Feast of Saint John the Baptist

SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

Feast Day: June 24

Patron of Baptism

Zechariah was the husband of Elizabeth, who was the Virgin

Mary’s cousin. Elizabeth and Zechariah were very old, and

had never been able to have any children.

One day the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and said,

“Do not be afraid! Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son, and

you shall call his name John. Many will rejoice at his birth.

He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he will turn the

hearts of many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.

He will prepare the way for the Lord.”

John grew and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the

desert until God called him to begin his ministry. John

preached the coming of the Savior and baptized many

repentant converts in the waters of the Jordan River. The

people thought that John might be the coming Messiah, but

he told everyone that he was sent to prepare the way for one

who “is mightier than I.”

Finally, John baptized Jesus. He said, “Behold the Lamb of

God, who takes away the sin of the world.” After that, King

Herod arrested John and then had him beheaded. Saint John

the Baptist gave his life for Jesus, his Lord.

The Church celebrates the birth of John the Baptist 6 months before the birth of Jesus, as is recorded in Luke’s Gospel. We have just passed the summer solstice; hence, the days grow shorter in the Northern Hemisphere, until around Christmas, where the days grow longer. This illustrates John’s prophetic words about Jesus: “He must increase, and I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Even so, Jesus said of John,  “I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28).

We are given these enigmatic words to ponder, as we stand at the halftime of 2013....

Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua

Feast Day: June 13

Patron of Lost Things and Missing Persons

Saint Anthony was born in Portugal in 1195 and became a

Franciscan at the age of 26. God gave him the gift of preaching

to touch the hearts of his listeners. When Saint Anthony spoke

about Jesus and his Mother Mary, many people returned to Jesus

and the Catholic faith. Saint Anthony asked Mary to help him

when he preached, and God worked many miracles through him.

One night, a friend saw a beautiful little Child standing upon the Bible,

coming up as it were out of the very Word of God,

and clinging with both of His little arms around

Anthony’s neck. It was the Infant Jesus! Saint Anthony died at

the age of 36, and the very next year he was canonized a saint.

Prayer to Saint Anthony to Find Lost Articles

Dear Saint Anthony, God has made you a powerful patron and

helper to find lost or misplaced objects. We turn to you today

with confidence and love. Through your prayer, may God help us

to find what we have lost. Dear Saint Anthony, help us also be

close to Jesus this day, and to always find Him in our hearts.

Amen.

Saint Anthony, pray for us.

Excerpt taken from RS887S, Ilustrated Lives of the Saints

Feast of the Sacred Heart

Born in 1647, Margaret Mary Alacoque was crippled by a disease at age 8.  After promising to give her life to Jesus’ service, she was miraculously healed through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. At 23, she entered the Visitation Order of Nuns.

Sister Margaret Mary loved our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament—the consecrated Body of Christ from Holy Communion, which is kept in the tabernacles of Catholic churches—very much. The world had grown cold and unresponsive to God and His offer of salvation through the grace His Son won for us all on the Cross. Over the course of a few years, Jesus appeared to Margaret, revealing to her His Sacred Heart.

The flames coming forth from Jesus’ Heart remind us of His burning love for us and His desire that we love Him in return. The crown of thorns around His Heart reminds us of His sacrifice for us and His invitation that we offer our sufferings to Him, as Saint Paul teaches us: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church” (Colossians 1:24).

Jesus made at least twelve promises to Sister Margaret Mary, revealing the abundance of His love and telling her how He would help those who honor His Sacred Heart. He said, “Behold this Heart which has loved men and women so much, and yet they do not want to love Me in return. Through you My divine Heart wishes to spread its love everywhere on earth.” He further promised, “I will bless every home in which an image of My Heart will be honored.”

Sister Margaret Mary died in 1690, and was canonized a saint in 1920.