Quote of the Day – 3 June
“Jesus was born in cave in Bethlehem because, Sacred Scripture tells us,
“there was no room for them in the inn.”
I am not departing from theological truth when I say that
Jesus is still looking for shelter in your heart.”
St Josemaria Escriva
Thought for the Day – 3 June
Such courage! These young men went courageously to their deaths, filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, so happy in their newfound faith, something completely baffling to the African chief. To St Charles Lwanga and his companions, their faith was the greatest treasure and they were willing and happy to die for it. Would that we too, graced by this great gift of faith, though we may never be called upon to die for it, it should be luminously clear to all that we are witnesses to Christ.
St Charles Lwanga and companions, Martyrs of Uganda, Pray for us!
One Minute Reflection – 3 June
If you are reviled for the name of Christ,
you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory
and of God rests upon you……1 Peter 4:14
REFLECTION – “The African martyrs add another page to the Church’s roll of honour – an occasion both of mourning and of joy. These African martyrs herald the dawn of a new age. If only the mind of man might be directed not toward persecutions and religious conflicts but toward a rebirth of Christianity and civilization! Africa has been washed by the blood of these latest martyrs and first of this new age (and, God willing, let them be the last, although such a holocaust is precious indeed). Africa is reborn free and independent. – Blessed Pope Paul VI from the homily at the canonisation of Saint Charles Lwanga and companions.
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, give us the strength and the courage and fill us with Your Holy Spirit that we may always be faithful to Your Son and His way of the Cross. Blessed and holy Martyrs of Uganda, you St Charles Lwanga and your young companions, are a light to us all! Please pray for us, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 3 June
Come, most gracious Spirit, come!
Come, Mercy beyond all words
and Grace beyond all comparing.
Come, everlasting Fire, Dove unchangeable.
come down, in pity and never leave us,
inbreathe, inpour Yourself to fill and enliven
us with Your Spirit.
You are our union, You are our Uniter.
Let Your fire join and keep us joined.
Feed Your new chicks, most holy Dive
and lead them forth.
Lead them through to the eternal nest,
where with God the Father
and the Son You abide for all eternity. Amen
Saint/s of the Day – 3 June – Uganda Martyrs or St Charles Lwanga & Companions – Martyrs – Their names are: • Achileo Kiwanuka • Adolofu Mukasa Ludigo
• Ambrosio Kibuuka • Anatoli Kiriggwajjo
• Anderea Kaggwa • Antanansio Bazzekuketta
• Bruno Sserunkuuma • Charles Lwanga
• Denis Ssebuggwawo • Gonzaga Gonza
• Gyavire • James Buzabaliao
• John Maria Muzeyi • Joseph Mukasa
• Kizito • Lukka Baanabakintu
• Matiya Mulumba • Mbaga Tuzinde
• Mugagga • Mukasa Kiriwawanvu
• Nowa Mawaggali • Ponsiano Ngondwe
They were canonised on 18 October 1964 by Pope Paul VI at Rome, Italy. Patrons of Uganda and the Archdiocese of Accra, Ghana
All martyrs’ stories are inspiring, but the martyrdom of young people really makes us think.
By 1879 the first Catholic missions were started in Uganda and other parts of Central Africa. Under King Mtesa missionaries preached, people studied the faith and many believed in Jesus. Unfortunately King Mtesa was succeeded by King Mwanga, who began persecuting the Christians in Uganda.
Charles Lwanga was a young man, probably in his late teens, who was a page in the court of King Mwanga. After Mkasa, the Christian master of the court pages, criticised the king for his immoral acts and for murdering a group of missionaries, the king had him beheaded. On the same night Mkasa was martyred, Charles, a catechumen, was baptised. Charles replaced Mkasa as head of the pages and continued to encourage the young men to refuse to take part in the pagan customs of the country. Later a young page refused to become involved in the king’s immoral acts and confessed that a page named Denis was instructing him to be a Christian. This angered the king so much that he sent for Denis and thrust a spear through his throat. Then Mwanga summoned all the pages and separated the Christian pages from the rest. He commanded his soldiers to kill Charles Lwanga and his friends. Most of the pages were under the age of twenty-five. The youngest was thirteen years old.
In prison Charles inspired the others to be courageous and faithful. The boys were executed thirty-seven miles away. Three were killed on the road. Charles was burned alive. The others met the same fate or were beheaded. They prayed and sang enthusiastically at their deaths.
After their deaths, many other Christians were persecuted and killed. The example of these teenagers and men inspired other people, and in Africa the faith grew and spread. It has refused to die.
Uganda Martyrs pray for us all, especially for Africa!
Martyrs of Uganda (Memorial) – 22 saints: Twenty-two (22) Ugandan converts martyred in the persecutions of King Mwanga. They are –
• Achileo Kiwanuka • Adolofu Mukasa Ludigo
• Ambrosio Kibuuka • Anatoli Kiriggwajjo
• Anderea Kaggwa • Antanansio Bazzekuketta
• Bruno Sserunkuuma • Charles Lwanga
• Denis Ssebuggwawo • Gonzaga Gonza
• Gyavire • James Buzabaliao
• John Maria Muzeyi • Joseph Mukasa
• Kizito • Lukka Baanabakintu
• Matiya Mulumba • Mbaga Tuzinde
• Mugagga • Mukasa Kiriwawanvu
• Nowa Mawaggali • Ponsiano Ngondwe
They were canonised on 18 October 1964 by Pope Paul VI at Rome, Italy.
—
Bl Adam of Guglionesi
Albert of Como
Athanasius of Traiannos
Auditus of Braga
Bl Beatrice Bicchieri
Caecilius of Carthage
St Charles Lwanga & Companions
Bl Charles-René Collas du Bignon
Clotilde of France
Conus of Lucania
Cronan the Tanner
Davinus of Lucca
Bl Diego Oddi
Bl Francis Ingleby
Gausmarus of Savigny
Genesius of Clermont
Glunshallaich
Hilary of Carcassone
Isaac of Córdoba
John Grande
Kevin of Glendalough
Laurentinus of Arezzo
Liphardus of Orléans
Morand of Cluny
Moses of Arabia
Oliva of Anagni
Paula of Nicomedia
Pergentinus of Arezzo
Phaolô Vu Van Duong
Urbicius
—
Dominicans Martyred in China
Martyrs of Africa – 156 saints: 156 Christians martyred together in Africa, date unknown; the only other information to survive are some of their names –
• Abidianus
• Demetria
• Donatus
• Gagus
• Januaria
• Juliana
• Nepor
• Papocinicus
• Quirinus
• Quirus
Martyrs of Byzantium – 5 saints: A group of Christians, possibly related by marriage, who were martyred together. They were –
• Claudius
• Dionysius
• Hypatius
• Lucillian
• Paul
They were martyred in 273 in Byzantium.
Martyrs of Rome – 8 saints: A group of Christians martyred together. We know nothing else about them but the names –
• Amasius
• Emerita
• Erasmus
• Lucianus
• Orasus
• Satuaucnus
• Septiminus
• Servulus
They were martyred in Rome, Italy, date unknown.
Martyrs of Rome – 86 saints
NOVENA from ASCENSION to PENTECOST DAY EIGHT – Friday 2 June 2017
The Holy Spirit
Only one thing is important: eternal salvation. Only one thing, therefore, is to be feared: sin. Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness and indifference. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Light, of Strength and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will and inflames the heart with the love of God. To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, because the Spirit comes to us in our needs. When we don’t know what to say, it is the Spirit who speaks within us.
The Gift of Wisdom
Embodying all the other gifts, as charity embraces all the other virtues, Wisdom is the most perfect of the gifts. Of wisdom it is written “all good things came to me with her, and innumerable riches through her hands.” It is the gift of Wisdom that strengthens our faith, fortifies hope, perfects charity and promotes the practice of virtue in the highest degree. Wisdom enlightens the mind to discern and relish things divine, in the appreciation of which earthly joys loose their attraction, while the Cross of Christ reveals a certain divine attraction according to the words of the Saviour: “Take up your cross and follow me, for my yoke is sweet and my burden light.”
Prayer
Come and fill me, O Spirit of Wisdom and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, in their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth and to prefer your wisdom over the so-called wisdom of this world. Help me to grow in your wisdom, especially during temptations, trials and all the daily challenges that I face. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Novena to the Uganda Martyrs Day Nine – 2 June
O God, who in Your love and mercy
was pleased to send missionaries to Uganda
to bring the light of Christ to all the peoples,
we thank You for the gift of the
Holy Martyrs of Uganda, our ancestors in faith,
whom You gave the strength to overcome sin and the
anguish of torture and to bear witness to the truth.
Mary, Mother of Sorrows!
Look with mercy on those who suffer.
Be close to the victims of violence and terror,
and console those who mourn.
May Jesus your Son grant comfort
and peace to all the sick and dying,
and may he strengthen those
devoted to their physical and spiritual care.
To the Holy Martyrs, we beg for intercession,
be pleased to hear our prayer and pray for us that this,
our special request may be granted
(make your intention)
Holy Martyrs of Uganda, we honour and praise you!
Please pray for us!
O heavenly Father, we make our prayer
through our Lord, Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever, amen.
Thought for the Day – 2 June
Why are these men included in our Eucharistic prayer and given their own feast day, in spite of the fact that almost nothing is known about them?
Probably because the Church respects its collective memory. They once sent an impulse of encouragement through the whole Church. They made the ultimate step of faith……Fr. Don Miller, OFM
The foundation of our faith rests on the lives of these holy men and women of the early Church who willingly gave themselves over to the faith, courageous and joyful in their martyrdom. When we consider the struggles of today and our own personal difficulties in daily life, we might pause to consider the sacrifice of these early martyrs and be inspired to greater faith, trust and love and be filled with that impulse of encouragement!
Sts Marcellinus and Peter, pray for us!
One Minute Reflection – 2 June
“If anyone would serve me. let him follow me”………John 12:26
REFLECTION – “Do you wish to receive grace upon grace and to grow from virtue to virtue?
The make the Stations of the Cross every day!”………..St Bonaventure
PRAYER – Lord Jesus, help me to make the Stations of the Cross frequently and even everyday if possible. Grant that in following You by this devotion, I may obtain the grace and courage to follow You in all the events of my life. Sts Marcellinus and Peter, you followed Christ in all things, giving your lives for love of Him, please pray for us all, amen!
Our Morning Offering – 2 June
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit
By St Augustine
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
That I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
To defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
That I always may be holy.
Saints of the Day – Sts Marcellinus and Peter – Martyrs/Priest and Exorcist (martyred in 304).
While very little is known today about the lives of these holy men, Marcellinus and Peter were prominent enough in the early Church to be included amongst the saints of the Roman Canon and their names continue to be mentioned during celebration of the Eucharist. Further evidence of the veneration and respect of the Church lives on in the basilica that Emperor Constantine built over their tombs in Rome.
The story of the lives and martyrdom of Marcellinus and Peter was recorded by Pope Saint Damasus, who learned of their heroic acts directly from their executioner—a man who converted to Christianity shortly after their deaths. According to the saintly pope, the executioner was deeply troubled following his role in the martyrdom and could not shake the feeling that a faith that had given Marcellinus and Peter such peace of mind and steady joy in the face of death must be authentic.
Marcellinus was a priest and Peter was an exorcist (authorised by the Church to work against demonic possession in individuals) who worked alongside him. Imprisoned during the persecution of Christians under the reign of Diocletian, Marcellinus and Peter embraced their suffering, seeing it as an opportunity for evangelisation and quickly had converted the majority of prisoners in jail with them—including the jailor and his entire family. This was accomplished when Peter set the daughter of the jailer free from an evil spirit which possessed her. Shortly thereafter, the jailor, his wife and their other children were baptised into the faith—right in the cell of Peter and Marcellinus.
When Diocletian heard of their activities, he was greatly incensed and had them tortured, stripped naked and thrown into cells filled with only broken shards of glass. When it was observed that this only served to increase their faith and joy in suffering, he had them taken to the forest of Silva Nigra and dig their own graves. Then, he had them beheaded in the forest, so that other Christians would not find their bodies, bury them properly, and then subsequently venerate them. However, that was not to be the case. Shortly following their death, a Christian matron by the name of Lucilla learned of their martyrdom through a dream (or possibly a prophetic vision) and came with some fellow faithful to the gravesite. The relics of the holy martyrs were removed and translated to a more proper burial place, a set of catacombs in Rome. When Christianity was restored as a “legal” faith tradition under Constantine, he had a great basilica built in their honour over their tomb.
St Marcellinus (Optional Memorial)
St Peter the Exorcist (Optional Memorial)
Madonna of the Tears
—
St Ada of Ethiopia
St Adalgis of Thiérarche
St Armin of Egypt
St Barbarinus
St Blandina the Slave
St Bodfan of Wales
St Daminh Ninh
Bl Demetrios of Philadelphia
St Dorotheus of Rome
St Erasmus of Formiae
St Pope Eugene I,
St Evasius
Bl Giovanni de Barthulono
Bl Guy of Acqui
St Honorata
St Humatus
St John de Ortega
St Joseph Tien
St Nicholas Peregrinus
St Photinus of Lyons
St Rogate
Bl Sadoc of Sandomierz
St Stephen of Sweden
—
Martyrs of Lyons and Vienne: A group of 48 Christians from the areas of Vienne and Lyon, France, who were attacked by a pagan mob, arrested and tried for their faith, and murdered in the persecutions of Marcus Aurelius. A letter describing their fate, possibly written by Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, was sent to the churches in the Middle East. Only a few names and details of their lives have surived; some of them have separate entries on this date –
• Alexander of Vienne
• Attalus of Pergamos
• Biblis of Lyons
• Blandina the Slave
• Cominus of Lugdunum
• Epagathus of Lugdunum
• Maturus the Novice
• Photinus of Lyons
• Ponticus of Lugdunum
• Sanctius of Vienne
• Vettius of Lugdunum
They were martyred in assorted ways on on various during 177.
Martyrs of Sandomierz: A group of 49 Dominicans, some of whom received the habit from Saint Dominic de Guzman himself. They worked separately and together to bring the faith and establish the Dominican Order in Poland, basing their operations in and around Sandomierz. In 1260 they were all martyred by the Tartars as they were singing the Salve Regina at Compline; the custom of singing the Salve Regina at the deathbed of Dominicans stems from this incident. We know a few details about a few of the martyrs, but most survive only as names –
• Zadok
• Andrea, chaplain
• James, novice master
• Malachi, convent preacher
• Paul, vicar
• Peter, guardian of the garden
• Simone, penitentiary
friars
• Abel, Barnabas, Bartholomew, Clemente, Elia, John, Luke, Matthew, Philip
deacons
• Giuseppe, Joachim, Stefano
sub-deacons
• Abraham, Basil, Moses, Taddeo
clerics
• Aaron, Benedict, David, Dominico, Mattia, Mauro, Michele, Onofrio, Timothy
professed students
• Christopher, Donato, Feliciano, Gervasio, Gordian, John, Mark, Medardo, Valentino
novices
• Daniele, Isaiah, Macario, Raffaele, Tobia
lay brothers
• Cyril, tailor
• Jeremiah, shoemaker
• Thomas, organist
They were martyred in 1260 at Sandomierz, Poland and Beatified on 18 October 1807 by Pope Pius VII (cultus confirmation).
JUNE – MONTH OF THE SACRED HEART
The Month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart.
The Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the Friday following the second Sunday after Pentecost.
In addition to the liturgical celebration, many devotional exercises are connected with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Of all devotions, devotion to the Sacred Heart was, and remains, one of the most widespread and popular in the Church.
Understood in the light of the Scriptures, the term “Sacred Heart of Jesus” denotes the entire mystery of Christ, the totality of His being and His person considered in its most intimate essential: Son of God, uncreated wisdom; infinite charity, principal of the salvation and sanctification of mankind. The “Sacred Heart” is Christ, the Word Incarnate, Saviour, intrinsically containing, in the Spirit, an infinite divine-human love for the Father and for His brothers. Excerpted from the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy
Devotion to the Sacred Heart was also an essential component of Pope John Paul II’s hopes for the “new evangelisation” called for by the Church.
“For evangelisation today,” he said, “the Heart of Christ must be recognized as the heart of the Church: It is He who calls us to conversion, to reconciliation. It is He who leads pure hearts and those hungering for justice along the way of the Beatitudes. It is He who achieves the warm communion of the members of the one Body. It is He who enables us to adhere to the Good News and to accept the promise of eternal life . It is He who sends us out on mission. The heart-to-heart with Jesus broadens the human heart on a global scale.”
Here are some of the relevant documents: Leo XIII in his Encyclical Letter Annum sacrum (1889) on the consecration of mankind to the Sacred Heart; Pius XI in Caritate Christi Compulsi (On The Sacred Heart) and Miserentissimus Redemptor (On Reparation To The Sacred Heart); Pius XII in his Encyclical Letter Haurietis aquas; Paul VI in his Apostolic Letter Investigabiles divitias Christi (1965) and John Paul II in Message on the centenary of the consecration of mankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (1999), in L’Osservatore Romano, 12 June 1999.
NOVENA from ASCENSION to PENTECOST DAY SEVEN – THURSDAY 1 JUNE
The Holy Spirit
Only one thing is important: eternal salvation. Only one thing, therefore, is to be feared: sin. Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness and indifference. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Light, of Strength and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will and inflames the heart with the love of God. To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, because the Spirit comes to us in our needs. When we don’t know what to say, it is the Spirit who speaks within us.
The Gift of Counsel
The gift of Counsel fills the soul with supernatural prudence, enabling it to judge promptly and rightly what must done, especially in difficult circumstances. Counsel applies the principles furnished by Knowledge and Understanding to the innumerable concrete cases that confront us in the course of our daily duty as parents, teachers, priests, public servants and Christian citizens. Counsel is supernatural common sense, a priceless treasure in the quest of salvation. “Above all these things, pray to the Most High, that He may direct your way in truth.”
Prayer
Come and fill me, O Spirit of Counsel. Help me and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do your holy will. Transform my heart to prefer only what is good; turn it away from all that is evil and direct me by the straight path of your commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Novena to the Uganda Martyrs Day Eight – 1 June
O God, who in Your love and mercy
was pleased to send missionaries to Uganda
to bring the light of Christ to all the peoples,
we thank You for the gift of the
Holy Martyrs of Uganda, our ancestors in faith,
whom You gave the strength to overcome sin and the
anguish of torture and to bear witness to the truth.
Mary, Queen of Peace!
To you we commend the men,
women and children of Uganda.
Through your prayers,
may the Spirit of God grant lasting peace
and prosperity to their nation.
May the light of Christ cast out the spiritual darkness
which breeds selfishness,
violence, hatred for others
and contempt for their rights.
May all hearts be opened to the power of God’s love.
May those divided by ethnic or political antagonisms
learn to work together
in order to build a society of justice,
peace and freedom for their children.
To the Holy Martyrs, we beg for intercession,
be pleased to hear our prayer and pray for us that this,
our special request may be granted
(make your intention)
Holy Martyrs of Uganda, we honour and praise you!
Please pray for us!
O heavenly Father, we make our prayer
through our Lord, Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever, amen.
Thought for the Day – 1 June
In about 165, Justin was arrested for being a Christian but refused to give up his faith. The judge asked him, “Do you have an idea that you will go to heaven and receive some suitable rewards?” Justin answered, “It is not an idea that I have; it is something that I know well and hold to be most certain.” The judge ordered him killed. He was beheaded along with his companions for refusing to offer sacrifice to the Roman gods. St. Justin gave his life for Christ and died for the Saviour whom he loved above all else. St Justin reminds us never to sacrifice to the false gods of our age. That includes the materialism, hedonism and nihilism that are ever present. We have received the gift of faith with little labour of our own. Let us learn how to value it from those who reached it after long search and lived in the misery of a world which did not know God, not much different to our times. Let us fear, as St. Justin did, the account we shall have to render for the gift of God. We have been chosen as St Justin was, to do the work of Christ – to make Him known regardless of the consequences! I am drawn to the thought “would I be open to changing my surname to ‘Martyr’ do I have the courage, the love for God to accept such a change?”
St Justin Martyr, pray for us!
Quote/s of the Day- 1 June
“Many spirits are abroad in the world and the church
and the credentials they display are splendid gifts of
eloquence and ability.
Christian – look carefully – for the Print of the nails!”
“We used to hate and destroy one another
and refused to associate with people
of another race or country.
Now, because of Christ, we live together
with such people and pray for our enemies ”
“Let it be understood
that those who are not found living
as He taught,
are NOT Christian- even though they profess
with the lips the teaching of Christ.”
“Not as common bread or as common drink do we receive these…..
We have been taught that the food that has been Eucharistized
by the word of prayer, that food which by assimilation nourishes
our flesh and blood, is the flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus.”
“The world suffers nothing from Christians
but hates them because they reject its pleasures.”
“You can kill us
but you cannot do us any real harm.”
St Justin Martyr
St. Justin Martyr on the Eucharist
“No one may share the Eucharist with us unless he believes that what we teach is true, unless he is washed in the regenerating waters of baptism for the remission of his sins, and unless he lives in accordance with the principles given us by Christ.
We do not consume the eucharistic bread and wine as if it were ordinary food and drink, for we have been taught that as Jesus Christ our Saviour became a man of flesh and blood by the power of the Word of God, so also the food that our flesh and blood assimilates for its nourishment becomes the flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus by the power of his own words contained in the prayer of thanksgiving.
The apostles, in their recollections, which are called gospels, handed down to us what Jesus commanded them to do. They tell us that he took bread, gave thanks and said: Do this in memory of me. This is my body. In the same way he took the cup, he gave thanks and said:This is my blood. The Lord gave this command to them alone. Ever since then we have constantly reminded one another of these things. The rich among us help the poor and we are always united. For all that we receive we praise the Creator of the universe through his Son Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.
On Sunday we have a common assembly of all our members, whether they live in the city or the outlying districts. The recollections of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as there is time. When the reader has finished, the president of the assembly speaks to us; he urges everyone to imitate the examples of virtue we have heard in the readings. Then we all stand up together and pray.
On the conclusion of our prayer, bread and wine and water are brought forward. The president offers prayers and gives thanks to the best of his ability and the people give assent by saying, “Amen”. The eucharist is distributed, everyone present communicates, and the deacons take it to those who are absent.
The wealthy, if they wish, may make a contribution and they themselves decide the amount. The collection is placed in the custody of the president, who uses it to help the orphans and widows and all who for any reason are in distress, whether because they are sick, in prison, or away from home. In a word, he takes care of all who are in need.
We hold our common assembly on Sunday because it is the first day of the week, the day on which God put darkness and chaos to flight and created the world and because on that same day our savior Jesus Christ rose from the dead. For he was crucified on Friday and on Sunday he appeared to his apostles and disciples and taught them the things that we have passed on for your consideration.” Here is a video of the Mass in 155 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-FwgO_s5_A
One Minute Reflection – 1 June
The words I spoke to you are spirit and life………John 6:64
REFLECTION – “Make sure that you never spurn the Saviour’s words.
They have in themselves such tremendous majesty that they can instil fear into those who have wandered from the path of righteousness, whereas they ever remain a great solace to those who heed them.”……..St Justin
PRAYER – Lord Jesus, my Saviour, let me daily take to my heart and my soul Your words. Grant that they may lead me to penance and also provide needed consolation amid the troubles of live St Justin, when you discovered the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, your life was completely changed and given to Him so that you could heed His command to go forth and spread the good news to all. Please pray for us, that we may be inspired with your courage and zeal, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 1 June
ACT OF LOVE TO THE SACRED HEART
By Cardinal Merry del Val
Reveal Your Sacred Heart to me, O Jesus
and show me Its attractions.
Unite me to It for ever.
Grant that all my aspirations
and all the beats of my heart,
which cease not even while I sleep,
may be a testimonial to You of my love for You
and may say to You:
“Yes, Lord, I am all Yours;
pledge of my allegiance to You rests forever in my heart
and will never cease to be there.
May You accept the slight amount of good that I do
and be graciously pleased to repair all my wrong-doing;
so that I may be able to bless You in time and in eternity.” Amen.
Saint of the Day – 1 June – St Justin Martyr – Martyr, first Christian Philosopher, Apologist, Orator, Teacher, Writer, Missionary (c100 – beheaded in 165 at Rome, Italy. His relics in the Capuchin Church, Romeat Nablus Palestine) – Patronages – of Apologists, Lecturers, Orators, Philosophers.
Born at the turn of the second century, Justin grew up under pagan parents and early on began to seek after knowledge. According to Justin himself, he studied under several of the most important philosophical systems of the day but found them all wanting.
Around the age of 30, however, he went out into a field near the sea to be be alone with his thoughts and had an encounter that would change his life. An older man began to follow him at a distance. Justin turned to speak to him and before he really knew what was happening, the man was presenting the gospel. Finally, Justin had found the true philosophy for which he had been searching. Of that moment, he wrote:
“A fire was suddenly kindled in my soul. I fell in love with the prophets and these men who had loved Christ; I reflected on all their words and found that this philosophy alone was true and profitable. That is how and why I became a philosopher. And I wish that everyone felt the same way that I do.”
Justin spent the rest of his life defending this true and profitable philosophy. He even went to Rome itself to found a school at which he taught Christian philosophy. He wrote several defenses of the Christian faith, even writing apologetic works directed to the Roman emperor and the Roman senate. His books give us insight into the early Church. In one of them he described the ceremony of Baptism around the year 160. It was similar to the ceremony today. In another place, he wrote that the Sunday meetings of the Christian community included readings from Scripture, a homily, offering of bread and wine and giving Holy Communion. Two of his so-called apologies have come down to us; they are addressed to the Roman emperor and to the Senate.
After contending for Christianity with a cynic philosopher, he was turned in to the government as a heretic and false teacher. They arrested him and six of his disciples. When asked to reject Christ and make a sacrifice to the Roman gods, Justin boldly replied:
“No one who is rightly minded turns from true belief to false.”
In his new found faith, not only did he find truth but Justin found a truth worth living and dying for –– as he was beheaded for his refusal to denounce Jesus. In his life, Justin sought to demonstrate how the Christian faith was consistent with reason and logic. In his death, he earned the surname Martyr.
St Justin Martyr (Memorial)
Comforter of the Afflicted
Notre-Dame du Laus
Our Lady of Grace
—
St Agapetus of Ruthenia
Bl Alfonso Navarrete Benito
Bl Arnald Arench
Bl Arnold of Geertruidenberg
St Atto of Oca
St Candida of Whitchurch
St Caprasius of Lérins
St Clarus of Aquitaine
St Claudius of Vienne
Bl Conrad of Hesse
St Conrad of Trier
St Crescentinus
St Cronan of Lismore
St Damian of Scotland
St Dionysius of Ruthenia
St Donatus of Lucania
St Felinus of Perugia
Bl Ferdinand Ayala
St Firmus
St Fortunatus of Spoleto
Bl Gaius Xeymon
St Gaudentius of Ossero
St Giuse Túc
St Gratian of Perugia
St Hannibal Mary di Francia
Bl Herculanus of Piegare
St Iñigo of Oña
St Ischryrion and Companions
Bl James of Strepar
St Jean-Baptiste-Ignace-Pierre Vernoy de Montjournal
Bl John Baptist Scalabrini
Bl John Pelingotto
Bl John Storey
St Juventius
Bl Leo Tanaka
St Melosa
St Pamphilus of Alexandria
St Peter of Pisa
St Porphyrius of Alexandria
St Proculus of Bologna
St Proculus the Soldier
St Ronan
St Secundus of Amelia
St Seleucus of Alexandria
St Simeon of Syracuse
St Telga of Denbighshire
St Thecla of Antioch
Bl Theobald Roggeri
St Thespesius of Cappadocia
St Wistan of Evesham
St Zosimus of Antioch
—
Martyrs of Alexandria – 5 saints: A group five of imperial Roman soldiers assigned to guard a group of Egyptian Christians who were imprisoned for their faith in the persecutions of Decius. During their trial, they encouraged the prisoners not to apostatize. This exposed them as Christians, were promptly arrested and executed. Martyrs. Their names are – Ammon, Ingen, Ptolomy, Theophilis and Zeno. They were beheaded in 249 at Alexandria, Egypt.
Martyrs of Caesarea – 3 saints: Three Christians martyred together in the persecutions of Galerius. We know little more about them than the name – Paul, Valens and Valerius. They diedf in 309 at Caesarea, Palestine.
Martyrs of Lycopolis – 6 saints: Five foot soldiers and their commander who were martyred for their faith by order of the imperial Roman prefect Arriano during the persecutions of Decius. In Lycopolis, Egypt.
Martyrs of Rome – 6 saints: A group of spiritual students of Saint Justin Martyr who died with him and about whom we know nothing else but their names – Carito, Caritone, Evelpisto, Ierace, Liberiano and Peone. In Rome, Italy.
NOVENA from ASCENSION to PENTECOST DAY SIX – WEDNESDAY 31 MAY 2017
The Holy Spirit
Only one thing is important: eternal salvation. Only one thing, therefore, is to be feared: sin. Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness and indifference. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Light, of Strength and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will and inflames the heart with the love of God. To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, because the Spirit comes to us in our needs. When we don’t know what to say, it is the Spirit who speaks within us.
The Gift of Understanding
Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Spirit, helps us to grasp the meaning of the truths of our Faith. By faith we come to know these truths but by Understanding we learn to appreciate and relish them. It enables us to penetrate the inner meaning of revealed truths and through them to grow and develop to newness of life. Our faith ceases to be sterile and inactive but inspires a mode of life that bears eloquent testimony to the faith that is in us; we begin to “walk worthy of God in all things pleasing and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Prayer
Come and fill me, O Spirit of Understanding and enlighten my mind, that I may accept and believe the mysteries of salvation and the truths of your kingdom in order to stay on the path to heaven and serve your kingdom in my daily life. Help me to discern what is evil and enlighten me so that I may be holy here on earth and live forever in the light of your glory with a clear vision of you and the Father and the Son. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Novena to the Uganda Martyrs Day Seven – 31 May
O God, who in Your love and mercy
was pleased to send missionaries to Uganda
to bring the light of Christ to all the peoples,
we thank You for the gift of the
Holy Martyrs of Uganda, our ancestors in faith,
whom You gave the strength to overcome sin and the
anguish of torture and to bear witness to the truth.
Mary, Queen of Missionaries!
Strengthen Priests and Religious
in fidelity and apostolic zeal,
and grant that more and more young people
may respond generously to God’s call
to serve Him in the Church.
By your loving intercession,
may Christians be beacons of hope,
letting their light shine before men,
a leaven of Gospel values
working for the spiritual and moral renewal
To the Holy Martyrs, we beg for intercession,
be pleased to hear our prayer and pray for us that this,
our special request may be granted
(make your intention)
Holy Martyrs of Uganda, we honour and praise you!
Please pray for us!
O heavenly Father, we make our prayer
through our Lord, Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever, amen.
Thought for the Day – 31 May
Mary, Mother of God, your love is strikingly shown forth in this beautiful Feast of the Visitation. When you learned from the angel that your cousin Elizabeth was with child and needed your help, you set out to care for her. Neither the long absence from home, nor the inconvenience of a difficult and dangerous journey to the mountain country, kept you from making this mission of love. You thought only of Elizabeth and the assistance you could bring to her. You hastened to be of service. You lovingly served her until you saw her happily delivered of the child of promise with which God had blessed her.
Help me to strive to imitate your wonderful charity by aiding those who are in need, by sympathising with those who are afflicted, by opening my heart and applying my hands to relieve every form of distress.
Give me love like yours!
Teach me that the test of my following of your Divine Son is practical charity!
One of the invocations in Mary’s litany is “Ark of the Covenant.”
Like the Ark of the Covenant of old, Mary brings God’s presence into the lives of other people.
As David danced before the Ark, John the Baptist leaps for joy.
As the Ark helped to unite the 12 tribes of Israel by being placed in David’s capital,
so Mary has the power to unite all Christians in her son.
Like you, teach me too acclaim and seek the glory of God and sing with you:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour
for He has looked with favour on His lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His Name.
He has mercy on those who fear Him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of His arm,
He has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of His servant Israel
for He remembered His promise of mercy,
the promise He made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.
(Lk 1:46-55)
One Minute Reflection – 31 May
Mary remained with Elizabeth
about three months
and then returned home……….Luke 1:56
REFLECTION – “The heart of our good mother Mary is all love and mercy. She desires nothing else but our happiness. We need only have recourse to her and we will be heard.”………..
“Whoever opens his or her heart to the Mother encounters and welcomes the Son and is pervaded by His joy. True Marian devotion never obscures or diminishes faith and love for Jesus Christ Our Saviour, the one Mediator between God and humankind. On the contrary, entrustment to Our Lady is a privileged path, tested by numerous saints, for a more faithful following of the Lord. Consequently, let us entrust ourselves to her with filial abandonment!” ……….Pope Benedict XVI (2006)
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, let me constantly have recourse to Mary. May she lead me to the happiness of heavenly glory which You shar with Your Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, lead us, teach us and care for us, now and at the hour of our death, amen.
Quote of the Day – 31 May
“(Mary) is a young maiden but she is not afraid
because God is with her, within her,…
In a certain sense, we can say that her trip was …..
the first Eucharistic procession in history.
Is not this also the joy of the Church,
which receives Christ incessantly in the holy Eucharist
and takes Him to the world with the testimony
of active charity, full of faith and hope?
“Yes, to receive Jesus and to take Him to others
is the true joy of the Christian!
Let us follow and imitate Mary,
the profoundly Eucharistic soul
and our whole life will become a Magnificat.”
Pope Benedict XVI 2005
Our Morning Offering – 31 May
ARISE MARY, MOTHER OF GOD!
Blessed Cardinal JOHN HENRY NEWMAN (1801-1890)
It is the time for your Visitation.
Arise Mary, and go forth in your strength
into that north country,
which once was your own,
and take possession of a land
which knows you not.
Arise, Mother of God,
and with your thrilling voice,
speak to those who labour with child,
and are in pain,
till the babe of grace leaps within them!
Amen
The feast of the Visitation recalls to us the following great truths and events: The visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth shortly after the Annunciation; the cleansing of John the Baptist from original sin in the womb of his mother at the words of Our Lady’s greeting; Elizabeth’s proclaiming of Mary—under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost—as Mother of God and “blessed among women”; Mary’s singing of the sublime hymn, Magnificat (“My soul doth magnify the Lord”) which has become a part of the daily official prayer of the Church. The Visitation is frequently depicted in art and was the central mystery of St. Francis de Sales’ devotions.
The Mass of today salutes her who in her womb bore the King of heaven and earth, the Creator of the world, the Son of the Eternal Father, the Sun of Justice. It narrates the cleansing of John from original sin in his mother’s womb. Hearing herself addressed by the most lofty title of “Mother of the Lord” and realizing what grace her visit had conferred on John, Mary broke out in that sublime canticle of praise proclaiming prophetically that henceforth she would be venerated down through the centuries:
“My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me, and holy is His name” (Lk. 1:46).
This feast is of medieval origin, it was kept by the Franciscan Order before 1263 and soon its observance spread throughout the entire Church. Previously it was celebrated on July 2. Now it is celebrated between the solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord and the birth of St. John the Baptist, in conformity with the Gospel accounts. Some places appropriately observe a celebration of the reality and sanctity of human life in the womb. The liturgical colour is white.
The Visitation
And Mary rising up in those days went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda. [Lk. 1:39]
How lyrical that is, the opening sentence of St. Luke’s description of the Visitation. We can feel the rush of warmth and kindness, the sudden urgency of love that sent that girl hurrying over the hills. “Those days” in which she rose on that impulse were the days in which Christ was being formed in her, the impulse was His impulse. Many women, if they were expecting a child, would refuse to hurry over the hills on a visit of pure kindness. They would say they had a duty to themselves and to their unborn child which came before anything or anyone else.
The Mother of God considered no such thing. Elizabeth was going to have a child, too and although Mary’s own child was God, she could not forget Elizabeth’s need—almost incredible to us, but characteristic of her. She greeted her cousin Elizabeth and at the sound of her voice, John quickened in his mother’s womb and leapt for joy.
I am come, said Christ, that they may have life and may have it more abundantly. [Jn. 10, 10] Even before He was born His presence gave life.
With what piercing shoots of joy does this story of Christ unfold! First the conception of a child in a child’s heart and then this first salutation, an infant leaping for joy in his mother’s womb, knowing the hidden Christ and leaping into life.
How did Elizabeth herself know what had happened to Our Lady? What made her realize that this little cousin who was so familiar to her was the mother of her God? She knew it by the child within herself, by the quickening into life which was a leap of joy.
If we practice this contemplation taught and shown to us by Our Lady, we will find that our experience is like hers. If Christ is growing in us, if we are at peace, recollected, because we know that however insignificant our life seems to be, from it He is forming Himself; if we go with eager wills, “in haste,” to wherever our circumstances compel us because we believe that He desires to be in that place, we shall find that we are driven more and more to act on the impulse of His love.
And the answer we shall get from others to those impulses will be an awakening into life or the leap into joy of the already wakened life within them. Excerpted from The Reed of God, Caryll Houselander
You must be logged in to post a comment.