If you haven't completed the 5 first Saturday's yet; start this Saturday and finish on the first Saturday in December and our Lady will lead you to her Son.
First Saturday
FEAST
OF THE TRANSFIGURATION-ROOT BEER FLOAT
Luke, Chapter 12, Verse 32
Do not be AFRAID any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give
you the kingdom.
Kingdom of God?[1]
Sometimes we can mistake our familiarity with a term or phrase with our understanding of it. If you’re not terribly sure what is meant by the Kingdom of God, then keep reading. Did you know that the phrase, “Kingdom of God” occurs 122 times in the New Testament? Did you know that 99 of these occurrences are found in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke)?
Did you know that 90 of
those 99 occurrences come from the mouth of Jesus?
Yeah, me neither. That was
until I read Jesus
of Nazareth, volume 1 by, now, pope emeritus
Benedict. If you haven’t yet read it yet, you really should.
let’s examine three
historic and harmonizing interpretations of the kingdom of God, each of which
shed light on this important concept.
The
Christological Dimension
Here we see that “the
Kingdom is not a thing; it is not a geographical dominion like worldly
kingdoms. It is a person; it is he. On this interpretation, the term ‘Kingdom
of God’ is itself a veiled Christology. By the way in which he speaks of the
Kingdom of God, Jesus leads men to realize the overwhelming fact that in him
God himself is present among them, that he is God’s presence.” (Pope Benedict,
Jesus of Nazareth, Part 1)
The
Idealistic/Mystical Dimension
Here we see that The
Kingdom of God resides in the heart of man. Church Father, Origen wrote, “those
who pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God pray without any doubt for the
Kingdom of God that they contain in themselves, and they pray that this kingdom
might bear fruit and attain its fullness.”
The
Ecclesiastical Dimension
Here we see that the
kingdom of God is in the here and now, present in and through the Church. Yet
it is a mixed reality that will only be perfectly realized at the end of
history. This current “mixed” state can be seen as the Church on earth which
now grows in the field of the world with both weeds and wheat until the harvest
when Christ says he will “tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind
them in bundles to be burned. But gather the wheat into my barn” (Matt
13:30).
First Saturday[2]
The following is an
explanation of the conditions contained in Our Lady's request regarding the
Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays of the Month.
1.
Confess and receive
Holy Communion
On February 15, 1926,
the Child Jesus alone came to visit Sr. Lucia and asked if the devotion to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary was being propagated. Sr. Lucia spoke of a difficulty
some people have in confessing on the first Saturday and asked if they might be
allowed eight days in order to fulfill Our Lady's requests. Jesus answered: "Yes,
even more time still, as long as they receive Me in the state of grace and have
the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary."
2.
Recite the
Rosary
Five decades of the
Rosary may be recited at any time or place; yet, since one will be attending
Mass in order to receive Holy Communion, a very desirable time and place would
be before or after Mass in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Meditation on
the mysteries according to one's capacity is an essential condition for praying
the Rosary. Yet, involuntary distractions do not rob the Rosary of fruit if one
is doing the best he can.
3.
"Keep me
company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the mysteries of the
Rosary."
The question is often
asked: Does the meditation while reciting the Rosary fulfill this condition, or
is there required an additional
fifteen minutes of meditation? That an additional 15 minutes of
meditation is required was recently confirmed by Sr. Lucia of Fatima. It is
clear too from a statement by the first Bishop of Fatima.
The last entry in the
chronology of Fatima, published in the official Calendar of the Sanctuary for
the year of 1940, and signed by Dom Jose Correia da Silva, the first Bishop of
Fatima, gave a summary of Our Lady's requests concerning the Five First
Saturdays. From that official statement in the Calendar of the Sanctuary, we
read the bishop’s enumeration of the various items that pertain to the devotion
of the five Saturdays:
It consists in going
to Confession, receiving Communion, reciting five decades of the Rosary and
meditating for a quarter of an hour on the mysteries of the Rosary on the first
Saturday of five consecutive months. The Confession may be made during the
eight days preceding or following the first Saturday of each month, provided
that Holy Communion be received in the state of grace. Should one forget to
form the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, it may
be formed at the next Confession, occasion to go to confession being taken at
the first opportunity.
The meditation embraces
one or more mysteries; it may
even include all, taken together or separately, according to individual
attraction or devotion; but it is preferable to meditate on one mystery each month.
Speaking of the
requirement of "keeping me company for fifteen minutes while meditating
on the mysteries of the Rosary," the bishop’s comment that "it
is preferable to meditate on one mystery each month" could apply only
to an extra fifteen minutes, for each decade of the Rosary must have its own
particular meditation. This is clear from the definition of the Rosary given in
the official document of the Church on indulgences, the ENCHIRIDION OF
INDULGENCES published by Pope Paul VI in 1968. It describes the Rosary as
follows:
"The Rosary is a
certain formula of prayer, which is made up of fifteen decades of HAIL MARYS
with an OUR FATHER before each decade, and in which the recitation of each decade is accompanied by pious
meditation on a particular mystery of our Redemption." (n. 48)
Like the Rosary, this
meditation may be made any time or place during the first Saturday. Yet again,
like the Rosary, a very fitting time and place would be in the presence of the
Blessed Sacrament before or after Mass. The question has been asked:
"Would an extra Rosary, which would require about fifteen minutes, fulfill
this request? It would seem, if fruitfully meditated, that it would. Or again,
the time could be spent reading
meditatively on one of the fifteen mysteries, which is a form of mental
prayer that involves reading with frequent pauses to reflect on the matter
read.
4.
With the
intention of making reparation.
All of the conditions
mentioned above - in numbers 1 to 3 - should be fulfilled with the intention of
making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On the occasion of the visit
of the Child Jesus to Sr. Lucia (Feb. 16, 1926), she asked: "My Jesus,
what about those who forget to make the intention?" Jesus answered: "They
can do so at their next confession, taking advantage of their first opportunity
to go to Confession."
The above are the
minimum requirements for fulfilling the conditions of Our Lady's promise to
obtain for us "at the hour of death the graces necessary for
salvation." Yet, these Communions of reparation, as has been pointed
out, are only a portion of the devotion of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. These
few pages are meant to help bring about a frame of mind and heart that will
make us aware of the need of reparation all through the month, and not just on
the first Saturday.
WHY FIVE SATURDAYS?
It
is sometimes asked why Our Lady asked for Communions of reparation on five
first Saturdays, instead of some other number. Our Blessed Lord answered that
question when He appeared to Sr. Lucia May 29, 1930. He explained that it was
because of five kinds of offenses and blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart
of Mary, namely: blasphemies against her Immaculate Conception, against her
perpetual virginity, against the divine and spiritual maternity of Mary,
blasphemies involving the rejection and dishonoring of her images, and the
neglect of implanting in the hearts of children a knowledge and love of this
Immaculate Mother.
Feast of the Transfiguration[3]
This is the second commemoration during the liturgical year of the miracle of the Transfiguration. (The first, on the second Sunday in Lent, recalls Christ's divinity, while today emphasizes His triumph and glory.
GOSPEL Matt xvii 1-9
At that time: Jesus taketh unto Him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: and He was transfigured before them. And His face did shine as the sun: and His garments became white as snow. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with Him. And Peter, answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo a voice out of the cloud saying: This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased: hear ye Him. And the disciple’s hearing, fell upon their face: and were very much afraid. And Jesus came and touched them: and said to them: Arise, and fear not. And they lifting up their eyes saw no one, but only Jesus. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of man be risen from the dead.
Why was Jesus transfigured before His
disciples on Mount Thabor?
1. To give them a manifest proof of His
divinity.
2. To prevent all doubt on their part when
they should see Him on Mount Calvary.
3. To encourage all the faithful to patience
under agony and suffering.
4. To show us how our glorified bodies shall
rise from the dead (i. Cor. xv. 52).
Why did Moses and Elias appear with Our Lord? To testify that Jesus, was the Savior of the world, spoken of by the law and the prophets.
Night Operations[4]
This vision happened in the night. As they went down the
mountain early the next morning, Jesus bade them not to tell anyone what they
had seen till he should be risen from the dead. In the Transfiguration Christ
enjoyed for a short while that glorified state which was to be permanently His
after His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. The splendor of His inward Divinity
and of the Beatific Vision of His soul overflowed on His body and permeated His
garments so that Christ stood before Peter, James, and John in a snow-white
brightness. The purpose of the Transfiguration was to encourage and strengthen
the Apostles who were depressed by their master’s prediction of His own Passion
and Death. The Apostles were made to understand that His redeeming work has two
phases: The Cross, and glory—that we shall be glorified with Him only if we
first suffer with Him.
Transfiguration-Things to do:[5]
- In the
Russian Orthodox church, honey, pears, apples, plums and other fruits are
brought to the church for blessing. This feast is also referred to as "Metamorphosis"
in the Eastern church.
- The
Transfiguration was another "first fruits" harvest feast
particularly of grapes and wheat. The Roman Ritual has a blessing of
grapes and blessing of the harvest for this feast.
- Playing up on
the brilliant white of the garments, decorating with white (tablecloth,
candles, etc.) and serving some white foods (mashed potatoes, vanilla ice
cream, Mexican wedding cookies, meringues, etc.) can bring to mind that
dazzling white.
- Having Moses
and Elijah at the Transfiguration is a reminder of the Old Testament.
Bring in some Jewish recipes or foods to highlight this aspect of the
feast day.
The Catholic Tradition of
Harvest Feasts of Thanksgiving[6]
The High Middle Ages
(approximately 1000 to 1250 A.D.) marked the beginning of harvest feasts of
thanksgiving with Catholic nations. These festivals were attached to particular
saint or feast days. Not all days were celebrated everywhere, but they would
vary in different countries throughout the liturgical year. Each date links to
the CatholicCulture.org page on which the sidebar provides further information
in the sections of Activities, Prayers, Recipes, etc. for the feast day:
- Feast
of the Transfiguration, August 6—This feast corresponds with the Jewish
feast of Booths or Tabernacles. Both in Eastern churches and in Rome have
the blessing of grapes, raisins and other fruits, wine and also blessing
and incorporating the wheat grains in the celebration, particularly wheat
pilaf. For more information, see my two previous commentaries on the Transfiguration.
- Feast
of the Assumption, August 15—In many Germanic countries this is
thanksgiving harvest for first fruits, herbs and flowers, with the Roman
Ritual including a Blessing of Fruits and Herbs for this feast. For more
information, see my post on the Assumption.
- Feast
of St. Bartholomew, August 24—Because St. Bartholomew is
the patron of shepherds and husbandmen, in Britain this was another
harvest feast for shepherds and farmers. Lamb and mutton are the
traditional foods for this feast.
Root Beer Float Day[7]
Root Beer Float Day is celebrated on August 6th every year. Between the luxurious vanilla ice-cream and the sumptuous root beer foam, how can any individual resist this delightful beverage? This amazingly refreshing summer treat has its own special day to celebrate its undeniable brilliance. Towards the end of the 19th century, a gentleman named Frank Wisner created the first root beer float. Strangely, this float was nicknamed the “black cow.” If you are wondering how to make one of these superb drinks, then simply add a scoop of vanilla ice-cream to a cold glass of root beer. The taste of root beer float makes the taste buds tingle with utter excitement. To celebrate Root Beer Float Day why not create your own float? Make the float colorful and presentable so that other people can see you have really made an effort for this special occasion!
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY
SECTION TWO-THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH
CHAPTER
ONE-THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION
Article 3 THE SACRAMENT OF THE
EUCHARIST
III. The
Eucharist in the Economy of Salvation
The signs of bread and wine
1333 At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the bread
and wine that, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit,
become Christ's Body and Blood. Faithful to the Lord's command the Church
continues to do, in his memory and until his glorious return, what he did on
the eve of his Passion: "He took bread...." "He took the cup
filled with wine...." the signs of bread and wine become, in a way
surpassing understanding, the Body and Blood of Christ; they continue also to
signify the goodness of creation. Thus in the Offertory we give thanks to the
Creator for bread and wine, fruit of the "work of human hands,"
but above all as "fruit of the earth" and "of the vine" -
gifts of the Creator. the Church sees in the gesture of the king-priest Melchizedek,
who "brought out bread and wine," a prefiguring of her own offering.
1334 In the Old Covenant bread and wine were offered in
sacrifice among the first fruits of the earth as a sign of grateful
acknowledgment to the Creator. But they also received a new significance in the
context of the Exodus: the unleavened bread that Israel eats every year at
Passover commemorates the haste of the departure that liberated them from
Egypt; the remembrance of the manna in the desert will always recall to Israel that
it lives by the bread of the Word of God; their daily bread is the fruit
of the promised land, the pledge of God's faithfulness to his promises.
The "cup of blessing" at the end of the Jewish Passover meal
adds to the festive joy of wine an eschatological dimension: the messianic
expectation of the rebuilding of Jerusalem. When Jesus instituted the
Eucharist, he gave a new and definitive meaning to the blessing of the bread
and the cup.
1335 The miracles of the multiplication of the loaves, when the
Lord says the blessing, breaks and distributes the loaves through his disciples
to feed the multitude, prefigure the superabundance of this unique bread of his
Eucharist. The sign of water turned into wine at Cana already announces
the Hour of Jesus' glorification. It makes manifest the fulfillment of the
wedding feast in the Father's kingdom, where the faithful will drink the new
wine that has become the Blood of Christ.
1336 The first announcement of the Eucharist divided the
disciples, just as the announcement of the Passion scandalized them: "This
is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" The Eucharist and the Cross
are stumbling blocks. It is the same mystery and it never ceases to be an
occasion of division. "Will you also go away?": The Lord's
question echoes through the ages, as a loving invitation to discover that only
he has "the words of eternal life" and that to receive in faith
the gift of his Eucharist is to receive the Lord himself.
The institution of the Eucharist
1337 The Lord, having loved those who were his own, loved them
to the end. Knowing that the hour had come to leave this world and return to
the Father, in the course of a meal he washed their feet and gave them the
commandment of love. In order to leave them a pledge of this love, in order
never to depart from his own and to make them sharers in his Passover, he
instituted the Eucharist as the memorial of his death and Resurrection, and
commanded his apostles to celebrate it until his return; "thereby he
constituted them priests of the New Testament."
1338 The three synoptic Gospels and St. Paul have handed on to
us the account of the institution of the Eucharist; St. John, for his part,
reports the words of Jesus in the synagogue of Capernaum that prepare for the
institution of the Eucharist: Christ calls himself the bread of life, come down
from heaven.
1339 Jesus chose the time of Passover to fulfill what he had
announced at Capernaum: giving his disciples his Body and his Blood:
Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the
passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying,
"Go and prepare the passover meal for us, that we may eat it...."
They went ... and prepared the passover. and when the hour came, he sat at
table, and the apostles with him. and he said to them, "I have earnestly
desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you I shall
not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.".... and he
took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them,
saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of
me." and likewise the cup after supper, saying, "This cup which is
poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood."
1340 By celebrating the Last Supper with his apostles in the
course of the Passover meal, Jesus gave the Jewish Passover its definitive
meaning. Jesus' passing over to his father by his death and Resurrection, the
new Passover, is anticipated in the Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist,
which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the
Church in the glory of the kingdom.
"Do this in memory of me"
1341 The command of Jesus to repeat his actions and words
"until he comes" does not only ask us to remember Jesus and what he
did. It is directed at the liturgical celebration, by the apostles and their
successors, of the memorial of Christ, of his life, of his death, of his
Resurrection, and of his intercession in the presence of the Father.
1342 From the beginning the Church has been faithful to the
Lord's command. of the Church of Jerusalem it is written:
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.... Day by day, attending
the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food
with glad and generous hearts.
1343 It was above all on "the first day of the week,"
Sunday, the day of Jesus' resurrection, that the Christians met "to break
bread." From that time on down to our own day the celebration of the
Eucharist has been continued so that today we encounter it everywhere in the
Church with the same fundamental structure. It remains the center of the
Church's life.
1344 Thus from celebration to celebration, as they proclaim the
Paschal mystery of Jesus "until he comes," the pilgrim People of God
advances, "following the narrow way of the cross," toward the
heavenly banquet, when all the elect will be seated at the table of the
kingdom.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Authentic
Feminism
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: August
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Let
Freedom Ring Day 30
·
Rosary
Comments
Post a Comment