Thought for the Day – 9 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Sacred Heart of Jesus Surmounted by a Flaming Cross
“St Margaret Mary saw the Sacred Heart of Jesus, surmounted by flames in the midst of which, a Cross was raised on high. These flames and this Cross, were the symbol of the infinite love of Jesus. Let us reflect a little. God, immeasurably happy in Himself, wished to communicate a share in His happiness to men, whom He created in a state of earthly happiness. He was offended by men and, when He saw that they were heading for destruction, He sent His Eternal Word to them. The Word took a human nature and became our Brother; He preached the way to Heaven and gave us the means to achieve it. More than this, He offered Himself as a divine victim of expiation for our sins. Having been condemned by those whom He had come to show the way, He died on the Cross and shed all His Blood, for our salvation.
Pagans of all times have called this “the folly of the Cross.” In fact, it is the miracle of the infinite love of God for humanity. Let us remember, however, that, although His love and goodness are infinite, so also is His justice! It is an overwhelming miracle of love on the part of God, that He became man and died for us. It will be our own downfall if we fail to co-operate with this miracle of love!
The same Jesus, Who died on the Cross for us and revealed His Heart, pierced and flaming with love, will one day appear with the same glorious Sign of the Cross, as our Supreme Judge. Then, He will say to the wicked: “Depart from me, accursed ones, into everlasting fire!”
God’s justice is, as infinite as His charity! We must choose either the way of the Cross, the way of love and goodness to which the Sacred Heart of Jesus invites us, or the way of sin, which leads to the gulf of ruin and the final condemnation of the Supreme Judge. This is the tremendous choice we have to make!”
Quote/s of the Day – 9 June – Within the Octave if Corpus Christi – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love. It signifies Love, It produces love. The Eucharist is the consummation of the whole spiritual life.”
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor angelicus/Doctor communis
“The Holy Eucharist is the perfectCommunion of Saints, for it is the food common to Angels and sainted souls in Paradise and ourselves – it is the true Bread of which all Christians participate. The forgiveness of sins, the Author of forgiveness being there, is confirmed; the seed of our resurrection sown, life everlasting bestowed. … This very belief in the Most Holy Sacrament, which, in truth, reality and substance, contains the true and natural Body of Our Lord, is actually the abridgment of our Faith, according to that of the Psalmist: “He had made a memory of His wonderful works.”
One Minute Reflection – 9 June – Within the Octave if Corpus Christi – Saints Primus and Felicianus (Died c304) Cinfessors, Brother Lay Martyrs – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
This is the Bread that has come down from Heaven; not as your fathers ate the manna and died. He who eats this Bread shall live forever.” – John 6:59
REFLECTION – Christ is “the bread of life” for those who believe in Him: to believe in Christ is to eat the bread of life, to possess Christ within one, is to possess eternal life… “I am the bread of life,” He says; “your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and they are dead” (Jn 6,48f). By this is to be understood ,spiritual death. Why are they dead? Because they believed in what they saw and did not understand what they could not see… Moses ate manna, Aaron ate it and many others, too, who pleased God and are not dead. Why are they not dead? Because they understood, in a spiritual fashion, they were spiritually hungry, they tasted the manna spiritually, so that they might be spiritually satisfied. “This is the bread that came down from heaven: whoever eats it will never die” (v.50). This manna – that is to say, Christ, who Himself spoke like this…, was prefigured by the manna but was able to do more than manna could. For manna could not, of itself, prevent dying spiritually… But the righteous saw Christ in the manna, they believed in His coming and Christ, of whom manna was the symbol, grants to all who believe in Him that they should not spiritually die. Hence He says: “This is the bread come down from heaven; whoever eats it will never see death.” Here on earth, here now, before your eyes, your eyes of flesh: here is to be found the “bread from heaven” (v.51). The “bread of life” we spoke of a moment ago is now called “living bread.” Living bread because it contains, within itself, the life that abides and can deliver from spiritual death and bestow life. First He said: “Whoever eats it will never die” now he speaks clearly, concerning the life He gives: “Whoever eats this bread will live for ever” (v.58). Archbishop Baldwin of Canterbury (c 1125-1190) Cistercian – The Sacrament of the Altar II
PRAYER – Grant O Lord, we pray, that we may ever honour the festival of thy holy Martyrs, Primus and Felicianus and Thy truth of the Church of Saints. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Sweet Heart of my JESUS, Make me love Thee ever more and more! – 300 Days Indulgence Once a day, Plenary Once a month – Blessed Pope Pius IX – 26 November 1876
Our Morning Offering – 9 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus”
Prayer in Adoration of the Sacred Heart By St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) Visionary and Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God, Whom I believe to be really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, receive this most profound Act of Adoration to supply for the desire I have, to adore Thee unceasingly and in thanksgiving, for the sentiments of love which Thy Sacred Heart has for me in this Sacrament. I cannot better acknowledge them, than by offering Thee, all the Acts of Adoration, resignation, patience and love which this same Heart has made during its mortal life and which it makes still and which it shall make eternally in Heaven, in order that through it, I may love Thee, praise Thee and adore Thee worthily, as much as it is possible for me. I unite myself to this Divine Offering which Thou dost make to Thy Divine Father and I consecrate to Thee, my whole being, praying Thee, to destroy in me, all sin and not to permit that I should be separated from Thee, in time and eternally. Amen.
Saints of the Day – 9 June – Saints Primus and Felicianus (Died c304) Brother Lay Martyrs, Confessors. Martyred during the Diocletian persecution. The Martyrologium Hieronymianum gives under 9 June the names of Primus and Felician who were buried in the Church of Saint Stephen on Mount Celio, Rome.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Rome, on Mount Caelius, the birthday of the holy Martyrs, Primus and Felician, under the Emperor Diocletian and Maximian. These glorious Martyrs lived long in the service of the Lord and endured sometimes together, sometimes separately, various cruel torments. They were finally beheaded by Promotus, Governor of Nomentum and thus happily ended their combat.”
Saints Primus and Felicianus (Died c304) Martyrs By Fr Francis Xavier Weninger ,SJ (1805-1888)
“Primus and Felicianus, two holy Martyrs, were brothers and natives of Rome. They were renowned on account of their birth and wealth but still more, on account of the blameless life they led and their determination to remain constant in the True Faith, although they knew the suffering which was in store for them, even from their pagan parents, as from other persecutors of the Christian faith. At that period the Emperors Dioclesian and Maximian reigned and the Christians were most cruelly persecuted. Many of them were cast into prison, while others were put to death by the most barbarous torments.
The two zealous brothers visited the imprisoned Christians frequently and sacrificed all their possessions to comfort them, while they cheered and encouraged those that were led to execution, exhorting them to remain faithful to Christ. The idolatrous priests could not endure this, and incited the people against the two holy brothers, as against two sworn enemies of the gods and accused them before the Emperor, demanding their execution.
Both were brought before the Emperor and called upon to renounce their Faith, They, however, said fearlessly, that they would rather die, than obey the Emperor in this point. They were cast into a dungeon and heavily chained. But during the first night an Angel appeared to them, who loosed their fetters and set them free.
They immediately returned to their former kind deeds not willing to save their lives by flight, as many advised them to do. The Emperor, being informed of this, summoned them into his presence and endeavoured, more than before, by promises and menaces to persuade them to abjure their Faith and, at last, sent them to the temple of Hercules to offer incense to this idol. Both brothers refused to obey and the Emperor gave orders that after having been scourged, they should be taken to the Governor of Momentum, a village about 12 miles from Rome and very hostile to the Christians. Before they were led there an Angel again appeared and healed their wounds. No sooner had the two Christian heroes appeared before Promotus, the cruel Governor of the town, than he ordered them to be beaten with clubs until they should change their minds. This was a punishment ordained by law only for slaves and other low people and the tyrant had it executed upon the two noble brothers, in derision of their Faith.
It was a most painful punishment, as the clubs were scourges twisted together of many cords, with leaden balls fastened at the end. With these, the condemned were whipped on the bare back and neck. The two holy brothers had to endure this torment and were more cruelly whipped than the greatest criminals. They, however, manifested no sign of pain but encouraging each other, they united in praising God, humbly begging His assistance:
“Strengthen us, O God!” cried they; “be with us O God! Our only hope, strengthen us that all may recognise Thee as the only true God.”
Our Saints on the Dome of St Stephen’s their resting place
The torture was prolonged until the executioners, tired with whipping, were no longer able to torment the Saints. The Governor wondered at the constancy, or, as he said, the obstinacy of the two brothers and to cause them sooner to obey him, he separated them and had them confined in different prisons.
A few days later, he had Felicianus alone brought before him, to whom he said: “Is it not a contemptible blindness that you should persist in ending your days in agony,” (Felicianus was 80 years old) “when, by obeying the Emperor, you have the opportunity of closing your life, honoured and favoured by him?” The Saint replied: “Is it not a much more contemptible blindness that you, a man of so much mind and importance, should worship a piece of wood as God and thus cast yourself, after the few short days of life, into never-ending pains and torments, while you have the opportunity, by receiving the True Faith, to make yourself eternally happy with the true God?” These fearless words enraged the Governor beyond endurance and he ordered the Saint to be fastened to a pole by an iron nail and there to be left hanging. The Saint, casting his eyes towards Heaven, said: “I have placed my trust in God; I shall not fear the hand of man.”
The M artyrdom of Sts Primus and Felicianus by Veronese
Three days the hero had to remain on the pole, after which he was taken back to prison. Meanwhile. Promotus had Primus brought before him and said to him that at last the eyes of his brother. Felicianus had been opened and that he had sacrificed to Jupiter, for which reason, the Emperor had raised him to the highest dignities and. that Primus might expect the same favours, if he followed his brother’s example. But Primus knew the constancy of his brother, as an Angel had confirmed it to him. Hence, he reproved Promotus with earnest words. Enraged at this, the Governor said: “Either you will immediately sacrifice to Jupiter, or I shall deal with you more cruelly than with all the others.” “I sacrifice to the true God only,” replied Primus “and fear not your cruelties.“
Hardly had these words passed his lips, when the tyrant gave orders to scourge him with hard thongs, until his whole body was one great wound. After this they burned him for a long time with torches. Primus’ countenance was bright and cheerful during this inhuman torture. To prevent this, by command of the tyrant, they poured melted lead into his mouth. How terrible must have been this suffering is easily to be conceived. …
Primus was sentenced to this suffering in order that he might no longer praise the true God. He, however, swallowed the lead without the least sign of pain and then turning to Promotus, said: “ Acknowledge at length, unhappy man, the omnipotence of my God and be converted to Him that you may not go to eternal damnation.” Promotus, furious and unwilling to hear more, ordered the brothers to to be cast to the wild beasts. The order was obeyed but neither the fiercely roaring lion, nor the cruel bear, which they let loose upon them, harmed either of them but crouching at their feet, thus evinced their reverence for the holy men.
Many of the heathens, who witnessed this spectacle, were so deeply touched by the miracle that they cried: “Great is the God of the Christians and He alone is the true God!” Promotus, fearing an insurrection, had both the valiant Confessors decapitated without loss of time and thus they, both, after many heroic battles, obtained the Crown of immortality in Heaven.”
St Comus of Scotland St Cumian of Bobbio St Cyrus Bl Diana d’Andalo OP St Diomedes of Tarsus St Felicianus * and St Primus * (Died c304) Brothers, Lay Martyrs Bl Henry the Shoemaker St Julian of Mesopotamia St Luciano Verdejo Acuña St Maximian of Syracuse St Pelagia of Antioch St Primus * St Richard of Andria Bl Robert Salt Bl Sylvester Ventura St Valerius of Milan St Vincent of Agen
Martyrs of Arbil – 5 Saints: Five Nuns who were Martyred together in the persecutions of Tamsabur for refusing to renounce Christianity for sun-worship – Amai, Mariamne, Martha, Mary and Tecla. They were beheaded on 31 May 347 at Arbil, Assyria (in modern Kurdistan, Iraq).
AnaStpaul 
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