Thought for the Day – 17 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Necessity of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
“It is necessary to develop and meditate on these words of Pius XI, (see Part One) from which, it is clear, that the cult of the Sacred Heart, not only contains the synthesis of Christianity, the religion of love but, contains the most effective guide to the knowledge, love and imitation of Jesus Christ. From the first moment of His life, when He was an Infant in the cold, damp cave of Bethlehem, to the final moment, when He breathed His last upon the Cross, the Heart of Jesus was overflowing with love for us. We can learn from this, to know our Divine Saviour better, so that appreciating more fully His infinite love for us, we shall feel an upsurge of gratitude and, of love. We shall feel determined to live entirely for Him, as He lived entirely for us, to obey His commandments with generosity and, to imitate His example with the assistance of His grace. This should be the result of our devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, especially during this month, which is consecrated to Him.”
Quote/s of the Day – 17 June – 1 John 4:8-21 – Luke 6:36-42 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The disciple is not above his Master …”
Luke 6:40
“Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?”
Matthew 13:27
“While the Householder slept, the enemy sowed tares; when the servants hastened to root them up, the Master prevented them, reserving for Himself the separation of wheat and chaff. … No-one, before the Day of Judgement, can take Christ’s winnowing fan in hand, no-one can pass judgement on another, whoever they might be.”
St Jerome (343-420) Father & Doctor of the Church
Guide Me Lord By St Albert the Great (1200-1280) Doctor of the Church
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who seeks those who stray and receives them when returning, make me approach Thee through the frequent hearing of Thy Word, lest I sin against my neighbour, by the blindness of human judgement, through the austerity of false justice, through comparing his inferior status, through too much trust in my merits or through ignorance of the Divine Judgement. Guide me to search diligently, each corner of my conscience, lest the flesh dominate the spirit! Amen
“On the other hand, Charity shall cover a multitude of sins. If we have been always men of charity, it is wonderful how God will seem to have forgotten our many sins. The poor whom we have helped will pray for us, those whom we have comforted in sorrow, will say kind things on our behalf and our charitable judgeement of others, will find its counterpart in God’s judgement of us. Our sins will be concealed and disappear under the mantle of our charity. Is my charity such as this to cover my sins?”
One Minute Reflection – 17 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – 1 John 4:8-21 – Luke 6:36-42 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The disciple is not above his Master …” – Luke 6:40
REFLECTION – “The blessed disciples were to be the spiritual guides and teachers of the whole world. It had, therefore, to be clearly seen by all that they held fast to the True Faith. It was essential for them to be familiar with the Gospel way of life, skilled in every good work and to give teaching which was precise, salutary and scrupulously faithful to the Truth they themselves had long pondered, enlightened by the Divine Radiance. Otherwise, they would be blind leaders of the blind. Those imprisoned in the darkness of ignorance can never lead others in the same sorry state, to knowledge of the Truth. Should they try, both would fall headlong into the ditch of the passions.
To destroy the ostentatious passion of boastfulness and stop people from trying to win greater honour than their teachers, Christ declared: “The disciple is not above his teacher.” Even if some should advance so far as to equal their teachers in holiness, they ought to remain within the limits set by them and follow their example. Paul also taught this when he said: “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ,” (1Cor 11:1).
So then, if the Master does not judge, why are you judging? He came not to judge the world (Jn 12:47) but to take pity on it. What He is saying, then, is this: “If I do not pass judgment, neither must you, My disciple. You may be even more guilty of the faults of which you accuse another… Why do you look for the speck in your brother’s eye?” – St Cyril of Alexandria (380-444) Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church (Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, 6).
PRAYER – From all perils of soul and body defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee and by the intercession of blessed and gloriosus ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of Thy blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul and all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace that all adversities and errors being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom. 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).
HEART of JESUS burning with love of us, inflame our hearts with love of Thee. – 100 Days, once a day. (See Instructions. – Unless otherwise stated, e.g., “once a day,” a partial Indulgence may be gained any number of times in succession.) [169 Raccolta or Collection of Indulgences, 1910] Pope Leo XIII, 16 July 1893.
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.
Saint of the Day – 17 June – St Avitus (Died c530) Priest, Confessor, Abbot, Hermit. Born in Orléans, France and died there in c530. Patronages of Orléans and Perche, France. Also known as – Avitus of Micy, Avit, Avito, Avy … of Orléans, … of Perche.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Orléans, St Avitus, Priest and Confessor.”
Avitus was a native of Orléans and, retiring into Auvergne, took the monastic Habit, together with St. Calais, in the Abbey of Menat. This Monastery was, at that time very small, though afterward enriched by Queen Brunehault, and by St Boner, Bishop of Clermont.
The two Saints soon after returned to Miscy, a famous Abbey situated a league and a half below Orleans. It was founded toward the end of the reign of Clovis I. by St Euspicius, a holy Priest, honoured on 14 June and his nephew St Maximin or Mesnim, whose name this Monastery nears. It is now of the Cistercian Order. Many call St Maximin the first Abbot, others St Euspicius, St. Maximin the second and our St Avitus the third.
But our Saint and St Calais did not remain at Miscy very long, although St Maximin gave them a gracious reception. In quest of solitude, Avitus, who had succeeded St Maximin, soon after resigned the Abbacy and with St Calais lived as a recluse in the territory now called Dunois, on the border of La Perche. Others soon joining them, St Calais retired into a forest in Maine and King Clotaire built a Church and Monastery for Avitus and his companions. This is at present a Benedictine Nunnery, called St.Avy of Chateaudun and is situated on the Loire, at the foot of the hill on which the Town of Chateaudun is built, in the Diocese of Chartres.
Three famous Monks, Leobin, afterwards Bishop of Chartres, Euphronius and Rusticus, attended our Saint to his happy death which happened about the year 530. His body was carried to Orléans and buried with great pomp in that City now protected by our St Avitus. (Taken from Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler).
St Adolph of Utrecht St Agrippinus of Como St Antidius of Besançon Bl Arnold of Foligno St Avitus (Died c530) Priest, Confessor, Abbot St Blasto of Rome
St Himerius of Amelia St Hypatius of Chalcedon St Molling of Wexford St Montanus of Gaeta St Nectan of Hartland Bl Paul Burali d’Arezzo Bl Peter Gambacorta Bl Philippe Papon St Prior St Rambold of Ratisbon
Martyrs of Apollonia – 7 Saints: A group of Christians who fled to a cave near Apollonia, Macedonia to escape persecution for his faith, but were caught and executed. The names we know are – Basil, Ermia, Felix, Innocent, Isaurus, Jeremias and Peregrinus. They were beheaded at Apollonia, Macedonia.
Martyrs of Aquileia – 4 Saints: Four Christian Martyrs memorialised together. No details about them have survived, not even if they died together – Ciria, Maria, Musca and Valerian. c.100 in Aquileia, Italy.
Martyrs of Chalcedon – 3 Saints: Three well-educated Christian men who were sent as ambassadors from King Baltan of Persia to the court of emperor Julian the Apostate to negotiate peace between the two states, and an end of Julian’s persecutions of Christians. Instead of negotiating, Julian imprisoned them, ordered them to make a sacrifice to pagan idols and when they refused, had them executed. Their names were Manuel, Sabel and Ismael. They were beheaded in 362 in Chalcedon (part of modern Istanbul, Turkey) and their bodies burned and no relics survive.
Martyrs of Fez – 4 Beati: A group of Mercedarians sent to Fez, Morocco to ransom Christians imprisoned and enslaved by Muslims. For being openly Christian they were imprisoned, tortured, mutilated and executed. Martyrs – Egidio, John, Louis and Paul. They were martyred in Fez, Morocco.
Martyrs of Rome – 262 Saints: A group of 262 Christians Martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian. In c303 in Rome, Italy. They were buried on the old Via Salaria in Rome.
Martyrs of Venafro – 3 Saints: Three Christian lay people, two of them imperial Roman soldiers, who were converts to Christianity and were Martyred together in the persecutions of Maximian and Diocletian – Daria, Marcian and Nicander. They were beheaded c.303 in Venafro, Italy. By 313 a basilica had been built over their graves which were re-discovered in 1930. They are patrons of Venafro, Italy.
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