Happy Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven!

 

 

 

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

 

Dear friends,

 Today, August 15, is the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

What does this mean? The Church teaches that “the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed (taken up) body and soul to heavenly glory.” In other words, after her life was finished on this earth, God raised Mary up, body and soul, to be with Him in heaven forever.

Pope Pius XII pointed to the first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis (3:15) as scriptural support for this teaching in terms of Mary’s victory over sin and death, as also reflected in 1 Corinthians 15:54: “then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Interestingly, the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, also speaks, in the 12th chapter, of a woman, clothed with the sun, who is caught up in the battle between good and evil. Many see this woman as a symbol both of Mary and of all God’s people. Since Mary best embodies the people of both Old and New Testament, her Assumption can be seen as an exemplification of the woman’s victory.

What does this mean for us? Mary is understood as “the first among the disciples of the Lord.” Thus, she is a sign of what God wants to do for us, and will do for us, if we follow her direction given to the servants at the wedding of Cana when she told Jesus that they had run out of wine: “Do whatever He tells you.” The servants did what Jesus told them, and He turned 150 gallons of water into wine. I’d say that wedding ended pretty well! J

 

 

Submitted by guest blogger Bart Tesoriero

The Feast of Saint Benedict

St. Benedict was born in Nursia, Italy, in 480 A.D. Educated at Rome, Benedict was repulsed by the city’s vice and degeneration, and fled to Subiaco. There he met Romanus, a monk who brought him to a secret mountain cave, where he lived as a hermit for three years. Disciples gathered around Benedict, attracted by his holiness and miraculous gifts. Some monks asked Benedict to lead them, but grew angry at his strict rule, and gave him poisoned wine. Benedict blessed the cup, which shattered before their eyes, and he returned to Subiaco.
 
 

Benedict then settled at Monte Cassino, a mountain top overlooking the beautiful southern Italian farmland. He destroyed a pagan temple, brought the inhabitants back to Christianity, and around AD 530 founded the monastery that was to be the birthplace of Western monasticism.

 

Disciples again flocked to Benedict as his reputation for holiness, wisdom, and miracles spread across the countryside. Benedict organized the monks into a single monastic community and wrote his famous Rule, prescribing common sense, moderate asceticism, prayer, study, work, and community life under one superior; it was to affect spiritual and monastic life in the West for centuries to come, as monks kept alive the light of faith and learning through the Dark Ages.

Benedict could read consciences, prophesy, and rebuff the attacks of the devil. His holiness and charisms remind us that God continues to send holy ones in our midst to help us all follow His universal call to union with Himself in true joy, peace, and service. Benedict died at Monte Cassino in 547 and was buried with his twin sister, Saint Scholastica. In 1964, Pope Paul IV named St. Benedict, the Father of Western Monasticism, as Patron Protector of Europe.

 

Saint Benedict, pray for us!

 

 

Happy Easter!

Heavenly Father, You delivered your Son

to the death of the Cross to save us from

evil. Grant us the grace of the Resurrection.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 

The Feast of All Saints

Today the Church honors all the Saints who live now in heaven with Jesus, His Father and the Holy Spirit.

 

The earliest observance of this day was a commemoration of “all the Martyrs” in the fourth century. Later, when Christians were free to worship according to their conscience, the Church acknowledged other paths to sanctity besides dying for the Faith. In the early centuries the only criterion for sainthood was popular acclaim, even when the bishop's approval became the final step in placing a commemoration on the calendar. The first papal canonization occurred in 993 AD; the lengthy process now required to prove extraordinary sanctity took shape over the past 500 years. Today's feast honors the obscure as well as the famous—the saints each of us have known and are invited to imitate. Pope Francis said today, “The saints are not distant, but love and understand us. They are happy and want to help us to be happy with them in Paradise.”

 

“After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue.

They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands....

One of the elders said to me, ‘These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;

they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’”

-Revelation 7:9, 14

 

The Feast of Saint Francis

Today we celebrate the feast of one of the most beloved persons in history…

 

Saint Francis of Assisi

Feast Day: October 4

 

Patron of Animals and All Who Care for the Earth

 

Saint Francis was born as the son of a wealthy merchant in Assisi in 1182. He loved to sing songs and party with his friends.

One day, Jesus spoke to Francis from the crucifix in the tiny chapel of San Damiano, “Go, rebuild My Church.”

Francis fell in love with Jesus. He gave away his rich clothing and wore a simple robe. He cared for the sick and needy.

He taught that everything God made, like the sun, the moon, the animals and plants, is good. God wants us to take good care of our earth.

Captivated by his sincerity and fervent heart, men and women, began to follow Francis.

Together they cared for others, especially the poor, and began to spiritually rebuild the Church.

 

The pope blessed Saint Francis and his followers. Saint Francis prayed and preached much.

He was the first person in history to receive the stigmata—the wounds of Jesus, and died with the words, “Welcome, Sister Death!”

 

 

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

 

Lord,

Make me an instrument of Thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

 

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled, as to console;

To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved, as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

 

Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us.

Feast of Saint Augustine

SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO

Patron of Theologians and Printers

Feast Day: August 28

Saint Augustine was born in 354, in Africa. He was very intelligent and quite popular. However, his heart was far from God. His mother, Monica, prayed every day that God would help her son. After 33 years, God answered Saint Monica’s prayers. Augustine asked Jesus to come into his heart, and God gave Augustine the gift of faith. He was baptized and gave all his goods to the poor. He became a bishop and fought the enemies of the Church by his life, preaching, and writing. Saint Augustine died in 430.

Our hearts were made for Thee, O Lord,

and restless shall they be,

until they rest in Thee.

--Saint Augustine

Illustrated Lives of the Saints for Children

The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the

Sacred Heart of Jesus.

 Born in France 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.