Feast of Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Patron of Soldiers, Educators and Retreatants

 

 

 

 

Saint Ignatius was born at Loyola, Spain, in the year 1491. After

being wounded in battle, he decided to serve Jesus as his King.

Ignatius went to study at the University of Paris, where several

young men joined him to serve Christ. They were known as the

“Companions of Jesus,” or the Jesuits. “The Companions,” said

Ignatius, “are ready to do any work or go anywhere in the world

for God’s greater glory.” They became famous teachers, and

continued to serve the poor. The Jesuits lived and taught as

soldiers of Christ. Pope Francis is the first Jesuit in history to become a pope.

 

Saint Ignatius suffered many trials, but he trusted in God, and

composed his famous “Spiritual Exercises.” Saint Ignatius died

on July 31, 1556.

 

 

 

 

Prayer of Saint Ignatius

 

Take O Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will.

All that I am and all that I possess, You have given to me.

I surrender it all to You; dispose of it according to Your will.

Give me only Your love and Your grace, that’s enough for me.

With these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more. Amen.

 

 “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam”--“For the Greater Glory of God"

           -The Motto of Saint Ignatius

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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 fervently loved our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament—the consecrated Body of Christ from Holy Communion, which is kept in the tabernacles of Catholic churches. 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.”

Jesus 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.

 

Submitted by guest blogger Bart Tesoriero

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Saint Joseph - Patron of the Catholic Home

"We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets,

Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth."

–John 1:45

 

Dear Friends

            During this time let us take a moment to appreciate our loved ones and our homes.

We will get through this and come back stronger than ever!  Please stay safe!

                                                    

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

When the Spanish conquistadors came to Mexico in the 1500’s, they found primarily indigenous peoples who worshiped their own gods, even to the extent of human sacrifice. The Franciscan and Dominican missionaries had great difficulty winning souls to Jesus, partially because of the poor example of the Spanish soldiers.

 Juan Diego was an Aztec Catholic living near Mexico City. Juan’s birth name was Cuauhtlatoatzin-the Talking Eagle. As he walked the seven miles to Mass on the morning of December 9^th, he heard a voice calling to him. He looked up to see a beautiful young maiden dressed as an Aztec Princess appearing in a golden beam of light. The beautiful lady said she was the Virgin Mary, Mother of God. She requested Juan to have the bishop build a church on the hill of Tepeyac, so she could show God’s compassion through her to his people.

 

      Juan related the request to Bishop Juan de Zumárraga. Somewhat skeptical, the bishop asked for a sign. The next morning, Juan took a different route, trying to avoid the lady until he could get a priest to administer the last rites to his dying uncle. Suddenly the Virgin Mary appeared, asking him, “Juanito, why are you walking this strange way?”

 

        With tears streaming down his face, Juan told the beautiful lady of his dying uncle. She smiled at him and tenderly told him he had nothing to fear, as God would cure him. She then directed Juan to pick lovely red Castilian roses which miraculously bloomed that cold December day on the hillside. Amazed, Juan picked the roses. The beautiful lady then kindly arranged them in his tilma, and told him to show them to no one but Bishop Zumárraga.

 

         The Bishop’s staff tried to discourage Juan from his mission, even attempting to see what he guarded so carefully in his tilma. However, he courageously stood his ground and insisted he must see the bishop. Finally the bishop himself came out to see what was the matter. When he saw the bishop, Juan knelt humbly before him.

 

         “Here is the sign you requested,” Juan said, letting the roses fall from his tilma.

 

           But the bishop and his shocked attendants looked beyond the roses. To their surprise and wonder, the image of a beautiful Aztec Lady was imprinted on the tilma! Falling to his knees, Bishop Zumárraga accepted the sign and fulfilled Mary’s wish by building a church in her honor, where her image was enshrined.  

 In the next decade, eight million Indians converted to Jesus because of this lovely lady who looked like them. They realized that God, who is not a respecter of persons, loved them as much as the European Spaniards, and that His Son had died for them as well. And from then on Our Lady of Guadalupe, “La Alma de la Gente,”  took her rightful place in the souls of her children.

        In 2002 at the canonization of Saint Juan Diego, Pope John Paul II declared Our Lady of Guadalupe the Patroness of both continents of the one America.

 

Submitted by guest blogger - Bart Tesoriero