Thursday, June 8, 2023
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Introduction to Joshua[1]
Hail the conquering hero! Beowulf,
Alexander the
Great, Xerxes, Romulans, Marcus Aurelius, Hannibal, Caesar the Ape... okay,
we'll stop here. Needless to say (but you know we're going to anyway),
the world is full of conquering heroes. Did you know the Bible has one, too?
His name is Joshua. Written in Hebrew during the late 7th century BCE, the Book
of Joshua is the first recorded text of the Bible and kicks off what
is known as the Historical Books. This doesn't mean that everything is to be
taken literally (like our jokes). History was originally meant to teach a
community about how to be good citizens and way less concerned with historical
accuracy. The Book of Joshua, which reads like a game of Risk, tells the
tale of a man named Joshua (didn't see that one coming) and his conquest of the
land of Canaan with the Israelite army. Joshua
was Moses's replacement to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. The
problem? People already lived there. Joshua had the unfortunate job of clearing
out the wandering tribes of Canaan so the Israelites could have a home. We
think of this like when you go to play in the ball pit, but it's already filled
with kids so you kick them all out because it's your turn. Of course that's all
hypothetical. We don't do that anymore. We're proud to say we haven't kicked a
child out of a ball pit since last week. Like Exodus, the Book of Joshua is
about a nation discovering its identity and home in a foreign land, but it's also
a very personal story about an ambitious patriot who sees it as his duty to
sacrifice everything for his people and God. If that doesn't scream a rockin'
good time, we're not sure what does. Maybe if this all took place in a ball pit.
Why Should I Care?
Look, we're going to be
honest with you. This book is filled with a lot of bloody battles, human
conflict, and pump your fist in the air moments. But that's not why you should
care. The Book of Joshua is your history; a story about a foreigner in a strange
land with a special talent. To us, that screams freshman year of high school.
And college. And work. And the retirement home. It's a tale as old a time, one of those moments where the
Bible speaks to some experiences we all share, no matter where we fall on the
religious spectrum. Being the new guy is never easy. Or new girl for that matter. The Book of
Joshua teaches us about family, commitment, loyalty, and faith—all things we need to survive, to
make new histories. Give it a read. We dare you.
JUNE
8 Thursday-Corpus Christi
MARY MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACES
I
command you: be strong and steadfast! Do not FEAR nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God, is with you wherever you
go.
The Lord is
patient and kind, yet He is also just. He will right the evil of man. When man
goes too far God intervenes. Is another intervention coming? Is there a breach
in the lines of defense against the forces of darkness? Have we become fat and
gross and gorged with secularism? Have we forsaken the God who made us and
scorned Him? Have we sacrificed to demons, to “no-gods”?
Good men heed the
message of St. Faustina and seek the Divine Mercy of God while there is still
time and then join the battle of God coming into the breach. Read the online message
of the Bishop of Phoenix and be prepared to fight and defend our church.[2]
Shortly
before the outbreak of World War II, a simple, uneducated, young Polish nun
receives a special call. Jesus tells her, "I am sending you with My mercy
to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish mankind, but I desire
to heal it, pressing it to My merciful Heart." These words of Jesus
are found in the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, which chronicles Sr.
Faustina's great experience of Divine Mercy in her soul and her mission to
share that mercy with the world.
Though she
died in obscurity in 1938, Sr. Faustina was hailed by Pope John Paul II as
"the great apostle of Divine Mercy in our time." On April 30, 2000,
the Pope canonized her as St. Faustina, saying that the message of Divine Mercy
she shared is urgently needed at the dawn of the new millennium.[3]
Thursdays are Special[4]
Traditional Feast of Corpus
Christi
The Feast of Corpus Christi (Ecclesiastical Latin:
Dies Sanctissimi Corporis et Sanguinis Domini Iesu Christi, lit. 'Day of the
Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ the Lord'), also known as the Solemnity
of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is a Roman Catholic, Anglican, and
Western Orthodox liturgical solemnity celebrating the Real Presence of the Body
and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the elements of the Eucharist.
Two months earlier, the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper is
observed on Maundy Thursday in a sombre atmosphere leading to Good Friday. The
liturgy on that day also commemorates Christ's washing of the disciples' feet,
the institution of the priesthood and the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.
The feast of Corpus Christi was proposed by Saint
Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church, to Pope Urban IV, in order to create a
feast focused solely on the Holy Eucharist, emphasizing the joy of the
Eucharist being the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Having
recognized the authenticity of the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena on input of
Aquinas, in 1264, the pontiff, then living in Orvieto, established the feast of
Corpus Christi as a Solemnity and extended it to the whole Roman Catholic
Church.
The feast is liturgically celebrated on the Thursday
after Trinity Sunday or, "where the Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and
Blood of Christ is not a holy day of obligation, it is assigned to the Sunday
after the Most Holy Trinity as its proper day".
At the end of Holy Mass, there is often a procession
of the Blessed Sacrament, generally displayed in a monstrance. The procession
is followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. A notable Eucharistic
procession is that presided over by the Pope each year in Rome, where it begins
at the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran and passes to the Basilica of Saint
Mary Major, where it concludes with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
The celebration of the feast was suppressed in
Protestant churches during the Reformation for theological reasons: outside
Lutheranism, which maintained the confession of the Real Presence, many
Protestants denied the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist other than as a
merely symbolic or spiritual presence. Today, most Protestant denominations do
not recognize the feast day. The Church of England abolished it in 1548 as the
English Reformation progressed, but later reintroduced it. Most Anglican
churches now observe Corpus Christi, sometimes under the name
"Thanksgiving for Holy Communion".
A Eucharistic miracle
inspired the Feast of Corpus Christi[5]
Q: I recently learned that the feast of Corpus
Christi was inspired by a Eucharistic miracle. Can you please give more details
about this? — A reader in Springfield
A: In the year 1263, a German priest, Peter of
Prague, stopped at the town of Bolsena, north of Rome, while he was on a
pilgrimage to Rome. Records indicate that Peter was a good, pious priest who
strived for holiness. He was troubled by the apathy of many of the faithful;
clerical immorality and laxity; and a lack of reverence at Mass. Worse, he was
afflicted with doubt about the holy Eucharist. Like those in the Gospel, he
asked himself, “How could this be? How can Jesus share with us His Body and
Blood?” He agonized over whether at the words of consecration the bread and
wine became the Body and Blood of Our Savior and whether Christ actually was
present in the consecrated host. He knew well that the church believed and
taught that the bread and wine were transformed into the Body and Blood of Our
Lord at the consecration during the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Moreover, the
Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 had solemnly used the word “transubstantiation.”
Yet, he had trouble believing and prayed that the Lord would increase his
faith.
Father Peter placed the host in the corporal and
then wrapped both in another linen. Arriving at Orvieto, Peter told the Holy
Father what had happened. Urban IV then ordered an investigation. After all of
the facts had been ascertained, the Holy Father declared a miracle had
occurred. He ordered the relics to be brought to the Cathedral of Orvieto,
which they were with a procession of great pomp and ceremony. The pope met the
procession, and the relics were placed in the cathedral, where they are still
be venerated today.
One year later, in1264, Pope Urban IV instituted the
feast of Corpus Christi, a special feast day to recognize and to promote the
great gift of the Blessed Sacrament. He commissioned St. Thomas Aquinas to
compose a Mass and an office for the Liturgy of the Hours honoring the holy
Eucharist. St. Thomas Aquinas also composed the beautiful Eucharistic hymns
“Panis Angelicus,” “Pange Lingua,” “O Salutaris Hostia” and “Tantum Ergo.”
Today, at the Church of St. Christina in Bolsena,
one finds the altar where the miracle took place, and the blood-stained stones
of the miracle are preserved. The Cathedral of Orvieto possesses the
blood-stained corporal as well as fragments of the miraculous host.
In 1964, to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the
institution of the feast of Corpus Christi, Pope Paul VI celebrated the holy
sacrifice of the Mass at the altar where the holy corporal is kept in the
Cathedral of Orvieto. Then in 1976, Pope Paul VI visited Bolsena and spoke from
there via television to the 41st International Eucharistic Congress meeting in
Philadelphia, whose theme was “Jesus the Bread of Life.” In his address, the
Holy Father said the holy Eucharist is “a mystery, great and inexhaustible.”
How true, indeed.
Corpus Christi[6]
WHY is this day called Corpus Christi? Because on this day the Catholic
Church solemnly celebrates the institution of the Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
The name, which is Latin, signifies the body of Christ.
Why is this
feast not celebrated on Maundy Thursday? Because on Maundy Thursday, the day of the
institution of this sacrament, the Church is occupied with the passion and
death of Christ, and has no thought of joy, but gives herself up to grief.
By whom was
this feast established?
It was instituted by Pope Urban IV. Persuaded by a devout nun of Liege, who
believed herself to be divinely encouraged to introduce this feast, Robert,
Bishop of Liege, determined, in the year 1247 to celebrate this feast in his
diocese. This intention he was prevented from carrying out by death. In the year
1264 Pope Urban IV commanded this feast to be solemnly celebrated throughout
the whole Church. Clement V confirms the order, at the Council of Vienne, 1311,
and fixed the feast on the first Thursday after Trinity Sunday.
For what
purpose was this feast instituted, and why are processions so solemnly held on
this day?
1.
To declare, openly, to the faithful the real and substantial presence of Jesus
in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
2.
In order to manifest, in the sight of heaven and earth, honor and adoration for
Him before Whom every knee shall bow.
3.
To give public thanks for the institution of this holy sacrament, and for all
the graces thereby conferred upon the faithful.
4.
To repair, in some measure, by solemn adoration, the wrongs done to Christ, in this
sacrament.
5.
To bring down God’s blessing upon the land and upon the people.
6.
To show that Jesus, as true God, dwells not only in temples built by hands, but
that He has heaven for His throne, the earth for His foot stool, and the whole
world for His temple.
The Church
sings at the Introit of the Mass: He fed them with the fat of wheat, alleluia;
and filled them with honey out of the rock, alleluia, alleluia. Rejoice to God
our helper, sing aloud to the God of Jacob” (Ps. Ixxx.).
Prayer.
O God, Who in this wonderful sacrament hast left us a memorial of Thy passion,
grant us, we beseech Thee, so to reverence the sacred mysteries of Thy body and
blood, that we may ever perceive within us the fruit of Thy redemption.
EPISTLE, i. COR. xi. 23-29.
Brethren: For I have received of the Lord
that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in
which He was betrayed, took bread, and giving thanks, broke and said: Take ye
and eat: This is My body, which shall be delivered for you: this do for the commemoration
of Me. In like manner also the chalice, after He had supped, saying: This
chalice is the New Testament in My blood, this do ye as often as you shall
drink, for the commemoration of Me. For as often as you shall eat this bread,
and drink the chalice, you shall show the death of the Lord until He come:
therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord
unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a
man prove himself: and so, let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice.
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to
himself: not discerning the body of the Lord.
GOSPEL. John vi. 56-59.
At
that time Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews: My flesh is meat indeed and
My blood is drink; indeed, he that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood,
abideth in Me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by
the Father so he that eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me. This is the
bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna and are
dead. He that eateth this bread shall live forever.
Why did Jesus say, this is the
bread that came down from heaven? He
wished thereby to teach the Jews that the bread which He would give them, like
the manna, came down from heaven, and was, indeed, the only true bread from
heaven. The manna was but a type and could only prolong the life of the body.
The type was now to be fulfilled; the bread that He was about to give them
would impart to them eternal life, and this bread would be His flesh, Himself,
Who truly came from heaven, to redeem mankind, and to bring them to life
everlasting. Jesus calls His flesh bread, partly on account of its likeness to
the manna, partly on account of its effect; for as bread nourishes the body,
and sustains the earthly life, so the body of Christ, in the Holy Sacrament,
nourishes the soul, and imparts to it, continually, a new, divine, and
everlasting life.
What is the Holy Sacrament of the
Altar? It is that
sacrament in which, after the words of its institution have been spoken by the
priest, Jesus Christ is present, whole and entire, in His Godhead and in His
manhood, under the appearance of bread and wine.
When and how did Jesus institute
this sacrament? At
the Last Supper; In the night, before He was betrayed, He took bread, and,
giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples saying, Take and eat, for
this is My body which will be given for you. In the same manner, He took the
chalice and said, Take and drink, for this chalice is the new covenant in My
blood. Do this as often as you drink from it in commemoration of Me.
What did Jesus affect by these
words? He changed
bread and wine into His most precious body and blood.
Has He given to others the power to
do the same? Yes,
He gave this power to His apostles and their successors, the bishops and
priests, in these words: Do this in commemoration of Me.
What takes place at the words of
consecration? Bread
and wine are changed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and only the
outward appearances of bread and wine remain.
How is Jesus present in the Most
Holy Sacrament? He
is present, truly, really, and substantially, in His divinity and humanity, in
flesh and blood, in body and soul, under the appearances of bread and wine.
Why do we believe this?
1. Because
the words of Jesus do not reasonably admit of any other meaning: since by them
we see
(a) that
Jesus gave His disciples a certain nourishment which they were to eat.
(b) that
this nourishment was bread and wine to all appearances, but Jesus called the
bread His body, which was afterwards to be sacrificed for us, and the wine His
blood, which was to be shed for us: this food consequently was not bread and
wine, but, under the appearance of bread and wine, was indeed His body and
blood; since what He gave for our redemption was not bread and wine, but His
true body and His true blood;
(c) that as
the body and blood of Jesus were inseparable from His soul and divinity, He
gave Himself up for our nourishment, whole and undivided, as He hung, bled, and
died upon the cross.
(d) that He
commanded what He had done to be continued until He should come again (1 Cor.
xi. 26), that is, until the end of the world; and that He,
(e) on
account of this being His testament, and the New Law, was not at liberty to
speak figuratively, but plainly and distinctly.
2. Because
the apostles preached this very doctrine.
3. Because the Catholic Church, the pillar and foundation of truth, has thus constantly taught, from the apostle’s times down to the present day, as the oldest Councils and the Holy Fathers unanimously testify.
Feast: Mary, Mediatrix of All
Graces[7]
Traditionally, today is the feast of Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces. All the
graces which flow from the redemption of Jesus Christ are granted to the human
family through the motherly intercession of Mary. Mary mediated Jesus Christ,
the Author of all graces, to the world when she agreed to be the human mother
of God made man (cf. Lk 1:38). And from the cross at Calvary (Jn 19:26) and as
the final gift to humanity, Jesus gives Mary as a spiritual mother to us all:
"Son, behold your mother" (cf. Jn 19:26). For this reason, Vatican II
refers to Mary as a "mother to us in the order of grace " (Lumen
Gentium, n. 62) and several twentieth century popes have officially taught the
doctrine of Mary as Mediatrix of all graces, quoting the words of St Bernard:
"It is the will of God that we obtain all favors through Mary." The
Mediatrix performs this task in intimate union with the Holy Spirit, the
Sanctifier, with whom she began the drama of our Lord's Redemption at the
Annunciation (cf. Lk. 1:35).
Mary
is our Advocate for people of God, in that she takes the petitions of her
earthly children, especially in times of difficulties, and brings them through
her maternal intercession before her Son and our Lord Jesus.
In
the Old Testament, the Queen Mother brought the petitioned needs of the people
of Israel to the throne of her son the king (cf. 1 Kings 2:19). Now Mary is the
new Queen Mother and Advocate in the new Kingdom of her Son, who brings the
petitioned needs of the people of God to the throne of her glorious Son, Christ
the King, particularly in our present difficult times.
The
universal mediation of the Mother of Jesus as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix of all
graces, and Advocate for the people of God is already contained in the official
and authoritative teachings of the Church's Magisterium. Now, at the summit of
the Marian era, what remains is the final proclamation by the Church of this
final Marian doctrine as Christian dogma revealed by God.
Things to Do:
·
Read
this article
by Fr. William G. Most.
·
Pray
the Litany of The Blessed Virgin Mary Mediatrix of All Grace
Apostolic Exhortation[8]
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
IV. Invite a friend to join you
in adoration.
85. Call to mind a loved one
who feels himself or herself to be far from the Church. Think of a friend who
finds the Mass difficult to understand and to engage. Consider an acquaintance
in your life who does not believe in God or in Christ. Now imagine each of
these persons sitting quietly and peacefully next to you in a beautiful place
of adoration for ten minutes of Eucharistic adoration. What gentle but profound
effect might it have in his or her heart?
86. The Gospels present a clear
pattern in which Jesus makes Himself present to people before He teaches, and
certainly long before He draws them into His act of worship in His Paschal
Mystery. We might say the general pattern is: first His presence, then His
worship. The Lord is present in many ways. But do we trust that the Eucharistic
Christ can and will touch the hearts of our friends, if we but invite them to
be near Him there?
87. Of course, it takes prudence
and discernment to know when and how to offer such an invitation. But the times
for such friendly invitations do come! In the Gospels we see persons bringing
others into the bodily presence of Christ in various ways. I’ll mention three
different approaches which are instructive for us today: testimony, invitation,
and carrying.
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 seventh step which is Benignity.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
PART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
SECTION ONE-"I BELIEVE" -
"WE BELIEVE"
CHAPTER TWO GOD COMES TO MEET MAN
Article 3 SACRED SCRIPTURE
V. Sacred Scripture in the Life of the Church
131 "and such is the force and power of the
Word of God that it can serve the Church as her support and vigor, and the
children of the Church as strength for their faith, food for the soul, and a
pure and lasting fount of spiritual life." Hence "access to
Sacred Scripture ought to be open wide to the Christian faithful."
132 "Therefore, the study of the sacred
page should be the very soul of sacred theology. the ministry of the Word, too
- pastoral preaching, catechetics and all forms of Christian instruction, among
which the liturgical homily should hold pride of place - is healthily nourished
and thrives in holiness through the Word of Scripture."
133 The Church "forcefully and specifically
exhorts all the Christian faithful... to learn the surpassing knowledge of
Jesus Christ, by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. Ignorance of the
Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.
·
Chicago
Blues Festival-June 8-11-Chicago is the place to visit in June,
especially if you’re a fan of the blues. The Chicago Blues Festival is the largest free blues music
festival in the world. Over three days, more than 500,000 people converge on
Grant Park to hear well-renown performers perform on the festival’s five
stages.
o
Flagstaff Blues and Brew Festival June
9-10
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: : Protection
of Traditional Marriage
·
do
a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1]
Shmoop Editorial Team,
"Book of Joshua," Shmoop University, Inc., Last modified
November 11, 2008, https://www.shmoop.com/book-of-joshua/.
[3]http://www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org/store/title/the-diary-of-st-faustina?utm_source=Lighthouse+Catholic+Media&utm_campaign=77ff8641ef-Faustina_Feast_Day_Fr_Gaitley_Segment_1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cb00b554f5-77ff8641ef-292834361&goal=0_cb00b554f5-77ff8641ef-292834361&mc_cid=77ff8641ef&mc_eid=15e7808aac
[4]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_Corpus_Christi#:~:text=The%20celebration%20of%20the%20feast%20was%20suppressed%20in,than%20as%20a%20merely%20symbolic%20or%20spiritual%20presence.
[5]https://catholicstraightanswers.com/what-eucharistic-miracle-inspired-the-feast-of-corpus-christi/
[6] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896
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