+JMJ+
In this e-weekly:- The 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ("Helpful Hints of Life")
- Things You Will Probably Never Hear Catholics Say… (Smiling Cat Section)
- The Eucharistic Revival Starts (News Section)

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
 
      Friday, July 3rd marked the continuing of 9 consecutive FIRST FRIDAYS which our Lord asked through St. Margaret Mary that can be offered to His Sacred Heart for special graces and benefit to humanity, especially individuals.


12. The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at the last hour. –Jesus Christ
 
        The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  God's love has been enfleshed in the human heart of Jesus, which we call His Sacred Heart because from it gushed "immediately blood and water. (John 19:34)"   Holy Water in Baptism for the washing away of Original Sin and forgiveness of your sins and mine.  Precious Blood to be drunk to eternal life or for us to be drenched in the Sacrament of Confession for the return to Baptismal innocence after personal sin. 
 
        Look at the website sections for more on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Look to "Helpful Hints of Life" for Jesus 12 Promises to those who have Devotion to His Sacred Heart.  Receive Him, Who is only Love and Mercy, in the Sacraments of His Church!
 
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert



P.S.  This coming Sunday is 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time-Time ordered for Christian Living.  The readings can be found at:  https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/063024.cfm

For those traveling this summer and needing to get to the Holy Mass.

​MASS TIMES AND CATHOLIC CHURCHES throughout the US

http://www.masstimes.org/
 
Simply type in the town you will be in.  It also gives you the nearest church to you with the closest Mass Time.


https://thecatholictravelguide.com/
Great advice for Catholic travelers

​L to R: ‘The Entombment’ and ‘Lamb of God,’ by Robert Armetta (photo: Courtesy of St. Edmund's Retreat and Robert Armetta)
Joseph Pronechen Features
June 23, 2024
Among the many ways the Eucharist is being highlighted and honored during the current Eucharistic Revival is through a major sacred art exhibit called “Do This in Memory of Me.” The juried show now being hosted at the Knights of Columbus’ Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center in New Haven, Connecticut, has 109 pieces of original sacred art from living artists chosen from more than 660 entries.
The museum became the main venue since the Seton Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage began in New Haven, the home of Blessed Michael McGivney. Generous support for the show by the National Eucharistic Congress and the National Eucharistic Revival team included prizes for the top two artists.
Knowing the power of sacred art, St. Edmund’s Sacred Art Institute in Mystic, Connecticut, organized and curated the exhibition to draw people into a deep intimacy with Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist and into the mystery of Jesus’ Real Presence.
 “It is being so well received that I started to realize that there's a world hungry out there for the sacred,” Dan DeLouise, the artist in residence at St. Edmund’s Sacred Art Institute, told the Register.
“We tried to give everybody a flavor of what traditional sacred art looks like, and even a smattering of some modern art with the sacred in it,” Deacon Fran Valliere, coordinator of St. Edmund’s Sacred Art Institute, told the Register. “But more so, we were interested in getting the public to recognize that the Eucharist, the liturgy, the Bible, doesn’t have to be found in 400 or 500 old Renaissance paintings and sculptures. They can look toward contemporary artists today and find just as valuable works by people who have learned their [traditional] method or have advanced on their methods.”
While traditional paintings predominate, the variety also includes watercolors, charcoals, reliefs and sculpture, even an abstract or two. Some are quite large, from a 4-foot sculpture of the Blessed Mother to some paintings stretching 6 feet across.
“We tried to keep the theme as Eucharistic as possible,” DeLouise explained, including “saints that were committed to the Eucharist.”
Deacon Valliere pointed out, “We want a lot of sacred artists to get their name out there. We truly want to promote sacred art because it really tells a story. It brings the Bible alive. It tells us not only about Jesus, but the saints. Many parts of Catholic theology come through in these artworks.”
He highlighted the effects sacred art can have on souls. Prior to the exhibit opening at the museum, at the reception and preview at Enders Island he recalled the reaction: “People seated or standing in front of some of the artworks for minutes on end, meditating and praying.”
“As long as the works get seen and people are moved in their hearts and realize a renewed passion for a Eucharistic Lord,” DeLouise said, “we’ve done our job.”
 

Call to Meditation
Top prize went to Robert Armetta for his oil painting titled, The Entombment. Measuring more than 6 feet wide, the life-size painting forms a pair with a Crucifixion painting, Lamb of God.
The founder and former director of the Long Island Academy of Fine Art, Armetta studied at the best art schools in the United States and Europe. “This turn or this focus on sacred art is something that is a recent development, although that's not entirely true, but it’s something that I’ve been more focused on as of late,” he told the Register.
In both paintings, there are wounds present, “but they’re not overly emphasized, and this was done deliberately,” he added.
The artist was interested in drawing people in to meditate: “I want them to see the sacrificial Lamb of God who willingly laid down his life for us. I want the viewer to meditate on this and ask, ‘Why?’ Sometimes, the gore can be a distraction and maybe even a roadblock for some to see Jesus resigned to his destiny. One approach is not better than the other; each depicts a distinct facet of a very complex reality. In the painting Entombment, my concern was I want the viewer to focus on the soon-to-be-resurrected Jesus, unencumbered by potentially distracting details.”
He would like his sacred art to do what the best of sacred art has always done: to move the heart of the viewer, redirect their gaze to Christ and what Jesus has done for them and what it means to them as children of God, whether or not they’re religious, whether in the church or outside of sacred spaces. 
“There’s something really potent about the power of sacred art, because it reflects and points to the single most potent force there is, and that is God.” He hopes “that the spirit of God can move through these images and powerfully impact and change the lives of those who behold them, those who gaze upon these images. … And what higher calling can any artist have than to essentially use the gift that God has given them? To direct or redirect the hearts and the eyes of the people who see and experience what they do to the giver of that gift, back to God.”
Armetta shared a thought about winning: “This is what God has for me. Winning this award is just confirmation that I’m truly doing what I’ve been called to do.”
 

‘Visual Homilies’
Second prize went to Kate Capato for her 36-by-24 oil painting, The Woman at the Well. Capato has been painting professionally since 2010 and full time the last seven years. “I do primarily sacred art, mostly because I feel called to spread our Catholic faith through painting,” she told the Register.
A traditional artist whose studies include time in Florence, Italy, the Cradle of the Renaissance where its major artists lived at one time or another, Capato’s oil paintings include traditional subjects like the Annunciation, Christ the King and the Holy Family. 
Capato explained how The Woman at the Well fits the theme of the whole exhibit. “That image resonated with the theme, too, because it shows that moment where the Woman at the Well recognizes Jesus. He’s saying to her, ‘I am what will quench your thirst.’ And so it’s her gaze of, ‘You’re him. You’re the Messiah.’ Seeing him physically in front of you, it’s more about the recognition of who he is before you that can tie us in Eucharistically as well. It may not be as explicit as the Last Supper, but it has that effect of recognizing God made flesh in Christ in that recognition moment; and also how, I believe, like many things, she has a foreshadowing of what’s to come. He talks about how he will be what satisfies her.”

​‘The Woman at the Well,’ by Kate Capato(Photo: Courtesy of St. Edmund's Retreat and Kate Capato)


What does she hope the viewer’s reaction would be?
“I would hope that they relate to the Woman at the Well, which I think many people do, even just reading the Scripture,” she answered. “I would hope that this image helps them really put themselves in her place. God willing, they don’t have five other spouses like she did. But we do, in a sense, when we cling to something that is not of Christ — a different idol. So again, that is another reason to have her pour out that water. I hope that people recognize it and say, ‘Oh, what do I need to let go of to see Christ before me and receive … the water that will satisfy.’”
Her aim is “creating visual homilies,” referencing her studies at Florence’s
sacred art school. “It’s our duty to not just paint something, but to know the faith well and then pray with it. So I really feel it’s a mission, every work that I create, to really express whatever it is that the Lord has called me to for that individual work.”
Her process involves going to adoration, “and I’ll sketch things out there often,” she said, “or simply I’ll bring them up at Mass or say a Rosary with [the intention] of how the Lord will work through it and whoever seizes upon it, that they come closer to him. So really just continually giving it back to the Lord, to use how he would like for his kingdom.”
 
Kate Capato appeared on ‘Women of Grace’ on EWTN


‘It Is Beautiful’
Third-prize-winner Neal Hughes painted Agnus Dei, capturing the moment during Solemn Mass in the Tridentine Rite when the priest elevates the Host as deacons, subdeacons and altar servers watch in adoration. Although not having done much religious art previously, he chose this particular subject thinking of the Eucharist within the High Mass and Benediction with all the incense.

​‘Agnus Dei,’ by Neal Hughes (Photo: Courtesy of St. Edmund's Retreat and Neal Hughes)


“Our faith does have a lot of beauty in it, the traditions, the more ceremonial aspects to the Mass,” he told the Register. “Hopefully it will inspire someone to look into that a little, because it is beautiful.” For this painting, he drew inspiration from beautiful churches — and an altar in particular.
Hughes was also inspired by attending Benediction growing up in southern New Jersey. “And I always like the beauty of the church itself,” he said. His family regularly attended a Miraculous Medal novena nearby where there was also Benediction and incense. “That’s what came to mind.”
Capato added, “I really feel like the Holy Spirit is inspiring the Church as a whole to bring more beauty back into our churches and to our homes. Beauty is essential.”

​Honorable mentions, L to R: iconography, ‘Noli Me Tangere’ (Touch Me Not), by Jennifer Ward; and drawing, ‘A Mother’s Heart,’ by Mia Lang(Photo: Courtesy of St. Edmund's Retreat and Mia Lang and Jennifer Ward)
VIEW
The show runs at the McGivney Center through Aug. 25. And a small grouping of the exhibit’s artwork will be displayed at the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.

How Catholics Started the Hospital & University Systems in the So-Called “Dark” Ages

• by ChurchPOP Editor - July 13, 2019

Did you know the Catholic Church started both the hospital and university systems?
In this week’s episode of The Catholic Talk Show, Ryan Scheel, Fr. Rich Pagano, and Ryan DellaCross discuss “7 Reasons the Dark Ages Weren’t Actually That Dark.”
In this portion of the podcast, the group explains the Catholic Church’s deep involvement in founding the hospital and university systems we know today.

THIS 95-YEAR-OLD CATHOLIC COUPLE DIED IN EACH OTHER'S ARMS...
San Diego, Calif. (EWTN News/CNA) - Few love stories can say that they began at the age of eight. But for Jeanette and Alexander Toczko, they couldn't have imagined life any other way.
 
What began as a childhood crush later bloomed into a deep, committed love – a love that would last throughout a war, five children, and seventy-five years of marriage.
“Their hearts beat as one from as long as I can remember,” said Aimee Toczko-Cushman, one of the couple's five children, according to the Daily Mail.
 
After meeting his future wife at the age of eight, Alexander Toczko married Jeanette in 1940 while he was enrolled in the U.S. Navy as a telegraph operator. Alexander was a devoted husband to his wife Jeanette, and as Catholics, he fondly carried a snapshot of Jeanette's First Holy Communion in his wallet.
 
The Toczko's settled in San Diego, California in 1971 where Alexander and Jeanette worked together, establishing their own fashion photography and advertising firm. Alexander had a passion for golf and sketching, and the couple loved to travel with each other.
 
They raised their five children in the San Diego area, and over the years became the proud grandparents of ten grandchildren.
 
This past June, the couple celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. Alexander, a WWII veteran, was 95 and Jeanette was 96.
 
The couple's health had been declining over the months, especially after Alexander had taken a recent fall, breaking his hip.
 
“He was going fast,” their son, Richard Toczko, remembered.
 
Hospice care was brought to Jeanette and Alexander's home, so that they could share their own bed and stay close to each other in their final moments.
 
Remarkably, the inseparable couple had a dying wish that they often told their children – they both wanted to pass away together, in each other's arms and in their own bed.
Alexander was the first to go on June 17. Once Jeanette had been informed that her husband had died, she said, “See this is what you wanted. You died in my arms and I love you. I love you, wait for me, I'll be there soon.”
 
Jeanette died only hours after her husband on June 18.
 
“Even the hospice nurse said it was the most incredible thing to see the two of them taking those last breaths together,” Aimee Toczko-Cushman said.
 
“They both entered the pearly gates holding hands,” reflected their son, Richard Toczko.
A funeral mass was held for Alexander and Jeanette on June 29, a ceremony which commemorated both their lives and their 75th wedding anniversary. They were buried at the Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego.
 
" 1. Be especially attentive "to the content and unity of the whole Scripture". Different as the books which compose it may be, Scripture is a unity by reason of the unity of God's plan, of which Christ Jesus is the center and heart, open since his Passover.
The phrase "heart of Christ" can refer to Sacred Scripture, which makes known his heart, closed before the Passion, as the Scripture was obscure. But the Scripture has been opened since the Passion; since those who from then on have understood it, consider and discern in what way the prophecies must be interpreted."   -Catechism of the Catholic Church #112
 

A bit of humor…
​
 Some Thoughts:
-“What's the name of your new dog?” “I don’t know. He won’t tell.”
-Daddy reads some bedtime stories to make little Jonny fall asleep.  Half an hour later mommy opens quietly the door and asks: “And, is he asleep?”  Little Jonny answers: “Yes, finally.”



50 Things You'll (probably) Never Hear Catholics Say16)  Go ahead and ask me all your questions about Catholicism.  I feel pretty confident that I can answer all of them.
17)  There are too many people in the front pews at Mass.
18)  I had my conversion through Religious Ed.
19)  Birth Control or Natural Family Planning (NFP)?  I haven’t really heard any strong opinions one way or the other.
20)  Donuts after Mass AGAIN?!?!
21)  The Catechism of the Catholic Church, that 2600 page book? Yeah, it's a pretty quick read. Totally beach material.
22)  All that exorcism stuff doesn’t freak me out at all. 
23)  You're interested in celibacy, too?!!
24)  G.K. Chesterton… He was Anglican, right?
25)  I don't know who to pray to when I lose my stuff!
26)  I never really get distracted during the Rosary either.
27)  Latin Tridentine Mass and Novus Ordo are practically the same thing.
28)  I, too, have a devotion to St. Willibald.
29)  How ‘bout them Crusades?!
30)  Mary who?
31)  I just wish the Sisters of Life were more joyful.
32)  I’m not at all self-conscious after Ash Wednesday Mass.  Let’s go to the disco.
33)  What marriage controversy?
34)  I think St. Patrick would be proud of how we celebrate him.
35)  I miss Limbo.
 
 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Several days ago as I left a meeting at our church, I desperately gave myself a personal TSA pat down. 
I was looking for my keys.  They were not in my pockets.  A quick search in the meeting room revealed nothing.
 
Suddenly I realized, I must have left them in the car. 

Frantically, I headed for the parking lot.  My wife, Diane, has scolded me many times for leaving the keys in the ignition.  My theory is the ignition is the best place not to lose them.  Her theory is that the car will be stolen. 

As I burst through the doors of the church, I came to a terrifying conclusion.  Her theory was right. The parking lot was empty.
 
I immediately called the police, gave them my location, confessed that I had left my keys in the car and that it had been stolen. 

Then I made the most difficult call of all, “Honey,” I stammered.  I always call her “honey”in times like these.  “I left my keys in the car, and it has been stolen.”
 
There was a period of silence.  I thought the call had been dropped, but then I heard Diane’s voice. “Ken” she barked, “I dropped you off!” 

Now it was my turn to be silent.  Embarrassed, I said, “Well, can you please come and get me.” 

Diane retorted, “I will, as soon as I can convince this policeman I have not stolen your car!”
 
 ​

Prayer to the Sacred Heart
0 Jesus!  divine Savior, from whose Heart comes forth this bitter complaint, "I looked for one that would comfort me, and I found none," graciously accept the feeble consolation we offer You, and aid us so powerfully by your grace, that we may, for the time to come, shun more and more all that can displease You, and prove ourselves in everything, and everywhere, and forever Your most faithful and devoted servants.  We ask it through Your Sacred Heart, O Lord, who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit  one God, world without end.  Amen.

​

​"Christ is the light of humanity; and it is, accordingly, the heart-felt desire of this sacred Council, being gathered together in the Holy Spirit, that, by proclaiming his Gospel to every creature, it may bring to all men that light of Christ which shines out visibly from the Church." These words open the Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. By choosing this starting point, the Council demonstrates that the article of faith about the Church depends entirely on the articles concerning Christ Jesus. The Church has no other light than Christ's; according to a favorite image of the Church Fathers, the Church is like the moon, all its light reflected from the sun."  -Catechism of the Catholic Church #748


+JMJ+
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday, June 30th, 2024

The First Reading- Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-24          
God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living. For he fashioned all things that they might have being; and the creatures of the world are wholesome, and there is not a destructive drug among them nor any domain of the netherworld on earth, for justice is undying. For God formed man to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made him. But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who belong to his company experience it.
Reflection
It is mentioned several times in Scripture that death is the enemy of God. In today’s first reading, we hear that death is not part of the created order — that God did not create it, but that we invited it into the world through our cooperation with the devil, and that “they who belong to his company experience it.” Of course, we all experience it because we all sin at times in our life.
Adults -How can you actively fight against sin in your life?
Teens - What do you think the Wisdom reading means when it says, “they who belong to his [the devil’s] company experience it [death]”? If we are Christians and we reject the devil, why do we still suffer?
Kids - What does it mean to have eternal life?

Responsorial- Psalm 30: 2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Reflection
-Get to know the book of Psalms a little better this week, and recite a Psalm of praise as a prayer of thanksgiving for the blessings in your life.

The Second Reading- 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15
Brothers and sisters: As you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse, knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you, may you excel in this gracious act also.  For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.
Not that others should have relief while you are burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their needs, so that their abundance may also supply your needs, that there may be equality. As it is written: Whoever had much did not have more, and whoever had little did not have less.
Reflection
The second reading speaks to Jesus’ great charity in becoming poor like us; vulnerable like us, so that we can be rich in grace and the Spirit. Jesus also looks to our material needs, and through our charitable efforts, continues to minister to the poor. We are called to share what we have so that no one should be without.
Try to increase your charitable giving this week - donate clothes or food to a local shelter.

The Holy Gospel according to Mark 5:21-43
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, "My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live." He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.
There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured." Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.  Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?" But his disciples said to Jesus, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'" And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction." While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith." He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, "Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep." And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child's father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!" The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.
Reflection
The Gospel invites us to experience healings on several different levels through two stories sandwiched together. First we meet Jairus whose young daughter had died. He was very worried, and his household was grieving as only people who have lost a child can. While Jesus was on his way to their house, a woman who had become desperate in her suffering, touches his cloak fully expecting to be healed. She was! When Jesus questioned her, she fessed up, and he commended her for her faith. Jesus got to Jairus’ house and healed the young girl. From these two events, a woman with chronic illness was healed, a little girl was healed from death, her parents and their community were healed from grief. Wherever Jesus is, death has no power. He took death on himself and conquered it in the resurrection so that when that enemy shows up on our door, Jesus stands right with us to take our hands and say, “Arise.”
Adults -What has been your experience of death? What has been your experience of the Resurrection in times of suffering, illness, or grief?
Teens  -The woman who had been ill for a long time had the gumption to touch Jesus — which was absolutely against the Jewish law — because she couldn’t take the pain anymore. What do you feel so strongly about that it makes you take action, even if you’re afraid to do it?
Kids - How does Jesus help us make the right choices in our lives?

LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! – “If Today, let us say a fervent prayer of thanksgiving to God for the gift of active faith which he has given us and beg of him to keep that faith ever alive in our breasts. Let us think, too, of our fellowmen, our brothers in Christ, who are so busy with their worldly occupations and pleasures that they cannot find time to listen to his message. They are spiritually anemic and almost spiritually dead, but cannot push their way toward Christ through the throngs of earthly, worldly barricades which they have built about themselves. Our sincere prayers can help them to overcome these obstacles; frequently and fervently let us ask God to send them his efficacious grace so that these brothers in Christ will also be with him in heaven.  -Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

In this e-weekly:
-  Two special prayers to the Immaculate Heart  (the praying hands at the very last)
-  Non-profit Announces Largest Single Investment in Catholic School History     (Diocesan News and BEYOND)
- (New Series on COMMUNICATION) Devotion of the First Five Saturdays (Helpful Hints for Life)

​Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
 
      She that, “kept all things, reflecting on them in her heart (Luke 2:51),” is the source of Jesus' Sacred Heart.  For if Mary did not first conceive Jesus in her Immaculate Heart, she would have never said yes to the Angel Gabriel and conceived Jesus Christ in her womb. 
      Mary has a heart that is for all men.  She who received our Lord Jesus with unimaginable love in her heart and body, she who raised Him and treasured the moments she shared with Him, she who saw Him go forth from her side into a world that loved and despised Him, she whose heart was pierced when she saw Him so cruelly treated by men and pierced in His own Sacred Heart with a lance as He hung on the Cross, is the same woman and the same Immaculate Heart that loves you and I more than we can ever conceive.   And that Heart is the one shelter we most desire to dwell in (whether we recognize it or not) for it there where Jesus and His Sacred Heart dwells! 
       Let us turn toward and love the Heart of Blessed Mary Immaculate because she was conceived without sin in the womb of her mother, St. Anne; sorrowful because she beheld the death of her beloved Son and beholds your sinfulness and mine, but this is your Heart and mine to dwell in forever because she loves and is completely united to Jesus Christ, and Jesus and Mary are our true comfort and our true strength!
 Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert


P.S.  This coming Sunday is the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time.  The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062523.cfm


P.S.S.  At the end of E-weekly is this week's readings with reflections and questions for self or family.

​Communication
 
Communication in today’s world is expected to be brief, quick, “close the deal” communication.  However, we as human beings need deep, heartfelt communication - the kind that causes us to take risks and let our guard down.  This type of communication is difficult.  We have all been wounded and have reasons to censor ourselves.  But God has created us to be in communion with each other, and therefore in communication with each other. 

Devotion of the Five First Saturdays
 
Given by Our Lady of Fatima and the Infant Jesus to Sister Lucia, a devotion to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin
in reparation for the 5 sins against her Heart.
 The Virgin of Fatima speaks to the three children at Famita Portugal in 1918:
"You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart.  If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace... I shall come to ask for... the Communion of reparation on the first Saturdays..."
 
The devotion involves the following practices on five consecutive first Saturdays of the month, with the specific intention of making reparation for the five gravest offenses of man against the Blessed Virgin.

1. Go to Confession (within 8 days before or 8 days after the first Saturday)

2. Receive the Holy Eucharist

3. Pray five decades of the Rosary

4."Keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on fifteen mysteries of the Rosary."
 
On December 10, 1925, the Most Holy Virgin appeared to Lucy of Fatima, and by her side, elevated on a luminous cloud, was the Child Jesus. The Most Holy Virgin rested her hand on Lucy's shoulder, and as she did so, she showed her a Heart surrounded with thorns, which she was holding in her other hand. At the same time, the Child Jesus said:
 
"Have compassion on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother, covered with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to make an act of reparation to remove them."
Then the Most Holy Virgin said:
 "Look, my daughter, at my Heart, surrounded with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, try to console me, and say that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes, while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me."
 
“Mary's role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it. "This union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ's virginal conception up to his death"; it is made manifest above all at the hour of his Passion:
Thus the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross. There she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering, joining herself with his sacrifice in her mother's heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this victim, born of her: to be given, by the same Christ Jesus dying on the cross, as a mother to his disciple, with these words: "Woman, behold your son."        -Catechism of the Catholic Church #964
 

By Francesca Pollio Fenton
CNA Staff, Jun 15, 2024 / 07:00 am

The Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation, a private nonprofit foundation, announced June 12 that it will be donating $150 million over the next 10 years to the Big Shoulders Fund, which will invest the funds in initiatives that aim to improve the quality, accessibility, and sustainability of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Gary, Indiana.
This is the largest single investment in pre-K–12 Catholic education in history.

Driven by its founder’s vision, the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation supports “catalytic community projects and self-sustaining initiatives that cultivate a strong quality of life in Northwest Indiana and statewide,” according to its website.
​
The Big Shoulders Fund was founded in 1986 to ensure that children in Chicago’s most under-resourced areas could have access to quality, values-based education. In 2019, it was invited by civic leaders and philanthropic funding to replicate their work in Northwest Indiana by sharing its model with Catholic schools in the Diocese of Gary.

Students and teachers from the Diocese of Gary Catholic Schools. Credit: Big Shoulders Fund

In addition to serving students and communities with the greatest amount of economic and educational need in Northwest Indiana,  the investment will support initiatives that focus on curriculum development, teacher training, leadership development, infrastructure improvements, and student support services as well as new governance models, management structures, and assistance with enrollment and tuition management.

Colleen Brewer, Diocese of Gary superintendent of Catholic schools, told CNA: “A gift of this magnitude gives the Diocese of Gary the opportunity to open our doors to more students, serve our families in a deeper way, and be able to elevate our current success.” 

“Too often, finances are a barrier in doing what you want to do in a school,” she added. “Now we can identify the needs we are presented with and have the partners and resources to directly address those problems for the benefit of the students. This type of gift is a symbol of trust.”

Thanks to the resources and funding provided through this investment, Big Shoulders Fund will be able to provide accessible and transformative pre-K–12 education to at least 20 schools across four counties in the Diocese of Gary Catholic school network.

Additionally, the Diocese of Gary announced that it will establish an independent endowment with The Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indiana, a nonprofit organization, by the end of the year. The hope is to have the invested endowment funds grow up to $50 million over the next 15 years and be used for the retention and compensation of principals, teachers, and staff within diocesan schools.

CNA Newsroom
Kristin Turner was an outspoken supporter of abortion who didn’t believe in God. She even used to speak at events on the topic “Why abortion is good for society.”
But now the 21-year-old activist is an ardent pro-life advocate who recently announced her intention to join the Catholic Church.
“There is a God-shaped hole in my heart,” she wrote on Twitter May 29. “I have tried to fill it with everything under the sun. But that’s not possible. I need him as much as he wants me.”
Turner said she came to her decision through “a lot of small things,” but her involvement in pro-life advocacy played a big part.
After suffering abuse by a high school teacher and thinking she had become pregnant by that abuse, she researched abortion further. 
After that, Turner said, she “had to reconsider” her pro-abortion position.
“I realized this act of violence against me is parallel to the act of violence committed against an unborn child who is not seen as fully human, and whose body is not respected, and therefore can be violently violated,” Turner told Prudence Robertson in a recent interview on “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.”
“And when that happened,” Turner said, “I knew I had to do something.”
However, she said, “as a feminist … and as somebody who’s progressive and still is progressive, I thought there wasn’t a place for me in the pro-life movement.”
She decided to speak up for life anyway, first starting a pro-life group on her college campus, then founding her own nonprofit, Take Feminism Back. According to its LinkedIn profile, the group “exists to assist pregnant and parenting people in need. We also work to promote progressive social change that includes all people from the womb to the tomb.”
Since 2021, Turner has worked as communications director for Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU), an organization whose mission “is to achieve socio-political justice for the preborn by mobilizing anti-abortion activists for direct action and opposing elective abortion through a progressive lens,” according to its website.
Members have protested in front of abortion centers and marched in front of the Supreme Court. Turner and PAAU’s founder, Terrisa Bukovinac, were even incarcerated for four days in November 2022 after a “rescue” event at a Virginia women’s center.
The organization also uncovered potential illegal activity by a Washington, D.C., abortionist last year after discovering the bodies of 115 babies outside an abortion clinic.
It was through her pro-life work that Turner felt drawn to the Catholic Church.
“It was really through that work and seeing how fruitful an act of sacrifice could be and how transformational an act of sacrifice could be that drew me into the Church,” she said, “and just seeing the sacrifice of Jesus and what he was willing to do to humanize, to help save our lives.”
Turner also cited the number of Catholics involved in the pro-life movement who talked with her about the Church.

“There’s just many things that have brought me here, but the main one has been seeing how necessary it is to sacrifice for these unborn children,” she told Robertson.
Watch the full “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” interview with Turner below.​

By Courtney Mares
Vatican City, Jun 19
Pope Francis met with deacons and their families Saturday at the Vatican and encouraged them to help their parishes to recognize Jesus in the poor.
“Deacons remind the Church that what Saint Thérèse discovered is true: the Church has a heart inflamed by love. Yes, a humble heart beating with service,” the pope said June 19.
“The generosity of a deacon, who gives of himself without seeking the front ranks, has about him the perfume of the Gospel. He tells of the greatness of God's humility in taking the first step … to meet even those who have turned their backs on him,” he said.
The pope welcomed deacons from the diocese of Rome to the Vatican’s Hall of Blessings, where he expressed to each of them the importance of their distinct ministry in the life of the Church.
“The decrease in the number of priests has led to a prevailing engagement of deacons to substitute them in tasks which, however important, do not constitute the specific nature of the diaconate. They are substitute tasks,” he said.
Pope Francis cited the dogmatic constitution, Lumen Gentium, which describes the diaconate a ministry in which “hands are imposed not unto the priesthood, but unto a ministry of service.”
He said: “The Council, after speaking of service to the People of God ‘in the diaconate of the liturgy, of the word and of charity”, emphasises that deacons are above all - above all - “dedicated to duties of charity and of administration (Lumen Gentium, 29).’”
“The phrase recalls the early centuries, when deacons looked after the needs of the faithful, especially the poor and the sick, in the name and on behalf of the bishop. We can also draw on the roots of the Church of Rome.”


The pope encouraged the deacons to follow Christ by embracing his “logic” of lowering oneself.
“We are all called to lower ourselves, because Jesus stooped to us, He made himself the servant of all. If there is one great person in the Church, it is the one who made him- or herself the smallest, and servant of all,” Pope Francis said.
“I expect you to be humble. It is sad to see a bishop and a priest showing off, but it is even sadder to see a deacon wanting to put himself at the centre of the world, or at the centre of the liturgy, or at the centre of the Church. Be humble. Let all the good you do be a secret between you and God. And so it will bear fruit,” he said.
Deacons can also serve the community through their witness as good spouses, fathers, and grandfathers.
“This will give hope and consolation to couples who are going through difficult times and who will find in your genuine simplicity an outstretched hand,” he said.


The pope added: “Doing everything with joy, without complaining; this is a testimony that is worth more than many sermons.”
Deacons can act as “sentinels” for their parish, he said, by helping “to help the Christian community to recognize Jesus in the poor and the distant, as He knocks on our doors through them.”
“Whatever the need, see the Lord. So you, too, recognize the Lord when, in so many of his little brothers and sisters, He asks to be fed, to be welcomed and loved. I would like this to be the profile of the deacons of Rome and of the whole world,” Pope Francis said.

​

by ChurchPOP Editor - July 6, 2019
@jamesrgoodman, TwitterPraised be to God!
The Vatican announced that the Ven. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen will be beatified after the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved a miracle attributed to his intercession.
The Congregation approved the miracle on July 6. Official beatification dates have not yet been announced.
The MiracleCatholic News Agency reported that the miracle involves the “unexplained recovery of James Fulton Engstrom, a boy born apparently stillborn in September 2010 to Bonnie and Travis Engstrom of the Peoria-area town of Goodfield.
“He showed no signs of life as medical professionals tried to revive him. The child’s mother and father prayed to Archbishop Sheen to heal their son.”
Seven medical experts advising the Vatican Congregation unanimously approved the miracle. The archbishop needs one more approved miracle attributed to his intercession for his canonization.
Sheen’s cause for canonization was postponed for many years due to a legal battle over his burial place.
The remains were recently transferred to the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois (where Sheen also received his priestly ordination), allowing the cause to continue.
Archbishop Sheen was especially recognized for his work in radio and television.From 1930-1950, Sheen hosted The Catholic Hour on NBC night-time radio, which after 20 years, had a weekly listenership of four million viewers.
His show, “Life is Worth Living,” aired on DuMont Television Network (1952-55) and ABC (1955-57), reaching millions of viewers.
His show also won two Emmy Awards for “Most Outstanding Television Personality.”
His competitors for the 1952 award were Lucille Ball, Edward R. Murrow, Arthur Godfrey and Jimmy Durante.
Listen to one of Ven. Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s showsbelow:
https://youtu.be/tAW2I0pTlsw?list=RDtAW2I0pTlsw


His Mother Rejected an Abortion– Now, This Priest Helped Her Meet the PopeBy Elise Harrishttp://www.ewtnnewsonline.com/images/Pope_Francis_Figueridos.jpg

Rome, Italy (EWTN News/CNA) - It was during the thalidomide sleeping pill craze that Sarah Figueiredo became pregnant with her fourth and last child, Anthony.
Developed after the Second World War and found not only to help with sleeplessness but also to alleviate morning sickness for expectant mothers, thalidomide was widely prescribed by doctors across the world to their pregnant patients as a safe drug to use.


Sarah, who was raising her young family in Nairobi at the time, was one of the expectant mothers prescribed the drug.
It wasn’t until 1961 that thalidomide was discovered to cause severe birth defects in babies born to mothers using it. Many of the children were born with a condition called “phocomelia,” which results in shortened, absent or flipper-like limbs. It was taken off the market in 1962.


When the doctors found out that Sarah’s unborn son would be among the children with this disability, they advised her to have an abortion. However, Sarah and her husband,  both devout Catholics,  refused. Sarah believed her son had “a special mission.”


According to her son – now Msgr. Anthony Figueiredo – what his parents told the doctors was that “if God has allowed us to conceive a child, that child will not be wasted. On the contrary, God will have a mission for that child, which they believe very strongly is that I would be a priest.”


Despite his crippled arm, Msgr.  Figueiredo was ordained in 1994 and has vast experience in missionary work and a hefty academic background in theology. He currently  serves as a spiritual director to hundreds of seminarians studying at Rome’s Pontifical North American College, advises cardinals on their writing and speeches, and works closely with the Pope.


He has also met Mother Theresa and was able to work as a personal assistant to St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI for several years.


The priest largely credits his parents and their faith for encouraging his vocation, telling EWTN News that they “never discouraged me from being a priest.”
“With great sacrifice they sent all of us to Catholic schools and now with old age my mother is the happiest woman in the world, one would say, because she has a son who is a priest.”


Sarah, 84, told EWTN News that she and her husband had prayed that one of their three sons would become a priest, and that she knew this prayer would be answered in Tony, as she calls him, because “I dreamt that one day. I had a dream that one of my sons, the last one,” would be ordained. “I (knew) he had mission.”


While there are “a lot of blessings” in having a son who is a priest, one of the biggest came during a trip Sarah made to Rome to visit her son during the June 1-3 Jubilee for Priests.


Msgr. Figueiredo said he had been walking in the Vatican Gardens one day in April when he got a phone call from the Pope himself.


The Pope said that he knew the priest’s mother would be coming to Rome for the Jubilee of Priests, and wanted to meet her. Since he was busy throughout the three-day event, which concluded with a Mass June 3, Francis told Msgr.  Figueiredo that  “I would really like her to come to my home prior to that Mass.”


It was Pope Francis himself, then, who “completely organized everything,” and welcomed both the priest and his mother into his residence at the Vatican’s St. Martha Guesthouse the morning of June 3.


“It was very, very beautiful. He was just like an ordinary parish priest the way he made my mother welcome,” Msgr. Figueiredo said, recalling how Francis spoke about the number of children in their families and the biblical roots of some of their names.


One particularly touching moment for Msgr. Figueiredo was when the Pope told him that he recognized the priest’s mother from a photo he had given him.


“I gave him the photo three years ago,” Msgr. Figueiredo said,  saying it’s  “quite extraordinary that this Pope, who is probably the most photographed man in the world, remembers each person. It’s as if he has them in his heart.”


Pope Francis also administered the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to Sarah, who has suffered from two strokes in recent years and in 2010 was diagnosed with aggressive, stage 4 breast cancer, but today is cancer-free.


The Pope “took his time, there was no rush, and he was particularly compassionate,” the priest said, noting how when his mother attempted to stand up for the anointing, Francis told her sit down and himself got up.


“I think that’s amazing from a Pope. There’s really no sense of being in authority, he’s really a servant, a servant of the servants of God. We touched that that day in his residence.”


Sarah, who carried the chalice up to the altar during the Mass after their meeting, said to visit the Pope was “a gift from God…I felt very proud that God had chosen me to come to this special occasion.”


After bringing the chalice to the Pope, “he pressed my hand, and he recognized me and he held me tight,” she said, explaining that the experience is something “I will remember all my life and I thank God for that.”


She also thanked her son for helping give her the opportunity to meet the Pope and to receive his blessing. Giving advice to parents who are hoping for a religious vocation among their children, she counselled that “the more you pray the better it is.”


“We need more priests in this world,” she said, noting how she “always prayed” for her son’s vocation. Even at 84, Sarah continues to pray a daily rosary, keeping one under her pillow so that should she wake up during the night, she can pray a decade before going back to sleep.


Msgr. Figueiredo said that to celebrate the Jubilee of Priests alongside his mother “was an enormous sign to me that God is faithful,” especially when someone gives something of their life to him, whether it’s a parent, a child, a type of suffering, or a vocation.


In regards to the “special mission” his mother believed he had, the priest said for him, this mission has entailed showing a special compassion and solidarity with those who suffer.


“I truly believe what St. Paul said: that God’s power is made perfect in weakness,” he said,  voicing his belief that priests “who particularly have a cross can show a certain kind of compassion and mercy to those who are suffering.”


While as a priest “I can preach until the cows come home,” people really start paying attention when they see “that you yourself suffer in your flesh…one immediately connects.”


For Msgr. Figueiredo, this is what Christ did on the Cross: “he suffered on the cross for us, and so when I am going through suffering myself I see that he’s gone there before me and has faith, believing that the Father will bring good even from tragedy.”


“That’s really helped me to stay close to the smell of the sheep, as Pope Francis exhorts us as priests and as every Christian,” he said.​


" The Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church's life. "Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church."
"Also to be observed are the day of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension of Christ, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christi, the feast of Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, the feast of Saint Joseph, the feast of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, and the feast of All Saints."
Catechism of the Catholic Church #2177

A bit of humor…
 
 
50 Things You'll (probably) Never Hear Catholics Say1)  Man, I wish this confession line were longer.
2)  Is there really anything to do in Rome?
3)  It's so nice that we are all on the same page about liturgy and music.
4)  Discernment of life and one's vocation is just so easy!
5)  I hope we learn a new version of the Gloria at this Sunday Mass.
6)  Yesterday, while I was doing some Lectio on the Book of Revelation…
7)  Your parents aren’t Catholic?  I think a relic would be the perfect gift.
8)  I don’t have any worries about the future of our medical system conflicting with my personal beliefs.
9)  I’m really confident that I’m using this Breviary correctly. 
10)  Good thing we got to Mass with so much time to spare. 
11)  My prayer time is much more fruitful when I pray on my bed… lying down… with my eyes closed.
12)  Being young and single really helps me blend in at Daily Mass.
13)  Let's study Latin to see what it was like when our grandparents went to Mass. 
14)  I never people-watch during the communion line.
15)  Pope Francis… yeah, I guess he’s okay.

​

Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
 
O Most Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As your children, we implore your intercession with Jesus your Son. Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before you today, especially ...(special intention).
We are comforted in knowing your heart is ever open to those who ask for your prayer. We trust to your gentle care and intercession, those whom we love and who are sick or lonely or hurting. Help all of us, Holy Mother, to bear our burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with God forever.
Amen. (said for 9 days in a row)
 
 SPECIAL PRAYER OF INTERCESSION
TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
O Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Heavenly beauty and splendor of the Father,
You are the most valued Heavenly treasure.
 
New Eve, immaculate in soul, spirit and body,
Created of the godly seed by the Spirit of God,
You are the spiritual Mother of mankind.
 
Pure Virgin, full of grace then and now,
Your whole being was raised Heavenly in full glory,
To be elevated above all the hosts within the Kingdom of God.
 
O Heavenly Mother, Queen of Heaven and earth,
I recognize the glory of your highest title,
The Immaculate Heart of Mary!
 
Loving Mother, dispenser of endless blessings,
You who continuously intercedes on our behalf,
Please present my need before your loving Son Jesus.(In your own words, make your special request here. Do not just mention a word. Speak to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as you would speak to another person, begging your Heavenly Mother to plea to Jesus on your behalf, that you be granted this special request.)
 
O Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I know that you are now presenting my need before Jesus,
For you have never turned away those in dire need.
 
Mother dearest, I await your favorable answer,
Submitting myself to the Divine will of the Lord,
For all glories are His forever and ever. 
 
 
[This is a weekly electronic newsletter from Father Robert. This will be sent out weekly. Please recommend this to individuals you think might be interested. Any suggestions or comments are welcomed, or if you wish to no longer receive this please e-mail: [email protected]]
 
“The finding of Jesus in the temple is the only event that breaks the silence of the Gospels about the hidden years of Jesus. Here Jesus lets us catch a glimpse of the mystery of his total consecration to a mission that flows from his divine sonship: "Did you not know that I must be about my Father's work?" Mary and Joseph did not understand these words, but they accepted them in faith. Mary "kept all these things in her heart" during the years Jesus remained hidden in the silence of an ordinary life.
Catechism of the Catholic Church #534

​+JMJ+
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
11th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Sunday, June 16th, 2024

The First Reading- Ezekiel 17: 22-24          
Thus says the Lord GOD: I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, and plant it on a high and lofty mountain; on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it.  It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar.  Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.  And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom.  As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.
Reflection
In the first reading, the Prophet Ezekiel speaks for God saying that God will take a tree—a cedar, which is highly valued wood—and from it make a little shoot that will be placed high up on a mountain where it will flourish. High mountains symbolize closeness to God. God will plant his people (us)—who are highly valued by him—close to him, and when they respond by living in deliberate closeness to God, they will flourish and become a refuge for living things. We are called to do the same.
Adults -How has the Lord protected you this week?
Teen - Do you understand yourself to be a valued like the cedar in the first reading? How has God planted you where you can flourish and become a refuge for others?
Kids - Sit quietly and watch a tree. What animals come and go? How does the tree help them? Does it give them food? Shelter? A place to hide from danger? How is the tree similar to the way God takes care of us?

Responsorial- Psalm 92: 2-3, 13-14, 15-16
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your faithfulness throughout the night.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the LORD,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
Reflection
-Look at what parts of your life our currently flourishing and give thanks to God.  

The Second Reading- 2 Corinthians 5: 6-10
Brothers and sisters: We are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.  Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.  Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.
Reflection
Paul reminds us that we must walk by faith and not by sight.  To the eye the Eucharist appears to be bread and wine. It is our faith that tells us that we are looking at the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord.  
Take special care at Mass and Adoration to remember that you are standing on holy ground, eye to eye with the Creator of the universe.  

The Holy Gospel according to Mark 4: 26-34
Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.” He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
Reflection
In the Gospel Jesus tells his disciples about the Kingdom of God. First he talks about a farmer scattering seed and the yield that is produced by the grace of God. This is how we should be—planting seeds of faith, love and charity, and letting God’s Holy Spirit do the growing. The second parable is the familiar mustard seed story. It was the smallest known seed at the time, but grows into a huge plant. It, like the cedar in the first reading, gives refuge to nature, supplies seasoning and even medicine to those who harvest it. This is a reminder to us that even our smallest efforts at sharing the Gospel are multiplied by God. All the good that we do God takes, perfects, and makes more fruitful than we could ever have imagined.
Adults -Do you plant seeds for God? If so, how and where? How do you see God multiplying your efforts?
Teens  - How does the mustard seed relate to the growth of the Church throughout history?
Kids - Even though you are small, you can do God’s work!  How can you spread God’s love?

LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! – “The tiny mustard seed has grown into a tree but it has yet to gather many more under the shelter of its branches. Christ asks every one of his followers to help him to bring all men into the safety of his kingdom on earth, so that they may be enabled to enjoy happiness forever in his heavenly kingdom. Realizing all that God and his divine Son have done for us, would we be so mean and ungrateful as to refuse to lend a helping hand? God forbid! God has already put us on the right road to heaven; we will help him to get in the stragglers, the lazy, the "couldn't-care-less" ones on that same road, by every means available to us.”  -Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

In this e-weekly:
-  What are you going to do?  (A bit of humor… [the smiling cat])
- As Pilgrims Flock to See Sister Wilhelmina, Abbey Begins 'Spiritual Haven' to All   (Diocesan News and BEYOND)
- 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Helpful Hints for Life)

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,


      We recently celebrated the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Here are some of its origins and rich blessings:


 "And He showed me that it was His great desire of being loved by men and of withdrawing them from the path of ruin into which Satan hurls such crowds of them, that made Him form the design of manifesting His Heart to men, with all the treasures of love, of mercy, of grace, of sanctification and salvation which it contains, in order that those who desire to render Him and procure for Him all the honor and love possible, might themselves be abundantly enriched with those divine treasures of which this Heart is the source.”


         These words were spoken by Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque on December 27, 1673, as He appeared to her to make known in a clearer way His immense love of humanity and his desire to save them.  Jesus made known to her and through her to all of humanity His Sacred Heart.  Her own religious superior and fellow nuns were skeptical, but through a cure of a bad illness she had many came to believe.  When her revelations were submitted to theologians for analysis, they were dismissed as delusions.  Jesus sent Blessed Claude de la Colombiere, a holy and experienced Jesuit Priest, as a confessor to the nuns.  Seeing the work of the Lord in St. Margaret Mary he studied, submitted, and distributed the revelations given by Jesus.  As Devotion to the Sacred Heart spread, Pope Clement XIII officially recognized it and approved the Devotion in 1765.
 
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque further wrote:
“He should be honored under the figure of this Heart of flesh, and its image should be exposed...He promised me that wherever this image should be exposed with a view to showing it special honor, He would pour forth His blessings and graces. This devotion was the last effort of His love that He would grant to men in these latter ages, in order to withdraw them from the empire of Satan which He desired to destroy, and thus to introduce them into the sweet liberty of the rule of His love, which He wished to restore in the hearts of all those who should embrace this devotion."..... "The devotion is so pleasing to Him that He can refuse nothing to those who practice it."          


 
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert



P.S.  This coming Sunday is the 10th Sunday of Ordinary Time.  The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060924.cfm
​
​P.S.S. Sunday Readings with reflections and questions can be found at end of e-weekly.

“Helpful Hints of Life”


12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Of the many promises Our Lord Jesus Christ did reveal to Saint Margaret Mary in favor of souls devoted to His Sacred Heart the principal ones are as follows:
1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will give peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
9. I will bless those places wherein the image of
My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall
have their names eternally written in my Heart.
12. In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.



“Jesus knew and loved us each and all during his life, his agony and his Passion, and gave himself up for each one of us: "The Son of God. . . loved me and gave himself for me." He has loved us all with a human heart. For this reason, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation, "is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that. . . love with which the divine Redeemer continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings" without exception.”                                 Catechism of the Catholic Church #478
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Diocesan News AND BEYOND

 As Pilgrims Flock to See Sister Wilhelmina, Abbey Becomes ‘Spiritual Haven’ for AllThe Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles continue to live their charism of prayer, work and hospitality.

Guided by our Blessed Mother, the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles live a life of prayer, song and work in Gower, Missouri. Making vestments is part and parcel of daily life at the abbey. (photo: Courtesy of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles)
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Lindsey Weishar FeaturesJune 17With the discovery of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster’s well-preserved body at the Abbey of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles in Gower, Missouri, the order perhaps best known for its beautiful albums of sacred chant has once again come into the public eye. 

As thousands of pilgrims have flocked to their home in the weeks following the revelation of the exhumation of Sister Wilhelmina, the Benedictine nuns released a statement on their website, part of which read, “Many have voiced concern about the disruption to our life, but we have, thankfully, remained unaffected and able to continue on in our life of ora et labora, prayer and work, as Sister Wilhelmina would have it. Unless we looked out the front windows, or out at the crowds attending our Mass and Divine Offices, we would not even know people are here.”

Part of the order’s ability to maintain peace and contemplation amid such exterior changes is certainly due to their devotion to Christ and their rule of life. Their website describes their special devotion to Mary under the title of Queen of the Apostles and their dedication to praying for priests: “Totally consecrated to the Queen of Apostles, we take Our Lady’s hidden life at Ephesus as an inspiration for our own. We seek to be what she was for the early Church: a loving and prayerful support to the apostles, the first priests, and daily offer prayer and sacrifice for the sake of her spiritual sons.” 
 


‘A Hidden Source of Spiritual Strength Through Prayer’The Register spoke with Mother Abbess Cecilia Snell, who shared about Sister Wilhelmina’s special love for priests and how it informed the charism of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles.

“Mother Teresa of Calcutta asked Sister Wilhelmina to be among her ‘Veronicas,’ a group of special intercessors for priests, after visiting Sister Wilhelmina's motherhouse in the early 1990s,” Mother Abbess Cecilia recalled. “Sister Wilhelmina wedded her love of tradition with her love of the priesthood in 1995, setting out for Elmhurst, Pennsylvania, where the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter had just established its American headquarters. She faithfully helped at the seminary until its move to Nebraska, and as the community [of Benedictine sisters at Gower] settled into a more monastic way of life, she passed on this great love for priests. She drew inspiration from a stained-glass window of Pentecost at the chapel in Elmhurst, around which were the words Perseverantes Unaminite in Oratione (‘Persevering in One Heart in Prayer’), writing that she saw in this the ideal of her new community, praying and sacrificing for priests.” 
“When we were to be elevated as an abbey, a motto had to be chosen,” Mother Abbess Cecilia continued. “Sister Wilhelmina was ill on the day we were discussing what it would be. We had no idea that we were choosing the self-same phrase that she had chosen 23 years earlier, and only found out about her choice of a motto in her writings after her death. So it was literally the movement of the Holy Spirit. She wanted us to be what Our Lady was for the apostles, a hidden source of spiritual strength through prayer.”
 
Benedictine LifeThe beauty of the nun’s life is its simplicity. In speaking of their charism on their website, the Benedictines note, “We cannot preach the Gospel to the nations nor bring the Lord to our tabernacles, but we can be ‘Love in the heart of the Church’ with firm adherence to her teaching, loyalty to the Holy Father, and deep-seated love of the traditional liturgy.”

Like St. Thérèse, who in her autobiography said, “In the heart of the Church, I will be love,” the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles are missionaries without ever leaving their convent. Their vows of obedience, stability (staying in the same monastery throughout their lives), and conversion of life (which includes poverty and chastity, but also “conversatio, literally a continual turning to the Lord”) are the soil in which their key identity as daughters and brides of Christ flourishes.

Mother Abbess Cecilia described the daily life of the order in this way:
“In the Benedictine life, we speak of ‘three eights’: eight hours of prayer, eight hours of work, eight hours of sleep. It does not break up quite so tidily, but that is the ideal. We have eight ‘hours,’ that is, eight times in which the Divine Office (or Liturgy of the Hours) is chanted, a sung high Mass every day, and two periods of lectio divina (spiritual reading and mental prayer). We work in silence for the remainder of the day on vestments [for priests] and upkeep of the farm, house and garden, as well as correspondence. … We have one hour of recreation, which is when we are allowed to speak, usually while we are keeping our hands busy. We are always ready to go to bed at the end of the day, but take turns in the night in the church in prayer for priests.” ​

‘Ora et Labora’(Photo: Courtesy of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles)

Praying for Priests, Making Vestments and Sacred SingingAs Mother Abbess Cecilia emphasized, “The prayer for priests is what animates our day.” This prayer is intertwined through both the ora part of their lives — like keeping nightly vigil for priests — and the labora: 
“We continue a tradition Sister Wilhelmina faithfully practiced, that of placing an ordination card at the foot of the crucifix in our community room each day, asking Our Lady to take our prayers especially for that priest. We seem to feel the effects of this and instinctively know who needs prayers. For example, we will sometimes have days where it seems everything is going wrong. Sisters check the crucifix, and, sure enough, there will be a bishop’s card that day, and we will see it as a sign that extra prayers and sacrifices are needed. We also devote much of our work to the making of vestments, a very privileged work.”
The nuns’ devotion to prayer also finds expression in their beautiful sung chant. An auditory sign of their solidarity as a community, their singing accompanies the Latin high Masses that take place daily in their chapel. This is a gift they’ve shared with the world through the recording of albums, topping the Billboard charts. 
Mother Abbess Cecilia shared that the albums are the fruit of the abbey’s daily life: “Since we give so many hours to chanting each day, singing as a group comes naturally to us. Someone suggested that we record back in 2008, in order to share our life of prayer with the world without any intrusion. We recorded our first that year and have made a total of 14 since then! We are actually hoping to record another album before Christmas.”
 


Sister Wilhelmina’s Joyful WitnessIt is clear that Sister Wilhelmina’s spirit continues to strongly guide this community, as the order continues to grow and draw young women. Mother Abbess Cecilia noted: 
“Sister Wilhelmina really saw us as a specifically Marian community and an ecclesial one. She always encouraged us to be very faithful to the daily recitation of the Rosary, to renew our Marian consecration each month, and to pray for the Church, especially its leaders.”
She also remembered her own personal connection to their foundress:
“I myself was so deeply stuck by Sister Wilhelmina when I met her 20 years ago. She was assisting at the first vows of a sister and Investiture of Novices at the cathedral in Scranton. Everything bespoke a deep peace and holiness about her, that she was so joyful to serve the Lord after so many years. That was definitely a draw for me in my own vocation, along with her unshakeable conviction to preserve and pass on the faith she loved so dearly. She was in love with Our Lord, and never fell out of love, teaching us all to be faithful spouses.” 
This love finds expression in Sister Wilhelmina’s order in its orientation toward Mary, who always points to her Son:
“Sister Wilhelmina saw Our Lady’s mission as Queen of Apostles, beginning at the foot of the cross, when Our Lord said, ‘Behold thy son,’ to his mother, Mary,” Mother Abbess Cecilia explained. “She really felt we all needed to enter into that motherhood and extend the prayer of Our Lady throughout the Church. The crowning glory was really at Pentecost, when her prayer sent forth the apostles into the whole world. Sister Wilhelmina was constantly praying for a new Pentecost and the renewal of the priesthood.” 
 


Peace Through It AllSuch holy fervor translates itself into the nuns’ way of life. The past couple of years have been peppered with the unexpected. From 2019-2021, there were some drive-by shootings at the abbey in Gower, including one in which a bullet went through Mother Abbess Cecilia’s bedroom window. These shootings prompted the building of the abbey walls in 2021. Of this incident, Mother Abbess Cecilia said, “I have to say, I rolled over and went back to sleep after I heard the bullet enter my room. When you have the Benedictine lifestyle ordering your life, your soul becomes ordered inside. That is why Pax is a phrase heading Benedictine correspondence and even our entryway: PAX INTRANTIBUS, ‘Peace to all entering.’” 
With the discovery of Sister Wilhelmina’s well-preserved body and the unexpected attention this has drawn — pilgrims may now pray before her body encased under glass in the abbey’s church — the sisters continue to be ordered by their way of life. 
As Mother Abbess Cecilia put it, “Gunshots or incorruptibles, we take everything in stride as part of God’s will for us in our journey toward heaven.” 


READ
God’s Will: The Life and Works of Sister Mary Wilhelmina; available at EWTNRC.com or (800) 854-6316.

 'Fastest Nun in the West' on path for sainthoodBy RUSSELL CONTRERAS
This undated photo provided by the Palace of the Governors shows Sister Blandina Segale, who co-founded the first hospitals and schools in New Mexico and reportedly challenged Billy the Kid. The Archdiocese of Santa Fe is exploring sainthood for the Italian-born nun for her work with the poor, immigrants and Hispanics and Native Americans during the frontier days. (AP Photo/Palace of the Governors)

      ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The Archdiocese of Santa Fe announced Wednesday it is exploring sainthood for an Italian-born nun who challenged Billy the Kid, calmed angry mobs and helped open New Mexico territory hospitals and schools. Archbishop Michael Sheehan said he has received permission from the Vatican to open the "Sainthood Cause" for Sister Blandina Segale, an educator and social worker who worked in Ohio, Colorado and New Mexico.
 
It's the first time in New Mexico's 400-year history with the Roman Catholic Church that a decree opening the cause of beatification and canonization has been declared, church officials said.
 
"There are other holy people who have worked here," said Allen Sanchez, president and CEO for CHI St. Joseph's Children in Albuquerque, a social service agency Segale founded. "But this would be a saint (who) started institutions in New Mexico that are still in operation."
 
Segale, a nun with the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, came to Trinidad, Colorado, in 1877 to teach poor children and was later transferred to Santa Fe, where she co-founded public and Catholic schools. During her time in New Mexico, she worked with the poor, the sick and immigrants. She also advocated on behalf of Hispanics and Native Americans who were losing their land to swindlers.
 
Her encounters with Old West outlaws later became the stuff of legend and were the subject of an episode of the CBS series "Death Valley Days." The episode, called "The Fastest Nun in the West," focused on her efforts to save a man from a lynch mob.
 
But her encounters with Billy the Kid remain among her most popular and well-known Western frontier adventures.
 
According to one story, she received a tip that The Kid was coming to her town to scalp the four doctors who had refused to treat his friend's gunshot wound. Segale nursed the friend to health, and when Billy came to Trinidad, Colorado, to thank her, she asked him to abandon his violent plan. He agreed.
 
Another story says The Kid and his gang attempted to rob a covered wagon traveling on the frontier. But when the famous outlaw looked inside, he saw Segale.
 
"He just tipped his hat," said Sheehan, the archbishop. "And left."
 
Many of the tales she wrote in letters to her sister later became the book, "At the End of the Santa Fe Trail."
 
"She was just amazing," said Victoria Marie Forde of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. "It's tough to live up to her example."
 
Segale found St. Joseph's Hospital in Albuquerque before returning to Cincinnati in 1897 to start Santa Maria Institute, which served recent immigrants.
 
Her work resonates today, with poverty, immigration and child care still high-profile issues, Sanchez said.
 
Officials say it could take years — possibly a century — before Segale becomes a saint. The Vatican has to investigate her work and monitor for any related "miracles."
 
Those miracles could come in the form of healings, assistance to recent Central American immigrant children detained at the U.S. border or some other unexplained occurrences after devotees pray to her, Sanchez said.
 
"She's going to have to keep working," Sanchez said. "She's not done." Pope Francis: To have a dialogue with God we need to make ourselves like a small child

                    
Pope Francis celebrating Mass at Santa Marta residence

27/06
 
(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis said God is like a gentle father who holds us by the hand and we need to become like a small child to have a dialogue with Him.  This was the focus of his homily during the Mass he celebrated on Friday in the Santa Marta residence.
 
June 27th is the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Pope’s  homily was a reflection on the nature of the love between God and his people.  He described this feast as a celebration of God’s love in Jesus Christ. 
 
“There are two aspects to this love.  First, love is more about giving than receiving.  Second, love is more about actions than words.  When we say it’s more about giving than receiving, that’s because love communicates, it always communicates.  And it’s received by the one who is loved.  And when we say that it’s more about actions than words, that’s because love always generates life and makes us grow.”
 
Pope Francis said that in order to understand  God’s love we need to become small like a child and what God seeks from us is a relationship  like that between a father and child. God gives us a caress and tells us: I’m by your side.
 
“This is the tenderness of our Lord and of His love; this is what He tells us and this gives us the strength to be tender.  But if we feel we’re strong, we’ll never experience those caresses from the Lord, those caresses from Him that are so wonderful.   ‘Don’t be afraid, for I am with you and I’ll hold your hand’… These are all words spoken  by the Lord that help us to understand that mysterious love He has for us.  And when Jesus speaks about Himself, he says: ‘ I am meek and humble of heart.’ Even He, the Son of God, lowers himself to receive his Father’s love.”
 
Pope Francis concluded by homily by noting that God is always there in front of us, waiting for us and urges God to give us the grace to enter into the mysterious world of his love.
 
“When we arrive, He’s there.  When we look for Him, He has already been looking for us.   He is always in front of us, waiting to receive us in His heart, in His love.  And these two things can help us to understand the mystery of God’s love for us.  In order to communicate  this, He needs us to be like small children, to lower ourselves.  And at the same time, He needs our astonishment when we look for Him and find Him there, waiting for us." 



" The priests, prudent cooperators of the episcopal college and its support and instrument, called to the service of the People of God, constitute, together with their bishop, a unique sacerdotal college (presbyterium) dedicated, it is, true to a variety of distinct duties. In each local assembly of the faithful they represent, in a certain sense, the bishop, with whom they are associated in all trust and generosity; in part they take upon themselves his duties and solicitude and in their daily toils discharge them." priests can exercise their ministry only in dependence on the bishop and in communion with him. The promise of obedience they make to the bishop at the moment of ordination and the kiss of peace from him at the end of the ordination liturgy mean that the bishop considers them his co-workers, his sons, his brothers and his friends, and that they in return owe him love and obedience. ”Catechism of the Catholic Church #1576

What are you going to do?


I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure.  
I like work. It fascinates me. I sit and look at it for hours.
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
The sole purpose of a child's middle name, is so he can tell when he's really in trouble.

There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country.  "Is there anything breakable in here?" asked the postal clerk.  "Only the Ten Commandments." answered the lady.
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"Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world.
There are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good morning, Lord," and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Lord, it's morning."
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A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter.  Then he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: "I have circled the block 10 times.  If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment.  Forgive us our trespasses." When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note "I've circled this block for 10 years.  If I don't give you a ticket I'll lose my job.  Lead us not into temptation."
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While driving in Pennsylvania , a family caught up to an Amish carriage.  The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humor, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign...
"Energy efficient vehicle: Runs on oats and grass.  Caution: Do not step in exhaust."
 
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I beseech You, direct the hearts and wills of the servants of Your Bride, the Holy Church, unto Yourself so that they may follow the poor, bleeding, humble, and gentle Lamb of God on the way of the Cross.  Make them angels in the shape of men; for after all, they have to administer and distribute the Body and Blood of Your Only Begotten Son!  Amen.​

​+JMJ+
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
10th Sunday of Ordinary Time - June 8th, 2024

The First Reading- Genesis 3: 9-15        
After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself." Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!" The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it." The LORD God then asked the woman, "Why did you do such a thing?" The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it." Then the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel."
Reflection
The devil’s greatest tool is division. If we can be separated from the unity with God and one another that God intends for us, we can become vulnerable and easily manipulated. As we heard two weeks ago, God is a community of love who made us for community also. In the story of the fall of humanity, of which we have an excerpt in today’s first reading, we see the immediate consequences of sin—blame and isolation. God asks what happened, and everybody starts passing the buck. Adam and Eve’s paradise is now marred by blame, shame and separation from one another, God and creation. We know that help is on the way however, if we know the meaning of the last line in this reading - Jesus will come through the Blessed Mother to defeat sin and death once and for all.
Adults - Is there division in your life that you need to ask God to help you repair?  
Teens - Do I ever try to blame others for my mistakes or bad choices? How does that affect my honor? How does that affect my relationships?
Kids - When you do something wrong do you admit it? Or try to blame someone else?

Responsorial- Psalm 130: 1-2, 3-4,  5-6, 7-8
R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn,
let Israel wait for the LORD.
R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption
and he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
Reflection
-Pay attention to all of the ways God is merciful to you this week.

The Second Reading- 2 Corinthians 4:13 - 5:1
Brothers and sisters: Since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we too believe and therefore we speak, knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us with you in his presence. Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God. Therefore, we are not discouraged; rather, although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.  For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.
Reflection
Paul reminds us to put our hope in the Resurrection, encouraging us with the knowledge this current state of brokenness is not permanent. God’s saving power, God’s restorative power remakes us in baptism and in our resurrection when we move from this temporary life to the next. He reminds us, too, that the Spirit that God gives all of us unites us with God and one another.  How is God working in your life to renew you?

The Holy Gospel according to Mark 3: 20-35
Jesus came home with his disciples. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "By the prince of demons he drives out demons."  Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man.  Then he can plunder the house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin." For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit." His mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, "Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you." But he said to them in reply, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
Reflection
In the Gospel, we see an interesting moment in Jesus’ life. He goes home and isn’t welcomed very nicely. His own family plots to silence him because they are upset by his speaking God’s word. He is accused of being possessed by the devil. He tells us that “a house divided cannot stand.” He’s referring to the devil at the moment, but he’s also talking to his accusers—we cannot claim to belong to God and then try to isolate one another—nothing shows the nature of sin better than trying to divide people. Jesus says that whoever does God’s work is his family.
Adults -How do I see sin causing isolation in my life? In my family? My community? My country? My faith?
Teens  - What does Jesus mean when He says we are His mother and brothers?
Kids - What does it mean to be a part of the family of God?

LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK!  - While we can thank God that perhaps none of us has the same exalted opinion of himself as had the Scribes and Pharisees, there is still much pride in even the best of us. It is still the root of all the evil that is in our world. If faithfully observed the Ten Commandments of God would make the journey of all men to heaven easier, safer and surer. But they are violated daily. Why? Because proud men refuse to be restricted in their actions. They cannot admit that any higher power has the right to regulate their lives; they are the sole arbiters of their fate; they will do as they please.  He who does the will of God is the brother and kinsman of Christ and only his true brothers will get to heaven. We must keep the commandments of God. not only are they the guides that will keep us on the road to heaven, but they are our only guarantee of survival during our short sojourn here on earth. —Excerpted from The Sunday Readings, Cycle B, Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.