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.

The 3 Simultaneous Popes & Links in the Chain

Did you know that at one time there were 3 different men who were considered the pope at the same time?  I sure didn't...until today!  Today's class was quite interesting!  The chapter in our book covered a TON of information, and a lot of it was hard to decipher, but we made it through thanks to Dale!  :)  

But we learned a lot, as I said.  So let me mention the 3 popes.  Benedict IX, Gregory VI, and Sylvester II.  Benedict IX was a 20 year old pope who decided that he didn't want to be pope anymore because he wanted to get married, so he SOLD the papacy to John Gratian, who became Gregory VI.  This would be called simony, and it went on quite a bit during this time period.  Well, the people didn't particularly like that this happened so they took it upon themselves to elect a pope, Sylvester II.  THEN, Benedict IX decided that he wanted to be pope AGAIN, so he re-appointed himself.  (Isn't it something what a little power and the loss of it will do to people!?!?!)  So now, there were 3 popes.  To resolve this, Gregory VI, who was the "true" pope decided that he would hold a council to settle this silliness.  To make a long story short, he ended up resigning and Benedict IX was returned to power.  I don't know about you, but I sure would not have wanted to live during this time!

Now to our 2nd part of the class...the links in the chain.  Wondering what that is?  Well, think about this first.  Do we really, truly trust God to handle everything in our lives for us?  I know that there are plenty of times that I've said, "Not now, God.  I can handle this."  But was I able to?  I can't recall a single time that I was able to handle something fully on my own and have it go exactly like I wanted it to.  It's kind of like that saying, "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans."  Also, think about this...how often do we judge people?  Even if we don't think we are, we are all judgmental at times.  Did you ever see a homeless person and think, "He's probably just a drunk and will take any money I give him and spend it on liquor" or see a person who you can tell doesn't have much money and think, "Well, they are probably just too lazy to get a job."  Now, did you ever think that those thoughts are judgmental?  We all just think them to ourselves and never think about the fact that God still knows we are judging.  We ALL do this!  We don't necessarily do it intentionally, but we still do it.  Humans, by our sinful nature, are independent, judgmental creatures.  So how does this relate to links in a chain?  The weaker a link is in a chain, the more likely the chain is to break eventually.  We are all links in the chain of the Catholic Church and the chain of Christianity.  If we choose not to let God handle every part of our lives or if we choose to judge everyone, we make that chain weaker because we become weak or broken links.  We must become spiritually connected to who we are as Catholic Christians.

To tie this in with our lesson, the Catholic Church is a 2,000 year old chain FULL of links.  Some are weak, but the strong ones have outnumbered the weak ones for 2,000 years, and that is why she has lasted and stood strong throughout this time.  So, do you want to be a weak or a strong link in that 2,000 year old chain?  I think I want to strive to be that strong link.  What do you think?

I hope you all are enjoying the blog.  And remember, if you'd like to make a comment, please go here to the blog's site (champsofhope.blogspot.com) and make a comment.  That way everyone can see them, not just me! 

Have a great week!

Don't Quit

I was cleaning out my e-mail "saved" folder tonight and I came across a meditation that Dale wrote almost exactly one year ago when he was at the Cancer Treatment Center of America.  It touched me then, and it still touches me now.  So for those of you who didn't get the Livin' a Dream meditations a year ago, I wanted to share this with you.  Sometimes everyone needs a little uplifting, and I think this will do the trick!  So for this blog post, I'm giving Dale the full credit.  I hope this touches you as it did me.

This is a special meditation for me, the last three days I have been at The Cancer Treatment Center of America in Zion, IL seeking hope and inspiration for continued good health. While there as it usually happens I met people that were struggling with their own diagnosis, and prognosis. I wanted desperately to reach out and let them know that we are all united in this battle, and Christ will offer comfort to those who seek it. While searching for something uplifting to write about I came across a poem called Don’t Quit, and it became clear that, that was the message I was to convey this week.

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit
Life is queer with its twist and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out,
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow
Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit

God has a plan for each of us. Never give up the fight, the hope, the dream, remember that today holds a special gift, and tomorrow a brighter light, and Christ our lord is with us through the fight.
Lord you are my rock and my salvation. Grant me peace, wisdom, and courage to live according to your will.
In your holy name


AMEN

Thank you, Dale, for your wonderful insight and leadership! We love you!!!