Summer Sunday School Activities

Hi everyone!!!  Just a reminder about Thursday's event (July 2).  It will be an Ice Cream/Dessert Social at the Rolleris' home.  327 Wiley Parker Road, Jackson.  (Townhouses of Magnolia Village).  Everyone needs to bring toppings for ice cream and meet at 7:00.  Also, Terri said it was fine if we park at the church next to the townhomes.  Please let me or the Rolleris know if you are coming so we can get a final count!  Here is a map to their house.  Thanks!!

Also, here are the rest of our summer activities we have scheduled!

July 5 - Summer Lake Social at Gigi Lui's house at Piney Lake.  290 Hickory Lane, Piney Lake (in Henderson County near Lexington).  Bring a dish and meet at 2:00.

July 18 - Summer Park Picinic at Conger/Highland Park.  Patsy will get there early to hold a spot; we will be eating picnic type food.  Everyone should bring a picnic type dish and meet at 6:00 pm.

July 25 - Cookout at the Allisons' home.  62 Bluegrass Cove, Jackson (Cherry Hill Subdivision).  Everyone bring a dish and meet at 6:00.

I hope everyone can make it!

Have a blessed week!

-Kristy

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart

Did you know that the entire month of June is traditionally dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus?  Yep, it sure is!  Also, tomorrow, June 19 (or actually, the Friday following the Second Sunday after Pentecost) is the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

Devotion to the Sacred Heart has been around for a long time.  The Institution for the Feast of the Sacred Heart was a result of the appearances of our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1675. St. Margaret Mary suffered contempt from many people who refused to believe the authenticity of the visions. In these appearances, Our Lord told her twelve graces that He would give to anyone devoted to His Sacred Heart. Yet, it was not until 1856 that the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was placed officially on the Church calendar. However, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus dates back even to the Middle Ages.

On the Feastday of St. John the Evangelist in 1256 AD, St. Gertrude the Great had a profound vision in which she laid her head near the wound in the side of Jesus and heard the beating of the Sacred Heart. This is especially profound since St. John the Evangelist reclined his head to the heart of the Divine Savior at the Last Supper. When Our Lord later appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 1600's, he appeared to her on the feastday of St. John the Evangelist.

Our Lord requested three things: Frequently receiving Holy Communion, receiving Holy Communion especially on the first Friday of each month, and observing a Holy Hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

The following are the Promises of Jesus that were made to St. Margaret Mary:

Promises of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will establish peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of their death.
5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
9. I will bless the homes where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the power of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be effaced.
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 that last hour.

If you can tomorrow, why not try to attend Mass?  If your schedule makes this hard to do, try to say a prayer to the Sacred Heart.  There are many you can say.  Here is a link to EWTN's site on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary (which is Saturday!).  Also, on this day or in the month of June, many people consecrate their homes to the Sacred Heart by hanging an image of the Sacred Heart in a prominent place in the house as well as having a short enthronement ceremony that may be performed by a priest or a deacon.  I believe Fr. Kirk and the deacons did this last year sometime if anyone remembers correctly.  It is a wonderful way to honor Jesus and His Most Sacred Heart.  I hope everyone has a great weekend, and I will be getting our summer schedule up soon!  

-Kristy

Corups Christi and the meaning of the Eucharist

The Feast of Corpus Christi, or the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ as it is more commonly called today, is celebrated on Sunday, June 14.  Traditionally, this celebration is held on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday; however, in the U.S. as well as some other countries, the feast has been moved to the following Sunday.  This feast day is one that all Catholics should hold dear to their hearts.  It is the day that we celebrate the gift of Jesus truly present in the Eucharist.  As Catholics, this should be the most important part of our faith.  As you have heard me say MANY times in Sunday school, it is the basis and reason for Holy Mass each Sunday and each weekday.  Too many times the Eucharist is focused on as just a part of the Church and it should really be focused on as THE part of the Church.  Because of this loss of focus, I think that the meaning and significance of this truly great gift has been put aside and even lost.  It has just become mixed in with every other teaching.  

I was having a conversation with someone this week concerning receiving communion.  I'm sure we as Catholics all know that only Catholics who are not in a state of mortal sin may receive the Eucharist.  The Catholic Church does not have an "open communion" as some churches do where anyone, including non-baptized persons, can receive communion.  The reason that we do not have an "open communion" is the fact that Catholics believe that the Eucharist is not a symbol of the Lord's Supper but the Eucharist is TRULY the Body & Blood of Jesus Christ.  It is NOT a symbol!!!!!  

Sometimes this is hard for many people to accept, especially Protestant denominations.  Protestants, with the exception of high church Anglicans (sometimes called Anglo-Catholic Anglicans), do not believe that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist.  (I do want to quickly clarify that the Anglican church is NOT in communion with the Catholic Church even though some believe in transubstantiation.  The reason for this is that Apostolic succession was broken when the King of England appointed his own bishops, but that is a whole other topic!)  Also, for this same reason of theological differences, Catholics are not to receive communion in another church other than a Latin Rite Catholic Church or an Orthodox Church (if no Latin Rite is available) because a Protestant church's communion is not a valid communion.

Here are some other points of note regarding how we as Catholics should show our love for the Eucharist.

• Have you ever noticed how different people enter the pews before Mass and how they leave the pew after Mass?  Some genuflect, some bow, some don't do anything.  After researching this a bit (and also thanks to some great teachers in RCIA at St. Mary's) I learned the proper way(s) to enter the pew in a Catholic Church.  If it is physically possible to do so, one should genuflect TOWARDS the tabernacle before entering and after exiting the pew.  For example, if you enter the nave at St. Mary's and you are sitting next to the center aisle on the right (I'm using where I sit as an example), before entering your pew you would turn slightly to the left toward the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and genuflect.  I'm sure you have seen many people genuflect toward the sanctuary and the altar, right?  The reasoning behind this is that traditionally the tabernacle which houses the Blessed Sacrament was kept in the sanctuary front and center, so it is a common habit for people to continue to genuflect toward the front of the church.  But if you wanted to be completely proper regarding it, you would always genuflect or profoundly bow if genuflection is not possible, toward the tabernacle.  However, I have been in some more "modern" Catholic Churches where the tabernacle is kept a good distance from the altar or in an awkward place (such as when the Blessed Sacrament chapel is off to the side of the narthex). (I'll save my opinion of modern architecture in Catholic Churches for later.)  If you ever find yourself in this situation, it is proper to simply give a profound bow (or bow at the waist) to the altar.  Boy, I didn't mean for that to become that long!
• Now on to reception of the Eucharist.  Traditionally, the faithful received the Eucharist kneeling at the altar rail.  However, after Vatican II when the Novus Ordo Mass was introduced, many churches removed the altar rail because communion was now given with the faithful standing in lines as we do at St. Mary's.  However, it is still allowed to receive the Eucharist while kneeling (you'll see some at St. Mary's do this as well as if you watch Mass on EWTN).  One cannot be refused communion while kneeling either.  Also it is proper to give a sign of reverence before receiving communion.  In most cases this is dictated by the local bishop and is usually either a profound bow or a simple bow of the head/sign of the cross.  If it does not interrupt the flow of the faithful to receive communion, then one may also genuflect.  These signs of reverence were indicated in the document Eucharisticum Mysterium on May 25, 1967 and were also reiterated by Pope John Paul II's ordering the document Inaestimabile Donum on April 3, 1980.  Also there are two acceptable ways to receive communion in the United States.  One is the traditional way of on the tongue and the other is in the hand.  It should be noted that communion on the tongue is the Universal Church's way of receiving the Eucharist and in most countries with the exception of the U.S. and some others, it is still done this way.  The USCCB received permission for the faithful in the U.S. to receive in the hand.  A communicant can also not be refused communion for wanting to receive on the tongue.  Most parishes in the U.S. have pretty much adopted the custom of receiving in the hand, but many, like St. Mary's, have parishioners who receive either way.  Just to give you a real life example, I'll use myself.  When I am traveling, I normally ask or observe what the normal custom of reception of the Eucharist is.  At St. Mary's, I sometimes receive on the tongue and sometimes in the hand.  The first time I received communion on the tongue I was at Assumption Catholic Church in Nashville.  This is a very old, beautiful, and VERY traditional Catholic Church.  After entering the church and saying my prayers, I observed the regular parishoners for a bit.  Most were dressed in their Sunday best (suits and ties for the men and almost all the women wore a dress/skirt).  Many of the women wore chapel veils and mantillas or another type of head covering.  So I knew immediately that this was a very traditional parish.  And I was correct, so I felt that it was better that I receive on the tongue.  And to be quite honest, I was REALLY nervous!!  But it turned out fine and in fact, I prefer receiving on the tongue and most of the time when we are traveling, I do.  If I attend a Mass in the Extraordinary Form (aka the Traditional Latin Mass) I make sure that I remember to wear a head covering, a skirt/dress, and to remember that I will be receiving the Eucharist kneeling at the rail and receiving it on the tongue.  But if you are at a Mass in the Ordinary Form/Novus Ordo (like we have at St. Mary's) then either way that you choose to receive communion, whether it is in the hand or on the tongue, is acceptable.   The only thing you need to remember is that you are to receive with reverence. 

I hope that some of this has helped you, and I'm sorry that this particular post happened to be so long but the Eucharist and reverence for it is something that I'm very passionate about.  And most of you probably have noticed that I tend to lean toward really traditional Catholic views (so I apologize if I step on any toes), but I do try to make sure I get you all the correct information on anything I tell you.  But please feel free to ask me about anything I've mentioned in this particular blog or on any blog.  

So here's my challenge for you this week, think about what the Eucharist means to you.  Do you feel you have enough reverence for Christ's True Body & Blood?  Do you feel you don't?  Either way, why don't we try to spend some more time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament or simply say the following prayer after communion or any time we want to feel closer to Jesus in the Eucharist:

The Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me 

Body of Christ, save me 

Blood of Christ, inebriate me 

Water from Christ's side, wash me 

Passion of Christ, strengthen me 

O good Jesus, hear me 

Within Thy wounds hide me 

Suffer me not to be separated from Thee 

From the malicious enemy defend me 

In the hour of my death call me 

And bid me come unto Thee 

That I may praise Thee with Thy saints 

and with Thy angels 

Forever and ever 

Amen 

EWTN Family Celebration

Hi, everyone!  I'm up late due to taking too long of a nap today so I thought I'd post a blog or two.  I just wanted to let everyone know about the upcoming EWTN Family Celebration August 8-9.  It is held at the Birmingham, AL Convention Center and of course is put on by the EWTN television network.  I'm one of the EWTN Media Missionaries and it's part of my duties to spread the word about things like this so I've provided the link if you click on the banner below.  Chip and I made plans to attend the last one but I got the stomach flu and we couldn't go, but we are planning on trying to make it to this one.  It is a free event and I've heard it is a wonderful blessing to attend. They even have activities for kids, too!

Click on the banner for more info!

The Holy Trinity

One of the most mysterious beliefs of Christians, both Catholic & most Protestant Christians, is the Holy Trinity.  Just what do we mean when we say God exists in three persons as Father, Son, & Holy Spirit?  This mystery has been discussed for 2,000 years and it even attributed to the Eastern Schism where the Eastern and Western Churches separated.  To quote the Catholic Answers article on the Trinity:

"The doctrine of the Trinity is encapsulated in Matthew 28:19, where Jesus instructs the apostles: 'Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.' The parallelism of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit is not unique to Matthew’s Gospel, but appears elsewhere in the New Testament (e.g., 2 Cor. 13:14, Heb. 9:14), as well as in the writings of the earliest Christians, who clearly understood them in the sense that we do today—that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are three divine persons who are one divine being (God)."

There are many places in the Scriptures where the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit are mentioned in some way.  But does that help most of us understand it?  Probably not, but I'm sure we all still believe in the Trinity.  We have to remember that believing in a mystery, which is what the Trinity is, does not mean that we are believing in something illogical.  We are just believing in something that there is no possible way to understand completely, in this case it is God.  

Jason Evert, host of several EWTN shows and also a Catholic author, explains how the Trinity can be one God in the following way:  "All persons are beings, but not all beings are persons. For example, you are one being and one person. But a dog is one being and zero persons. With regard to the Trinity, there is one being, which is God, yet there are there Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not illogical. If one were to say that there is one God and three Gods, or one Person and three Persons—that would be illogical. But one Being and three Persons is not a contradiction."

If you're like me, you probably still don't fully understand the Trinity, and that's perfectly ok!  We, as human beings, don't have the full capacity to understand everything God puts before us; however, as Catholic Christians we still believe that there is a Trinity and that it is made up of God as the Father, Jesus as the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

If anyone would like more information on the Trinity and some good Catholic articles discussing the Trinity, here is a link to a search of the Catholic Answers website.  It should give you tons of information regarding the Trinity.

Today's Class Announcements

Wasn't today a GREAT class?  I thought it was awesome!  And we had nearly all of our class members in attendance, too!  Even better!  We did have a lot to discuss, however.  We decided to sponsor a child for the Area Relief Ministries Summer Camp.  It is $200 to sponsor a child.  You can bring your money next week and give it to Patsy.  Also we discussed what we wanted to do about canceling class for any particular dates, but it was pretty much a unanimous decision to just follow whatever the main Sunday School schedule was and not cancel for any certain days.  

Also, we discussed what to do during the summer for socials, etc.  I'm going to bring a calendar for everyone to mark days they would not be able to do anything as well as copies of a calendar so we can mark our own and then take them home.  Some things that were mentioned were having an afternoon/evening cookout at someone's house as well as attending the annual pond tour that features the Winstons' home on the 28th.  So be thinking about what you would like to do.  One thing that I thought of was if anyone was willing to drive to Henderson was to have a cookout/get-together at Chickasaw one day.  They have a big pavilion at the lake, and they have playgrounds and things kids would enjoy, too.  I know that could be a long way for some of you but I just wanted to throw it out there since it happens to be only 3 miles from my house and we could make sure to reserve the pavilion if we need to since we are close.

Anyway, please be thinking about what we would like to do this summer!  Have a blessed week!

-Kristy