow of Nain (Lk 7:11-17). With his disciples, Jesus arrives in Nain, a village in Galilee, right at the moment when a funeral is taking place. A boy, the only son of a widow, is being carried for burial. Jesus immediately fixes his gaze on the crying mother. The Evangelist Luke says: “And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her” (v. 13). This “compassion” is God’s love for man, it is mercy, thus the attitude of God in contact with human misery, with our destitution, our suffering, our anguish. The biblical term “compassion” recalls a mother’s womb. The mother in fact reacts in a way all her own in confronting the pain of her children. It is in this way, according to Scripture, that God loves us.

What is the fruit of this love and mercy? It is life! Jesus says to the widow of Nain: “Do not weep” and then he calls the dead boy and awakes him as if from sleep (cf. vv. 13-15). Let’s think about this, it’s beautiful: God’s mercy gives life to man, it raises him from the dead. Let us not forget that the Lord always watches over us with mercy; he always watches over us with mercy. Let us not be afraid of approaching him! He has a merciful heart! If we show him our inner wounds, our inner sins, he will always forgive us. It is pure mercy Let us go to Jesus!

Let us turn to the Virgin Mary: her Immaculate Heart, a mother’s heart, has fully shared in the “compassion” of God, especially in the hour of the passion and death of Jesus. May Mary help us to be mild, humble and merciful with our brothers.

Readings for the Feast of the Sacred Heart

Collect:
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that we, who glory in the Heart of your beloved Son
and recall the wonders of his love for us,
may be made worthy to receive
an overflowing measure of grace
from that fount of heavenly gifts.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

or

O God, who in the Heart of your Son,
wounded by our sins,
bestow on us in mercy
the boundless treasures of your love,
grant, we pray,
that, in paying him the homage of our devotion,
we may also offer worthy reparation.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

Year A

First Reading: Deuteronomy 7:6-11
For you are a people holy to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession, out of all the peoples that are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set His love upon you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples; but it is because the Lord loves you, and is keeping the oath which He swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations, and requites to their face those who hate Him, by destroying them; He will not be slack with him who hates Him, He will requite him to his face. You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which I command you this day.

Second Reading: 1 John 4: 7-16
Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His own Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son as the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:25-30
At that time Jesus declared, "I thank Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was Thy gracious will. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

Year B
First Reading: Hosea 11:1,3-4,8-9
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of compassion, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one, who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.

How can I give you up, O Ephraim! How can I hand you over, O Israel! How can I make you like Admah! How can I treat you like Zeboiim! My heart recoils within me, my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my fierce anger, I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come to destroy.

Second Reading: Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through our faith in him.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God.

Gospel Reading: John 19:31-37
Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with Him; but when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness--his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth--that you also may believe. For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of Him shall be broken." And again another scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they have pierced."

Year C
First Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16
"For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I Myself will search for My sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out His flock when some of His sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the fountains, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and upon the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on fat pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice.

Second Reading: Romans 5:5-11
Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.

While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man--though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation.

Gospel Reading: Luke 15:3-7
Jesus told them this parable: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

---

Litany to the Sacred Heart

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven, Response: have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, ..
God the Holy Spirit,...
Holy Trinity, one God, ...
Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father, ...
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mother's womb, ...
Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, ...
Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty, ...
Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God, ...
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, ...
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven, ...
Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity, ...
Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love, ...
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, ...
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, ...
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, ...
Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts, ...
Heart of Jesus, wherein are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, ...
Heart of Jesus, wherein dwells all the fullness of the Godhead, ...
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father is well pleased, ...
Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received, ...
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, ...
Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy, ...
Heart of Jesus, rich unto all who call upon You, ...
Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness, ...
Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our offenses, ...
Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with reproaches, ...
Heart of Jesus, bruised for our iniquities, ...
Heart of Jesus, obedient even unto death, ...
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, ...
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, ...
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, ...
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, ...
Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins, ...
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in Thee, ...
Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, ...
Heart of Jesus, delight of all saints, ...

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

V. Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
R. Make our hearts like unto Thy Heart.

Let us pray, Almighty everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Thy dearly beloved Son, and upon the praise and satisfaction He offers Thee in the name of sinners and for those who seek Thy mercy. Be appeased, and grant us pardon in the name of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who lives and reigns with Thee forever and ever. Amen.

Family Activities for the Feast of the Sacred Heart

1. Help the children make a small "shrine" or a table decoration with a statue or picture of the Sacred Heart. Decorate with flowers or candles. A fine family observance would be to say together the Litany of the Sacred Heart as prayers before bedtime. If the children are very small, you might abbreviate it somewhat. It would be most effective to say the Litany before an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, either a picture or a statue.

2. Suggest that children make a list of several acts of charity and mercy, representing Jesus' love for us, and write them on cut-out hearts. Each child to might pick one of these acts to perform for a family member each day of the coming week, as a special act of unity in love with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

3. Cut out a large paper heart of white paper, and have the children draw a picture with crayons or markers on the heart of Jesus showing His love by healing the blind and lame, or feeding the hungry, or evenof Jesus on the Cross, giving His very life for us, for our salvation. Display the hearts on the refrigerator, or tape them on the door of the children's rooms.

4. Bake a heart-shaped cake or cookies. Make the decorations simple enough so that the children can help. See Valentine Page for Heart shaped cookies. A heart-shaped cake to celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart would have a single candle, representing the Light of Christ.

[Salvation]

From Simply Sentimental to Strong and Sure – A Consideration of Devotion to the Sacred Heart
Pope Francis reflects on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, mercy, and love
Pope Francis: Sunday Angelus (full text)
The Sacred Heart of Jesus (What does it really mean to say that "God is Love")
Have You Accepted Jesus into Your Heart?
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - June 7, 2013 [Catholic Caucus]
Catholic Word of the Day: LEAGUE OF THE SACRED HEART, 06-27-12
Devotion to the Sacred Heart
June and the Sacred Heart of Jesus: Do not be afraid to be pious
Only for Love: The Sacred Heart and the Priesthood [Catholic Caucus]

Catholic Word of the Day: LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART, 10-19-09
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Devotion to the Sacred Heart Today
The Biblical Foundation of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus [Ecumenical]
Heart to Heart (Sacred Heart of Jesus Devotion) [St. Margaret Mary Alacoque]
(June) The Month of the Sacred Heart {Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus [St. Margaret Mary Alacoque]
The Heart of the World (On the Sacred Heart of Jesus) (Catholic Caucus)
The Sacred Heart Is The Holy Eucharist(Catholic Caucus)
The Origin of the Sacred Heart Badge

Importance of Devotion to the Sacred Heart
An Awesome Homily on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Father Edmond Kline
Catholic Prayer and Devotion: June the Month of the Sacred Heart
Catholic Devotions: Sacred Heart of Jesus
Pope Urges Jesuits to Spread Sacred Heart Devotion
Homilies preached by Father Altier on the Feast of the Sacred Heart
Catholic Meditation and Devotion: The Sacred Heart of Jesus
Daily Recomendation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus powerful prayer!
The Sacred Heart and the Eucharist
The Love of the Sacred Heart

On the Sacred Heart - "We Adore God's Love of Humanity"
HAURIETIS AQUAS (On Devotion To The Sacred Heart) - Encyclical by Pope Pius XII
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
Sacred Heart a Feast of God's Love, Says John Paul II
The Sacred Heart of Jesus: Symbol of Combativity and the Restoration of Christendom
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus-The Early Church, Middle Ages up to St. Margaret Mary
See this Heart
‘God Will Act and Will Reign’
About Devotion To The Sacred Heart:The Story Of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
Rediscover Feast of Sacred Heart, John Paul II Tells Youth

[Salvation]

Saint Cyril of Alexandria,Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Saint Cyril of Alexandria,
Bishop & Doctor of the Church
Optional Memorial
June 27th

unknown artist

Saint Cyril of Alexandria was the Patriarch of Alexandria in Egypt and an able theologian. As bishop and doctor, he became the glory of the Church in Egypt. During the Council of Ephesus, he defined the oneness of person in Jesus Christ and the divine maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary against the heresy of Nestorius.

Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003

Collect:
O God, who made the Bishop Saint Cyril of Alexandria
an invincible champion of the divine motherhood
of the most Blessed Virgin Mary,
grant, we pray,
that we, who believe she is truly the Mother of God,
may be saved through the Incarnation of Christ your Son.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: 2 Timothy 4:1-5
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus,

To Timothy, my beloved child:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I thank God whom I serve with a clear conscience, as did my fathers, when I remember you constantly in my prayers. As I remember your tears, I long night and day to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 5: 13-19
"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

"Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

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Related Links on the Vatican Website:

ORIENTALIS ECCLESIAE, Encyclical of Pope Pius XII on Saint Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, April 9, 1944

Benedict XVI, General Audience, Saint Peter's Square, Wednesday, October 3, 2007, Saint Cyril of Alexandria

[Salvation]

Saints' Days are superseded by a solemnity.

LETTER OF ST. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA TO JOHN OF ANTIOCH (ON the Nature of Christ)
Orientalis Ecclesiae (On St. Cyril, Patriarch Of Alexandria)
St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 1 on Luke 2.4-8
St. Cyril of Alexandria
St Cyril of Alexandria
Saint Cyril of Alexandria: Doctor of the Church

[Salvation]

Our Mother of Perpetual Help

Our Mother of Perpetual Help
June 27th

 

History: Also known as Our Lady of Perpetual Succour
The picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour is painted on wood, with background of gold. It is Byzantine in style and is supposed to have been painted in the thirteenth century. It represents the Mother of God holding the Divine Child while the Archangels Michael and Gabriel present before Him the instruments of His Passion. Over the figures in the picture are some Greek letters, which form the abbreviated words Mother of God, Jesus Christ, Archangel Michael, and Archangel Gabriel respectively. It was brought to Rome toward the end of the fifteenth century by a pious merchant, who, dying there, ordered by his will that the picture should be exposed in a church for public veneration. It was exposed in the church of San Matteo, Via Merulana, between St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran. Crowds flocked to this church, and for nearly three hundred years many graces were obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. The picture was then popularly called the Madonna di San Matteo. The church was served for a time by the Hermits of St. Augustine, who had sheltered their Irish brethren in their distress. These Augustinians were still in charge when the French invaded Rome (1812) and destroyed the church. The picture disappeared; it remained hidden and neglected for over forty years, but a series of providential circumstances between 1863 and 1865 led to its discovery in an oratory of the Augustinian Fathers at Santa Maria in Posterula.

The pope, Pius IX, who as a boy had prayed before the picture in San Matteo, became interested in the discovery and in a letter dated December 11, 1865 to Father General Mauron, C.SS.R., ordered that Our Lady of Perpetual Succour should be again publicly venerated in Via Merulana, and this time at the new church of St. Alphonsus. The ruins of San Matteo were in the grounds of the Redemptorist Convent. This was but the first favor of the Holy Father towards the picture. He approved of the solemn translation of the picture (April 26, 1866), and its coronation by the Vatican Chapter (June 23, 1867). He fixed the feast as duplex secundae classis, on the Sunday before the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, and by a decree dated May 1876, approved of a special office and Mass for the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. This favor later on was also granted to others. Learning that the devotion to Our Lady under this title had spread far and wide, Pius IX raised a confraternity of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour and St. Alphonsus, which had been erected in Rome, to the rank of an arch-confraternity and enriched it with many privileges and indulgences. He was amongst the first to visit the picture in its new home, and his name is the first in the register of the arch-confraternity. Two thousand three hundred facsimiles of the Holy Picture have been sent from St. Alphonsus's church in Rome to every part of the world. At the present day not only altars, but churches and dioceses (e.g. in England, Leeds and Middlesborough; in the United States, Savannah) are dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. In some places, as in the United States, the title has been translated Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition )

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Immaculate Mary
Immaculate Mary, thy praises we sing,
Who reignest in splendor with Jesus, Our King.
Ave, ave, ave Maria! Ave, ave Maria!

In heaven the blessed thy glory proclaim;
On earth, we, thy children, invoke thy sweet name!
Ave, ave, ave Maria! Ave, ave Maria!

We pray for our mother, the Church upon earth;
And bless, dearest Lady, the land of our birth.
Ave, ave, ave Maria! Ave, ave Maria!

(The Adoremus Hymnal - p 532)

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Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Mother of Perpetual Help, you have been blessed and favored by God. You became not only the Mother of the Redeemer but the Mother of the redeemed as well. We come to you today as your loving children. Watch over us and take care of us. As you held the child Jesus in your loving arms, so take us in your arms. Be a mother ready at every moment to help us. For God who is mighty has done great things for you, and His mercy is from age to age on those who love Him. Our greatest fear is that in time of temptation, we may fail to call out to you, and become lost children. Intercede for us, dear Mother, in obtaining pardon for our sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance, and the grace always to call upon you, Mother of Perpetual Help — From the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

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OUR MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP NOVENA

Opening Hymn (Stand) 

R: Most holy and immaculate Virgin and our Mother Mary, You are our Perpetual Help, our refuge and our hope.

V: We come to You today. * We thank God for all the graces received through your intercession. * Mother of Perpetual Help, we promise to love you always * and to do all we can to lead Others to you.

R: Mother Of Perpetual Help Confident of your Powerful influence with God, obtain for us these graces:

V: The strength to overcome temptation, * a perfect love for Jesus Christ, * and a holy death * so that we will live with you and your Son for all eternity. .

R: Let us pray to be open to God's Word.

V: Mother of Perpetual Help, * you continually sought the meaning of God's words and actions in your life. * As we listen to God's Word, * may the Holy Spirit enlighten our understanding * and give us the courage * to put his Word into practice in our daily lives. 

(Reading of the day and if homily follows, all should be seated.) 

R: Let us kneel to pray as a community of faith. Mary, all generations have called you blessed, and the Almighty has done great things for you.

V: Mother of Perpetual Help, * we call upon your most powerful name. * Your very name inspires confidence and hope. * May it always be on our lips, * especially in time of temptation * and at the hour of our death. * Blessed Lady, help us whenever we call on you. * Let us not be content with merely pronouncing your name. * May our daily lives proclaim * that you are our Mother and our Perpetual Help.

R: Let us pray for our temporal wants. 

V: Mother of Perpetual Help, * with the greatest confidence we kneel before you. * We implore your help in the problems of our daily lives. Trials and sorrows often depress us; * misfortunes and privations bring misery into our lives; * everywhere we meet the cross. * Comforter of the Afflicted, * beg your Son Jesus * to strengthen us as we bear our burdens * and to free us from our sufferings. * Or if it be the will of God * that we should suffer still longer, * help us endure all with love and patience. * May we follow the example of your Son, * and through him, * with him, * and in him * commend ourselves to the care of our heavenly Father. 

R: Let us stand now to present our petitions and our thanks. Lord Jesus Christ, at a word from Mary your Mother, You changed water into wine at Cana of Galilee. Listen now to the People of God gathered here to honor Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Grant our petitions and accept our sincere thanks. Grant wisdom and guidance to our Holy Father, Pope. . .,our Bishop. . ., our priests, and all the leaders of our nation, state, and community. 

V: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Grant peace and unity throughout the world, especially in our homes and families.

V: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Grant that young people respond generously to the call of the Holy Spirit in deepening their faith and choosing their vocation in life. 

V: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Grant us continued health of mind and body, and help the sick, especially . . . , to regain their health according to your holy will. 

V: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Grant eternal rest to all our deceased, especially . . . , and to the souls of all the faithful departed. 

V: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Let us pause now to silently present our own petitions to Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Lord, accept our thanks for the new life of grace you gave us. 

V: We thank You, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Accept our thanks for all the graces received through the sacramental life of the Church.

V: We thank you, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Accept our thanks for the spiritual and material blessings we have received. 

V: We thank You, Lord, through Mary our Mother. 

R: Let us pause now to silently thank Our Mother of Perpetual Help for our own favors received. 

R: Please kneel as we pray for the sick. 

V: Lord, look upon our servants * laboring under bodily weakness. * Cherish and revive the souls * which You have created * so that, purified by their sufferings, * they may soon find themselves healed by Your mercy. * We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

R: May the Lord Jesus Christ be with you that he may defend you, within you that he may sustain you, before you that he may lead you, behind you that he may protect you, above you that he may bless you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

V: Amen. 

R: Let us renew our confidence in Mary as a perpetual help.

V: Mother of Perpetual Help, * you have been blessed and favored by God. * You became not only the Mother of the Redeemer * but the Mother of the redeemed as well. * We come to you today as your loving children. * Watch over us and take care of us, * As you held the child Jesus in your loving arms, * so take us in your arms. * Be a mother ready at every moment to help us. * For God who is mighty * has done great things for you, * and His mercy is from age to age * on those who love Him. * Our greatest fear is * that in time of temptation, * we may fail to call out to you, * and become lost children. * Intercede for us, dear Mother, * in obtaining pardon for our sins, * love for Jesus, * final perseverance, * and the grace always to call upon you, * Mother of Perpetual Help. 

R: Let us renew our Act of Consecration. 

V: United with the members of your confraternity * here and throughout the world, * we consecrate ourselves to your service. * We promise to renew this dedication once a month * and frequently to receive the sacraments. * We beg you to obtain for us * the grace to imitate your great servant, St. Alphonsus, * in his love for you and your Son. 

R: Let us stand now and unite with the Christians of all ages in praising Mary and in committing ourselves to her powerful protection.

V: Hail Mary, etc. 

R: Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

V: That we may become worthy of the promises of Christ. 

R: Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave us Your Mother Mary, whose image we venerate, as a mother ready at every moment to help us; grant, we beg You, that we who call on her help may always enjoy  the fruit of Your redemption. This we ask through You who live and reign forever. 

V: Amen. 

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Our Lady of Perpetual Help
June 27

Monsignor Anthony La Femina, Iconographer [© 2004. Used with permission.]
Click Icon for closer look on the Adoremus website.

[Salvation]

Happy Feast Day of Our Lady of Perpetual Help! [Catholic/Ordotdox Caucus]
Give it all to Mary [Catholic Caucus]

[Salvation]

Information: St. Cyril of Alexandria

Feast Day: June 27

Born: 376 at Alexandria, Egypt

Died: 444 at Alexandria, Egypt

Patron of: Alexandria, Egypt

[Salvation]

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Cyril of Alexandria

Feast Day: June 27
Born: 370 :: Died: 444

Cyril was born at Alexandria in Egypt. His uncle, Theophilus, was the patriarch or archbishop of Alexandria. Although his uncle meant no harm, he had a bad temper and could be very stubborn at times.

Archbishop Theophilus sent the Bishop of Constantinople, St. John Chrysostom into exile in 403. Cyril who was influenced by his uncle's dislike of John, agreed when John was sent into exile. But the emperor brought the famous bishop back to his archdiocese of Constantinople.

When his uncle died in 412, Cyril became the archbishop of Alexandria. His love for the Church and for Jesus was very strong. He was a brave man in times when the Church was confused and clearly preached the teachings of the Church. He was honest and straightforward and was not interested in praise or high positions.

However, Cyril like his uncle Theophilus, could be impulsive and stubborn at times. He explained the truths of the Church with his preaching and writing. But when he got upset, what he said was sometimes difficult to understand. He did not always bother saying things in a gentle manner and blurted out angrily at times.

His lack of self-control made him sad. Yet Christians were grateful for his many wonderful qualities. For example, he was not afraid to defend the Church and what we believe. He also had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and lovingly defended her from evil people who tried to harm her holy name.

St. Cyril was the representative of Pope St. Celestine I at the Council of Ephesus in 431. This was an official Church meeting of over two hundred bishops. They had to study the teachings of a priest named Nestorius who preached that there were two persons in Christ. The Council explained clearly that Nestorius was wrong.

The pope gave him ten days to say he would stop preaching what was wrong. But Nestorius would not agree. The bishops at the Council clearly explained to the people of God that these were false teachings and the people were convinced. This would never again be a major threat to the Church.

The people were very grateful to St. Cyril of Alexandria who led the Council meetings. Nestorius went quietly back to his monastery and stopped confusing people. Cyril went back to his archdiocese and worked hard for the Church until he died in 444. Pope Leo XIII proclaimed St. Cyril a Doctor of the Church in 1883.

Reflection: "Surely she must be the Mother of God if our Lord Jesus Christ is God, and she gave birth to him." - St. Cyril

[Salvation]

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Friday, June 27

Liturgical Color: Green

June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus. In 1956, Pope Pius XII stated "It
is altogether impossible to enumerate the
heavenly gifts which devotion to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus has poured out on
the souls of the faithful."

[Salvation]

Day 195 - Why did God give us passions? // Do we sin if we experience strong passions?

Why did God give us "passions" or emotions?

We have passions so that through strong emotions and distinct feelings we might be attracted to what is right and good and repelled from what is evil and bad.

God made man in such a way that he can love and hate, desire or despise something, be attracted by some things and afraid of others, be full of joy, sorrow, or anger. In the depths of his heart man always loves good and hates evilor what he considers to be such.

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Is someone a sinner if he experiences strong passions within himself?

No, passions can be very valuable. They are designed to lead to and reinforce good actions; only when they are disordered do the passions contribute to evil.

Passions that are ordered to the good become virtues. They then become the motive force of a life of fighting for love and justice. Passions that overpower a person, rob him of his freedom and entice him to evil, we call vice. (YOUCAT questions 293, 294)

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Dig Deeper: CCC section (1762-1772) and other references here.

[Salvation]

Part 3: Life in Christ (1691 - 2557)

Section 1: Man's Vocation — Life in the Spirit (1699 - 2051)

Chapter 1: The Dignity of the Human Person (1700 - 1876)

Article 5: The Morality of the Passions (1762 - 1775)

1762

The human person is ordered to beatitude by his deliberate acts: the passions or feelings he experiences can dispose him to it and contribute to it.

I. PASSIONS ⇡

1763

The term "passions" belongs to the Christian patrimony. Feelings or passions are emotions or movements of the sensitive appetite that incline us to act or not to act in regard to something felt or imagined to be good or evil.

368
(all)

1764

The passions are natural components of the human psyche; they form the passageway and ensure the connection between the life of the senses and the life of the mind. Our Lord called man's heart the source from which the passions spring.⁴⁰

40.

Cf. Mk 7:21.

1765

There are many passions. The most fundamental passion is love, aroused by the attraction of the good. Love causes a desire for the absent good and the hope of obtaining it; this movement finds completion in the pleasure and joy of the good possessed. The apprehension of evil causes hatred, aversion, and fear of the impending evil; this movement ends in sadness at some present evil, or in the anger that resists it.

1704
(all)

1766

"To love is to will the good of another."⁴¹ All other affections have their source in this first movement of the human heart toward the good. Only the good can be loved.⁴² Passions "are evil if love is evil and good if it is good."⁴³

41.

St. Thomas Aquinas, STh I-II,26 4, corp. art.

42.

Cf. St. Augustine, De Trin., 8,3,4:PL 42,949-950.

43.

St. Augustine, De civ. Dei 14,7,2:PL 41,410.

II. PASSIONS AND MORAL LIFE ⇡

1860
(all)

1767

In themselves passions are neither good nor evil. They are morally qualified only to the extent that they effectively engage reason and will. Passions are said to be voluntary, "either because they are commanded by the will or because the will does not place obstacles in their way."⁴⁴ It belongs to the perfection of the moral or human good that the passions be governed by reason.⁴⁵

44.

St. Thomas Aquinas, STh I-II,24,1 corp. art.

45.

Cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, STh I-II,24,3.

1803
1865
(all)

1768

Strong feelings are not decisive for the morality or the holiness of persons; they are simply the inexhaustible reservoir of images and affections in which the moral life is expressed. Passions are morally good when they contribute to a good action, evil in the opposite case. The upright will orders the movements of the senses it appropriates to the good and to beatitude; an evil will succumbs to disordered passions and exacerbates them. Emotions and feelings can be taken up into the virtues or perverted by the vices.

1769

In the Christian life, the Holy Spirit himself accomplishes his work by mobilizing the whole being, with all its sorrows, fears and sadness, as is visible in the Lord's agony and passion. In Christ human feelings are able to reach their consummation in charity and divine beatitude.

30
(all)

1770

Moral perfection consists in man's being moved to the good not by his will alone, but also by his sensitive appetite, as in the words of the psalm: "My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God."⁴⁶

46.

Ps 84:2.

IN BRIEF ⇡

1771

The term "passions" refers to the affections or the feelings. By his emotions man intuits the good and suspects evil.

1772

The principal passions are love and hatred, desire and fear, joy, sadness, and anger.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

 

Daily Readings for:June 27, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who glory in the Heart of your beloved Son and recall the wonders of his love for us, may be made worthy to receive an overflowing measure of grace from that fount of heavenly gifts. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o    Heart Cake

o    Heart Cake (cut-up)

o    Heart Cakes

o    Saint Valentine Cookies

ACTIVITIES

o    Celebrating the Feast of the Sacred Heart

o    Enthronement to the Sacred Heart

o    History of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart

o    On how our Work is Love, and how we can work with Christ to save Souls with our Love

o    On Parental Duty and How Parents Let Their Children Risk Chastity

o    Stitching Feast-Day Symbols

PRAYERS

o    Consecration to the Sacred Heart

o    Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Home

o    Twelve Promises of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary

o    Nine First Fridays Devotion to the Sacred Heart

o    Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

o    Act of Reparation to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Iesu dulcissime - Reparationis actus)

o    Prayer for Priests

o    A Prayer for Priests and Bishops

o    Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

o    Novena to the Sacred Heart

LIBRARY

o    Devotion To the Sacred Heart: Part I | P. Milward S.J.

o    Devotion To the Sacred Heart: Part II | P. Milward S.J.

o    Hauerietis Aquas (On the Sacred Heart) | Pope Pius XII

o    Heart of Jesus, have mercy! | Pope John Paul II

o    Heart of Jesus, Our Peace and Reconciliation | Pope John Paul II

o    His Heart Is the Heart of the Church | Pope John Paul II

o    Litany of the Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart | Unknown

o    The Human Heart of Jesus | Herbert Ratner M.D.

o    The Sacred Heart And The Eucharist | Fr. John A. Hardon S.J.

o    Worship Of The Physical Heart Of Christ | Fr. Bertrand de Margerie S.J.

·         Ordinary Time: June 27th

·         Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Old Calendar: Sacred Heart of Jesus

"I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment" (Jesus to St. Margaret Mary).

Sixteenth century Calvinism and seventeenth century Jansenism preached a distorted Christianity that substituted for God's love and sacrifice of His Son for all men the fearful idea that a whole section of humanity was inexorably damned.

The Church always countered this view with the infinite love of our Savior who died on the cross for all men. The institution of the feast of the Sacred Heart was soon to contribute to the creation among the faithful of a powerful current of devotion which since then has grown steadily stronger. The first Office and Mass of the Sacred Heart were composed by St. John Eudes, but the institution of the feast was a result of the appearances of our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1675. The celebration of the feast was extended to the general calendar of the Church by Pius IX in 1856.

Today is the feast of St. Cyril of Alexandria, one of the metropolitan sees of the Christian Church in the east, was one of the great defenders of the faith against the heresy of Nestorius who denied the oneness of person in Jesus Christ.

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The Congregation for the Clergy has today to be the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.

Here is the message to all priests for this important day: The Priesthood Is the Love of the Heart of Jesus and the Prayers for Priests, both for priests to say for themselves, and for lay people to say for priests.

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Close to the Heart of the Son is the Heart of the Mother
The Church, in this month of June, giving us the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, wishes us to understand the consequential devotion to Our Lady traditionally lived in the Marian month par excellence: the month of May. The Heart of Jesus is the See and Throne of Divine Mercy, revealed to the world in the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.

The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI speaking of the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus two years ago said: “In biblical language, "heart" indicates the centre of the person where his sentiments and intentions dwell. In the Heart of the Redeemer we adore God's love for humanity, his will for universal salvation, his infinite mercy. Practising devotion to the Sacred Heart of Christ therefore means adoring that Heart which, after having loved us to the end, was pierced by a spear and from high on the Cross poured out blood and water, an inexhaustible source of new life” (Benedict XVI, Angelus 5 June 2005).

The call which comes from this important feast day is first of all a call to Eucharistic adoration, because in the Sacred Host the Lord Jesus is truly present and He offers each of us His Heart, His Merciful Love. To spend time in the Presence of the Eucharistic Lord, to adore Him, is the best expression of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which, as we know, spread all over the world thanks to Jesus' revelations to Saint Margherita M. Alacoque in the 17th century: “Behold the Heart which so loved mankind”!

As a prolongation and accomplishment of this message, the Lord appeared to another Sister in the 20th century revealing the abyss of His unfathomable mercy; she was Saint Faustina Kowalska who wrote in her Diary, now world famous, these words of Jesus: “I have opened my Heart as a living source of Mercy, from it all souls draw life, all approach with deep confidence this sea of Mercy. Sinners will obtain justification and the just will be strengthened in goodness. I will fill the souls of those who put their trust in My Mercy with My divine peace at the hour of their death. My daughter, continue to spread devotion to My Mercy, in doing so you will refresh My Heart which burns with the fire of compassion for sinners. Tell my priests that hardened sinners will be softened by their words if they speak of my boundless Mercy and of the compassion which My Heart feels for them. I will give priests who proclaim and exalt My Mercy wondrous power, unction to their words and I will move all the hearts to which they speak” (Book 5, 21 January 1938).

The deepest longing of Christ's Heart is that we discover how much he loves us, the extent of his tender love for creatures who, cooled by their selfishness, look only inwards at themselves, as if they were afraid to let themselves be loved unconditionally by their Creator, who asks nothing and gives all!

How society, culture, economy, politics today need this Heart! It is really true, the more man distances himself from God-Love the more he becomes 'heartless', agitated about a thousand things because he has mislaid the principal one: to let oneself be loved by Christ and to respond to this Love with our love.

Many times during history the Supreme Pontiffs have reminded humanity that without the Lord Jesus life has no real meaning, man gropes in the dark to find himself! The Servant of God John Paul II introduced the Church into the Third Millennium with a mandate to become “Apostles of Divine Mercy”. The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI picked up where his Predecessor left off and never tires to remind us of the necessity to rediscover the merciful Heart, this infinite Love of God, who reveals Himself in our lives if we open to Him. “Open, open wide the doors to Christ” the voice of the Holy Spirit continues to say. By means of Eucharistic adoration we are “opened” from within by His invisible working in us. The Most Holy Eucharist, celebrated and adored, as the Church teaches us, is the greatest and most effective treasure of our salvation, an infinite treasure which must be safeguarded with profound respect and deepest devotion.

Close to the Heart of the Son is the Heart of the Mother whom the Church celebrates the day after the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Let it again be the Holy Father who illuminates us with regard to this mystery: “The heart that resembles that of Christ more than any other is without a doubt the Heart of Mary, his Immaculate Mother, and for this very reason the liturgy holds them up together for our veneration. Responding to the Virgin's invitation at Fatima, let us entrust the whole world to her Immaculate Heart, which we contemplated yesterday in a special way, so that it may experience the merciful love of God and know true peace” (Benedict XVI, Angelus 5 June 2005).

— Rev. Luciano Alimandi, Agenzia Fides 13/6/2007

Things to Do:

• From the Catholic Culture Library read Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: Sacred Scripture by Bishop Raymond Burke.
• Bake a heart shaped cake or cookies in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 11
25.	At that time Jesus answered and said: I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to the little ones.	In illo tempore respondens Jesus dixit : Confiteor tibi, Pater, Domine cæli et terræ, quia abscondisti hæc a sapientibus, et prudentibus, et revelasti ea parvulis.	εν εκεινω τω καιρω αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν εξομολογουμαι σοι πατερ κυριε του ουρανου και της γης οτι απεκρυψας ταυτα απο σοφων και συνετων και απεκαλυψας αυτα νηπιοις
26.	Yea, Father; for so hath it seemed good in thy sight.	Ita Pater : quoniam sic fuit placitum ante te.	ναι ο πατηρ οτι ουτως εγενετο ευδοκια εμπροσθεν σου
27.	All things are delivered to me by my Father. And no one knoweth the Son, but the Father: neither doth any one know the Father, but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal him.	Omnia mihi tradita sunt a Patre meo. Et nemo novit Filium, nisi Pater : neque Patrem quis novit, nisi Filius, et cui voluerit Filius revelare.	παντα μοι παρεδοθη υπο του πατρος μου και ουδεις επιγινωσκει τον υιον ει μη ο πατηρ ουδε τον πατερα τις επιγινωσκει ει μη ο υιος και ω εαν βουληται ο υιος αποκαλυψαι
28.	Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you.	Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis, et onerati estis, et ego reficiam vos.	δευτε προς με παντες οι κοπιωντες και πεφορτισμενοι καγω αναπαυσω υμας
29.	Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls.	Tollite jugum meum super vos, et discite a me, quia mitis sum, et humilis corde : et invenietis requiem animabus vestris.	αρατε τον ζυγον μου εφ υμας και μαθετε απ εμου οτι πραος ειμι και ταπεινος τη καρδια και ευρησετε αναπαυσιν ταις ψυχαις υμων
30.	For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.	Jugum enim meum suave est, et onus meum leve.	ο γαρ ζυγος μου χρηστος και το φορτιον μου ελαφρον εστιν

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25. At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes.
26. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in your sight.

GLOSS: Because the Lord knew that many would doubt respecting the foregoing matter, namely, that the Jews would not receive Christ whom the Gentile world has so willingly received, He here makes answer to their thoughts; And Jesus answered and said, I confess to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.

GLOSS: That is, Who makes heaven, or leaves in earthliness, whom you will. Or literally,

AUG; If Christ, from whom all sin is far, said, I confess, confession is not proper for the sinner only, but sometimes also for him that gives thanks. We may confess either by praising God, or by accusing ourselves. When He said, I confess to you, it is, I praise you, not I accuse Myself.

JEROME; Let those hear who falsely argue, that the Savior was not born but created, how He calls His Father Lord of heaven and earth. For if He be a creature, and the creature can call its Maker Father, it was surely foolish here to address Him as Lord of heaven and earth, and not of Him (Christ) likewise. He gives thanks that His coming has opened to the Apostles sacraments, which the Scribes are Pharisees knew not, who seemed to themselves wise, and understanding in their own eyes; That you have hid these things from the wise and understanding and have revealed them to babes.

AUG; That the wise and understanding are to be taken as the proud, Himself opens to us when He says, and have revealed them to babes; for who are babes but the humble?

GREG; He says not 'to the foolish', but to babes, showing that He condemns pride, not understanding.

CHRYS; Or when He says, The wise, He does not speak of true wisdom, but of that which the Scribes and Pharisees seemed to have by their speech. Wherefore He said not, 'And have revealed them to the foolish', but, to babes, that is, uneducated, or simple; teaching us in all things to keep ourselves from pride, and to seek humility.

HILARY; The hidden things of heavenly words and their power are hid from the wise, and revealed to the babes; babes, that is, in malice, not in understanding; hid from the wise because of their presumption of their own wisdom, not because of their wisdom.

CHRYS; That it is revealed to the one is matter of joy, that it is hid from the other not of joy, but of sorrow; He does not therefore joy on this account but He joys that these have known what the wise have nor known.

HILARY; The justice of this the Lord confirms by the sentence of the Father's will, that they who disdain to be made babes in God, should become fools in their own wisdom; and therefore He adds, Even so, Father: for so it seemed good before you.

GREG; In which words we have a lesson of humility, that we should not rashly presume to discuss the counsels of heaven concerning the calling of home and the rejection of others; showing that that cannot be unrighteous which is willed by Him that is righteous.

JEROME; In these words moreover He speaks to the Father with the desire of one petitioning, that His mercy begun in the Apostles might be completed in them.

CHRYS; These things which the Lord spoke to His disciples, made them more zealous. As afterwards they thought great things of themselves, because they cast out demons, therefore He here reproves them; for what they had, was by revelation, not by their own efforts. The Scribes who esteemed themselves wise and understanding were excluded because of their pride, and therefore He says, Since on this account the mysteries of God were hid from them, fear you, and abide as babes, for this it is that has made you partakers in the revelation. But as when Paul says, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, he does not mean that God did this, but they who gave Him cause, so here, You have hid these things from the wise and understanding. And wherefore were they hid from them? Hear Paul speaking, Seeking to set up their own righteousness, they were not subject to the righteousness of God.

27. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

CHRYS; Because He had said, I confess to you, Father, because you have hid these things from the wise, that you should not suppose that He thus thanks the Father as though He Himself was excluded from this power, He adds, All things are committed to me by my Father. Hearing the words are committed, do not admit suspicion of any thing human, for He uses this word that you may not think there be two gods unbegotten. For at the time that He was begotten He was Lord of all.

JEROME; For if we conceive of this thing according to our weakness, when he who received begins to have, he who gives begins to be without. Or when He says, All things are committed to him, He may mean not the heaven and earth and the elements, and the rest of the things which He created and made, but those who through the Son have access to the Father.

HILARY; (that we may not think that there is any thing less in Him than in God, therefore He says this.

AUG; For if He has anything less in His power than the Father has, then all that the Father has, are not His; for by begetting Him Father gave power to the Son, as by begetting Him He gave all things which He has in His substance to Him whom He begot of His substance.

HILARY; And also in the mutual knowledge between the Father and the Son, He teaches us that there is nothing in the Son beyond what was in the Father; for it follows, And none knows the Son but the Father, nor does any man know the Father, but the Son.

CHRYS; By this that He only knows the Father, He show covertly that He is of one substance with the Father. As though He had said, What wonder if I be Lord of all, when I have somewhat hat yet greater, namely to know the Father and to be of the same substance with Him?

HILARY; For this mutual knowledge proclaims that they are of one substance since He that should know the Son, should know the Father also in the Son, since all things were delivered to Him by the Father.

CHRYS; When He says, Neither does any know the Father but the Son, He does not mean that all men are altogether ignorant of Him; but that none knows Him with that knowledge wherewith He knows Him; which may also be said of the Son. For it is not said of some unknown God as Marcion declares.

AUG; And because their substance is inseparable, it is enough sometimes to name the Father, sometimes the Son; nor is it possible to separate from either His Spirit who is especially called the Spirit of truth.

JEROME; Let the heretic Eunomius therefore blush here at who claims to himself such a knowledge of the Father and the Son, as they have one of another. But if he argues from what follows, and props up his madness by that, And he to whom the Son will reveal him, it is one thing to know what you know by equality with God, another to know it by His vouchsafing to reveal it.

AUG; The Father; is revealed by the Son, that is, by His Word. For if the temporal and transitory word which we utter both shows itself, and what we wish to convey, how much more the Word of God by which all things were made, which so shows the Father as He is Father, because itself is the same and in the same manner as the Father.

ID; When if He said, None knows the Son but the Father. He did not add, and he to whom the Father will reveal the Son. But when He said, None knows the Father but the Son, He added, And, he to whom the Son will reveal him. But this must not be so understood as though the Son could be known by none but by the Father only; while the Father may be known not only by the Son, but also by those to whom the Son shall reveal Him. But it is rather expressed thus, that we may understand that both the Father and the Son Himself are revealed by the Son, inasmuch as He is the light of our mind; and what is afterwards added, And he to whom the Son will reveal, is to be understood as spoken of the Son as well as the Father, and to refer to the whole of what had been said. For the Father declares Himself by His Word, but the Word declares not only that which is intended to be declared by it, but in declaring this declares itself.

CHRYS; If then He reveals the Father, He reveals Himself also. But the one he omits as a thing manifest, but mentions the other because there might be a doubt concerning it. Herein also He instructs us that He is so one with the Father, that it is not possible for any to come to the Father, but through the Son. For this had above all things given offense, that He seemed to be against God, and therefore He strove by all means to overthrow this notion.

28. Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest to your souls.
30. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

CHRYS; By what He had said, He brought His disciples to have a desire towards Him, showing them His unspeakable excellence; and now He invites them to Him, saying, Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden.

AUG; Whence do we all thus labor, but that we are mortal men, bearing vessels of clay which cause us much difficulty. But if the vessels of flesh are straitened, the regions of love will be enlarged. To what end then does He say, Come to me, all you who labor, but that you should not labor?

HILARY; He calls to Him those that were laboring under the hardships of the Law, and those who are burdened with the sins of this world.

JEROME; That the burden of sin is heavy, the Prophet Zachariah bears witness, saying, that wickedness sits upon a talent of lead. And the Psalmist fills it up, your iniquities are grown heavy upon me.

GREG; For a cruel yoke and hard weight of servitude it is to be subject to the things of time, to be ambitious of the things of earth, to cling to falling things, to seek to stand in things that stand not, to desire things that pass away, but to be unwilling to pass away with them. For while all things fly away against our wish, those things which had first harassed the mind in desire of gaining them, now oppress it with fear of losing them.

CHRYS; He said not, Come you, this man and that man, but all whosoever are in trouble, in sorrow, or in sin, not that I may exact punishment of you, but that I may remit your sins. Come you, not that I have need of your glory, but that I seek your salvation. And I will refresh you. Not, I will save you, only; but that is much greater, I will then refresh you, that is, I will set you in all quietness.

RABAN; I will not only take from you your burden, but will satisfy you with inward refreshment.

REMIG; Come, He says not with the feet, but with the life, not in the body, but in faith. For that is a spiritual approach by which any man approaches God; and therefore it follows, Take my yoke upon you.

RABAN; The yoke of Christ is Christ's Gospel which joins and yokes together Jews and Gentiles in the unity of the faith. This we are commanded to take upon us that is, to have in honor; lest perchance setting it beneath us, that is wrongly despising it, we should trample upon it with the miry feet of unholiness; wherefore He adds, learn of me.

AUG; Not to create a world, or to do miracles in that world; but that I am meek and lowly in heart. Would you be great? Begin with the least. Would you build up a mighty fabric of greatness? First think of the foundation of humility; for the mightier building any seek to raise, the deeper let him dig for his foundation. Whither is the summit of our building to rise? To the sight of God.

RABAN; We must learn then from our Savior to be meek in temper, and lowly in mind; let us hurt none, let us despise none, and the virtues which we have strewn in deed let us retain in our heart.

CHRYS; And therefore in beginning the Divine Law He begins with humility, and sets before us a great reward, saying, And you shall find rest for your souls. This is the highest reward, you shall not only be made useful to others, but shall make yourself to have peace; and He gives you the promise of it before it comes, but when it is come, you shall rejoice in perpetual rest. And that they might not be afraid because He had spoken of a burden, therefore He adds, For my yoke is pleasant, and my burden light.

HILARY; He holds forth the inducements of a pleasant yoke, and a light burden, that to them that believe He may afford the knowledge of that good which He alone knows in the Father.

GREG; What burden is it to put upon the neck of our mind that He bids us shun all desire that disturbs, and turn from the toilsome paths of this world?

HILARY; And what is more pleasant than that yoke, what lighter than that burden? To be made better, to abstain from wickedness, to choose the good, and refuse the evil, to love all men, to hate none, to gain eternal things, not to be taken with things present, to be unwilling to do that to another which yourself would be pained to suffer.

RABAN; But how is Christ's yoke pleasant, seeing it was said man above, Narrow is the way which leads to life? That which yoke is entered upon by a narrow entrance is in process of time made broad by the unspeakable sweetness of love.

AUG; So then the they who with an unfearing neck have submitted to the yoke of the Lord endure such hardships and dangers, that they seem beneath to be called not from labor to rest, but from rest to labor. But the Holy Spirit was there who, as the outward man decayed, renewed the inward man day by day, and giving a foretaste of spiritual rest in the rich pleasures of God in the hope of blessedness to come, smoothed all that seemed rough, lightened all that was heavy. Men suffer amputations and burning, that at the price of sharper pain they may be delivered from torments less but more lasting, as boils or swellings. What storms and dangers will not merchants undergo that they may acquire perishing riches? Even those who love not riches endure the same hardships; but those that love them endure the same, but to them they are not hardships. For love makes right easy, and almost nothing all things however dreadful and monstrous. How much more easily then does love do that for true happiness, which avarice does for misery as far as it can?

JEROME; And how is the Gospel lighter than the Law, seeing in the Law murder and adultery, but under the Gospel anger and concupiscence also, are punished? Because by the Law many things are commanded which the Apostle fully teaches us cannot be fulfilled; by the Law works are required, by the Gospel the will is sought for, which even if it goes not into act, yet does not lose its reward. The Gospel commands what we can do, as that we lust not; this is in our own power; the Law punishes not the will but the act, as adultery Suppose a virgin to have been violated in time of persecution, as here was not the will she is held as a virgin under the Gospel; under the Law she is cast out as defiled.

Catena Aurea Matthew 11

[annalex]

Jan Sanders van Hemessen

Christ Carrying the Cross

1553
Oil on wood, 111 x 97,5 cm
Christian Museum, Esztergom

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Psalm 103

The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Bless the Lord, my soul! (Psalm 103:1)

Yes! Bless the Lord today. Praise him and exalt him with all that is within you—not just the things that you are proud of or good at or that seem important to you. God has created you unique among all creation, and his heart is always for you. He loves to help you fulfill his plans for your life.

Know that you can’t be too clumsy, absentminded, or stubborn to become God’s instrument. He can work with those things! Consider Margaret Mary Alacoque, a seventeenth-century nun considered to be no practical good in her convent. She found it difficult to pray according to the order’s established format, and she inspired only scorn and contempt among her fellow nuns. But it was to her that Jesus entrusted the message of the Sacred Heart. He told “useless” Sr. Margaret Mary that three streams flow eternally from his heart: mercy for sinners, help for all in need, and love and light to enable people to shine forth the glory of the Lord.

He pardons all your iniquities, heals all your ills. (Psalm 103:3) His stream of mercy flows without end to forgive and to restore whatever is wrong in you. Invite him to touch whatever is weak, or painful, or shameful, or just plain annoying. He will forgive. He will transform and heal.

He redeems your life from destruction, crowns you with kindness and compassion. (Psalm 103:4) That second stream, help for all in need, flows also without ceasing. Set your heart on serving him, despite the things that you believe disqualify you. You are not too weak, inept, or useless. He understands you and will help you!

Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. (Psalm 103:8) Love and light flow from Jesus’ Sacred Heart. Love, full of grace and mercy, streams towards you daily. That love is ever patient, not easily riled, and infinitely gentle. God cares about you. He wants you to succeed as you promote his glory, in whatever ways he shows you to do that.

So bless the Lord today—and every day!

“Sacred Heart of Jesus, forgive and heal me. Redeem me, and crown me with your steadfast love. Most of all, guide me in all my ways.”

Deuteronomy 7:6-11; 1 John 4:7-16; Matthew 11:25-30

[Salvation]

Doctors of the Catholic Church

Saint Cyril of Alexandria

Memorial

• 27 June
• formerly 28 January
• formerly 9 February

Profile

Nephew of Theophilus the Patriarch. Monk. Priest. Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt in 412. Patriach of Alexandria. Suppressed the Novatians. Worked at the Council of Ephesus. Fought against Nestorius who taught the heresy that there were two persons in Christ. Catechetical writer. Wrote a book opposing Julian the Apostate. Greek Father of the Church. Doctor of the Church.

Born

• 376 at Alexandria, Egypt

Died

• 444 at Alexandria, Egypt of natural causes
• relics in Alexandria

Canonized

• Pre-Congregation

Patronage

• Alexandria, Egypt

Prayers

• …in Honor of Mary, Mother of God

Representation

• pen, indicative of his work as a writer
• Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus

Additional Information

• Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
• Catholic Encyclopedia
• Letter of Cyril to John of Antioch
• Letter of Cyril to Nestorius
• Letter of Cyril to Nestorius with the XII Anathematisms
• Lives of Illustrious Men, by Saint Jerome
• Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
• New Catholic Dictionary
• On the Writings of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, by Father Alban Butler
• Orientalis Ecclesiae, by Pope Pius XII
• Pictorial Lives of the Saints
• books
  • Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
• other sites in english
  • American Catholic
  • Catholic Exchange
  • Catholic News Agency
  • Catholic Online
  • Catholic Online
  • CRadio
  • Documenta Catholica Omnia
  • Orthodox Church in America
  • Saints Stories for All Ages
  • uCatholic
  • Wikipedia

[Salvation]

A Christian Pilgrim

THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Today we celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. What a beautiful image to remind us of Jesus’ abundant love for us! On the spiritual level, it was this heart that freely chose to die for us so that we could come back to the Father. And on the physical level, it was this heart that was wounded by a lance and that spilled its blood on the ground so that our wounds could be healed and we could be lifted up from the earth.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is so powerful, and yet it can be far too easy to forget that divine love is still flowing from it. Whether we are housewives or parish priests, business executives or day laborers, we all have demands that can seem overwhelming at times. When we let these demands take center stage, we can lose sight of the fact that Jesus is with us, eager to pour our His love, lift our burdens, and give us joy and hope.

Dear sisters and brothers, Jesus wants to be with us every step of our journey. He wants to be the shepherd that Psalm 23 describes, staying with us no matter how deep the valley or how oppressive the darkness. He wants to feed us and care for us even when we feel surrounded by enemies.

As lyrical and comforting as this psalm is, it is much more than moving poetry. It is a statement of truth. Jesus really is our Shepherd. He really does want to lead us to a place of rest – to His Sacred Heart. He’s just waiting for us to surrender to Him. Of course we doubt we are good enough for Him. Of course we wonder what will happen to us if we give in to Him. Of course we fear the unknown. But Jesus knows our weaknesses and our doubts. That’s why He allowed His heart to be pierced in the first place! On this day of mercy and grace, let Him show you the depths of His love. Let’s gaze upon His Sacred Heart and let His love melt our hearts.

[Salvation]

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for June 27, 2014:

“Rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ.” (1 Pt 4:13) Jesus’ Sacred Heart loves the world enough to suffer for it. Unite your sufferings to those of Christ today.

[Salvation]

After First Vespers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Thursday, 26 June 2014 17:15

We have crossed the threshold,
not only of Your feast, but also of Your mystery,
O Pierced One.
We have been in pilgrimage to Your Heart.
It was the light of Your Eucharistic Face that drew us on,
compelling us, impelling to seek in its radiance
the wound in Your side.

Now before us lies the door
opened not by the turn of a key
but by the thrust of a lance,
and beyond the door the abode of love.
“He has brought me to the banqueting house,
and is banner over me was love” (Ct 2:4).

We opened our books to First Vespers
and found there not the mere form of words
but the traces of a burning, blazing Word
– Your Heart –
and beneath the text
embers glowing
waiting to be fanned again into flame
by a mingling of Spirit-Breath with ours,
breath well spent in the chants of Your Church.

The Spirit came again to the help of our weakness,
loosing our tongues for the praise of Love wounded and wounding,
teaching Love’s own language:
strange to those in exile from Your Heart
but now become — O wonder!–
our native tongue.
Strange and blessed
this language of Your Church,
spilling fire in antiphons
and rivers of light in psalms,
infusing Your prayer, O Christ, Eternal Son, Eternal Priest
– nothing less than that –
into all of us who know not how to pray as we ought.

Your Heart’s prayer
poured into every aching emptiness of ours.
Your Heart’s song
rising in our silence.
Your Heartbeat
making us bold
by a gift of words not of our making.
And in those words Heart speaks to heart.
In them
Your Heart speaks to the Father;
and the Father’s heart to yours.
In them Your Heart sings to Your Church, Your Bride;
and her heart sings to yours.

This is Love’s exchange,
hidden from the learned and the clever
but revealed to little ones,
splashed like pure water on the lips of children
to delight the Father
and to fall all shining onto the cracked and dusty face
of a world grown old in thirst.

You stood up once
as you stand before us now,
– it was the last day of the feast, the great day –
and cried out, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink;
out of His heart shall flow rivers of living water” (cf. Jn 7:37-38).
You said this about the Spirit
that blazes from Your face –
and rushes from Your open side
in water and in blood.

Where is the heart held aloft,
the heart become a chalice to catch the torrent in its flow?
Where are hands to press that chalice
to the lips of those who, with weary step,
return from empty cisterns?
My heart?
For this I give it
and for this I give my hands.
My heart to cup the flow of love,
my hands to tip the chalice.

It is Your Face, O Christ, that we came seeking,
the Face that sought us first,
Your Eucharistic Face seen now as through a glass darkly,
a polished monstrance crystal cut by faith.
And we all, with unveiled face,
beholding Your glory veiled here,
are being changed into Your likeness (cf. 2 Cor 3:18)
and drawn beyond the threshold wound,
Your Heart’s pierced portal.

“Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away.” (Ct 2:13-14).
It is time for us to be like the nesting dove
time for us to spread our wings
and, lifted by the Spirit, to hide in the cleft of the rock.
There, “they shall hunger no more,
neither thirst any more;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat” (Apoc 7:16).

Pass through the narrow gate.
Apostle of the Sacred Heart,
sent out from that secret place,
be a dove made white in the Blood,
and like the dove, after every mission far-flung or near
to it return to be silent and adore.

Adorers of the Sacred Heart
we will all of us be in the end
for adoration will have the last word
as it must have the first.
“The hour is coming and now is,
when the true adorers shall adore the Father
in spirit and in truth,
for such the Father seeks to adore Him” (Jn 4:23).

Adoration then will be the only word,
an ocean of light dissolving every other discourse
and bathing a broken world
in the healing water and the cleansing blood.
“And He who sat upon the throne said,
‘Behold, I make all things new’” (Rev 21:5).
“And they shall see His face,
and His name shall be on their foreheads.
And night shall be no more;
they need no light of lamp or sun,
for the Lord God will be their light” (Rev 22:4-5).

O Eucharist, Sun of Life,
radiating the Heart’s flame of fire!
O Host burning and yet not consumed!
“And Moses hid his face,
for he was afraid to look at God” (Ex 3:6)?

Gentle Christ, humble hidden Bread,
to look at you is all refreshment.
Irresistible God.
“After this I looked,
and lo, in the heaven an open door!
And the voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said,
‘Come up hither’” (Rev 4:1).
And I looked and looked
and looked at Him whom they have pierced (cf. Zech 12:10).
“And the angel who talked with me came again,
and waked me, like a man that is wakened out of his sleep.
And he said to me, ‘What do you see?’” (Zech 4:1-2).
“A Eucharistic Face,” I said,
“and an Open Heart.”