Sunday, June 11, 2023
Second Sunday after Pentecost
SAINT BARNABAS
Joshua, Chapter 4, Verse 14
That
day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel,
and so during his whole life they FEARED him as they had feared
Moses.
Sometimes
we are tempted to follow any leader who is popular. We forget God’s warning
about following the proud and evil hearted, for
lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all
evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,
leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. (Mal 3: 19)
We may think that following the leadership of our
bishops is a waste of time. You have said, “It is useless to
serve God; what do we gain by observing God’s requirements, and by going about
as mourners-before the LORD of hosts? But we call the arrogant
blessed; for evildoers not only prosper but even test God and escape.” (Mal 3:14-15)
God
knows the heart of a man and if his heart be true God raises that man up as He
did Joshua and Moses. God is not a God of the past and continues to this day in
the action of raising a man up and He does so in our Priests and Bishops. Just
like an architect that uses rocks and sticks to become temples or bridges God
uses men to build his Kingdom. Strive therefore to be God’s man or women.
Emulate Joshua in proclaiming, if it is
displeasing to you to serve the LORD, choose today whom you will serve, the
gods your ancestors served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in
whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the
LORD. (Joshua 24:15).
We
should have a holy fear of our Priest and Bishops. We should follow their
guidance as we would a beloved father or brother. Like Joshua that led the
armies of God today the Bishop of Phoenix asks us men to enter into the breach.[1]
ON KEEPING
THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[2]
CHAPTER III
DIES ECCLESIAE
The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday
The table of the word
39. As in every Eucharistic
celebration, the Risen Lord is encountered in the Sunday assembly at the
twofold table of the word and of the Bread of Life. The table of the word
offers the same understanding of the history of salvation and especially of the
Paschal Mystery which the Risen Jesus himself gave to his disciples: it is
Christ who speaks, present as he is in his word "when Sacred Scripture is
read in the Church". At the table of the Bread of Life, the Risen Lord
becomes really, substantially and enduringly present through the memorial of
his Passion and Resurrection, and the Bread of Life is offered as a pledge of
future glory. The Second Vatican Council recalled that "the Liturgy of the
Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist are so closely joined together that they
form a single act of worship". The Council also urged that "the table
of the word of God be more lavishly prepared for the faithful, opening to them
more abundantly the treasures of the Bible". It then decreed that, in Masses
of Sunday and holy days of obligation, the homily should not be omitted except
for serious reasons. These timely decrees were faithfully embodied in the
liturgical reform, about which Paul VI wrote, commenting upon the richer
offering of biblical readings on Sunday and holy days: "All this has been
decreed so as to foster more and more in the faithful 'that hunger for hearing
the word of the Lord' (Am 8:11) which, under the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, spurs the People of the New Covenant on towards the perfect unity of the
Church".
Second Sunday after Pentecost[3]
ON this Sunday also, the Church, in
consideration of God’s love towards us, animates us to love Him and our
neighbor, and sings at the Introit of the Mass: "The Lord became my
protector, and He brought me forth into a large place; He saved me because He
was well pleased with me. I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my
rock, my refuge, and my deliverer."
Prayer.
Grant, O Lord, that we may have a
perpetual fear and love of Thy holy name, for Thou never ceasest to direct and
govern, by Thy grace, those whom Thou instructest in the solidity of Thy love. Amen
EPISTLE, i. John Hi. 13-18.
Dearly Beloved: Wonder not if the
world hate you. "We know that we have passed from death to life, because
we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death; whosoever hateth his
brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding
in himself. In this we have known the charity of God, because He hath laid down
His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. He that
hath the substance of this world, and shall see his brother in need, and shall
shut up his bowels from him, how doth the charity of God abide in him? My
little children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but indeed and in
truth. Explanation. A true Christian may be known by the love he has for his
neighbor. For as it belongs to a child of this world, to the wicked, the
godless, to hate and persecute the man whose life contradicts their own, so, on
the other hand, love of one’s neighbor, of one’s enemy, is the mark by which to
know whether a man is truly regenerated and translated from the death of sin to
spiritual life. For he that loveth not, abideth in death cannot become a child
of God, Who is love; has not in him the life of God ; rather he is a murderer,
because his lack of love, and his hatred, have first deprived him of spiritual
life, and next become the source of all other offences against his neighbor, of
scandal, of seduction like Satan, of murder like Cain.
GOSPEL. Luke xiv. 16-24.
At
that time Jesus spoke to the Pharisees this parable: A certain man made a great
supper, and invited many. And he sent his servant at the hour of supper to say
to them that were invited, that they should come, for now all things are ready.
And they began all at once to make excuse. The first said to him: I have bought
a farm, and I must needs go out and see it: I pray thee, hold me excused. And
another said: I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to try them: I pray
thee, hold me excused. And another said: I have married a wife, and therefore I
cannot come. And the servant returning told these things to his lord. Then the
master of the house, being angry, said to his servant: Go out quickly into the
streets and lanes of the city: and bring in hither the poor and the feeble, and
the blind and the lame. And the servant said: Lord, it is done as thou hast
commanded, and yet there is room. And the Lord said to the servant: Go out into
the highways and hedges; and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
But I say unto you that none of those men that were invited shall taste of my
supper. How is the parable of the great supper to be understood? By the supper
is meant the kingdom of God upon earth, the Church of Christ, in which are
deposited all the treasures of grace, for the nourishment, strengthening, and
sanctification of our souls. It is a great supper, because the Church is to
take in all men of all times. Jesus, the Godman, Himself prepares this supper
by establishing His Church. The servant represents the apostles and the
successors whom He sends into all the world, to call both Jews and gentiles.
The first invited were the Jews, to whom the coming of the Messiahs had been
announced beforehand, and who were the first called to the Church. What is
denoted by the excuses of those invited? He who bought a farm signifies those
proud and avaricious men who seek only for temporal goods; he who wished to try
his five yoke of oxen represents those too-busy persons who find no time to do
anything for God and heaven; finally, he who could not come on account of his
wife stands for those sensual persons who, through the lusts and pleasures of
sense, render themselves insensible to heavenly joys. Now as the Jews, by such
worthless excuses, had shown themselves unworthy to be received into the
kingdom of God, they were accordingly shut out, and others called in their
stead. Who are these others? First, the humble and docile Jews, who were the
opposite of the proud, avaricious, and sensual Pharisees; and in the next place
those gentiles prepared for Christianity, who, through the apostles and their
successors, were brought into the Church from the four quarters of the world.
In what other sense may this parable be understood? St. Gregory interprets it
as referring to the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. That is, indeed, a feast
to which all are invited, which offers the fulness of graces and spiritual
gifts, and is, therefore, fitly called a great feast; it is despised by the
sensual, proud, and earthly; but to the penitent, the humble, the loving, it
conveys innumerable blessings and inestimable benefits.
LESSONS AGAINST
IMPURITY.
" I have
married a wife, and therefore cannot come." Luke xiv. 20.
By introducing in this parable a
wedding as an excuse, Our Savior points out impurity as a hinderance to
entering into the kingdom of heaven; that is, the violation of modesty, either
in thought, imagination, or desire, in gesture, words, dress, or actions; thus
He would show us how detestable, shameful, and pernicious is this vice, which
makes men so miserable, and incite us to purity and chastity, in whatever state
of life we may live.
On account of this sin of impurity,
God repented of having created mankind, and brought the flood upon the earth,
de stroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone, cut off the brothers Her
and Onan by sudden death, and gave nearly the whole tribe of Benjamin to be
slain.
What are the best means to preserve
us from impurity?
1. Avoid the following: (a) idleness,
which breeds evil thoughts and desires; (b) reading bad books; (c) excess in
eating and drinking; (d) bad company.
2. Preserve modesty, which is a safeguard against impurity; (a) reverence God; (b) remember the bitter passion and death of Our Savior; (c) think frequently of death, judgment, and hell.
3. Flee the first sin; dread the first thought, the first motion; avoid, also, what appears a trifling thing, if it offends modesty.
4. Be zealous in prayer to God, and to His blessed Mother.
5. Restrain your senses, particularly your eyes. Learn to be abstemious, and deny yourself even lawful enjoyments and pleasures, that you may the more easily give up those that are unlawful.
6. Watch always, and especially on occasions that cannot be avoided.
7. Finally, go often to holy communion, and choose a zealous confessor, in whom you ought to place entire confidence and follow as your father. Think on God; combat on every occasion promptly, without making terms; call confidently on God for help, and you will carry off the victory, and become worthy, one day, to be a follower of the Lamb.
Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of
Christ) is a Eucharistic solemnity, or better, the solemn commemoration of the
institution of that sacrament. It is, moreover, the Church's official act of
homage and gratitude to Christ, who by instituting the Holy Eucharist gave to
the Church her greatest treasure. Holy Thursday, assuredly, marks the
anniversary of the institution, but the commemoration of the Lord's passion
that very night suppresses the rejoicing proper to the occasion. Today's
observance, therefore, accents the joyous aspect of Holy Thursday.
The Mass and the Office for the feast
was edited or composed by St. Thomas Aquinas upon the request of Pope Urban IV
in the year 1264. It is unquestionably a classic piece of liturgical work,
wholly in accord with the best liturgical traditions. . . It is a perfect work
of art.
Things to Do:[4]
·
The Directory
on Popular Piety explains Eucharistic devotion and Eucharistic
adoration.
·
Encourage your pastor to have a Eucharist Procession on the Feast of Corpus Christi.
·
Freshly baked bread would be a key dish at your
celebratory Sunday dinner, as bread has always been symbolic for life giving
and nourishment, as is the Eucharist. We have also highlighted a Christmas
cookie recipe called Lebkuchen (life cake), which is rich in symbolism.
·
Two newer church documents to read:
o
The fourteenth encyclical letter of Pope John
Paul II Ecclesia de
Eucharistia (On the Eucharist in Its Relationship to the Church)
released on Holy Thursday, April 17, 2003. The focus of the papal encyclical is
the celebration of the Eucharist; the Pope reminds us that the Eucharist is the
center of Catholic spiritual life.
o
Redemptionis
Sacramentum (On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the
Most Holy Eucharist), an Instruction released by the Congregation
for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on March 25, 2004.
Sunday Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius
Parsch.
Patum de
Berga[5]
The Patum de Berga is a popular and traditional
festival that is celebrated each year in the Catalan city of Berga
(Barcelona) during Corpus Christi. It
consists of a series of "dances" (balls) by townspeople
dressed as mystical and symbolical figures. The balls are marked by their
solemnity and their ample use of fire and pyrotechnics. It was declared a Traditional
Festival of National Interest by the Generalitat
de Catalunya in
1983, and as a Masterpiece of the Oral and
Intangible Heritage of Humanity
by UNESCO in 2005. In Catalonia, Corpus Cristi is celebrated with
the tradition of the dancing
egg. There is
evidence this tradition dates from the 16th century.
Body of Christ[6]
Feast of Corpus Christi, in the U.S., said on the Sunday rather than the Thursday after the
Feast of the Holy Trinity. An adoration of the Food that sustains us on our
post-Pentecostal pilgrimage and "the pledge of our future glory" The
history of Corpus Christi started with a humble Belgian girl at
the age of sixteen, who began having visions of a bright moon marred by a small
black spot. After years of seeing this perplexing portent, Jesus Christ
appeared to her and revealed its meaning. The moon, He told her, represented
the Church calendar, and the black spot the absence of a feast in honor of the
Blessed Sacrament. That nun was St.
Juliana, Prioress of Mont Cornillon (1258), and the Feast she was
commissioned by our Lord to promote was the feast of Corpus Christi. Even before its universal promotion in 1314,
Corpus Christi was one of the grandest
feasts of the Roman rite. At the request of Pope Urban IV (d. 1264), the
Mass proper’s and divine office for this day were composed or arranged by St. Thomas Aquinas, whose teaching on
the Real Presence was so profound that the figure of Jesus Christ once
descended from a crucifix and declared to him, "Thou hast written well of
me, Thomas." The mastery with which Aquinas weaves together the
scriptural, poetic, and theological texts of this feast amply corroborates this
conclusion.
Processions & Pageants
Though
Maundy Thursday is in a sense the primary feast of the Blessed Sacrament,
Corpus Christi allows the faithful to specially reflect on and give thanks for
the Eucharist. Hence there arose a number of observances centered on
Eucharistic adoration. The most conspicuous of these is the splendid Corpus
Christi procession. This public profession of the Catholic teaching
on the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament was solemnly encouraged
by the Council of Trent: there is even an indulgence attached to all who
participate in it. By the 1600s, the procession on Corpus Christi had become the
most famous of the year. Long parades of faithful walk with the Blessed
Sacrament (carried in a monstrance by the priest) while church bells peal and
bands play. In Latin countries, the streets are blanketed with boughs and
flowers, often elaborately woven together. Sometimes a variation on the custom
of Stations is employed (see Stational
Churches, etc.), where the procession stops at several points for
benediction and adoration. By its very nature, the Corpus Christi procession
encouraged pageantry. In addition to the grandeur mentioned above, vivid symbolic
reenactments of various teachings became a part of the procession.
During the height of baroque piety, people impersonating demons would run along
aside the Blessed Sacrament, pantomiming their fright and fear of
the Real Presence. Others would dress as ancient’s gods and goddesses to
symbolize how even the pagan past must rise and pay homage to Christ. Still
others would carry all sorts of representations of sacred history: Moses and
the serpent, David and Goliath, the Easter lamb, the Blessed Virgin, etc. But
the most popular of all these was the custom of having children dress as angels. Appearing in white (with or without
wings), these boys and girls would precede the Blessed Sacrament as symbols of
the nine choirs of heavenly hosts who ever adore the Panis Angelicum,
the Bread of Angels.
At Holy Trinity German Church, the Corpus Christi procession was the most
important of the year. One witness to the procession of 1851 wrote:
The girls clad in white, with lilies in their hands,
groups of symbolic figures, with banner and flags, the boys with staffs and
rods, all the associations of the parish with their signs and symbols and
burning candles, finally the flower-strewing little children preceding the
clergy -- all these made a fantastic impression (from Holy Trinity German Catholic Church of Boston:
A Way of Life, Robert J. Sauer (Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing,
1994), p. 49)
Plays
Medieval piety is famous, among other things, for its mystery
plays, theatrical pieces held after Mass on great feast days that
dramatized the lesson or mystery of the day. These effective didactic tools
were enormously popular, but perhaps none so much as those held on Corpus
Christi. Shakespeare gives an oblique allusion to them when he has Prince
Hamlet speak of the Termagant, a violent, overbearing woman in long robes who
appeared often in these productions (Hamlet III.ii). Favorite medieval
saints, such as George and Margaret, would often be the protagonists, though
the details and plot varied from place to place. Perhaps the most famous of
these plays are the Autos Sacramentales (Plays of the Sacrament) by Fr.
Pedro Calderon de la Barca (1681).
Day of Wreaths
In some places of Europe Corpus Christi is known as the Day
of wreaths. Exquisite wreaths of flowers are used in the pageants, either
perched on banners, houses, and arches that stretch over the street, or worn by
the participants of the procession. The monstrance containing the Blessed
Sacrament could also be adorned with a bouquet of flowers. After the
solemnities these beautiful decorations would be taken home as keepsakes and
posted over gardens and fields for blessing and protection.
Hymns
Special mention must be made of the exquisite hymns written
by St. Thomas Aquinas for this feast and their subsequent popularity. Aquinas
wrote four: Verbum Supernum Prodiens (for Lauds), Pange Lingua
Gloriosi (Vespers), Sacris Solemniis (Matins), and Lauda
Sion Salvatoris (Mass sequence). Parts of these, in turn, were used as
separate hymns. The famous Tantum ergo Sacramentum used at Benediction
is taken from Pange Lingua and O salutaris hostia is taken from Verbum
Supernum, while Panis Angelicus is taken from Sacris Solemniis.
These hymns have become cherished treasures of Catholic devotion and worship
and should be sung with gusto on this great feast.
Thursday Traditional Corpus Christi[7]
The Feast of Corpus
Christi commemorates the sacrament of Holy Communion in the Roman Catholic
Church. This includes the receiving of the Eucharist which Catholics know
is the body and blood of Christ.
This feast seeks to remind us of Jesus Christ's sacrifice Do this in
remembrance of me - Luke
22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25.
In many countries, Corpus Christi is observed on the Thursday after Trinity
Sunday, however where it is not a holy day of obligation, the celebration
occurs on the Sunday that follows.
Today as Catholics we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi or the body of Christ. As Catholics the one thing that has always been consistent in the church is the taking of the body of our Lord.
While they
were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and
said, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks,
and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, "This is
my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. (Mark 14:22-24)
Feast
of Corpus Christi Facts & Quotes
·
In
the Middle Ages, the priest was the only person who received the elements.
The congregation watched him eat the bread and drink the wine.
·
The
Sacraments are Jesus Christ's presence in us. So, it is important for us
to go to Confession and receive Holy Communion. - Pope Francis via twitter on Nov 23, 2013.
Feast
of Corpus Christi Top Events and Things to Do
·
If
you're Christian, go to Mass and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of Corpus
Christi.
·
Travel
to the Vatican City and watch the annual procession of the Blessed Sacrament,
headed by the Pope, through the streets of Rome.
·
A
wide range of theologies exist about Holy Communion. Read about how the
elements of bread and wine are related to the body and blood of Christ
depending on your denomination.
Novena to
the Sacred Heart[8]
This novena prayer was
recited every day by Padre Pio for all who asked for his prayer. You are
invited to recite it daily, so as to be spiritually united with the prayer of
St. Pio of Pietrelcina.
Prayers
I. O my
Jesus, You have said "Truly I say to you, ask and you shall receive, seek
and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you." Behold I knock,
I seek, and I ask for the grace of . . . .
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father...
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
II. O my
Jesus, You have said, "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the
Father in My Name, He will give it to you." Behold, in Your name, I ask
the Father for the grace of . . . .
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father...
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
III. O my
Jesus, You have said, "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass
away, but My words will not pass away." Encouraged by Your infallible
words, I now ask for the grace of . . . .
Our
Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father... Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all
my trust in you.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible
not to have compassion on the afflicted, have mercy on us sinners, and grant us
the grace which we ask of You, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of
Mary, Your tender mother and ours.
Say
the Hail Holy Queen (Salve Regina) prayer. Conclude with St. Joseph, foster
father of Jesus, pray for us.
St.
Barnabas[9]
Strictly
speaking, Barnabas was not an apostle, but the title has been bestowed upon him
since very early times. His first name was Joseph; Barnabas (etymology:
"son of consolation") was a surname. He belonged to the tribe of
Levi. He was a Hellenist, that is, a Jew who lived outside of Palestine and
spoke the Greek tongue. Born in Cyprus, he embraced the faith soon after the
death of Christ, becoming a member of the original Jerusalem community. His
first noteworthy deed was to sell his belongings and place the money at the
feet of the apostles. It is to his lasting credit that he befriended the
neo-convert Paul and introduced him to the apostles when everyone was still
distrusting the former persecutor. More noteworthy still was his service to the
universal Church by being the first to recognize Paul's potential for the cause
of Christ; it was Barnabas who brought him from Tarsus to teach at Antioch. The
first missionary journey (about 45-48 A.D.) the two made together, and Barnabas
seems to have been the leader, at least at the beginning (Acts 13-14).
Barnabas' appearance must have been dignified and impressive, otherwise the
inhabitants of Lystra would not have regarded him as Jupiter. He was present
with Paul at the Council of Jerusalem (ca. 50). While they were preparing for
the second missionary journey, there arose a difference of opinion regarding
Mark; as a result, each continued his labors separately. Barnabas went to
Cyprus with Mark and thereafter is not referred to again in the Acts of the
Apostles or in any other authentic source. From a remark in one of Paul's letters
we know that he lived from the work of his own hands (1 Cor. 9:5-6). The time
and place of his death have not been recorded. It is claimed that his body was
found at Salamina in 488 A.D. His name is mentioned in the Canon of the Mass
since ancient times.
Excerpted
from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Antioch; Cyprus; against
hailstorms; invoked as peacemaker.
Things to Do:
- Read
the passages from the Acts of the Apostles about St. Barnabas: Acts
4:36-37; 9:26-29; 11:27-30; 12:24-25; 13:1-12; 13:27-30; 13:44-52;
14:1-14; 14:21-23; 14:36-40.
- Read
the Catholic Encyclopedia's account of the life of
St. Barnabas.
Epistle of Barnabas[10]
CHAP.
I. — AFTER THE SALUTATION, THE WRITER DECLARES THAT HE WOULD COMMUNICATE TO HIS
BRETHREN SOMETHING OF THAT WHICH HE HAD HIMSELF RECEIVED.
All
hail, ye sons and daughters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us
in peace. Seeing that the divine fruits of righteousness abound among you, I
rejoice exceedingly and above measure in your happy and honored spirits,
because ye have with such effect received the engrafted spiritual gift.
Wherefore also I inwardly rejoice the more, hoping to be saved, because I truly
perceive in you the Spirit poured forth from the rich Lords of love. Your
greatly desired appearance has thus filled me with astonishment over you. I am
therefore persuaded of this, and fully convinced in my own mind, that since I
began to speak among you I understand many things, because the Lord hath
accompanied me in the way of righteousness. I am also on this account bound by
the strictest obligation to love you above my own soul, because great are the
faith and love dwelling in you, while you hope for the life which He has
promised. Considering this, therefore, that if I should take the trouble to
communicate to you some portion of what I have myself received, it will prove
to me a sufficient reward that I minister to such spirits, I have hastened
briefly to write unto you, in order that, along with your faith, ye might have
perfect knowledge. The doctrines of the Lord, then, are three: the hope of
life, the beginning and the completion of it. For the Lord hath made known to
us by the prophets both the things which are past and present, giving us also
the first-fruits of the knowledge of things to come, which things as we see
accomplished, one by one, we ought with the greater richness of faith and
elevation of spirit to draw near to Him with reverence. I then, not as your
teacher, but as one of yourselves, will set forth a few things by which in
present circumstances ye may be rendered the more joyful. (To be cont.)
Apostolic Exhortation[11]
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
V.
Brother priests, make the Eucharist the source of all your priestly
fruitfulness.
95. My beloved brother priests,
let us make the Eucharist the source and beating heart of our priestly
ministry, our refuge, our consolation, and our only reward!
96. So, I invite each priest to
consider how he might be able to renew and deepen his priestly commitment to
make the Eucharist the true source of his life and ministry. Here are some
simple ways to consider:
- Set
aside time before the Blessed Sacrament each morning before engaging in
pastoral work.
- Do
a Eucharistic Holy Hour daily.
- Spend
30 minutes or more in adoration with fellow priests weekly or monthly.
- Start
or join a Jesus Caritas group to provide fraternal love and support
ordered around Jesus’ Eucharistic love for His priests.
- Celebrate
the Mass each day, including days-off and vacations.
VI. Pastors, have one
Eucharistic procession each year in your parish.
97. The well-known American
author Willa Cather was not a Catholic. Nevertheless, she wrote of the impact
of experiencing a Eucharistic procession. It awakened in her a deep longing for
what they had. The sensual beauty and sheer public display of Catholic faith in
the Eucharist made a deep impression on her imagination and her soul. Though
Eucharistic processions have waxed and waned in popularity, we should consider
the special opportunity provided today by this form of Eucharistic piety.
It is true that the “native environment” of the Eucharist is the Mass offered
in churches. At the same time, centuries of Catholic practice suggest that
there is indeed something uniquely enchanting, affective, and symbolic when a
procession happens.
To be continued…
Which are the fruits of the Holy Ghost? They are the twelve following:
1. Charity.
2.
Joy.
3. Peace.
4. Patience.
5. Benignity.
6. Goodness.
7. Longsuffering.
8. Mildness.
9. Faith.
10. Modesty.
11.
Continency.
12.
Chastity.
These fruits
should be visible in the Christian, for thereby men shall know that the Holy
Ghost dwells in him, as the tree is known by its fruit.
Notice I have placed the Fruits of the Holy
Spirit in stairstep fashion so we may reflect on them seeing that by
concentrating on each step of our growth in the spirit we may progress closer
and closer to our heavenly Father. Today we will be focusing on the Tenth step
which is Joy. To
be continued…
Catechism of the Catholic Church
PART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
SECTION ONE-"I BELIEVE" -
"WE BELIEVE"
CHAPTER THREE-MAN'S RESPONSE TO GOD
Article 1 I BELIEVE
I. The Obedience of Faith
144 To obey (from the Latin ob-audire, to "hear or
listen to") in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard,
because its truth is guaranteed by God, who is Truth itself. Abraham is the
model of such obedience offered us by Sacred Scripture. the Virgin Mary is its
most perfect embodiment.
Abraham - "father of all who believe"
145 The Letter to the Hebrews, in its great eulogy of the
faith of Israel's ancestors, lays special emphasis on Abraham's faith: "By
faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to
receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to
go." By faith, he lived as a stranger and pilgrim in the promised
land. By faith, Sarah was given to conceive the son of the promise. and by
faith Abraham offered his only son in sacrifice.
146 Abraham thus fulfils the definition of faith in Hebrews
11:1: "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of
things not seen": "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to
him as righteousness." Because he was "strong in his
faith", Abraham became the "father of all who believe".
147 The Old Testament is rich in witnesses to this faith.
the Letter to the Hebrews proclaims its eulogy of the exemplary faith of the
ancestors who "received divine approval". Yet "God had
foreseen something better for us": the grace of believing in his Son
Jesus, "the pioneer and perfecter of our faith".
Mary - "Blessed is she who believed"
148 The Virgin Mary most perfectly embodies the obedience
of faith. By faith Mary welcomes the tidings and promise brought by the angel
Gabriel, believing that "with God nothing will be impossible" and so
giving her assent: "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be [done]
to me according to your word." Elizabeth greeted her: "Blessed
is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her
from the Lord." It is for this faith that all generations have called
Mary blessed.
149 Throughout her life and until her last ordeal when
Jesus her son died on the cross, Mary's faith never wavered. She never ceased
to believe in the fulfilment of God's word. and so the Church venerates in Mary
the purest realization of faith.
Today
is my deceased sister Donna Marie’s (Lady-Mistress
of the Sea) birthday please pray for her intentions.
Daily
Devotions
·
Today in honor of the
Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your day to God. To honor God REST: no
shopping after 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: End
Sex Trafficking, Slavery
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[3] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[4]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-06-23
[8]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=892
[9]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-06-11
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