Monday, June 1, 2026
JUNE
Wildlife fills our life with joy and refreshment. Songbirds and birds of prey, squirrels and rabbits, butterflies and lightning bugs all carry a message worth discovering in early summer. Do we see and hear them, or do we overlook them, even despise them? Are they simply an annoyance, or do we come to know, love, and even serve these fellow creatures by providing protection and habitat?
June: The Sacred Heart of Jesus – The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the revelation of God’s immense love for us. It is often depicted as a fiery furnace, pierced and broken, but beating with love. The Sacred Heart is also a profound reminder of the humanity of our Lord, for his heart is not a mere symbol, but a true physical reality.
Overview of June[1]
Following Pentecost, the Church begins her slow descent from the great peaks of the Easter Season to the verdant pastures of Ordinary Time, the longest of the liturgical seasons. Like the lush June growth all around us, the green of the liturgical season points to the new life won for us by the Redemption of Jesus Christ, the new life of Charity. For Our Lord came to cast the fire of His love on the earth, and to that end, sent His Holy Spirit at Pentecost in the form of tongues of fire. Ordinary Time is the hour to “go out to all the world and tell the good news.” The feasts of June highlight this expansion of the Church. At least ten times, the Church vests in the red of the martyrs whose blood is the very seed of her growth. She also celebrates the feasts of the apostles Peter and Paul, and the birth of St. John the Baptist, proto-disciple and prophet. We too are called to be witnesses like the apostles and martyrs. May the Heart of Jesus inflame our hearts so that we may be worthy of our Baptismal call to holiness. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart[2]
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. "From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion." These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.
The devotion consists in the divine worship of the human heart of Christ, which is united to His divinity and which is a symbol of His love for us. The aim of the devotion is to make our Lord king over our hearts by prompting them to return love to Him (especially through an act of consecration by which we offer to the Heart of Jesus both ourselves and all that belongs to us) and to make reparation for our ingratitude to God.
Prayer:
INVOCATION
O Heart of love, I put all my trust in Thee; for I fear all things from my own weakness, but I hope for all things from Thy goodness. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART
Devotion to the Sacred Heart was the characteristic note of the piety of Saint Gertrude the Great (1256-1302), Benedictine nun and renowned mystic. She was, in fact, the first great exponent of devotion to the Sacred Heart. In our efforts to honor the Heart of Jesus we have this prayer as a model for our own: Hail! O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and quickening source of eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity, and burning furnace of divine love. Thou art my refuge and my sanctuary, Oh my amiable Savior. Consume my heart with that burning fire with which Thine is ever inflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Thy love, and let my heart be so united with Thine, that our wills may be one, and mine in all things be conformed to Thine. May Thy divine will be equally the standard and rule of all my desires and of all my actions. Amen. Saint Gertrude
FOR THE CHURCH
O most holy Heart of Jesus, shower Thy blessings in abundant measure upon Thy holy Church, upon the Supreme Pontiff and upon all the clergy; to the just grant perseverance; convert sinners; enlighten unbelievers; bless our relations, friends and benefactors; assist the dying; deliver the holy souls in purgatory; and extend over all hearts the sweet empire of Thy love. Amen.
A PRAYER OF TRUST
O God, who didst in wondrous manner reveal to the virgin, Margaret Mary, the unsearchable riches of Thy Heart, grant that loving Thee, after her example, in all things and above all things, we may in Thy Heart find our abiding home.
ACT OF LOVE
Reveal Thy Sacred Heart to me, O Jesus, and show me Its attractions. Unite me to It forever. Grant that all my aspirations and all the beats of my heart, which cease not even while I sleep, may be a testimonial to Thee of my love for Thee and may say to Thee: Yes, Lord, I am all Thine; pledge of my allegiance to Thee rests ever in my heart will never cease to be there. Do Thou accept the slight amount of good that I do and be graciously pleased to repair all m] wrongdoing; so that I may be able to bless Thee in time and in eternity. Amen. Cardinal Merry del Val
MEMORARE TO THE SACRED HEART Remember, O most sweet Jesus, that no one who has had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, implored its help, or sought it mercy was ever abandoned. Encouraged with confidence, O tenderest of hearts, we present ourselves before Thee, crushes beneath the weight of our sins. In our misery, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, despise not our simple prayers, but mercifully grant our requests.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
JUNE TIMETABLE
June Travel?[3]
Machu Picchu Explore the incredible Inca ruins of Peru’s Machu Picchu, often called “Lost city of the Incas.” Take an adventurous climb to see the Temple of Condor and Sun Gate -- the end point for the Inca Trail. Visit in June to take advantage of the dry season and to avoid the heavy crowds in July and August.
Whale Watching, Stellwagen Bank
—May thru October-- Did winter come and go without you getting a chance to see whales? There’s still time: Between May and September, more than 400 orcas swim in the waters around Canada’s Vancouver Island. Or head to the Azores, the Portuguese archipelago about 1,000 miles from Lisbon, where sperm whales gather from May to October. Closer to home, Stellwagen Bank, a submerged sandbank between Cape Cod and Cape Ann in Massachusetts, attracts the endangered North Atlantic right whale to its waters.
Chicago Blues Festival-June 4--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.
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival—June 11-14--From indie rock to reggae, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, draws thousands of fans every year. Previous notable acts include Bob Dylan, Arcade Fire, Bruce Springsteen, Jay-Z, The Beach Boys and The White Stripes. During this four-day music festival, bands, rappers, musicians and singers perform from around noon until 4 a.m. or later at Great Stage Park, which is located on a 700-acre farm.
Father's Day June 21 Don’t forget about Dad this month. Spend some extra time with your father figure by planning a trip to go fly fishing, rock climbing or skydiving. For a getaway minus the adrenaline-pumping thrills, we have a few Father’s Day travel ideas like a brewery tour in Portland, Oregon, or game of golf in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Iceman’s Calendar
Mon. June 1st St. Justin
Wed. June 3rd MASS First Wednesday
Thu. June 4th MASS Corpus Christi Traditional
Fri. June 5th MASS Sacred Heart of Jesus
MASS First Friday
Saint Boniface
Sat. June 6th MASS Immaculate Heart of Mary
First Saturday
D-Day, 1944
Sun. June 7th MASS Corpus Christi Sunday
Mon. June 8th Octave of Corpus Christi
Tue.
June 9th Charles
Dickens RIP 1870
Wed.
June 10th Octave
of Corpus Christi
Thu.
June 11th Saint Barnabas Octave of Corpus Christi
Donna
Marie birthday RIP (my older sister)
Movie ET
released 1982
Sun. June 14th MASS Third Sunday after Pentecost
200th US Army Birthday Flag Day
Fri. June 19th Juneteenth National Independence Day
Sun. 21st MASS Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Father’s Day
Summer Solstice
Wed. June 24th MASS Feast of John the Baptist
Midsummer Day
Sun. June 28th MASS Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Mon. June 29th MASS St’s Peter and Paul
Full Strawberry Moon
🔸Monday Night at the Movies-June 2026 – Prophets & Pilgrims
Prophecy in June is a pilgrimage through the Church’s feasts. These films follow the soul from guilt to purification, from conscience to renunciation, and finally to a vocation lived in motion. Each week’s feast sharpens the film’s meaning and reveals a different face of the prophet’s call.
Jun 1 – The Informer (1935)
St. Justin Martyr
A prophet begins in the ruins of his own failure. Gypo’s betrayal and collapse mirror Justin’s insistence on truth: falsehood destroys, repentance clarifies.
Jun 8 – Stromboli (1950)
Sacred Heart / Immaculate Heart
Karin’s volcanic exile becomes purification. As the Hearts of Jesus and Mary burn with love, Stromboli burns away pride and forces a reckoning with God.
Jun 15 – A Man for All Seasons (1966)
St. Barnabas
Barnabas stands firm in the Spirit; Thomas More does the same. Here the pilgrimage becomes confrontation — conscience refusing to bow before power.
Jun 22 – The Abdication (1974)
St. John Fisher & St. Thomas More
On their feast, Christina’s renunciation echoes their witness. The prophet is purified not only by what he defends but by what he relinquishes.
Jun 29 – Chariots of Fire (1981)
Saints Peter & Paul
The apostles ran their race to the end. Eric Liddell’s obedience in motion mirrors theirs: vocation lived cleanly, joyfully, and without compromise.
THE INFORMER (1935)
Victor McLaglen • Heather Angel • J.M. Kerrigan
Directed by John Ford
A fog‑drenched tragedy of guilt, betrayal, and the terrible clarity that comes after sin,
The Informer is not merely a political drama.
It is a study in how a man loses himself,
how conscience awakens too late,
and how the soul begins its pilgrimage only after it has fallen.
It is the story of a drifter who sells a friend for reward money,
a woman who sees the truth before he does,
and a city where fear and loyalty collide in the shadows.
And then the reckoning comes —
not swiftly,
but with the slow, crushing weight of a conscience finally awake.
1. Production & Historical Setting
John Ford’s Night of the Soul
Released in 1935, The Informer stands at the crossroads of Ford’s early career —
a chamber piece of moral darkness before his great American epics.
Shot in expressionist shadows, the film feels less like Dublin
and more like the interior of a man’s collapsing mind.
Victor McLaglen: The Broken Giant
McLaglen’s Gypo Nolan is a towering figure undone from within —
a man whose strength cannot protect him from his own weakness.
His performance is volcanic,
a portrait of guilt that grows heavier with every step.
Ford’s Moral Atmosphere
The film’s fog, alleys, and lamplit interiors
create a world where truth is always just out of reach —
until it isn’t.
2. Story Summary
A Betrayal for Pocket Money
Gypo, hungry and desperate, informs on his friend Frankie
for a few pounds and the illusion of a new beginning.
A City That Knows
The revolutionary underground moves silently,
watching, weighing, waiting.
Gypo’s guilt grows louder than their suspicions.
A Man Trying to Outrun His Own Shadow
He spends the blood money as if it could drown his conscience,
but every drink, every lie, every boast
tightens the noose.
The Trial of the Soul
When the truth surfaces,
Gypo faces judgment —
not only from the men he betrayed,
but from the God he has ignored.
A Final Act of Clarity
In the film’s devastating conclusion,
Gypo seeks forgiveness from the mother of the man he destroyed.
It is too late to save his life,
but not too late to save his soul.
3. Spiritual & Moral Resonances
A. Prophecy Begins in Ruins
Gypo’s collapse mirrors the Feast of St. Justin Martyr:
truth must be faced,
even when it destroys the illusions a man has built.
B. Guilt Is the First Grace
The weight that crushes Gypo
is also the weight that awakens him.
C. Betrayal Is Never a Single Act
It is a chain of small surrenders —
fear, hunger, pride, self‑pity —
each one a step away from the man he was meant to be.
D. Judgment Is Not the End
The film insists on something deeper:
that repentance, even at the last breath,
is still a road home.
E. The Prophet’s First Lesson: Tell the Truth
Gypo’s pilgrimage begins only when he finally speaks honestly —
to himself, to God, to the one he wronged.
4. Hospitality Pairing — A Night of Fog & Reckoning
Cigar: A dark Maduro — heavy, earthy, penitential.
Drink: Irish whiskey — sharp, smoky, unvarnished.
Plate: Brown bread, salted butter, something humble and honest.
Atmosphere: Low light, quiet room, the sense of a man thinking hard about his life.
5. Reflection Prompts
- Where have I traded truth for comfort.
- What small compromises have led me toward a larger betrayal.
- What guilt in my life is actually an invitation to repentance.
- Who have I wronged that I have not yet faced.
- What truth about myself must be spoken before the pilgrimage can begin.
JUNE 1 Monday Saint Justin, Martyr
They
were seeking to arrest him, but they FEARED the crowd, for they realized
that he had addressed the parable to them. So they left him and went away.
It is natural to fear something you cannot control.
Christ
could not be controlled by the men in charge of the Temple system; so, they feared
Him and they feared the crowd that followed Him. Christ’s message was good news
to the crowd who were but pawns in the Jewish Temple system of wealth and
power. We in times of trouble should be like Tobit and seek to walk all the
days of our lives in paths of truth and righteousness. It was Tobit who defied
those in power to do an act of mercy by burying the dead. While his neighbors
mocked him and saying to one another: “He is still not afraid! Once before he
was hunted down for execution because of this very thing; yet now that he has
scarcely escaped, here he is again burying the dead!” (Tobit 2:8) Love makes
sacrifices. He (Christ) laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our
life for our brothers. (1 John 3:16) Most of us by the grace of God are never
confronted with such terrors of evil. Yet, we too in our quiet lives can lay
down ourselves in service to our brothers.
Copilot’s Take
Fear always reveals what a man worships.
In Mark 12, the leaders fear the crowd because they no longer fear God.
Their fear is political, not holy. The Catechism teaches that fear becomes
sinful when it leads a man to abandon the good (CCC 1808), but holy fear—the
awe that bends the heart toward truth—is the beginning of wisdom (CCC 1831).
The Temple authorities have lost this. They fear exposure more than judgment,
reputation more than righteousness.
St. Justin Martyr stands as the opposite kind of man.
He lived in an empire where truth was illegal, where philosophy was
tolerated only if it served the state, and where Christians were executed not
for crimes but for refusing to lie about who God is. Justin confronted evil not
with violence but with clarity. He exposed the irrationality of pagan power,
the injustice of persecution, and the moral cowardice of Rome’s magistrates.
His Apologies are the blueprint for confronting evil: name the truth,
refuse the lie, and accept the consequences.
The Catechism calls this martyrdom, the “supreme witness to the
truth of the faith” (CCC 2473). It is the antidote to the fear that paralyzes
institutions and men. Evil thrives when people fear losing comfort; it
collapses when someone fears God more than death.
Justin did not seek martyrdom, but he refused to escape it. When Rusticus
demanded he sacrifice to the idols, Justin answered with the simplicity of a
free man: “No one in his right mind gives up truth for error.” That is
holy fear—fear that bows only to God.
In our quieter lives, the confrontation is smaller but the principle is
the same. Evil still depends on silence, on men who fear embarrassment more
than sin, who fear conflict more than falsehood. The path of Justin is the path
of every Christian: stand where truth stands, even when the world walks away.
Holy fear restores order. It makes a man unbribable, unmanipulable,
unafraid. It is the fear that makes martyrs—and the fear that makes ordinary
men faithful in the daily battles no one sees.
Apostolic Exhortation[1]
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 II
III.
Worthy Reception of Holy Communion – Conforming our life with Christ.
61.
From the very beginning, the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, passed down to us
in the Didache – one of the oldest writings outside the New Testament –
describes this ancient practice in which the priest, just before distributing
Holy Communion says: “Whoever is holy, let him approach, whoever is not, let
him do penance” (Didache 10). The Church has always stressed this perennial
doctrine and discipline: before one receives Jesus Christ in Holy Communion one
must be in communion of life, restored often by God’s mercy in the Sacrament of
Penance. Otherwise, instead of receiving all the graces from Holy Communion, we
are partaking of our own condemnation. Saint Paul declared, “Whoever eats the
bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body
and blood of the Lord.” In other words, whoever unworthily receives the
Eucharist will have to answer for the Lord’s death. The Apostle further warned,
“A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For
anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks
judgment on himself” (1 Cor 11:27-29).
62.
Thomas Aquinas painfully but clearly echoed Saint Paul’s warning in the hymn
Lauda Sion Salvatorem reminding us that the “Bread of Life” becomes the bread
of death for those who consume Jesus in the state of grave sin. “The good
partake, the bad partake: with, however, an unequal share of life and death. It
is death to the bad, life to the good: behold how unlike is the result of like
partaking.” When one receives Holy Communion unworthily, the Sacrament becomes
a sacrilege; the spiritual medicine becomes for that person — it is frightful
to say — a form of spiritual poison. When we do not really believe in Jesus,
when we do not really seek to conform our entire life to Him and receive Jesus
even though we know that we have sinned against Him, then this just leads to a
greater sin and betrayal.
63. In speaking of the Sacrament of Penance, I wish to gratefully acknowledge the dedication of our priests who generously offer their time to ensure that the faithful can always have the opportunity for confession. In the exercise of their ministry, they are also contributing to helping the faithful prepare worthily for Holy Communion. Pray for your priests who have faithfully made themselves available for this very purpose! Pray also that God may bless us with more vocations to the priesthood!
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.
Bible in a year Day 331 Peter Preaches to the Gentiles
In today’s reading from Acts,
the Holy Spirit guides Peter to initiate ministry to the Gentiles, beginning
with the family of Cornelius, a Roman centurion. Upon hearing Peter preach,
Cornelius’ entire household receive the Holy Spirit and are baptized. Commenting
on today's second reading from 1 Corinthians, Fr. Mike reminds us to pursue
Christian unity and avoid the dissension and infighting we see in the Church of
Corinth. Today's readings are Acts 10, 1 Corinthians 1-2, Proverbs 27:21-22.
Around the Corner
Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
Monday: Litany of Humility
Bucket List Trip: Around
the World “Perfect Weather” Lisbon
Spirit Hour: Bourbon Milk Punch
Foodie-Something
with milk
Daily Devotions
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: St. Joseph’s
intersession for the Porter’s of St. Joseph
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
Rosary
Comments
Post a Comment