FIRST MARTYRS OF THE CHURCH
OF ROME
Psalm 5, Verse 8
But I, through the
abundance of your mercy*,
will enter into your house. I will bow down toward your holy sanctuary out of FEAR of you.
Psalm five is a
lament contrasting the security of the house of God with the danger of the
company of evildoers (BLM/PP/CNN?!). The psalmist therefore prays that God will
hear and grant the protection and joy of the Temple. We as Catholics have more
than a temple, we have our Lord present to us in the tabernacle. His mercy is
never ending.
Purgatory[1]
Pray
for those detained. A
widow, desperate because her husband had committed suicide by throwing himself
into a river, came to Ars and met the Curé upon leaving the church. He bent
toward her and told her, “He is saved.” As she made a gesture of incredulity,
the saint repeated emphatically, “I tell you that he is saved. He is in
Purgatory, and you must pray for him. Between the parapet of the bridge and the
water he had time to make an act of repentance. It is the Blessed Virgin who
obtained this grace for him. Remember the shrine to Mary in your room?
Sometimes your husband, although irreligious, united himself to your prayer.
That merited repentance and the supreme pardon for him.” Before leaving, she
confided to M. Guillaumet, superior of the College of St. Dizier, a witness to
the scene, “I was in a dreadful state of despair, imagining the tragic end of
my husband. He was an unbeliever, and I lived only for the thought of leading
him back to God. Then he drowned himself by a voluntary suicide! I could only
believe he was damned! Oh! never to see him again! Yet you heard what the Curé
of Ars told me repeatedly: ‘He is saved!’ I shall see him again in Heaven after
all!” See the delicacy of Jesus and of the Blessed Virgin! A person did some
good which he had forgotten, but they had not forgotten, and at the right
moment they made use of it, if I may put it that way. Jesus makes use of
everything to save us. How astonished we will be in Heaven when we see that!
Some make Him a judge who strikes men down and seeks revenge, whereas in fact
He seeks to save us by all possible means.
Nothing is
irreparable for Jesus and for Mary[2]
According to
the New York Times, suicide rates are at their highest level in 30 years. I have rarely come across a
person these days who has not been touched by a friend or a family member who
has committed suicide. How are we as Catholics to deal with these tragedies?
Many of us wonder where the soul of our loved one ends up. Is
there hope for our loved ones who took their own lives?
Lessons from the Catechism
The Catechism
of the Catholic Church states;
·
Suicide
contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and
perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It
likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of
solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue
to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God. ccc 2281
But the
Catechism goes on to say;
·
…Grave
psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or
torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide.
ccc 2282
·
We should
not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own
lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide salutary
repentance. The church prays for persons who have taken their own
lives. ccc 2283
This means
there is hope. If God can provide salutary repentance, then there is
definitely hope.
Suicide Hits Home
I
was 17 when my friend Patrick took his own life. I was devastated.
I wondered about his soul since I knew suicide was a grave matter. It
wasn’t long after his death that I began to dream about him. My mother
told me if I was dreaming about him that he was probably in purgatory and I
needed to pray for him. I have had dreams of him on and off into
adulthood. As an adult I got very serious about praying for him.
Additionally,
earlier this year my friends and my community were touched by
four suicides of people of varying ages. It was no coincidence
then that I had come across Divine Mercy 101 with Father Chris Alar. As I sat and pondered
these suicides, feeling helpless and worried for souls, I remembered that Fr.
Alar had said (paraphrasing),
if you say a Divine Mercy Chaplet today for someone who has died in the
past, the graces from your prayer today, because God is outside of time, are
taken to your loved one at the time of their judgement. In other words,
God could for see that you would say the prayer for the loved one and then
apply that grace for them when they die.
Our
God is that merciful. Unfathomable mercy. Pray the chaplet, our prayers do have
power.
Gregorian Masses
It
was around this time that my cousin had also introduced me to Gregorian Masses.
This is a series of 30 Masses that is said for a soul in purgatory.
Tradition tells us that Pope St. Gregory the Great offered these Masses
for the soul of one of his monks that visited him from purgatory. When
Pope Gregory had finished the Masses, the monk appeared to thank him for
releasing him. The Masses are offered for one deceased soul (not
multiple people) for 30 consecutive days. Now, please understand, we
offer a stipend for a Mass. These stipends are to take care of the Priest
who says the Mass, and in poorer countries, in particular, this means a
lot. Plus, the stipend is also a sacrificial offering made by us.
Canon 946 tells us how the stipend is for the good of the Church.
Typically in today’s day and age, a Mass stipend is about $10,
although I have found some for $5 a Mass.
So Gregorian Masses aren’t always in the realm of what someone can
afford, but they are very efficacious if you are able to, especially in a case
of suicide. If 30 Masses isn’t a possibility, then one Mass is also a good
thing. The Mass is heaven on earth, and our prayers help souls in
purgatory. So, if you are suffering the loss of someone to suicide, do not
despair. Our God is a God of Mercy. Pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet for
them and perhaps have Gregorian Masses said for them, or a single Mass.
Our prayers mean something, and you may be able to help your loved one get to
heaven.
For the price of a chocolate bar
you could save a soul or…. Maybe you could do both?
First Martyrs of the
Church of Rome[3]
This memorial is in
honor of the nameless followers of Christ brutally killed by the mad Emperor
Nero as scapegoats for the fire in Rome. The pagan historian Tacitus and St. Clement
of Rome tell of a night of horror (August 15, 64 A.D.) when in the imperial
parks Christians were put into animal skins and hunted, were brutally attacked,
and were made into living torches to light the road for Nero's chariot. From 64
to 314 "Christian" was synonymous with "execution victim."
Daily
Devotions/Practices
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday
Devotion
·
Pray Day 2 of
the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
Overview of July[4]
The month of July is
dedicated to The Precious Blood of Jesus. The entire month falls within the
liturgical season of Ordinary
Time, which is
represented by the liturgical color green. This symbol of hope is the color of
the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal
harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. It is used
in the offices and Masses of Ordinary Time.
July is usually hot and a time for relaxing. It is also the time when crops planted in the Spring are maturing and growing. Just as the crops are dependent upon summer rains not only to grow but to survive so our spiritual development is dependent upon our frequenting the sacraments and receiving the Blood of Christ.
The main feasts of this month are St. Junipero Serra (July 1)
(statue was a BLM execution victim), St. Thomas the Apostle (July
3), St. Maria Goretti, (July 6), St. Augustine Zhao Rong (July
9), St. Benedict (July 11), St. Henry (July 13), Bl. Kateri
Tekakwitha (USA - July 14), St. Bonaventure (July 15), Our Lady
of Mt. Carmel (July 16), St. Camillus (July 18), St. Apollinaris
(July 20), St. Lawrence of Brindisi (July 21), St. Mary Magdalene
(July 22), St. Bridget (July 23), St. Sharbel (July 24), St.
James (July 25), St. Peter Chrysologus (July 30), St. Ignatius of Loyola
(July 31).
The feasts of St. Anthony Mary and St. Elizabeth of Portugal
(July 5) and Sts. Joachim and Anne (July 26) are superseded by the
Sunday liturgy.
The Blood that coursed through the veins of Christ was
a part of that Sacred Humanity made possible by the maternity of Mary, whose
parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne are honored this month. (July 26). Our Lord's
blood poured out on the Cross purchased our salvation, washed clean the robes
of the martyrs, and gave birth to the Church as it flowed from his wounded
side. The Precious Blood of Christ — now pulsing through his Mystical Body —
continues its salvific work, preserving and purifying, repairing and providing
nourishment for regeneration and renewal of its members.
July’s longer and warmer days also provide us with the
opportunity for renewal, both interior and exterior. Schedules relax and
pressures ease, inviting travel. But whether we travel or not, like the
missionary, St. Junipero Serra (July 1), we preach to others — by our conduct,
our speech, even the clothes we wear. May we be modest in everything we do,
imitating St. Maria Goretti, the young martyr for purity (July 6), and
“preaching” Christ to everyone we meet.
The summer Readings of Ordinary Time remind us that
our earthly pilgrimage is also a journey, a great adventure towards union with
Christ, the Beginning and the End of our journey. Each Sunday with its Easter
renewal becomes a mile marker along the way, linking where we have been with
where we are going. May the Precious Blood of Jesus sustain us as we journey to
our true home, with Mary and the angels as our companions on the way.
July Travel
Coronanites[5]
·
Macy's
4th of July Fireworks
Pop! Boom! Bang! July
spells independence, with glorious fireworks nationwide. Celebrate Independence
Day with a visit to the annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks display over the
Hudson River. And if N.Y.C.’s not on your itinerary, check out more of America’s best fireworks displays — in St. Louis, Addison,
Texas and Chicago’s Navy Pier.
·
Outlaw
Run (Branson, Missouri)[6]
Ready for a 68-mph adrenaline rush? Kick off July on
the only wooden coaster to twist upside down with a record-breaking three
versions — and a stomach-in-your-mouth 81-degree drop. Take advantage of Outlaw
Run’s extended hours this month at Silver Dollar City. Can’t make it to Branson this July?
Check out our complete guide to US amusement parks.
·
Tour
de France[7]
Celebrate France’s biggest sporting event this month —
the Tour de France. The
official kick-off takes place on the island of Corsica then crosses onto
France’s mainland. Cruise the French countryside as you follow the grand event.
Or if you can’t make it abroad, head to one of America’s top bicycling
cities.
·
Hemingway
Days Festival (Key West, Florida)[8]
Can’t make it to Pamplona
this month? Head to Key
West instead! Hemingway Days Festival honors the late author, who lived
and worked on the southern coast of the island. The annual event includes its
own "Running of the Bulls" — this one with Ernest Hemingway
lookalikes pushing fake bulls on Key West’s famed Duval Street.
·
California
Wine Festival (Santa Barbara, California)[9]
Head to one of the biggest
wine festivals under the sun! Celebrate wine harvest season this July with a
visit to California wine country. Held this year in Santa Barbara,
the annual California
Wine Festival showcases vintage wines, along with gourmet appetizers
including artisan breads and cheeses. Cheers!
·
Alaska
Cruise Season[10]
Escape the heat, and take
in awe-inspiring glacial views, with a cruise to Alaska. Cruise
ships dock alongside towns from Seward, along Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, to
Ketchikan, in the Alexander Archipelago. Cruise ships also dock near Katmai
National Park, where July is prime time to see bears gulp up Atlantic salmon on
their run. And if cruise prices prove too high in July, fret not: Alaska’s
prime cruise season stretches through September.
·
Taste
of Chicago (Grant Park)[11]
This July don’t miss the
world’s largest food festival — yes, the largest! Held annually in mid-July, Taste of Chicago draws dozens of food vendors and
participating restaurants to Chi-Town’s Grant Park. The annual event attracts
upwards of 3 million people each year — and with foodie indulgences like the
famous deep-dish pizza, we know why! This is food to die for!
·
National
Ice Cream Month
This July we all scream
for ice cream. Celebrate National Ice Cream Month — designated a national
holiday by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 — with a trip to America’s coolest ice cream shops. And why not head to the
granddaddy of them all — Bassett’s Ice Cream in Philadelphia — the oldest ice
cream company in the U.S., founded in 1861!
·
Calgary
Stampede
Our "Neighbor to the
North" marks its birthday this month. Get in on the festivities during the
Calgary
Stampede! This 10-day event is Canada’s largest annual rodeo, and
one of its largest festivals to boot. Billed as the "Greatest Outdoor Show
on Earth," the rodeo draws more than 1 million visitors each year.
·
Gettysburg’s 155th
Anniversary
*Mercy: used to translate the Hebrew word, hesed. This term
speaks to a relationship between persons. It is manifested in concrete actions
to persons with some need or desire. The one who offers hesed has the ability
to respond to that need of the other person. Other possible ways to translate
hesed include “steadfast love” and “loving kindness.”
[1]d'Elbée,
Jean C.J.. I Believe in Love
[2]https://www.catholicstand.com/suicide-divine-mercy-gregorian-masses/
[4]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/07.cfm
[8]https://www.historichideaways.com/events/key-west-hemingway-days-2020
[9]https://www.californiawinefestival.com/santa-barbara
[10]https://www.cntraveler.com/story/is-alaskas-summer-cruise-season-still-happening?verso=true
[11]https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/taste_of_chicago.html
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