One Minute Reflection – 27 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart”- Saturday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19, Psalm 74:1-7, 20-21, Matthew 8:5-17 and the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Succour and the Memorial of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) – Doctor of the Church “The Pillar of Faith” & “Seal of all the Fathers” – Doctor Incarnationis (Doctor of the Incarnation) and Bl Louise-Thérèse de Montaignac de Chauvance OSHJ (1820-1885)
“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof” … Matthew 8:8
REFLECTION – “When the Lord promised to go to the centurion’s house to heal his servant, the centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof but only say the word and my servant will be healed.” By viewing himself as unworthy, he showed himself worthy for Christ to come, not merely into his house but also into his heart. He would not have said this with such great faith and humility, if he had not already welcomed in his heart, the One who came into his house. It would have been no great joy for the Lord Jesus to enter into his house and not to enter his heart. For the Master of humility, both by word and example, sat down also in the house of a certain proud Pharisee, Simon and, though He sat down in his house, there was no place in his heart. For in his heart the Son of Man could not lay his head.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace – Sermon 62
PRAYER – God our Father, You open the gates of the kingdom of heaven to those who are born again of water and the Holy Spirit. Increase the grace You have given, so that the people who have been purified from all sin, may not forfeit the promised blessing of Your love. Grant that we may ever keep Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, before our eyes and do all in Him and through Him and for Him and may the prayers of our Mother of Perpetual Succour may ever guide and bear us in her care and may Your Saints pray for Holy Mother Church and us all! We make our pray through Christ, our Lord, in union with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.