Claire’s Corner
· 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.
· Bucket List Trip: Around the World “Perfect Weather”
o Nairobi, Kenya
· Go camping in honor of St. Paul. Before his conversion to Christianity, Paul was a tent maker. He is the patron saint of tent makers as well as writers. In addition to being an accomplished preacher, Paul wrote epistles that are included in the Bible's New Testament.
· Spirit Hour: Gibson
· Foodie: Waffle Iron Day[6] is the perfect time to celebrate this delicious breakfast staple! Waffle Irons were first found in that area of Northwestern Europe known as the Low Countries, which includes Belgium and the Netherlands as well as other places. Originally, they were made to be used over an open flame and were thus constructed on the end of two long, typically wooden, handles with a clamshell system at one end, which would be held over a fire to bake.
o The origin of the waffle iron can be traced back to the Middle Ages, where they were developed from a device known as the ‘wafer iron’. These were commonly used in the creation of the communion wafer, but larger varieties existed, consisting of nothing more than two flat irons often engraved with elaborate scenes. For the communion wafer, it was depictions of the crucifixion of Christ. While the larger secular designs varied widely, often engraved with artistic floral designs, illumination, or just about any other form of design you could imagine.
§ The Belgians celebrate the feast of St. Michael by eating waffles; perhaps we could start celebrating Mondays with waffles in honor of the angels; remembering we too like Michael must be as strong as iron against the enemy and we must not waffle. Sorry I couldn’t resist.
· On Sundays Pray:
o O Glorious Queen of Heaven and Earth, Virgin Most Powerful, thou who hast the power to crush the head of the ancient serpent with thy heel, come and exercise this power flowing from the grace of thine Immaculate Conception. Shield us under the mantle of thy purity and love, draw us into the sweet abode of thy heart and annihilate and render impotent the forces bent on destroying us. Come Most Sovereign Mistress of the Holy Angels and Mistress of the Most Holy Rosary, thou who from the very beginning hast received from God the power and the mission to crush the head of Satan. Send forth thy holy legions, we humbly beseech thee, that under thy command and by thy power they may pursue the evil spirits, counter them on every side, resist their bold attacks and drive them far from us, harming no one on the way, binding them to the foot of the Cross to be judged and sentenced by Jesus Christ Thy Son and to be disposed of by Him as He wills.
o St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, come to our aid in this grave battle against the forces of darkness, repel the attacks of the devil and free the members of the Auxilium Christianorum, and those for whom the priests of the Auxilium Christianorum pray, from the strongholds of the enemy.
o St. Michael, summon the entire heavenly court to engage their forces in this fierce battle against the powers of hell. Come O Prince of Heaven with thy mighty sword and thrust into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits. O Guardian Angels, guide and protect us. Amen.
JUNE 29 Sunday-Solemnity of Saints
Peter and Paul, Apostles
Mark, Chapter 5, Verse 35-36
35 While he was still speaking,
people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, “Your daughter has
died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” 36 Disregarding the message that was
reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be AFRAID; just have faith.”
This is the message of the gospel: “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” All who believe in Christ for their salvation have access to Him at any time. Christ compels us to trust in Him as He did the synagogue official. Through faith the Holy Spirit brings us the gifts of knowledge and understanding. The gift of counsel and we are driven by the spirit to a higher level of prudence. We are docile to the spirits promptings; we have foresight and circumspection, and we desire holiness.
DISCERNMENT of Life[1]
How can we know if
something comes from the Holy Spirit or if it stems from the spirit of the
world or the spirit of the devil?
The only way is through discernment, which calls for something
more than intelligence or common sense. It is a gift which we must implore. If
we ask with confidence that the Holy Spirit grant us this gift, and then seek
to develop it through prayer, reflection, reading and good counsel, then
surely, we will grow in this spiritual endowment.
The gift of discernment has become all the more necessary today,
since contemporary life offers immense possibilities for action and
distraction, and the world presents all of them as valid and good. All of us,
but especially the young, are immersed in a culture of zapping. We can navigate
simultaneously on two or more screens and interact at the same time with two or
three virtual scenarios. Without the wisdom of discernment, we can easily
become prey to every passing trend. This is all the more important when some
novelty presents itself in our lives. Then we have to decide whether it is new
wine brought by God or an illusion created by the spirit of this world or the
spirit of the devil. At other times, the opposite can happen, when the forces
of evil induce us not to change, to leave things as they are, to opt for a
rigid resistance to change. Yet that would be to block the working of the
Spirit. We are free, with the freedom of Christ. Still, he asks us to examine
what is within us – our desires, anxieties, fears and questions – and what
takes place all around us – “the signs of the times” – and thus to recognize
the paths that lead to complete freedom. “Test everything; hold fast to what is
good” (1 Thess 5:21).
Always in the light of
the Lord
Discernment is necessary not only at extraordinary times, when we
need to resolve grave problems and make crucial decisions. It is a means of
spiritual combat for helping us to follow the Lord more faithfully. We need it
at all times, to help us recognize God’s timetable, lest we fail to heed the
promptings of his grace and disregard his invitation to grow. Often discernment
is exercised in small and apparently irrelevant things, since greatness of
spirit is manifested in simple everyday realities. It involves striving
untrammelled for all that is great, better and more beautiful, while at the
same time being concerned for the little things, for each day’s
responsibilities and commitments. For this reason, I ask all Christians not to
omit, in dialogue with the Lord, a sincere daily “examination of conscience”.
Discernment also enables us to recognize the concrete means that the Lord
provides in his mysterious and loving plan, to make us move beyond mere good
intentions.
Certainly, spiritual discernment does not exclude existential,
psychological, sociological or moral insights drawn from the human sciences. At
the same time, it transcends them. Nor are the Church’s sound norms sufficient.
We should always remember that discernment is a grace. Even though it includes
reason and prudence, it goes beyond them, for it seeks a glimpse of that unique
and mysterious plan that God has for each of us, which takes shape amid so many
varied situations and limitations. It involves more than my temporal
well-being, my satisfaction at having accomplished something useful, or even my
desire for peace of mind. It has to do with the meaning of my life before the
Father who knows and loves me, with the real purpose of my life, which nobody
knows better than he. Ultimately, discernment leads to the wellspring of
undying life: to know the Father, the only true God, and the one whom he has
sent, Jesus Christ. It requires no special abilities, nor is it only for the
more intelligent or better educated. The Father readily reveals himself to the
lowly. The Lord speaks to us in a variety of ways, at work, through others and
at every moment. Yet we simply cannot do without the silence of prolonged
prayer, which enables us better to perceive God’s language, to interpret the
real meaning of the inspirations we believe we have received, to calm our
anxieties and to see the whole of our existence afresh in his own light. In
this way, we allow the birth of a new synthesis that springs from a life
inspired by the Spirit.
Nonetheless, it is possible that, even in prayer itself, we could refuse to let ourselves be confronted by the freedom of the Spirit, who acts as he wills. We must remember that prayerful discernment must be born of a readiness to listen: to the Lord and to others, and to reality itself, which always challenges us in new ways. Only if we are prepared to listen, do we have the freedom to set aside our own partial or insufficient ideas, our usual habits and ways of seeing things. In this way, we become truly open to accepting a call that can shatter our security, but lead us to a better life. It is not enough that everything be calm and peaceful. God may be offering us something more, but in our comfortable inadvertence, we do not recognize it. Naturally, this attitude of listening entails obedience to the Gospel as the ultimate standard, but also to the Magisterium that guards it, as we seek to find in the treasury of the Church whatever is most fruitful for the “today” of salvation. It is not a matter of applying rules or repeating what was done in the past, since the same solutions are not valid in all circumstances and what was useful in one context may not prove so in another. The discernment of spirits liberates us from rigidity, which has no place before the perennial “today” of the risen Lord. The Spirit alone can penetrate what is obscure and hidden in every situation, and grasp its every nuance, so that the newness of the Gospel can emerge in another light.
The logic of gift and of the cross
An essential condition for progress in discernment is a growing
understanding of God’s patience and his timetable, which are never our own. God
does not pour down fire upon those who are unfaithful, or allow the zealous to
uproot the tares growing among the wheat. Generosity too is demanded, for “it
is more blessed to give than to receive”. Discernment is not about discovering
what more we can get out of this life, but about recognizing how we can better
accomplish the mission entrusted to us at our baptism. This entails a readiness
to make sacrifices, even to sacrificing everything. For happiness is a paradox.
We experience it most when we accept the mysterious logic that is not of this
world: “This is our logic”, says Saint Bonaventure, pointing to the cross.
Once we enter into this dynamic, we will not let our consciences be numbed and
we will open ourselves generously to discernment. When, in God’s presence, we
examine our life’s journey, no areas can be off limits. In all aspects of life
we can continue to grow and offer something greater to God, even in those areas
we find most difficult. We need, though, to ask the Holy Spirit to liberate us
and to expel the fear that makes us ban him from certain parts of our lives.
God asks everything of us, yet he also gives everything to us. He does not want
to enter our lives to cripple or diminish them, but to bring them to
fulfilment. Discernment, then, is not a solipsistic self-analysis or a form of
egotistical introspection, but an authentic process of leaving ourselves behind
in order to approach the mystery of God, who helps us to carry out the mission
to which he has called us, for the good of our brothers and sisters.
ON KEEPING
THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[2]
CHAPTER III
DIES ECCLESIAE
The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday
The table of the Body of Christ
42. The table of the word leads
naturally to the table of the Eucharistic Bread and prepares the community to
live its many aspects, which in the Sunday Eucharist assume an especially
solemn character. As the whole community gathers to celebrate "the Lord's
Day", the Eucharist appears more clearly than on other days as the great
"thanksgiving" in which the Spirit-filled Church turns to the Father,
becoming one with Christ and speaking in the name of all humanity. The rhythm
of the week prompts us to gather up in grateful memory the events of the days
which have just passed, to review them in the light of God and to thank him for
his countless gifts, glorifying him "through Christ, with Christ and in
Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit". The Christian community thus
comes to a renewed awareness of the fact that all things were created through
Christ (cf. Col 1:16; Jn 1:3), and that in Christ, who came in
the form of a slave to take on and redeem our human condition, all things have
been restored (cf. Eph 1:10), in order to be handed over to God the
Father, from whom all things come to be and draw their life. Then, giving
assent to the Eucharistic doxology with their "Amen", the People of
God look in faith and hope towards the eschatological end, when Christ
"will deliver the kingdom to God the Father ... so that God may be
everything to everyone" (1 Cor 15:24, 28).
Solemnity of Saint Peter and Paul[3]
This is a holyday
of obligation in some countries.
Today is the grand rejoicing in the two Princes of the
Apostles and founders of the Church in Rome.
PETER,
formerly called Simon, was a son of Jonas, of Bethsaida, in Galilee, and a
brother of Andrew, by whom he was brought to Christ, Who at once changed his
name and called him Peter. When, soon after, Jesus said to both of them on the
Sea of Tiberias, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” they both left
their nets and followed Him. From this time forward Jesus was constantly giving
him particular proofs of His love. From the ship of Peter, He taught the
thronging multitude, and to him He promised that on him, as upon a rock, He
would build His Church, against which the gates of hell should not prevail. Our
Lord took Peter with Him at the raising of Jairus daughter from the dead; at
His own transfiguration on Mount Tabor; at the beginning of His passion in the
Garden of Gethsemane. To him He promised the keys of the kingdom of heaven; for
him He specially prayed that his faith might not fail; and him He commanded to
strengthen his brethren. After His resurrection He appeared particularly to
Peter, and three times commanded him to feed His flock. But Peter had, above
all the other apostles, made himself worthy of this preeminence by his living
faith, his humility, his love, and his zeal for the honor of Jesus; for he it
was who, before the other apostles, made the confession, “Thou art Christ, the
Son of the living God.” He showed his humility when, at the miraculous draught
of fishes, he said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Out of
love he desired to remain always with Christ on Mount Tabor to prevent Him from
suffering; and out of love he declared himself ready with Christ to live or
die; nay, he even declared most confidently that, though all should be
scandalized in Christ, yet he would not be. When Jesus was taken prisoner, Peter
showed himself to be most courageous by cutting off the ear of one of his master’s
enemies, and by following Him to the house of Caiaphas. Three times, indeed,
did he, as no one else did, deny his Lord out of fear; but the look of
forgiving love which Jesus cast upon him forced from him tears of the deepest
contrition, and three times afterwards, accordingly, he made that confession,
“Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee.” After he had received the Holy Ghost,
full of courage, he confessed Christ crucified, and preached Him in Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Ionia, and Bithynia. At Jerusalem he was once already
condemned to death, but was set free by an angel. In the year 54 he went to
Rome, whence, after a nine years residence, he was banished, with many other
Christians. Upon returning thither again he was confined in the Mamertine
prison, and finally, on June 29, in the year A.D. 67, under the Emperor Nero,
he was crucified; his head, by his own desire, hung downwards, because he
thought himself unworthy to die like Christ.
Paul,
before his conversion called Saul, was of the tribe of Benjamin, a native of
Tarsus, in Cilicia, and a pupil of Gamaliel. Full of zeal for the law, he
bitterly opposed the Christians. As he was travelling to Damascus to persecute them,
he was, on the way, converted by Christ. How indefatigably he thenceforward
worked in the vineyard of the Lord, and what dangers and persecutions he
underwent, no pen can describe. It is almost incredible with what zeal and
perseverance he preached Christ, in chains and fetters, under blows and
scourges, in hunger and thirst, and untold times at the peril of his life. And
yet he was so humble that he counted himself the least of the apostles, and
always praised God that He had thought him worthy to suffer for His name. After
he had at last fought a good fight, and finished his course having everywhere
zealously preached the Gospel, and still more zealously practiced it he
received the crown of justice (n. Tim. iv. 6). The Emperor Nero caused him to
be beheaded on the same day that Peter was crucified.
The Introit of the Mass is
in the words spoken by St. Peter after his delivery from the prison at
Jerusalem: Now I know in very deed that the Lord hath sent His angel and hath
delivered me out of the hands of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people
of the Jews (Acts xii. 11). “Lord, Thou hast proved me and known me; Thou hast
known my sitting down and my rising up” (Ps. cxxxviii. 1, 2).
Prayer. O God, Who hast consecrated this
day by the martyrdom of Thy apostles SS. Peter and Paul, grant to Thy Church,
in all things, to follow their doctrines, through whom the true faith was first
proclaimed.
EPISTLE.
Acts xii. 1-11.
In
those days: Herod the king stretched forth his hands, to afflict some of the
Church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And seeing that
it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to take up Peter also. Now it was in the days
of the Azymes. And when he had apprehended him, he cast him into prison,
delivering him to four files of soldiers to be kept, intending after the Pasch
to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison. But
prayer was made without ceasing by the Church unto God for him. And when Herod
would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two
soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the
prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him: and a light shined in
the room: and he striking Peter on the side raised him up, saying: Arise
quickly. And the chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said to him:
Gird thyself, and put on thy sandals. And he did so. And he said to him: Cast
thy garment about thee, and follow me. And going out he followed him, and he
knew not that it was true which was done by the angel: but thought he saw a
vision. And passing through the first and the second ward, they came to the
iron gate that leadeth to the city, which of itself opened to them. And going
out, they passed on through one street: and immediately the angel departed from
him. And Peter coming to himself, said: Now I know in very deed that the Lord
hath sent His angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from
all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
GOSPEL.
Matt. xvi. 13-19.
At that time Jesus came
into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and He asked His disciples, saying:
Who do men say that the
Son of man is?
But
they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or
one of the prophets. Jesus saith to them:
But who do you say that
I am?
Simon
Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ the Son of the living God. And Jesus
answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and
blood hath not revealed it to thee, but My Father Who is in heaven. And I say
to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build My Church, and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the
keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth it
shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it
shall be loosed also in heaven.
Why did Christ ask His
disciples, Who do men say that the Son of man is?
To
give them an opportunity to confess their belief in Him as the true Son of God,
and upon that open confession to ground a promise of the highest importance.
Why does Christ call
Himself the Son of man?
In
order that, His Godhead being veiled under the form of man, He might thus test
the faith of His disciples, and teach us that He was both true God and true
man.
What did Peter mean to
say by those words,
“Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God?”
He
thereby confesses that Christ is the Son of God, begotten from all eternity,
and therefore of the same substance with the Father; that by Him all things
were made, and that from Him comes our life in soul and body.
What reward did Peter
receive for his confession?
Christ
pronounced him blessed that God had given him such grace, conveyed to him the
highest authority in His Church, and gave him the pre-eminence above all the
apostles.
What is the meaning of
the expression “to bind and to Loose?”
According
to Isaias, it signifies to open and to shut heaven, and here consequently
denotes the power, as representative of Jesus Christ, to receive persons into
the Church, and to excommunicate them from it; to forgive sins, or to retain
them; to impose or to remit punishments for them; to establish laws and
prohibitions, to abolish them, to change them, and, in general, to govern and
direct in everything, as shall be necessary for the preservation of unity and
order in the Church, and for the good of the faithful.
Was
the power to bind and to loose given to Peter only?
No,
but to the rest of the apostles also; the power of the keys, however, Jesus
gave only to Peter. Peter, therefore, and his successors, possess this supreme
power, while the other apostles and their successors, the bishops, possess the
authority entrusted to them by Christ, to be exercised by them in unity with
the rock, that is, with Peter and his successors.
Of the Pope
What is the Pope to the Catholic?
The
representative of Jesus Christ, and the visible head, appointed by Him, for the
government of His Church.
Did Christ actually appoint such a
supreme head?
Yes,
and that in the person of St. Peter. He gave him the significant name Peter the
rock, distinguished him always above the other apostles, and laid upon him the
charge to feed His lambs, that is, the faithful, and His sheep, that is, the
bishops themselves; and this power Peter uniformly exercised.
Why did Christ appoint a visible
head for the Church?
Because
the Church is an outward, visible society, united together not only by inward
faith in Christ, but also by outward, visible signs. Such a visible head is as
necessary for the Church as for a body, a family, a society, a state, to
prevent disunion, confusion, and the consequent destruction of the whole; this
supreme head is the center of the whole, the final judge, the authoritative
teacher.
Who is now this supreme head?
The
Bishop of Rome, or the Pope. It is undeniable that Peter occupied the bishop’s
see at Rome, and that he died there. Equally indisputable is it that the
successor of St. Peter entered upon possession of his rights, and, together
with the episcopal see of Rome, inherited also the office possessed by him.
From the first centuries this has ever been acknowledged by the faithful, who
have accordingly called the Bishop of Rome Pope that is, the father of the
faithful. And how clearly does history show that Peter and his successors are
the rock upon which the Lord has immovably founded His Church! What storms have
not broken upon the Church!
Persecutions from without and
within, heresies and schisms without number, and infidelity in its most hideous
form, have raged against the Church, and what has been the consequence?
Nations
have often fallen away from the Church, single bishops have proved betrayers of
their flocks, the sees of the apostles themselves have been subject to the
vicissitudes of time. And amid all these storms Rome alone has, for over
eighteen hundred years, stood firm. She has come out of every contest
victorious, has remained the center of faith and discipline, and has preserved
the unbroken succession of bishops from Peter. Who does not see herein the
assistance of Him Who forever fulfills that promise of His, “Upon this rock I
will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” The
Pope is, therefore, the visible supreme head of the Church, appointed by Christ
for all time; the invisible, all-governing head is Christ Himself.
Things to do[4]
·
Take a pilgrimage to Rome to visit the burial
places of St. Peter and Paul.
·
Go fishing in honor of St. Peter. He was a
fisherman before he became Jesus' disciple and is the patron saint of fisherman
and net makers.
·
Attend Mass and learn how both Peter and Paul,
two men with very different visions, formed the early church and how
Christianity rapidly spread.
Insalata Di Tarocci[5]
INGREDIENTS
- 4 blood oranges or other small,
sweet oranges
- 1 small red onion, cut into very
thin slices*
- 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. freshly chopped Italian
parsley; stems discarded
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Details
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Combine
a dozen or so men with large sackes draped over their shoulders; ox-drawn carts
bearing the image of San Paolo (himself holding a snake and a book in one hand,
a sword pointing to the heavens in the other); squads of flagbearers and
swordsmen; a cotillion of old men with black berets playing an indescribable
array of instruments (many homemade); a piazza packed with local residents
dressed in Sunday finery; and long tables filled with all manner of food and
beverage, and you have a beginner's idea of what to expect if you find yourself
in Aragona in southern Sicily on June 29, the feast of St. Paul. (If you decide
to visit the church however, you no longer have to fear the ritual called La
benedizione deglie serpe, whereby residents presented snakes to the priest
for benediction. The ritual was done away with a few years ago. If you do
venture to Aragona for this festival, the blood orange and red onion salad
presented here is one of the many foods you're likely to sample. Although any
type of orange can be substituted to following is made with tarocci or
blood oranges, which are one of Sicily's most famous products. Exceptionally
high in vitamin C, strongly fragrant, and with brilliant red peel and pulp, the
tarocci is widely used in salads, frozen ice cream desserts, and sorbets.
DIRECTIONS
Italians have become very
fond of cipolle de tropea a type of sweet red onion that comes from
Calabria and is not yet available in the US. To achieve the same sweetness,
soak the sliced red onion in water for thirty minutes before using.
1. Peel the oranges and
remove the pith. Cut horizontally into thin slices. Put in a bowl and set
aside.
2. Separate the onion
slices into individual layers and put in the bowl with the oranges. Add the oil
and half the parsley to the bowl, season with salt and pepper, and toss until
all ingredients are well coated.
3. Arrange the orange and
onion slices in a circular pattern on a round platter. Drizzle with the oil
left in the bowl, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and serve.
Make Ahead:
The oranges can be tossed with the marinade earlier in the day.
How to Serve: On its own as a midsummer appetizer, followed by a
light pasta, or as a salad course accompanying an especially piquant entree.
Bible in a Year-Day 11
Fr. Mike explains the significance behind sacrifice of Isaac, and why God chose
to test Abraham as he reads Genesis 22-23, Job 11-12, and Proverbs 2:9:15.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: The
Sick, afflicted, and infirmed
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1]http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20180319_gaudete-et-exsultate.html#A_supernatural_gift
[3] Goffine’s Devout Instructions,
1896.
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