· Thursday Evening before First Friday
make a 1-hour adoration and meditate on the FIRST; SECOND and THIRD STATIONS
Jesus in agony in the Garden of Olives
From the Gospel according to Saint Luke. 22:41-44
PRAYER Lord Jesus, enable us to delve deeper into the great “mystery of evil” and our own contribution to it. As sufferings came into human life through sin, it was your plan that humanity be saved from sin through suffering. May none of the little annoyances, humiliations, and frustrations that we undergo in our daily lives and the great shocks that take us by surprise, go to waste. Linked with your own agony, may the agonies we endure be acceptable to you and bring us hope. Lord, teach us to be compassionate, not only to the hungry, thirsty, sick, or those in some special need, but also to those inclined to be rude, argumentative and hurtful. In this way, as you have helped us in all our troubles, we may in turn “comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort that we ourselves have received”.
SECOND STATION
Jesus is betrayed by Judas, and restrains Peter from violence
From the Gospel according to Saint Luke 22:47-50 and according to Saint Matthew 26:52.56
PRAYER Lord Jesus, you consider us your friends, yet we notice traces of infidelity in ourselves. We acknowledge our transgressions. We are presumptuous at times and over-confident. And we fall. Let not avarice, lust or pride take us by surprise. How thoughtlessly do we fly after ephemeral satisfactions and untested ideas! Grant that we may not be tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine… but speaking the truth in love, grow up in every way into Christ the head. May truth and sincerity of purpose be our strength. Restrain, Lord, our impetuosity in situations of violence, as you restrained Peter’s impulsive character. Keep us unruffled in spirit before opposition and unfair treatment. Convince us that “A gentle answer quiets anger” in our families, and that “gentleness” combined with “wisdom” restores tranquility in society. “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.”
THIRD STATION
Jesus is held guilty by the Sanhedrin
From the Gospel according to Saint Matthew 26:62-66
PRAYER Lord, often we judge others in haste, indifferent to actual realities and insensitive to people’s feelings! We develop stratagems of self-justification and explain away the irresponsible manner in which we have dealt with “the other”. Forgive us! When we are misjudged and ill-treated, Lord, give us the inner serenity and self-confidence that your Son manifested in the face of unjust treatment. Keep us from an aggressive response which goes against your Spirit. On the contrary, help us to bring your powerful word of forgiveness into situations of tension and anxiety, so that it may reveal its dynamic power in history. “In His will is our peace.”
· Friday arise before the "cock crows" (2 hrs. before sunrise)
Jesus is denied by Peter
From the Gospel according to Saint Luke. 22:54-62
PRAYER Lord, how easily do we allow a distance to grow between what we profess to be and what we really are! How often do we fail to carry out our own decisions, or even fulfil our most solemn promises! And as a result we often hesitate to make any permanent commitment, even to you! We confess that we have failed to bring into our life that inner discipline that is expected of any adult person and required for the success of any human endeavor. Give sturdiness to our inner determination; help us to bring every good work we have begun to a successful conclusion. Enable us to stand firm, as mature and fully convinced Christians, “in complete obedience to God’s will”.
Overview of July[1]
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
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[2]
·
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)[3]
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[4]
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)[5]
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)[6]
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[7]
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)[8]
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 158th
Anniversary
Retrace one of America’s
biggest moments. This July the Battle of Gettysburg marks its 156th anniversary. Tour Gettysburg and its historic town, and take in
battle reenactments of events that culminated in more than 51,000 casualties
and the setting for President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
[1]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/07.cfm
[5]https://www.historichideaways.com/events/key-west-hemingway-days-2020
[6]https://www.californiawinefestival.com/santa-barbara
[7]https://www.cntraveler.com/story/is-alaskas-summer-cruise-season-still-happening?verso=true
[8]https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/taste_of_chicago.html
JULY 1 Thursday
FEAST
OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD-JUNIPERO SERRA
2 Chronicles, Chapter 20, Verse 29
And the FEAR of God came upon all the kingdoms of the surrounding lands
when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.
Fear is
a natural response to the unknown and to powers beyond comprehension. After
experiencing our Lord for forty days after the resurrection and seeing him
leave again and without the Holy Spirit’s presence the disciples were heartbroken but He promised them that He would
send the Holy Spirit saying it is better for us that He leave us so we may
receive power from on high. The first gift of the Holy Spirit is the gift of
Holy fear; to respond to God’s love as a son or daughter rather than a servant.
Feast of the Precious
Blood[1]
July
first is the Feast of the Precious Blood. This is a feast that does not exist
in the new Roman Calendar of Pope Paul VI. It is still, however, in the
traditional Roman calendar of the 1962 usage. Both halves of the year, in
January and July, begin with the commemoration of the Precious Blood of Jesus.
January 1 is the feast of the Circumcision, when the Precious Blood of Jesus
was first shed. July 1 is the commemoration of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
as it is preserved in all Catholic churches at the hour of Mass. The Precious
Blood of Jesus was given to Him to divinize by Mary, the Mother of God. Between
Jesus and Mary there was a perpetual interflow of blood for nine months when He
was a Child in her womb. Anyone can see how divinized Mary became by this
interchange of blood for nearly a year. Everyone who wishes to become a son of
God the Father, as he becomes by Sanctifying Grace, must also become a child of
Mary the Virgin, by receiving in his mouth the Blessed Eucharist which is the
Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. All the
saints of the Old Testament, when their bodies rise from the grave on the Last
Day, will receive the Precious Blood of Jesus. Our Lord said of the chalice
which contained His Precious Blood at the Last Supper, “I will not drink of
this fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it with you new in
the Kingdom of My Father.” The Kingdom of God the Father, whose sons we
divinely by adoption, is also the Queendom of Mary the Virgin, whose children
we must incarnately become in order to enjoy the happiness of Heaven forever.
California might not have any Confederate statues, but we do have plenty of monuments to Junipero Serra, widely known as the "father" of the California Missions. The story of the mass destruction of the Native population in California is less prevalent in the history books. The statue was torn down with a rope around the neck, its head splashed with blood-red paint. As the statue lay on the ground, Native children used it as a bench. Activists tore down a Serra statue in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park last week, as well as a statue of Francis Scott Key, author of the American anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner," who was a known slave owner. Serra was a Spanish priest, who came to what was then Alta California (part of Mexico), to spread Catholicism to the indigenous population. (Here in L.A. that was mostly people from the Tongva tribe. And by "spread" Catholicism, we mean force it upon them. Serra eventually spearheaded 21 missions on the coast, from San Diego to San Francisco. The missionaries were responsible for the ultimate destruction of Tongva culture. Tongva people who joined the missions in California essentially became slaves, forced to do manual labor. They suffered from disease, many of the women were raped, and thousands died or were killed. Those who resisted and remained in the countryside often starved, as their hunting grounds were turned into farms by the colonizers. This according to BLM (communist organization) supporters.
St. Junipero Serra
In 1776, when the American revolution was beginning
in the east, another part of the future United States was being born in
California. That year a gray-robed Franciscan founded Mission San Juan
Capistrano, now famous for its annually returning swallows. San Juan was the
seventh of nine missions established under the direction of this indomitable
Spaniard. Born on Spain's island of Mallorca, Serra entered the Franciscan
Order, taking the name of Saint Francis' childlike companion, Brother Juniper.
Until he was thirty-five, he spent most of his time in the classroom-first as a
student of theology and then as a professor. He also became famous for his
preaching. Suddenly he gave it all up and followed the yearning that had begun
years before when he heard about the missionary work of Saint Francis Solanus
in South America. Junipero's desire was to convert native peoples in the New
World.
Arriving by ship at Vera Cruz, Mexico, he and a
companion walked the 250 miles to Mexico City. On the way Junipero's left leg
became infected by an insect bite and would remain a cross, often
life-threatening, the rest of his life. For eighteen years he worked in central
Mexico and in the Baja Peninsula. He became president of the missions there.
Enter politics: the threat of a Russian invasion
south from Alaska. Charles III of Spain ordered an expedition to beat Russia to
the territory. So the last two conquistadores-one military, one spiritual-began
their quest. Jose de Galvez persuaded Junipero to set out with him for present-day
Monterey, California. The first mission founded after the nine-hundred-mile
journey north was San Diego (1769). That year a shortage of food almost
canceled the expedition. Vowing to stay with the local people, Junipero and
another friar began a novena in preparation for Saint Joseph's day, March 19,
the scheduled day of departure. On that day, the relief ship arrived.
Other missions followed: Monterey/Carmel (1770); San
Antonio and San Gabriel (1771); San Luis Obispo (1772); San Francisco and San
Juan Capistrano (1776); Santa Clara (1777); San Buenaventura (1782). Twelve
more were founded after Serra's death.
Junipero made the long trip to Mexico City to settle
great differences with the military commander. He arrived at the point of
death. The outcome was substantially what Junipero sought: the famous
"Regulation" protecting the Indians and the missions. It was the
basis for the first significant legislation in California, a "Bill of
Rights" for Native Americans.
Because the Native Americans were living a nonhuman
life from the Spanish point of view, the friars were made their legal
guardians. The Native Americans were kept at the mission after Baptism lest
they be corrupted in their former haunts — a move that has brought cries of
"injustice" from some moderns.
Junipero's missionary life was a long battle with
cold and hunger, with unsympathetic military commanders and even with danger of
death from non-Christian native peoples. Through it all his unquenchable zeal
was fed by prayer each night, often from midnight until dawn. He baptized over
six thousand people and confirmed five thousand. His travels would have circled
the globe. He brought the Native Americans not only the gift of faith but also
a decent standard of living. He won their love, as witnessed especially by
their grief at his death. He is buried at Mission San Carlo Borromeo, Carmel,
and was beatified in 1988.
Excerpted from
Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.
Things to Do:
·
Read about St. Junipero Serra and the California
Missions here and here.
·
Read this excellent article at Catholicism.org.
·
Send someone an e-card
for St. Junipero's feast.
·
Purchase a copy of The Man Who Founded California: The Life of Blessed Junipero
Serra from Amazon.com.
Daily Devotions
·
do
a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[2]https://laist.com/2020/06/20/native_angelenos_tore_down_a_statue_of_junipero_serra_in_solidarity_with_black_lives_matter.php
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