Day: June 15, 2017

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, Uncategorized

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY TWO – 15 JUNE

Posted on by AnaStpaul

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY TWO – 15 JUNE

By St Alphonsus Liguori
(1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Published in 1758 from THE HOLY EUCHARIST

MEDITATION II.
The Loving Heart of Jesus.

Oh, if we could but understand the love that burns in the heart of Jesus for us!   He has loved us so much, that if all men, all the Angels and all the Saints were to unite, with all their energies, they could not arrive at the thousandth part of the love that Jesus bears to us.   He loves us infinitely more than we love ourselves,   He has loved us even to excess: They spoke of His decease (excess) which He was to accomplish in Jerusalem. [Luke ix. 31]  And what greater excess of love could there be than for God to die for His creatures? He has loved us to the greatest degree:  Having loved His own . . . He loved them unto the end;  [John, xiii. 1] since, after having loved us from eternity, —–for there never was a moment from eternity when God did not think of us and did not love each one-of us:  I have loved thee with an everlasting love, [Jer. xxxi, 3]—–for the love of us.   He made Himself Man and chose a life of sufferings and the death of the Cross for our sake. Therefore He has loved us more than His honur, more than His repose and more than His life; for He sacrificed everything to show us the love that He bears us.   And is not this an excess of love sufficient to stupefy with astonishment the Angels of Paradise for all eternity?

This love has induced Him also to remain with us in the Holy Sacrament as on a throne of love;  for He remains there under the appearance of a small piece of bread, shut up in a ciborium, where He seems to remain in a perfect annihilation of His majesty, without movement and without the use of His senses;  so that it seems that He performs no other office there than that of loving men.   Love makes us desire the constant presence of the object of our love.   It is this love and this desire that makes Jesus Christ reside with us in the Most Holy Sacrament.   It seemed too short a time to this loving Saviour to have been only thirty-three years with men on earth;  therefore, in order to show His desire of being constantly with us, He thought right to perform the greatest of all miracles, in the institution of the Holy Eucharist.   But the work of redemption was already completed, men had already become reconciled to God;  for what purpose, then, did Jesus remain on earth in this Sacrament?   Ah, He remains there because He cannot bear to separate Himself from us, as He has said that He takes a delight in us.

Again, this love has induced Him even to become the food of our souls, so as to unite Himself to us and to make His heart and ours as one: He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood, abideth in Me and I in him. [John, vi. 57] O
wonder!   O excess of Divine love!   It was said by a servant of God, if anything could shake my faith in the Eucharist, it would not be the doubt as to how the bread could become flesh, or how Jesus could be in several places and confined into so small a space, because I should answer that God can do everything;   but if I were asked how He could love men so much as to make Himself their food, I have nothing else to answer but that this is a mystery of faith above my comprehension and that the love of Jesus cannot be understood.   O love of Jesus, do Thou make Thyself known to men and do Thou make Thyself loved!

DAY TWO - 15 JUNE

LET US PRAY – DAY TWO

O adorable heart of my Jesus, heart inflamed with the love of men,
heart created on purpose to love them,
how is it possible that You can be despised
and Your love so ill corresponded to by men?
Oh, miserable that I am, I also have been one of those ungrateful ones
that have not loved You.
Forgive me, my Jesus, this great sin of not having loved You,
Who are so amiable and Who has loved me so much
that You can do nothing more to oblige me to love You.
Grant me the grace to love You.
O Love of my Jesus; You are my Love.
O burning heart of my Jesus, inflame my heart also.
Do not permit me in future, even for a single moment,
to live without Your love; rather kill me, destroy me;
do not let the world behold the spectacle of such horrid ingratitude
as that I, who have been so beloved by You
and received so many favours and lights from You,
should begin again to despise Your love.
I trust in the Blood that You have shed for me,
that I shall always love You and that You will always love me
and that this love between You and me will not be broken off for all eternity.

O Mary, Mother of fair love,
you who desires so much to see Jesus loved,
bind me, unite me to your Son;
but bind me to Him, so that we may never again be separated. Amen

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Posted in CATECHESIS, CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC Quotes, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Thought for the Day – 15 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 15 June

Why is the Sacred Heart the Holy Eucharist?

It is impossible to identify the Holy Eucharist too closely with Jesus Christ.   We should remember He is in the Holy Eucharist not merely with His substance.   I have corrected many of my students over the years who tell me “Transubstantiation means that the substance of bread and wine become the substance of Jesus Christ.” I reply, “No, transubstantiation means the substance of bread and wine are no longer there. The substance of bread and wine is replaced not only by the substance of Christ’s Body and Blood. What replaces the substance of bread and wine is Jesus Christ!” Everything that makes Christ, Christ replaces what had been the substance of bread and wine.   The substance of bread and wine become the whole Christ.

Therefore, Christ in the Holy Eucharist is here with His human heart.   Is it a living heart?   Yes! That is why the revelations our Lord made to St. Margaret Mary about promoting devotion to the Sacred Heart were all made from the Holy Eucharist.

Why do we equate the Sacred Heart with the Holy Eucharist?   Because the Holy Eucharist is the whole Christ with His human heart.   According to St. Margaret Mary, the Sacred Heart is the Holy Eucharist.   So it follows that devotion to the Sacred Heart is devotion to the Holy Eucharist.   It is infinite Love Incarnate living in our midst in the Blessed Sacrament.

Servant of God Fr John A Hardon SJ

why is the sacred heart the Holy Eucharist - fr john a hardon

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 June

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One Minute Reflection – 15 June

Teach me your paths, my God,
make me walk in your truth………..Psalm 24:4-5

Psalm 24 4-5

REFLECTION – “Gluttony should be destroyed by self-control; unchastity by desire for God and longing for the blessings held in store; avarice by compassion for the poor; anger by goodwill and love for all men; worldly dejection by spiritual joy; listlessness by patience, perseverance and offering thanks to God; self-esteem by doing good in secret and by praying constantly with a contrite heart; and pride by not judging or despising anyone in the manner of the boastful Pharisee, and by considering oneself the least of all men.”………..St John Damascene (675-749) – Doctor of the Church

gluttony - st john damascene

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, teach me Your paths and help me to walk always in Your truth, following ever more closely the way set before me by Your Divine Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.  May Your Grace and Your Spirit fill my heart with the love, courage, zeal and strength I need to overcome the world and be a light to my neighbour. Amen

Posted in ART DEI, SAINT of the DAY

Celebrating St Vitus’ Memorial and the Cathedral in his honour in Prague, Czech Republic, the country for which he is a Patron

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Celebrating St Vitus’ Memorial and the Cathedral in his honour in Prague, Czech Republic, the country for which he is a Patron.   The Image below is the Chapel of St Vitus within the Cathedral.

Chapel-St.-Vitus-Cathedral-Prague

To many people, St. Vitus Cathedral is Prague Castle.   While the Prague Castle complex houses many buildings, St. Vitus is the one that dominates the skyline wherever you are in city.   St. Vitus Cathedral (Katedrála svatého Víta) is a Gothic masterpiece and the spiritual symbol of the Czech state.

The cathedral was commissioned by Charles IV. Construction began in 1344 on the site of an earlier 10th century rotunda.   Its original builders, Matthias of Arras and later Peter Parler, constructed the chancel with a ring of chapels – St. Wenceslas Chapel, the Golden Portal and the lower section of the main steeple.   However, it took almost six centuries to complete, with the final phase of construction in the period 1873-1929.   Below is St Wenceslas Chapel which is decorated with frescoes and semi-precious stones.   A door in the south-western corner of the chapel leads to the Crown Chamber, in which the Bohemian Coronation Jewels are stored.

St.-Wanceslas-Chapel-Inside-The-St.-Vitus-Cathedral

As well as being the largest and most important Basilica in Prague, St. Vitus Cathedral has also overseen the coronation of Czech kings and queens.   In the chancel of the cathedral, in front of the high altar, is the royal mausoleum.   Below this, in the crypt, there are the royal tombs. Czech kings and queens and patron saints of the country are interred here.

The Great South Tower of the Cathedral was founded in the late 14th century and reconstructed in the 16th and 18th centuries.   The tower holds the largest bell in the Czech Republic, called Zikmund, which dates from the 16th century.   Visitors can climb the Great South Tower, see the bell partway up and enjoy spectacular views over the city from the top.   The tower has 287 narrow, winding steps and is more than 90 metres high.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

Our Morning Offering – 15 June

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Our Morning Offering – 15 June

Daily Offering to the Sacred Heart
By St Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897)
Doctor of the Church

O my God!
I offer You all my actions of this day
for the intentions and for the glory
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart,
my every thought,
my simplest works,
by uniting them to His infinite merits;
and I wish to make reparation for my sins
by casting them into the furnace
of His Merciful Love.
O my God! I ask of You for myself
and for those whom I hold dear,
the grace to fulfill perfectly Your Holy Will,
to accept for love of You
the joys and sorrows of this passing life,
so that we may one day be united together
in heaven for all Eternity. Amen

daily offering to the sacred heart - st therese of lisieux.2

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 15 June – St Vitus (c 290-c 303) – Martyr, One of the Seven Holy Helpers

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Saint of the Day – 15 June – St Vitus (c 290-c 303) – Martyr, One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers – died age 12–13 in Lucania, modern-day Basilicata, Italy).   Patronages – against animal attacks, against dog bites, against epilepsy; epileptics, against lightning, against over-sleeping, against rheumatic chorea or Saint Vitus Dance, against snake bites, against storms, against wild beasts, of actors, comedians, dancers, dogs, Bohemia, Czech Republic, Serbia, 17 cities.

Saint Vitus lived during the joint reigns of two Roman Emperors.   The Roman Emperor Maximian, who was Roman Emperor for the Western Empire from 286 to 305 and Diocletian (r.284-305). who mounted some of the fiercest persecutions of the early Church especially in the East of the Roman Empire.   This was an extremely dangerous time to adhere to the Christian faith due to persecutions of the Roman Emperors.   St Vitus was the son of a Sicilian senator named Hylas.   The family adhered to the Pagan Roman Gods but at the age of twelve Vitus converted to Christianity.   His father was so furious that he had his son and his associates arrested and whipped.   They were released and escaped to Rome.   His links with Roman nobility gained Vitus access to the royal court of the Roman Emperor Diocletian.   It is said that Vitus cured the son of the Emperor of evil spirits.   A sacrifice to the Roman gods was planned in thanks for the cure   Vitus was unable to participate due his Christian beliefs and when this emerged he was accused of being a sorcerer and practising magic to effect the cure.   He and his friends were arrested and condemned to death in the arena.   Legend tells that the wild beasts and lions refused to attack Vitus and he was killed by the terrible fate of being boiled in oil.

The veneration of the martyrs spread rapidly in Southern Italy and Sicily, Pope Gregory the Great mentions a monastery dedicated to Vitus in Sicily.   The veneration of St. Vitus, the chief saint of the group, also appeared very early at Rome.   Pope Gelasius I (492-496) mentions a shrine dedicated to him and at Rome in the seventh century the chapel of a deaconry was dedicated to him.

In 756 AD, it is said that the relics of St. Vitus were brought to the monastery of St-Denis by Abbot Fulrad.   They were later presented to Abbot Warin of Corvey in Germany, who solemnly transferred some of them to this abbey in 836.   From Corvey the veneration of St Vitus spread throughout Westphalia and in the districts of eastern and northern Germany.   His cult grew in Prague, Bohemia when, in 925 A.D., king Henry I of Germany presented as a gift the bones of one hand of St. Vitus to Wenceslaus, Duke of Bohemia. Since then, this relic has been a sacred treasure in the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.

Charles_Bridge_St_Vitus
Statue of St Vitus on Charles Bridge, Prague

Saint Vitus is one of the Fourteen Martyrs who give aid in times of trouble.   He is specifically invoked against chorea, which is called St. Vitus Dance.

Adorable-Interior-View-Of-The-St.-Vitus-Cathedral-PragueST VITUS CATHEDRAL IN PRAGUEVitusCathedralc-prague-st-vitus-cathedral-1

Posted in SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Saints’ Memorials and Feast Days – 15 June

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Nuestra Señora de Montemayor
—
St Abraham of Saint-Cyriacus
St Achaicus of Corinth
Bl Albertina Berkenbrock
St Barbara Cui Lianshi
St Benildis of Córdoba
St Constantine of Beauvais
St Domitian of Lobbes
St Edburgh of Winchester
St Eigil
St Eutropia of Palmyra
St Fortunatus of Corinth
St Germaine Cousin
St Hadelinus of Lobbes
St Hesychius of Durostorum
St Hilarion of Espalion
Bl Juan Rodriguez
St Julius of Durostorum
St Landelin of Crespin
St Leonides of Palmyra
St Libya of Palmyra
St Lotharius of Séez
St Melan of Viviers
St Orsisius
Bl Pedro da Teruel
Bl Peter Snow
St Pierre de Cervis
Bl Ralph Grimston
St Tatian of Cilicia
Bl Thomas Scryven
St Trillo of Wales
St Vaughe of Ireland
St Vitus
St Vouga of Lesneven
—
Martyr of Lucania – 11 saints: Eleven Christians martyred together. We known nothing else about them but the names – Anteon, Candidus, Cantianilla, Cantianus, Chrysogonus, Jocundus, Nivitus, Protus, Quintianus, Silvius, Theodolus in Lucania (modern Basilicata), Italy, date unknown.