Saturday, June 12, 2021
Immaculate
Heart of Mary[1]
The Feast of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior
life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden
perfections, and above all, her virginal love for God the Father, her maternal
love for her son Jesus, and her compassionate love for all persons. Two
elements are essential to the devotion, Mary’s interior life and the beauties
of her soul, and Mary’s virginal body. According to Roman Catholic theology,
soul and body are necessary to the constitution of man. It was in 1855,
that the Mass of the Most Pure Heart of Mary formally became a part of the
Catholic practice. Traditionally, the heart of Mary in artwork is
depicted with seven wounds or swords, in homage to the seven sorrows of
Mary. Also, roses or another type of flower may be wrapped around the
heart. Veneration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary generally coincides
with the worship of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
However, there is a
difference that explains the Roman Catholic devotion to the Immaculate Heart of
Mary. The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is especially directed to
the “Divine Heart”, as overflowing with love for humanity. In the
devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, on the other hand, the attraction is
the love of her Immaculate Heart for Jesus and for God.
A second difference is the
nature of the devotion itself. In devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of
Jesus, the Roman Catholic venerates in a sense of love, responding to
love. In devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, love is formed from
study and imitation of Mary’s yes to God as the mother of Jesus. In this
devotion, love is more the result, than the “object” of the devotion; the
object being rather to love God and Jesus by uniting one’s self to Mary for
this purpose and by imitating her virtues, to help one achieve this. History of
the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is connected in many ways to that
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Christians were drawn to the love and
virtues of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and this paved the devotion from the
beginning. Early Christians had compassion for the Virgin Mary, and the
Gospels recount prophecy delivered to her at Jesus’ presentation in the temple,
and that her heart would be pierced with a sword. The image of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary with the pierced heart is the most popular
representation. St. John’s Gospel further invites us to the attention of
Mary’s heart with its depiction of Mary at the foot of the cross at Jesus’
crucifixion. St. Augustine tells us that Mary was more blessed in having
born Christ in her heart, than in having conceived him in the flesh.
Things to Do:[2]
·
Read
the entire article from the Catholic Encyclopedia about the Immaculate Heart of
Mary.
·
Read
this article about Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of
Mary.
[1]http://www.newmanconnection.com/faith/saint/feast-of-the-immaculate-heart-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary
[2]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2020-06-20
Saturday in the Octave of the Sacred Heart
IMMACULATE HEART OF THE VIRGIN MARY-SUPERMAN
2 Kings, Chapter 1, Verse 15
When
God’s messenger comes you would be wise to listen. We are told that the
messenger to Elijah was an angel. We are not told more but I would imagine that
most likely it was his guardian angel. Listening to and asking your guardian
angel to assist you in accomplishing God’s will is wise.
Guardian
Angel[1]
According to Saint Jerome, the concept of guardian angels is in
the "mind of the Church". He stated: "how great the dignity of
the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard
it".
The first Christian
theologian to outline a specific scheme for guardian angels was Honorius of
Autun in the 12th century. He said that every soul was assigned a guardian
angel the moment it was put into a body. Scholastic theologians augmented and
ordered the taxonomy of angelic guardians. Thomas Aquinas agreed with Honorius
and believed that it was the lowest order of angels who served as guardians,
and his view was most successful in popular thought, but Duns Scotus said that
any angel is bound by duty and obedience to the Divine Authority to accept the
mission to which that angel is assigned. In the 15th century, the Feast of the
Guardian Angels was added to the official calendar of Catholic holidays.
In his March 31, 1997
Regina Caeli address, Pope Saint John Paul II referred to the concept of
guardian angel and concluded the address with the statement: "Let us
invoke the Queen of angels and saints, that she may grant us, supported by our
guardian angels, to be authentic witnesses to the Lord's paschal mystery".
In his 2014 homily for the
Feast of Holy Guardian Angels, October 2, Pope Francis told those gathered for
daily Mass to be like children who pay attention to their “traveling
companion.” “No one journeys alone and no one should think that they are
alone,” the Pope said. During the Morning Meditation in the chapel of Santa
Marta, the Pope noted that oftentimes, we have the feeling that “I should do
this, this is not right, be careful.” This, he said, “is the voice of” our
guardian angel...” “According to Church tradition”, the Pope said, “we all have
an angel with us, who guards us...” The Pope instructed each, “Do not rebel,
follow his advice!”. The Pope urged that this “doctrine on the angels” not be
considered “a little imaginative”. It is rather one of “truth”. It is “what
Jesus, what God said: ‘I send an angel before you, to guard you, to accompany
you on the way, so you will not make a mistake’”. Pope Francis concluded with a
series of questions so that each one can examine his/her own conscience: “How
is my relationship with my guardian angel? Do I listen to him? Do I bid him
good day in the morning? Do I tell him: ‘guard me while I sleep?’ Do I speak
with him? Do I ask his advice? ...Each one of us can do so in order to evaluate
“the relationship with this angel that the Lord has sent to guard me and to
accompany me on the path, and who always beholds the face of the Father who is
in heaven”.
There was an old Irish
custom that suggested including in bedtime prayers a request for the Blessed
Mother to tell one the name of their guardian angel, and supposedly within a
few days one would "know" the name by which they could address their
angel. An old Dominican tradition encouraged each novice to give a name to
their Guardian Angel so that they could speak to him by name and thus feel
closer and more friendly with him. The Congregation for Divine
Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments discourages assigning names to angels
beyond those revealed in scripture: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.
Apostolic Exhortation[2]
Veneremur
Cernui – Down in Adoration Falling
of The Most Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of
Phoenix,
to Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix
on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
My
beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Part
III
Loving
and Adoring the Eucharistic Lord
II. Go to daily Mass, if
possible.
III. Increase your time of Eucharistic
adoration.
82. The expression “waste time in
front of the Lord” should be understood only through the lens of love, of which
the saints are constant reminders. Blessed Charles de Foucauld wrote in the
presence of the Eucharist: “What a tremendous delight, my God! To spend over
fifteen hours without having anything else to do but look at you and tell you,
‘Lord, I love you.’ Oh, what sweet delight.” True, this impressive duration of
time may have been an extraordinary gift to this holy man and hermit. But the
faith and love he bore in his heart for the Eucharist is a supernatural gift
available to every one of us, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit to
those who ask.
83. To all fathers and mothers, let
your children see that devotion to the Eucharist in adoration is an essential,
life-giving part of your schedule! As every parent knows, children learn from
consistent actions more than words. When I was a boy, I was deeply impressed by
the sight of my father genuflecting before the tabernacle. His humble and straight-forward
witness communicated more to me about the truth of the Eucharist than even the
best of catechists. When it comes to the Eucharist, every child’s heart
secretly asks: does Dad believe it? Does Mom believe it? Tell them you do! But
above all, show them you do. Eucharistic adoration does this in a powerful way.
It is never too late to start this practice, no matter the age of your
children.
84. There are a host of ways to
increase the time we spend in Eucharistic adoration. I’ll suggest just a few for
your consideration.
·
Make a ten-minute visit to the tabernacle in a
church or chapel on the way back from work, on the way to a family gathering,
or even on the way to a simple daily errand. It’s not about the length of time
spent; it is about the faith, hope, and love with which you spend those moments
in the Lord’s presence.
·
Find out when your parish has Eucharistic
adoration and schedule a weekly or monthly time (perhaps 30 to 60 minutes) and
stick to it. Consider inviting your spouse, family, or a friend to accompany
you.
·
During your time of adoration, consider praying
the liturgy of the hours, the rosary, prayerfully reading the Scriptures,
reading a good spiritual book, or using a collection of prayers for use in the
adoration, or gazing on the Sacred Host in silence.
To be continued…
Epistle of Barnabas[3]
CHAP. II THE
JEWISH SACRIFICES ARE NOW ABOLISHED.
Since,
therefore, the days are evil, and Satan possesses the power of this world, we
ought to give heed to ourselves, and diligently inquire into the ordinances of
the Lord. Fear and patience, then, are helpers of our faith; and long-suffering
and continence are things which fight on our side. While these remain pure in
what respects the Lord, Wisdom, Understanding, Science, and Knowledge rejoice
along with them. For He hath revealed to us by all the prophets that He needs
neither sacrifices, nor burnt offerings, nor oblations, saying thus, "What
is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me, saith the Lord? I am full of burnt
offerings, and desire not the fat of lambs, and the blood of bulls and goats,
not when ye come to appear before Me: for who hath required these things at
your hands? Tread no more My courts, not though ye bring with you fine flour.
Incense is a vain abomination unto Me, and your new moons and sabbaths I cannot
endure." He has therefore abolished these things, that the new law of our
Lord Jesus Christ, which is without the yoke of necessity, might have a human
oblation. And again, He says to them, "Did I command your fathers, when
they went out from the land of Egypt, to offer unto Me burnt-offerings and
sacrifices? But this rather I commanded them, let no one of you cherish any
evil in his heart against his neighbor, and love not an oath of
falsehood." We ought therefore, being possessed of understanding, to
perceive the gracious intention of our Father; for He speaks to us, desirous
that we, Not going astray like them, should ask how we may approach Him. To us,
then, He declares, "A sacrifice [pleasing] to God is a broken spirit; a
smell of sweet savor to the Lord is a heart that glorifieth Him that made
it." We ought therefore, brethren, carefully to inquire concerning our
salvation, lest the wicked one, having made his entrance by deceit, should huff
us forth from our [true] life.
Superman Day[4]
What’s that?! There in the sky? Is
it a bird? Is it a plane?
No!
It’s the
Man of Tomorrow! Superman has gone by many names over the years, but one
thing has remained the same. He has always stood for what’s best about humanity, all of our
potential for terrible destructive acts, but also our choice to not act on the
level of destruction we could wreak. Superman was first created in 1933 by Joe
Shuster and Jerry Siegel, the writer and artist respectively. His first
appearance was in Action Comics #1, and that was the beginning of a long and
illustrious career for the Man of Steel. In his unmistakable blue suit with red
cape, and the stylized red S on his chest, the figure of Superman has become
one of the most recognizable in the world. Superman has been through a lot of
changes since his initial creation, his original Golden Age incarnation being a
villainous character that bears absolutely no resemblance to our current hero.
Superman as we know and love him today didn’t appear until Action Comics #1,
published on April 18, 1938. Such was his success that he got his own comic in
1939, and the world has never looked back since.
Since
that time, our boy in blue has seen appearances in every form of media the
world has to offer. Comic books, video games, movies, novels, stickers,
T-shirts, there isn’t
a place that the Man of Steel hasn’t
made an appearance. He’s
even been represented in more than one TV show throughout the years, most
recently “Smallville”, which retells his time as a youth
in the town he grew up in. Examining the Man of Steel during his developmental
phases shows him in a rarely seen state of vulnerability, living through the
turbulence of adolescence.
How
to Celebrate Superman Day
·
For
those desiring to celebrate Superman Day, there are many options that range
from entertaining to altruistic. The best way to celebrate Superman Day is to
host a Superman themed get together with your friends, complete with a cake
decorated with the iconic S emblem.
·
For
the dastardly a little green food coloring can change Marshmallow Crispy Bars
into Kryptonite bars, and a trampoline in the yard will give everyone a bit of
the experience of flying like the Man of Steel.
·
Finish
it all off with a marathon of movies and` you’ll have a “Super Celebration” this day.
·
For
those looking to be a bit more altruistic, Superman Day is also a great day to
remember what the Man of Steel actually stood for.
·
The
Red, White, and Blue of his uniform stood for what made America great, which at
that time was a desire for Justice, to help those in need, and a powerful
spirit. So, you could spend your day working at Soup Kitchens, Blood Drives, or
a volunteer organization that serves your community. The opportunities to be a
little bit “Super” are limitless, just get out there
and help your fellow man!
Daily Devotions
·
Saturday
Litany of the Hours Invoking the Aid of Mother Mary
·
Offering to the
sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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