Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
June 15
Saint of the day:
APPARITION
OF ST. MICHAEL
Deuteronomy, Chapter 5, Verse 4-6
4 Face
to face, the LORD spoke with you on the mountain from the midst of the fire,
5
while I was standing between the
LORD and you at that time, to announce to you these words of the LORD, since
you were AFRAID of the fire and would
not go up the mountain: 6 I
am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out
of the house of slavery.
Today
reflect on how our labor can be slavery or it can be a joy. In the end you are
responsible for your own happiness. The fire on the mountain was not an
impediment to the Israel people coming to God; it was their excuse. The secret
of success is finding out our vocation from God and following it. When we
follow God’s guidance to the do the work he has intended for us, we are like
the tree that Moses saw that brought him into the service of the Lord. We will
burn but not be consumed! Then, when others see our work and wonder at our joy
in slavery to the Lord they too will come to know that “His burden is light.” (Mt.
11-30)
Many
years ago, I also, like the people of Israel was afraid of the fire; and
refused to go up on the mountain. Yes, I was called to the priesthood. I was
afraid of the fire. I made all the excuses: I am not worthy, I want a wife; I
want children. I turned away and the life I thought would be a joy was
unsatisfying. Yet, the Lord did not abandon me; He has never chided me; no only
I have chided myself. He has made good out of all I have shattered with my
selfishness. This is the challenge of the cross that when we fall, and we will
fall; that we pick the cross up again and drink the cup the Lord has given us
to the dregs. How committed are you to discovering and following Jesus?
My
sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me. (Jn:
10:27)
Apparition of St. Michael[1]
It is evident from Holy Scripture that God is pleased to make frequent use of the ministry of the heavenly spirits in the dispensations of His providence in this world. The Angels are all pure spirits; by a property of their nature, they are immortal, as is every spirit. They have the power of moving or conveying themselves at will from place to place, and such is their activity that it is not easy for us to conceive of it. Among the holy Archangels, Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are particularly distinguished in the Scriptures. Saint Michael, whose name means Who is like unto God? is the prince of the faithful Angels who opposed Lucifer and his followers in their revolt against God. Since the devil is the sworn enemy of God’s holy Church, Saint Michael is given to it by God as its special protector against the demon’s assaults and stratagems.
Various apparitions of this powerful Angel have proved the
protection of Saint Michael over the Church. We may mention his apparition in
Rome, where Saint Gregory the Great saw him in the air sheathing his sword, to
signal the cessation of a pestilence and the appeasement of God’s wrath.
Another apparition to Saint Ausbert, bishop of Avranches in France, led to the
construction of Mont-Saint-Michel in the sea, a famous pilgrimage site. May 8th,
however, is destined to recall another no less marvelous apparition, occurring
near Monte Gargano in the Kingdom of Naples. In the year 492 a man named Gargan
was pasturing his large herds in the countryside. One day a bull fled to the
mountain, where it could not be found. When its refuge in a cave was
discovered, an arrow was shot into the cave, but the arrow returned to wound
the one who had sent it. Faced with this mysterious occurrence, the persons
concerned decided to consult the bishop of the region. He ordered three days of
fasting and prayers. After three days, the Archangel Michael appeared to the
bishop and declared that the cavern where the bull had taken refuge was under
his protection, and that God wanted it to be consecrated under his name and in
honor of all the Holy Angels. Accompanied by his clergy and people, the pontiff
went to that cavern, which he found already disposed in the form of a church.
The divine mysteries were celebrated there, and there arose in this same place
a magnificent temple where the divine Power has wrought great miracles. To thank
God’s adorable goodness for the protection of the holy Archangel, the effect of
His merciful Providence, this feast day was instituted by the Church in his
honor. It is said of this special guardian and protector of the Church that,
during the final persecution of Antichrist, he will powerfully defend it: “At
that time shall Michael rise up, the great prince who protects the children of
thy people.”
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART ONE:
THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
SECTION ONE
"I BELIEVE" - "WE
BELIEVE"
Article 1-THE REVELATION OF GOD
II. The Stages of Revelation
In the beginning God makes himself known
54 "God, who creates and conserves all things by his
Word, provides men with constant evidence of himself in created realities. and
furthermore, wishing to open up the way to heavenly salvation - he manifested
himself to our first parents from the very beginning." He invited
them to intimate communion with himself and clothed them with resplendent grace
and justice.
55 This revelation was not broken off by our first parents'
sin. "After the fall, (God) buoyed them up with the hope of salvation, by
promising redemption; and he has never ceased to show his solicitude for the
human race. For he wishes to give eternal life to all those who seek salvation
by patience in well-doing."
Even when he disobeyed you and
lost your friendship you did not abandon him to the power of death. . . Again
and again you offered a covenant to man.
The covenant with Noah
56 After the unity of the human race was shattered by sin
God at once sought to save humanity part by part. the covenant with Noah after
the flood gives expression to the principle of the divine economy toward the
"nations", in other words, towards men grouped "in their lands,
each with (its) own language, by their families, in their nations".
57 This state of division into many nations, each entrusted
by divine providence to the guardianship of angels, is at once cosmic, social
and religious. It is intended to limit the pride of fallen humanity united
only in its perverse ambition to forge its own unity as at Babel. But,
because of sin, both polytheism and the idolatry of the nation and of its
rulers constantly threaten this provisional economy with the perversion of
paganism.
58 The covenant with Noah remains in force during the times
of the Gentiles, until the universal proclamation of the Gospel. The Bible
venerates several great figures among the Gentiles: Abel the just, the
king-priest Melchisedek - a figure of Christ - and the upright "Noah,
Daniel, and Job". Scripture thus expresses the heights of sanctity
that can be reached by those who live according to the covenant of Noah,
waiting for Christ to "gather into one the children of God who are scattered
abroad".
God chooses Abraham
59 In order to gather together scattered humanity God calls
Abram from his country, his kindred and his father's house, and makes him
Abraham, that is, "the father of a multitude of nations". "In
you all the nations of the earth shall be blessed."
60 The people descended from Abraham would be the trustee
of the promise made to the patriarchs, the chosen people, called to prepare for
that day when God would gather all his children into the unity of the
Church. They would be the root on to which the Gentiles would be grafted,
once they came to believe.
61 The patriarchs, prophets and certain other Old Testament
figures have been and always will be honored as saints in all the Church's
liturgical traditions.
God forms his people Israel
62 After the patriarchs, God formed Israel as his people by
freeing them from slavery in Egypt. He established with them the covenant of
Mount Sinai and, through Moses, gave them his law so that they would recognize
him and serve him as the one living and true God, the provident Father and just
judge, and so that they would look for the promised Savior.
63 Israel is the priestly people of God, "called by
the name of the LORD", and "the first to hear the word of
God", The people of "elder brethren" in the faith of
Abraham.
64 Through the prophets, God forms his people in the hope
of salvation, in the expectation of a new and everlasting Covenant intended for
all, to be written on their hearts. The prophets proclaim a radical
redemption of the People of God, purification from all their infidelities, a
salvation which will include all the nations. Above all, the poor and
humble of the Lord will bear this hope. Such holy women as Sarah, Rebecca,
Rachel, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Judith and Esther kept alive the hope of
Israel's salvation. the purest figure among them is Mary.
Apostolic Exhortation[2]
Veneremur Cernui – Down in Adoration Falling
of The Most Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted,
Bishop of Phoenix,
to Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix
on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
My beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Conclusion
Apostolic Exhortation[3]
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,
Conclusion
107.
What we should humbly and fervently ask from God, then, is a deepening of our
love for Him with our whole heart. We should ask for this gift because love of
God is the only way to God. What rouses us to love God more than the Sacrament
of Love, the Eucharist? But as Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote, the mystery of love
in the Eucharist is available not to our unaided senses but only to faith: “Sight,
touch, taste fail with regard to Thee, but only by hearing does one believe
surely; I believe whatever God’s Son said: nothing is truer than the word of
Truth”. The Church’s ultimate reason to believe in the Eucharist is because
she trusts Jesus. She has faith in her Lord’s words spoken up and down the
centuries on the lips of her priests: “This is My Body given up for you”.
The Blessed Sacrament is thus the greatest sign given by God to stir up love in
the hearts of His people until He comes again. Let us beg God for the grace to
be on fire with the divine love which flows from the heart of Christ in the
Sacrament of His Body and Blood.
108.
My dear sons and daughters in Christ, the Eucharist is the heart of our faith.
It is the center of the faith of the Church for it is Christ Himself. All the
concrete expressions of Eucharistic faith I mention above represent our humble
response to this mystery. If done in trusting surrender to God, they are meant
to draw us closer to the eternal wedding banquet to which every Eucharistic
celebration is a foretaste. May we never tire of discovering that the Eucharist
is the source and summit of Christian life! As from the source of a great
river, everything that matters in life flows from it. As to a great mountain
peak, all the striving and struggle of life seeks it.
109.
For this reason, while we continue this earthly journey towards the eternal
Promised Land, we rejoice that the Eucharistic Christ is our protection against
powerful currents of selfishness and worldly temptations. In all of his
Eucharistic hymns, Aquinas always ends them pointing out the connection between
the Eucharist and heaven. In the hymn “Panis Angelicus”, he gives voice
to the ultimate desire and longing of every human heart: “We ask You, O God
Three and One, to visit us just as we celebrate You; along Your paths, lead us
to where we are headed, to the light where You dwell”. He reminds us that
the most effective way for us to prepare for eternal life is to seek to be
nourished by Jesus in the Eucharist.
To be continued
Vinny’s Corner Go to a murder mystery show stay in a monastery
Murder at the Magic Show II is a Classic Comedy Mystery magic show. Actually, see a volunteer from the audience sawn in half. Partake in an abundance of the best magic, mystery, murder and mayhem that Tucson has to offer. Enjoy all the madcap antics with tons of opportunity for audience volunteer interaction and participation creating a veritable plethora of downright fun. You’ll be mystified, amazed and filled with non-stop laughter.
All-star cast include top actors and improvisational comedians. You’ll die laughing at this award-winning show. The cast will just murder you with magic, jokes and good times.
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—St. Bernard of Montjoux (923-1008), an Italian churchman, founder of the Alpine hospices of Saint Bernard. His life was spent working among the people of the Val d'Aosta. He is the patron of mountaineers-Christ in the Desert
Daily Devotions
·
Do not ask everyone’s opinion, but only the opinion of
your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him. Simplicity
of life can drive out demons. Honesty is a weapon to defeat Satan, the Liar.
When we lie, we put a foot in his camp, and he will try to seduce us all the
more.
·
Unite in the work of the Porters
of St. Joseph by joining them in
fasting: The Families of St. Joseph Porters
·
Saturday
Litany of the Hours Invoking the Aid of Mother Mary
·
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2017-05-08
[3]https://dphx.org/veneremur-cernui/
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