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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - June, 2016
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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Greetings
* MCS News & Notes
* The Month of June: Dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
* 25 Reflections on Truth From Holy Scripture
* "The easiest means for quickly gaining an ardent love for Jesus"
* Liturgical Feasts in June
* 'Catholic Trivia'
* Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Do You Think it is Wrong For Catholics to Call Priests 'Father' Because Scripture Says to "Call No Man Father..."?
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Dear Friend,
"May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come." (Eph. 1:18-21)
Greetings! We pray this newsletter finds you and yours doing well. With the approach of summer, we send our best wishes for a safe, blessed & enjoyable vacation to all those who will be traveling. Also, if you'd like some good Catholic activities to complement your summer plans, please visit our previously expanded Catholic Fun & Activities section at http://www.MyCatholicSource.com/Activities . Here you can find crossword puzzles, word searches, coloring activities, mazes, travel activities, and more... We hope you will enjoy it.
Thank you for a valued subscriber!
May God grant you abundant blessings,
Your Friends at MyCatholicSource.com
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Prayer of St. John Eudes to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: "O Heart all lovable and all loving of my Savior, be the Heart of my heart, the soul of my soul, the spirit of my spirit, the life of my life and the sole principle of all my thoughts, words and actions, of all the faculties of my soul, and of all my senses, both interior and exterior. Amen."
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MCS News & Notes
* Reminder: Our Eighth Annual Rosary Week is scheduled for 10/24/16 - 10/30/16. Please plan to join fellow Catholics in praying the rosary each day that week for the indicated intentions. We hope to have a sign up sheet available by the end of June.
* Thanksgiving: We would like to thank our subscribers and other visitors for the kind comments we have received over the last few months. We really appreciate them! Thank you as well for the donations! We are very grateful for your help to remain online. We pray that God will bless you abundantly for your kindness & generosity.
* Reminder: Don't forget your priest this Father's Day (6/19 in the U.S.). [Note: For priest-themed quotes such as: "Our parents begot us by blood and the will of the flesh, but priests make us children of God; blessed regeneration, true freedom, and adoption according to grace." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church), see the Reflections links appearing on the Priest Topic Page at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-priest.htm ]
* With June may come weddings & (unfortunately) also a general increase in immodest dress. For wedding information, please try the Catholic Wedding Topic Page at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-catholic_wedding.htm . If you would like more information on the sacrament of holy matrimony, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-catholic_marriage.htm . For information on modest / immodest dress, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_life/modesty_dress.htm . Note that this page includes a link to a free flier that can be printed.
* Will you or a loved one be traveling this year? Did you know there are a number of patron saints for travelers? For a listing of patron saints for travelers, visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/saints/patron_saints.htm (tip: search by category 'Hobbies & Travel', or search for patronage 'travel', 'journey', etc.). Also, for prayers for travelers & motorists, visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_for_certain_persons.htm
* Service Delays: Due to medical reasons, please continue to expect some sporadic delays in all correspondence & services (including processing of posts) for the foreseeable future. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for any prayers.
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The Month of June: Dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
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"This devotion [to the Sacred Heart of Jesus], which We recommend to all, will be profitable to all." (Pope Leo XIII)
"[O]ur Redeemer Himself promised to Margaret Mary that 'all those who rendered this honor to His Heart would be endowed with an abundance of heavenly graces.'" (Pope Pius XI, "Miserentissimus Redemptor", 1928 A.D.)
"It is altogether impossible to enumerate the heavenly gifts which devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has poured out on the souls of the faithful, purifying them, offering them heavenly strength, rousing them to the attainment of all virtues." (Pope Pius XII)
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Related Resources...
* Sacred Heart of Jesus (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Sacred_Heart.htm
* Sacred Heart of Jesus (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/prayers_and_devotions_reflections_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus.htm
* Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Incl. 'Sacred Heart Promises') - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/prayers_and_devotions/Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus.htm
* Sacred Heart of Jesus / Prayers (Incl. consecration prayers) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_Jesus.htm
* Litany of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_litanies.htm
* Annum Sacrum: On Consecration To The Sacred Heart, Pope Leo XIII - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/annum_sacrum.htm
* Caritate Christi Compulsi: On Reparation To The Sacred Heart, Pope Pius XI - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/caritate_christi_compulsi.htm
* Haurietis Aquas: On Devotion To The Sacred Heart, Pope Pius XII - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/haurietis_aquas.htm
* Miserentissimus Redemptor: On Reparation To The Sacred Heart, Pope Pius XI - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/miserentissimus_redemptor.htm
* Sacred Heart of Jesus (Coloring Page) [shaded] - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_Sacred_Heart.htm
* Sacred Heart of Jesus (Crossword Puzzle) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/crossword_puzzle_sacred_heart.html
Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
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"We do not hesitate to declare that devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the most effective school of the love of God; the love of God, We say, which must be the foundation on which to build up the kingdom of God in the hearts of individuals, families, and nations" (Pope Pius XII)
"Is not a summary of all our religion and moreover, a guide to a more perfect life contained in this one devotion [to the Sacred Heart of Jesus]? Indeed, it more easily leads our minds to know Christ the Lord intimately and more effectively turns our heads to love Him more ardently and to imitate Him more perfectly." (Pope Pius XI)
"In truth if the arguments brought forward which form the foundation for the devotion to the pierced Heart of Jesus are duly pondered, it is surely clear that there is no question here of some ordinary form of piety which anyone at his own whim may treat as of little consequence or set aside as inferior to others, but of a religious practice which helps very much towards the attaining of Christian perfection." (Pope Pius XII)
"He showed His Heart to us bearing about it the symbols of the passion and displaying the flames of love, that from the one we might know the infinite malice of sin, and in the other we might admire the infinite charity of Our Redeemer, and so might have a more vehement hatred of sin, and make a more ardent return of love for His love." (Pope Pius XI, "Miserentissimus Redemptor", 1928 A.D.)
Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: I hail Thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and life-giving fountain of eternal life, infinite treasure of divinity, glowing furnace of divine love; Thou art my place of rest and my most sure refuge. My dear Savior, enkindle my heart with that burning love wherewith Thine own is on fire; pour into my heart the manifold graces, of which thy Heart is the source; let Thy will be mine, and let mine be for ever obedient to Thine. Amen. (Raccolta)
"When so many evils meet Our gaze - such as cause sharp conflict among individuals, families, nations and the whole world, particularly today more than at any other time - where are We to seek a remedy, venerable brethren? Can a form of devotion surpassing that to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus be found, which corresponds better to the essential character of the Catholic faith, which is more capable of assisting the present-day needs of the Church and the human race? What religious practice is more excellent, more attractive, more salutary than this, since the devotion in question is entirely directed towards the love of God itself?" (Pope Pius XII, "Haurietis Aquas", 1956 A.D.)
"[T]here is no doubt that Christians in paying homage to the Sacred Heart of the Redeemer are fulfilling a serious part of their obligations in their service of God and, at the same time, they are surrendering themselves to their Creator and Redeemer with regard to both the affections of the heart and the external activities of their life; in this way, they are obeying that divine commandment: 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength.' Besides, they have the firm conviction that they are moved to honor God not primarily for their own advantage in what concerns soul and body in this life and in the next, but for the sake of God's goodness they strive to render Him their homage, to give Him back love for love, to adore Him and offer Him due thanks." (Pope Pius XII)
"In order that favors in greater abundance may flow on all Christians, nay, on the whole human race, from the devotion to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, let the faithful see to it that to this devotion the Immaculate Heart of the Mother of God is closely joined. For, by God's Will, in carrying out the work of human Redemption the Blessed Virgin Mary was inseparably linked with Christ in such a manner that our salvation sprang from the love and the sufferings of Jesus Christ to which the love and sorrows of His Mother were intimately united. It is, then, entirely fitting that the Christian people - who received the divine life from Christ through Mary - after they have paid their debt of honor to the Sacred Heart of Jesus should also offer to the most loving Heart of their heavenly Mother the corresponding acts of piety, affection, gratitude and expiation. Entirely in keeping with this most sweet and wise disposition of divine Providence is the memorable act of consecration by which We Ourselves solemnly dedicated Holy Church and the whole world to the spotless Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary." (Pope Pius XII, "Haurietis Aquas", 1956 A.D.)
"It is in the adorable heart of Jesus that we shall find every help for our necessities, every remedy for the cure of our ills, the most powerful assistance against the assaults of our enemies, the sweetest consolation to soothe our sufferings, the purest delight to fill our souls with joy. Are you in sorrow? Do your enemies persecute you? Does the recollection of your past sins disturb you? Is your heart troubled or full of fear? Throw yourself, so to speak, in the wounds of Jesus Christ, even into His Sacred Heart, it is a sanctuary, it is the retreat for holy souls, and a place of refuge wherein your soul is safe. It is to Him and through Him that we should ask for all we require; it is through Him and in Him that we should offer to the Eternal Father all we do, because this Sacred Heart is the treasury of every supernatural gift, the source of every grace. It is the channel through which we unite ourselves more intimately to God, and through which God communicates Himself more freely. It is, in fine, to this Sacred Heart we should continually strive to unite ours - no longer wishing to have other desires or sentiments than those of Jesus - and then we may be sure that His will and His Sacred Heart may, so to speak, merge into our heart, and that the two will be as one. Draw waters at leisure out of the Savior's fountains: you will never exhaust them." (St. Peter Damien, Doctor of the Church)
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25 Reflections on Truth From Holy Scripture
Note: Passages below may contain the word 'truth'/'truthful'/etc. Items herein are not comprehensive and may not be the most relevant items. [Reminder: Translation / wording / punctuation / referencing / capitalization / etc. may vary. Interpretation and application of Scripture should not be contrary to the perennial, official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. Do not take Scripture passages out of context. Do not inflict harm on yourself or others, break laws, take unsuitable / incautious or inappropriate / drastic actions, or take figurative items literally.]
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1. "Truthful lips endure forever, the lying tongue, for only a moment." (Prov. 12:19)
2. "Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who are truthful are his delight." (Prov. 12:22)
3. "Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with the elect." (Wisdom 3:9)
4. "Never gainsay the truth, and struggle not against the rushing stream." (Sirach 4:25)
5. "Even to the death fight for truth, and the LORD your God will battle for you." (Sirach 4:28)
6. "Most important of all, pray to God to set your feet in the path of truth." (Sirach 37:15)
7. "These then are the things you should do: Speak the truth to one another; let there be honesty and peace in the judgments at your gates, and let none of you plot evil against another in his heart, nor love a false oath. For all these things I hate, says the LORD." (Zech. 8:16-17)
8. "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth." (Jn. 4:23-24)
9. "Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, 'If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" (Jn. 8:31-32)
10. "Jesus said to them, 'If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? Because you cannot bear to hear my word. You belong to your father the devil and you willingly carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me. Can any of you charge me with sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not listen, because you do not belong to God.'" (Jn. 8:42-47)
11. "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.'" (Jn. 14:6-7)
12. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Jn. 14:15-18)
13. "So Pilate said to him, 'Then you are a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.' Pilate said to him, 'What is truth?' When he had said this, he again went out to the Jews and said to them, 'I find no guilt in him.'" (Jn. 18:37-38)
14. "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth to draw the disciples away after them." (Acts 20:29-30)
15. "The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness." (Rom. 1:18)
16. "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with l*st for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity." (Rom. 1:25-27) [Note: Word masked to avoid email issues]
17. "Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, for we are members one of another." (Eph. 4:25)
18. "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord (Jesus) will kill with the breath of his mouth and render powerless by the manifestation of his coming, the one whose coming springs from the power of Satan in every mighty deed and in signs and wonders that lie, and in every wicked deceit for those who are perishing because they have not accepted the love of truth so that they may be saved. Therefore, God is sending them a deceiving power so that they may believe the lie, that all who have not believed the truth but have approved wrongdoing may be condemned." (2 Thes. 2:8-12)
19. "I am writing you about these matters, although I hope to visit you soon. But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth." (1 Tm. 3:14-15)
20. "For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths." (2 Tm. 4:3-4)
21. "My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." (Jms. 5:19-20)
22. "There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will introduce destructive heresies and even deny the Master who ransomed them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their licentious ways, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled." (2 Pt. 2:1-2)
23. "The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments. Whoever says, 'I know him,' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to live (just) as he lived." (1 Jn. 2:3-6)
24. "I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth." (1 Jn. 2:21)
25. "They belong to the world; accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world, and the world listens to them. We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit." (1 Jn. 4:5-6)
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Also Try...
* Truth (Topical Scripture) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/pcst/topical_scripture_T14.htm
* Truth / Error / Nature of Man (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/coming_home_reflections_truth_error_nature_of_man.htm
* Truth / Doctrine (Apologetics) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__truth_doctrine.htm
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"The easiest means for quickly gaining an ardent love for Jesus"
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The following is from a nineteenth century publication of an earlier work by Fr. John Croiset (spiritual director of St. Margaret Mary). The publication, entitled "Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus", contains an imprimatur. [Please Note: We have made some changes to the original text (e.g. shortening, spelling & punctuation changes)]
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Take great care...to excite yourself continually by frequent acts of constant devotion to honor the loving Heart of Jesus, so full of love and mercy for you. It is by means of It that you must ask for all you would obtain. By means of It, and in It, you must offer to the Eternal Father all that you do. For this Sacred Heart is the treasury of all supernatural gifts and graces. It is, as it were, the way by which we unite ourselves more closely to God, and by which Almighty God communicates Himself more liberally to us. I advise you, therefore, to place, wherever you pass most frequently, some devout picture representing the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The sight of it will serve continually to remind you of your holy practices of devotion towards this adorable Heart, and will move you to love Him more and more. When you feel yourself touched with a more tender devotion, you may kiss the picture as though you were kissing the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. To this Sacred Heart you must continually endeavor to unite your own, wishing to have no other desires or sentiments but those of Jesus Christ, persuading yourself that His spirit and His Sacred Heart passes, so to speak, into yours, and that of two hearts there becomes only one. Appropriate to yourself from this loving Heart all the graces imaginable; you will never exhaust It. It is useful; nay, it is necessary to honor with singular devotion the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is your refuge; you must fly to It in all your necessities, to draw from It the consolation and all the helps which you need. Even though all men should abandon and forget you, Jesus will be your one faithful friend. He will always keep you in His Heart. Trust in Him: rest upon Him. Others may and will deceive you. The Sacred Heart of Jesus...loves you sincerely...[and] will never deceive you.
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It is impossible to have a lively faith and live in innocence without being at the same time inflamed with a most ardent love of Jesus Christ, or at least with an ardent desire of loving Him. This desire of having an ardent love of Jesus Christ is a disposition absolutely necessary for acquiring the devotion to the Sacred Heart, which is itself a continual exercise of this ardent love. Jesus Christ never gives this love but to those who earnestly desire it. The capacity of our heart is measured by the greatness of its desires. All the Saints agree that the best disposition for acquiring a tender love of Jesus Christ is to have a great desire to love Him. Blessed, says the Son of God, are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill. A heart must necessarily be purified by this ardent desire to be in a condition to be enkindled by the pure flames of divine love. This ardent desire not only disposes our heart to be inflamed with love for Jesus Christ; it also obliges our loving Savior to enkindle in our hearts this sacred fire. Let us desire truly to love Him. Such a desire, we may say, is always efficacious. It is unheard of that Jesus Christ ever refused it His love.
Can we ask for anything more reasonable? Is it possible for any easier condition to be required? There is no Christian that does not pretend to have at least a wish to love Jesus Christ. But how then is it, if this desire be so suitable a disposition for acquiring an ardent love for Jesus Christ, that so few have an ardent love of Him, though all flatter themselves they possess this disposition, and Jesus Christ is always ready to give His love to those who are well disposed? It is because our heart is filled with self-love, and what we call a desire of loving Jesus Christ is nothing but a mere speculation, a barren knowledge of the obligation we are under of loving Him. It is an act of the intellect, not of the will. This knowledge, which is common to all who have any sense of the benefits which they have received from Him, passes for a true desire in the minds of many who, provided they have some specious pretext for deceiving themselves, readily persuade themselves that they are in a good state of conscience. To convince ourselves that we have not a true desire of loving Jesus Christ, we have only to compare this pretended desire with any other desire which really influences us. How anxious we are, what efforts we make, when we love anything passionately! We are wholly occupied by the desire, we think of it, we speak of it at all times, we are continually taking measures and seeking means, we even lose our sleep in order to ensure its accomplishment. And what similar effect has ever been produced in us by the desire we pretend to have of loving Jesus Christ? Has the fear of not acquiring this love ever cost us much labor? Does the thought of it occupy us much? The truth is that we do not love Jesus Christ, and we are deceived when we flatter ourselves that we have a great desire of loving Him. The true desire of loving our divine Savior approaches too nearly to true love, not to produce the same effects. It is in vain that we make use of all the artifices of self-love. It will never be true that we have a great desire to love Jesus Christ as long as we love Him so little. There is great danger that these sort of fruitless desires which we sometimes feel, of loving Jesus Christ, may be little sparks of an almost extinguished fire, and real signs of the tepidity in which we live. If we have not this ardent love for Jesus Christ, let us make, at least once in our life, some serious reflection on the obligation we are under of loving Him, and it is certain, that it will at least give rise to a true desire of being inflamed with this ardent love.
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[One] means for gaining quickly an ardent love for Jesus Christ is to have a tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin, who has so absolute a power over the Sacred Heart of her Son. It cannot be doubted but that the Blessed Virgin is of all creatures the one who has had the greatest love for Jesus Christ, has been most loved by Him, and has had also the most ardent desire that He should be perfectly loved. She is the Mother of perfect love: "Mater pulchrae dilectionis." To her we must have recourse, if we would be inflamed with it. The Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary are too much alike, and too closely united, for it to be possible that we should have an entrance into one and not gain an entrance into the other; with this difference, however, that the Heart of Jesus admits only souls of the greatest purity, whereas the Heart of Mary purifies such as are not so by the graces which she obtains for them, and makes them fit to be received into the Heart of Jesus.
Though all the other means of acquiring an ardent love of Jesus Christ are easy and efficacious, this appears the easiest for many. Few have all the dispositions necessary for being inflamed with divine love. But there are few who cannot very easily obtain them by means of the Blessed Virgin. Sinners even ought not to despair. Mary is the hope of sinners; Mary is the refuge of all the miserable (St. Aug. serm. xviii. on the Saints; St. Ephraim, Praises of the B.V.); she is the bulwark of help for all. Jesus Christ easily grants to her what we are unworthy to receive--"Quia indignus eras cui donaret," says St. Bernard (Serm. iii., Vig. of Nativity), "datum est Mariae ut per illam acciperes quidquid haberes." He has established her as the dispensatrix of His graces, and has resolved to grant none that should not pass through her hands: "Nihil nos Deus habere voluit, quod per manus Mariae non transiret." Let us have a tender love for the Mother, and we shall soon be inflamed with an ardent love for the Son.
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"[Jesus] said to him, 'You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.'" (Mt. 22:37-38)
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Also See: Sacred Heart of Jesus (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Sacred_Heart.htm
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Liturgical Feasts in June
The following is a listing of all liturgical feast dates for June as they appear at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/saints/feasts.htm
Note: (T) = Traditional, (N) = New (Novus Ordo)
Reminder: Feasts may be superseded / transferred / etc.
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June 1 - St. Justin Martyr (N)
June 2 - St. Erasmus (T)
June 2 - Sts. Marcellinus & Peter (T)
June 2 - Sts. Marcellinus & Peter (N)
June 3 - St. Charles Lwanga & companions (N)
June 4 - St. Francis Caracciolo (T)
June 5 - St. Boniface (T)
June 5 - St. Boniface (N)
June 6 - St. Norbert (T)
June 6 - St. Norbert (N)
June 9 - St. Columba (T)
June 9 - Sts. Primus & Felician (T)
June 9 - St. Ephrem of Syria (N)
June 10 - St. Margaret of Scotland (T)
June 11 - St. Barnabas, apostle (T)
June 11 - St. Barnabas, apostle (N)
June 12 - St. John of San Facondo (T)
June 12 - Sts. Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor & Nazarius (T)
June 13 - St. Anthony of Padua (T)
June 13 - St. Anthony of Padua (N)
June 14 - St. Basil the Great (T)
June 15 - St. Vitus, Modestus & Crescentia (T)
June 16 - St. John Francis Regis (T)
June 18 - St. Ephrem the Syrian (T)
June 18 - Sts. Mark & Marcellianus (T)
June 19 - St. Juliana Falconieri (T)
June 19 - Sts. Gervase & Protase (T)
June 19 - St. Romuald (N)
June 20 - St. Silverius, pope (T)
June 21 - St. Aloysius Gonzaga (T)
June 21 - St. Aloysius Gonzaga (N)
June 22 - St. Paulinus of Nola (T)
June 22 - St. John Fisher (N)
June 22 - St. Paulinus of Nola (N)
June 22 - St. Thomas More (N)
June 23 - Vigil of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (T)
June 24 - Nativity of St. John the Baptist (T)
June 24 - Nativity of St. John the Baptist (N)
June 25 - St. William (T)
June 26 - Sts. John & Paul (T)
June 27 - Our Lady of Perpetual Succor (Perpetual Help) (T)
June 27 - St. Cyril of Alexandria (N)
June 28 - St. Irenaeus of Lyons (T)
June 28 - St. Irenaeus of Lyons (N)
June 29 - Sts. Peter & Paul, apostles (T)
June 29 - Sts. Peter & Paul, apostles (N)
June 30 - St. Paul, apostle (T)
June 30 - St. Peter (T)
June 30 - First Martyrs of the Church of Rome (N)
Please Note: Above may exclude moveable feasts. For moveable feasts, see below and try here: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/latin_mass_and_tradition/traditional_liturgical_calendar.htm . For other feasts, try the MCS Daily Digest each day at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_daily_digest.asp
Also...
6/3/16 - Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
6/4/16 - Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (N)
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'Catholic Trivia'
1. What does the term 'Provincial' refer to?
2. What do the following have in common?: 1-Forgiveness of past sins, 2-That God sets your feet in the path of truth, 3-Those who persecute you, 4-Against evil spirits, 5-That you may not undergo the test, 6-Those who mistreat and persecute you, 7-When you see someone sinning
3. What does 'Tertiary' refer to?
4. According to St. Alphonsus Liguori, our souls cannot spiritually be kept alive without what?
5. What is an Abbot?
6. Does St. Francis de Sales recommend haste with regard to prayers & devotions?
7. What do the initials F.S.S.P. refer to?
8. What does 'acysterium' refer to?
9. What do the following papal documents have in common? 1-Sacrorum Antistitum, 2-Pascendi Dominici Gregis, 3-Lamentabili Sane, 4-Praestantia Scripturae
10. What remains if we 'sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth'?
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Answers:
1. "The superior of a province of a religious order." (Catholic Dictionary)
2. Among other things, Scripture instructs us to pray for forgiveness of past sins (Sirach 21:1), that God sets your feet in the path of truth (Sirach 37:15), for those who persecute you (Mt. 5:44), against evil spirits (Mk. 9:25-29), that you may not undergo the test (Mk. 14:38, Lk. 22:40), for those who mistreat and persecute you (Mt. 5:44, Lk. 6:28), and also when you see someone sinning (1 Jn. 5:16).
3. "A member of a third order. A secular tertiary is a lay person living in the world; a regular tertiary is a religious living in a community and bound by vows." (Catholic Dictionary)
4. "As our body cannot live without nourishment, so our soul cannot spiritually be kept alive without prayer." (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church)
5. "An Abbot is one who exercises over a religious community of men authority similar in many things to that exercised by a bishop over his diocese. He has also certain privileges usually granted to bishops." (Baltimore Catechism)
6. No. He states that "Haste is the destroyer of devotion.. If we allow ourselves to get into this habit, the interior spirit, which is the source of all merit, becomes dried up, and instead of the highest use of our intellect there is only a lip-worship, and holy thoughts and noble feelings are replaced by a blind and mechanical repetition. Once slave to this habit, it is vain to multiply our words of prayer... The words that rise to our lips mean nothing to our heart and leave no impression on our soul. They are nothing but a useless set of words like those for which our Lord blamed the heathen: When ye pray, speak not much as do the heathen, for they think in their much speaking they may be heard' (Mt. 6:7)" (St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church)
7. Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Petri (Latin for: The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter)
8. Latin for monastery
9. They are all 20th century documents issued by Pope St. Pius X which deal with modernism ["...methods and doctrines brimming over with errors, made not for edification but for destruction, not for the formation of Catholics but for the plunging of Catholics into heresy; methods and doctrines that would be fatal to any religion." (Pope St. Pius X, "Pascendi Dominici Gregis", 1907 A.D.)]. They are: 1-The Oath Against Modernism (Sacrorum Antistitum), Pope St. Pius X, 1910 A.D.; 2-On The Doctrines Of The Modernists (Pascendi Dominici Gregis), Pope St. Pius X, 1907 A.D.; 3-Syllabus Condemning The Errors Of The Modernists (Lamentabili Sane), Pope St. Pius X, 1907 A.D.; 4-On The...Censures And Penalties Against Those Who Neglect To Observe The Prescriptions Against The Errors Of The Modernists (Praestantia Scripturae), Pope St. Pius X, 1907 A.D. [Note: For more on modernism and for links to the above documents, see http://mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-modernism.htm ]
10. "If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins but a fearful prospect of judgment and a flaming fire that is going to consume the adversaries." (St. Paul, Heb. 10:26-27) [Note: Of course, this refers to unrepented sin]
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For more information concerning the topics above, try our General A-Z Index at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
Like trivia? You might enjoy our crossword puzzles located at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_crossword_puzzles.htm
You might also be interested in the Q & A and historical information which may be found each day on the MCS Daily Digest at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_daily_digest.asp
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Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Do You Think it is Wrong For Catholics to Call Priests 'Father' Because Scripture Says to "Call No Man Father..."?
It is good for Catholics to be able to defend their faith against attacks (or even simple questions) from those outside the Church. We therefore hope you may find the following "apologetics brief" helpful.
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Note: Text below is taken from http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__priests.htm
The following may be used as discussion points when discoursing with those outside the Church (or even among Catholics).
Topic: Do You Think it is Wrong For Catholics to Call Priests 'Father' Because Scripture Says to "Call No Man Father..."? (Note: Topic is directed at Protestants)
Consider:
* If Christ's injunction to "call no one on earth your father" (Mt. 23:9) was to be taken literally, how can you explain the following...?
* We are commanded to honor our mother and father (Mt. 19:17-19)
* Jesus refers to various human fathers as "father" (Mt. 8:21, Mt. 10:21, Mt. 10:35, Mt. 10:37, Mt. 15:4-6, Mt. 19:5, Mt. 19:29, Mk. 10:7, Mk. 10:29, Mk. 13:12, Lk. 11:11, Lk. 12:53)
* St. Paul also uses the term "father"...
Acts 22:1: My brothers and fathers, listen to what I am about to say to you in my defense.
1 Cor. 4:15: Even if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Phlm. 1:10: I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment...
* St. John also uses the term "father"...
1 Jn. 2:13: I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered the evil one.
1 Jn. 2:14: I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong and the word of God remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one.
* Why is it that Protestants take this one passage literally to condemn the Church (even though Jesus, St. Paul, and St. John by their usage show that it was not to be taken strictly literally), but don't take such weighty matters as prohibitions against divorce so literally? Why is it they selectively point to this term on one hand to show that they are "bible believing", but on the other hand ignore other Scriptural instructions that are clearly not to be taken strictly literally. For example,
* Do you call other persons good? (see Mk.10:18)
* Do you really hate your parents, siblings, and children? (see Lk. 14:25-27)
* Are you really unable to see how a priest may be likened to a father when "a carnal father gives his child three things, being, nourishment and instruction" (St. Thomas Aquinas) and a Catholic priest also gives his spiritual children being (through baptism), nourishment (through the Eucharist), and instruction (through preaching)?
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"The priest has as the proper field of his activity everything that pertains to the supernatural life, since it is he who promotes the increase of this supernatural life and communicates it to the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. Consequently, it is necessary that he renounce 'the things of the world,' in order to have care only for 'the things of the Lord'. And it is precisely because he should be free from preoccupation with worldly things to dedicate himself entirely to the divine service, that the Church has established the law of celibacy, thus making it ever more manifest to all peoples that the priest is a minister of God and the father of souls. By his law of celibacy, the priest, so far from losing the gift and duties of fatherhood, rather increases them immeasurably, for, although he does not beget progeny for this passing life of earth, he begets children for that life which is heavenly and eternal." (Pope Pius XII, "Menti Nostrae", 1950 A.D.)
"The minister of God is a father of souls; and he knows that his toils and his cares cannot adequately be repaid with wealth and honors of earth... a priest must expect no other recompense than that promised by Christ to His Apostles: 'Your reward is very great in Heaven.'" (Pope Pius XI, "Ad Catholici Sacerdotii", 1935 A.D.)
"Call none your father - Neither be ye called masters, etc... The meaning is that our Father in heaven is incomparably more to be regarded, than any father upon earth: and no master is to be followed, who would lead us away from Christ. But this does not hinder but that we are by the law of God to have a due respect both for our parents and spiritual fathers, (1 Cor. 4:15) and for our masters and teachers." (Footnote for Mt. 23:9, Douay Rheims Translation)
"Even as when he baptizes, not he doth baptize thee, but it is God that possesses thy head with invisible power, and neither angel nor archangel nor any other dare draw nigh and touch thee; even so now also. For when God begets, the gift is His only. Seest thou not those who adopt to themselves sons here, how they commit not the act to slaves, but are themselves present at the judgment-seat? Even so neither hath God committed His gift to angels, but Himself is present, commanding and saying, 'Call no man Father on earth;' not that thou shouldest dishonor them that gave thee birth, but that thou shouldest prefer to all those Him that made thee, and enrolled thee amongst His own children. For He that hath given the greater, that is, hath set Himself before thee, much more will He not think scorn to distribute unto thee of His body. Let us hear therefore, both priests and subjects, what we have had vouchsafed to us; let us hear and tremble. Of His own holy flesh He hath granted us our fill; He hath set before us Himself sacrificed." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
"'The poor hath been left unto Thee.' For therefore is he poor, that is, hath despised all the temporal goods of this world, that Thou only mayest be his hope. 'Thou wilt be a helper to the orphan,' that is, to him to whom his father this world, by whom he was born after the flesh, dies, and who can already say, 'The world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world.' For of such orphans God becomes the Father. The Lord teaches us in truth that His disciples do become orphans, to whom He saith, 'Call no man father on earth.' Of which He first Himself gave an example in saying, 'Who is my mother, and who my brethren?' Whence some most mischievous heretics would assert that He had no mother; and they do not see that it follows from this, if they pay attention to these words, that neither had His disciples fathers. For as He said, 'Who is my mother?' so He taught them, when He said, 'Call no man your father on earth.'" (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)
"But who calls no man father upon earth? He who in every action done as before God, says, 'Our Father, which art in Heaven.'" [Origen ("the greatest scholar of Christian antiquity" - although he would eventually be excommunicated and be regarded as a heretic), 3rd century A.D.]
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For more apologetics resources, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/non-catholics.htm
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In Closing...
"Those who wage war against the truth are powerless to win; rather, they wound themselves, like those who kick against spikes." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
"Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, Have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, Abyss of all virtues, Have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, Have mercy on us." (From the Litany of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus)
"God has given to priests powers greater than those given to our parents; and the differences between the powers of these two is as great as the difference between the future life and the present. Our parents begot us to temporal existence; priests beget us to the eternal. The former are not able to ward of from their children the sting of death, nor prevent the attack of disease; yet the later often save the sick and perishing soul" (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church, c. 387 A.D.)
"If you want to be certain of being in the number of the Elect, strive to be one of the few, not one of the many. And if you would be quite sure of your salvation, strive to be among the fewest of the few; that is to say: do not follow the great majority of mankind, but follow those who enter upon the narrow way, who renounce the world, who give themselves to prayers, and who never relax in their efforts by day or night, so that they may attain everlasting blessedness." (St. Anselm, Doctor of the Church)
Daily Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: Sacred Heart of Jesus, today I wish to live in You, in Your grace, in which I desire at all costs to persevere. Keep me from sin and strengthen my will by helping me to keep watch over my senses, my imagination, and my heart. Help me to correct my faults which are the source of sin. I beg you to do this, O Jesus, through Mary, Your Immaculate Mother.
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