July, 2017

Pope's Prayer Intention

Lapsed Christians: That our brothers and sisters who have strayed from the faith, through our prayer and witness to the Gospel, may rediscover the merciful closeness of the Lord and the beauty of the Christian life.|

Friday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint Bonaventure (1221-1274), Franciscan, Doctor of the Church
Life of Saint Francis, Legenda major, ch. 11 (©Franciscan Institute of St Bonaventure University, 2000)

"Shrewd as serpents and simple as doves"

Unflagging zeal for prayer with a continual exercise of virtue had led the man of God to such serenity of mind that although he had no expertise in Sacred Scripture through his intellect, nevertheless enlightened by the splendor of etemal light, he probed the depths of Scripture with remarkable incisiveness. For his genius, pure and unstained, penetrated hidden mysteries, and where the knowledge of teachers stands outside, the passion of the lover entered.

Once, when the brothers asked him whether he was pleased that the learned men, who by that time, had been received into the Order, were devoting themselves to the study of Sacred Scripture, he replied: "I am indeed pleased, as long as, after the example Christ, of whom we read that he prayed more than he read, they do not neglect zeal for prayer; and, as long as they study, not to know what they should say, but to practice what they have heard and, once they have put it into practice, propose it to others. I want my brothers," he said, "to be Gospel disciples and so progress in knowledge of the truth that they increase in pure simplicity without separating the simplicity of the dove from the wisdom of the serpent which our eminent Teacher joined together in a statement from his own blessed lips."

'St. Bernard tells us that everything has come to us through Mary; and we may also say that everything has come to us through the priest; yes, all happiness, all graces, all heavenly gifts. If we had not the Sacrament of Orders, we should not have Our Lord. Who placed Him there, in that tabernacle? It was the priest. Who was it that received your soul, on its entrance into life? The priest. Who nourishes it, to give it strength to make its pilgrimage? The priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, by washing that soul, for the last time, in the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest -- always the priest. And if that soul comes to the point of death, who will raise it up, who will restore it to calmness and peace? Again the priest. You cannot recall one single blessing from God without finding, side by side with this recollection, the image of the priest.'

St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney, the Cure of Ars

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

Fr. Don Miller, OFM

Image: Stained glass of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha | Saint Stephen Catholic Church, Chesapeake, Virginia | photo by Nheyob

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

Saint of the Day for July 14

(1656 – April 17, 1680)

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha’s Story

The blood of martyrs is the seed of saints. Nine years after the Jesuits Isaac Jogues and Jean de Lelande were tomahawked by Iroquois warriors, a baby girl was born near the place of their martyrdom, Auriesville, New York.

Her mother was a Christian Algonquin, taken captive by the Iroquois and given as wife to the chief of the Mohawk clan, the boldest and fiercest of the Five Nations. When she was four, Tekakwitha lost her parents and little brother in a smallpox epidemic that left her disfigured and half blind. She was adopted by an uncle, who succeeded her father as chief. He hated the coming of the Blackrobes–Jesuit missionaries–but could do nothing to them because a peace treaty with the French required their presence in villages with Christian captives. She was moved by the words of three Blackrobes who lodged with her uncle, but fear of him kept her from seeking instruction. Tekakwitha refused to marry a Mohawk brave, and at 19 finally got the courage to take the step of converting. She was baptized with the name Kateri–Catherine–on Easter Sunday.

Now she would be treated as a slave. Because she would not work on Sunday, Kateri received no food that day. Her life in grace grew rapidly. She told a missionary that she often meditated on the great dignity of being baptized. She was powerfully moved by God’s love for human beings and saw the dignity of each of her people.

She was always in danger, for her conversion and holy life created great opposition. On the advice of a priest, Kateri stole away one night and began a 200-mile walking journey to a Christian Indian village at Sault St. Louis, near Montreal.

For three years she grew in holiness under the direction of a priest and an older Iroquois woman, giving herself totally to God in long hours of prayer, in charity, and in strenuous penance. At 23, Kateri took a vow of virginity, an unprecedented act for an Indian woman whose future depended on being married. She found a place in the woods where she could pray an hour a day—and was accused of meeting a man there!

Her dedication to virginity was instinctive: Kateri did not know about religious life for women until she visited Montreal. Inspired by this, she and two friends wanted to start a community, but the local priest dissuaded her. She humbly accepted an “ordinary” life. She practiced extremely severe fasting as penance for the conversion of her nation. Kateri Tekakwitha died the afternoon before Holy Thursday. Witnesses said that her emaciated face changed color and became like that of a healthy child. The lines of suffering, even the pockmarks, disappeared and the touch of a smile came upon her lips. She was beatified in 1980 and canonized in 2012.

Reflection

We like to think that our proposed holiness is thwarted by our situation. If only we could have more solitude, less opposition, better health. Kateri Tekakwitha repeats the example of the saints: Holiness thrives on the cross, anywhere. Yet she did have what Christians—all people—need: the support of a community. She had a good mother, helpful priests, Christian friends. These were present in what we call primitive conditions, and blossomed in the age-old Christian triad of prayer, fasting and almsgiving: union with God in Jesus and the Spirit, self-discipline and often suffering, and charity for her brothers and sisters.

Two New American Saints, Three Notable Firsts, Bl. Marianne Cope & Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha
Declared ‘Miracle’ by Catholic Ch, Jake Finkbonner Takes in Stride His Role in Kateri’s Sainthood
NY Catholics Set for Blessed Kateri's Canonization
"Lily of the Mohawks" to be named a saint, Yakima Catholics "rejoicing" {Catholic/Orthodox caucus}
Pope advances sainthood causes of Marianne Cope, Kateri Tekakwitha (Catholic Caucus)
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Lily of the Mohawks
BLESSED KATERI TEKAKWITHA, "STAR OF THE NATIVES"
Kateri Sainthood Could Take a Miracle

Information: Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha

Feast Day: July 14

Born: 1656, Ossernenon, Iroquois Confederacy (Modern Auriesville, New York)

Died: 17 April 1680 at Caughnawaga, Canada

Canonized: 21 Oct. 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI

Major Shrine: St Francis Xavier Church, Kahnawake, Quebec, Canada

Patron of: ecology

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha

Feast Day: July 14
Born: 1656 :: Died: 1680

Kateri (Katherine) Tekakwitha was born in Osserneon, which today is called Auriesville in New York. Her mother was a Christian who had been captured and her father was a non-Christian Mohawk (Red Indian) chief. When Kateri was fourteen, her parents died of smallpox and a Mohawk uncle raised her.

St. Isaac Jogues and other missionaries that came from France were killed, while preaching the gospel to the Native American Indians. They were called the North American martyrs. Ten years after the death of St. Isaac Jogues, Kateri was born in the same village where he had died.

One day her uncle had three Jesuit missionaries as his guests. These priests prayed openly in the small chapel there. Kateri was fascinated and had many questions for them, which they patiently answered. Slowly the seed of faith began to grow within her and her heart was touched by the Holy Spirit. She let this faith in Jesus grow to full maturity and when she was eighteen, she was baptized on Easter Sunday.

Kateri knew her life would now become difficult as she was the only Christian in her village. Besides, she wanted to give her life to Jesus and refused to marry. Her uncle was angry and some people in the village were upset that she did not work on Sunday. But Kateri held her ground. She prayed her Rosary every day, even when others made fun of her. She practiced patience and suffered quietly. Kateri's life grew harder each day as some people were very cruel and insulted her.

She finally fled to a Christian village near Montreal one night. There on Christmas Day, 1677, she received her First Communion. It was a wonderful day. Father Pierre Cholonec, a Jesuit priest, guided her spiritual life for the next three years. She and an older Iroquois woman named Anastasia lived as joyful, generous Christians.

Then Kateri fell ill and almost lost her eyesight completely because of the small pox she had suffered as a child. But she continued praying and giving glory to God as she was very grateful for the opportunity to practice her faith. She was just twenty-four when she died at Caughnawaga in Canada, on April 17, 1680. Many miracles have been reported at her grave. Exactly three hundred years later, on June 22, 1980, Kateri Tekakwitha was declared "blessed" by Pope John Paul II.

Reflection: Let us pray today for those who experience difficulty at the hands of others in their desire to live their Christian vocation more fully.

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Friday, July 14

Liturgical Color: Green

Today is the optional memorial
of Pope St. Callistus I (martyred
222 AD). As pope he
condemned the heresies of his
time, but welcomed repentant
heretics back to the Church.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: July 14th

Memorial of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, virgin

MASS READINGS

July 14, 2017 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, who desired the Virgin St. Kateri Tekakwitha to flower among Native Americans in a life of innocence, grant, through her intercession, that when all are gathered into your Church from every nation, tribe and tongue, they may magnify you in a single canticle of praise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Recipes (2)

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Activities (2)

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Prayers (5)

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Library (2)

Old Calendar: St. Bonaventure, bishop and doctor; St. Francis Solano, priest (Hist)

Kateri was born in 1656 near the town of Auriesville, New York, the daughter of a Mohawk warrior. She was baptized by Jesuit missionary Fr. Jacques de Lambertville on Easter of 1676 at the age of twenty. She devoted her life to prayer, penitential practices, and the care of the sick and aged in Caughnawaga near Montreal (where her relics are now enshrined). She incurred the hostility of her tribe because of her faith. She was devoted to the Eucharist, and to Jesus Crucified, and was called the "Lily of the Mohawks." She died in 1680 and was beatified June 22, 1980 — the first native American to be declared "Blessed." She was canonized on October 21, 2012.

Excerpted from Magnificat, July 2003

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Bonaventure. His feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on July 15.

Historically it is also the feast of St. Francis Solano, Franciscan missionary in Lima, Peru. He was born in Andalusia, Spain, in 1549, and became a Franciscan in 1569. Francis labored for two decades in Spain and sailed to Peru in 1589. He worked until his death in Lima and elsewhere in South America.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha
[Pronounce: Gah-deh-lee Deh-gah-quee-tah]
The blood of martyrs is the seed of saints. Nine years after the Jesuits Isaac Jogues and John de Brebeuf were tortured to death by Huron and Iroquois Native American nations, a baby girl was born near the place of their martyrdom, Auriesville, New York. She was to be the first person born in North America to be beatified. Her mother was a Christian Algonquin, taken captive by the Iroquois and given as wife to the chief of the Mohawk clan, the boldest and fiercest of the Five Nations. When she was four, Kateri lost her parents and little brother in a smallpox epidemic that left her disfigured and half blind. She was adopted by an uncle, who succeeded her father as chief. He hated the coming of the Blackrobes (missionaries), but could do nothing to them because a peace treaty with the French required their presence in villages with Christian captives. She was moved by the words of three Blackrobes who lodged with her uncle, but fear of him kept her from seeking instruction. She refused to marry a Mohawk man and at nineteen finally got the courage to take the step of converting. She was baptized with the name Kateri (Catherine) on Easter Sunday.

Now she would be treated as a slave. Because she would not work on Sunday, she received no food that day. Her life in grace grew rapidly. She told a missionary that she often meditated on the great dignity of being baptized. She was powerfully moved by God's love for human beings and saw the dignity of each of her people. She was always in danger, for her conversion and holy life created great opposition. On the advice of a priest, she stole away one night and began a two-hundred-mile walking journey to a Christian Native American village at Sault St. Louis, near Montreal.

For three years she grew in holiness under the direction of a priest and an older Iroquois woman, giving herself totally to God in long hours of prayer, in charity and in strenuous penance. At twenty three she took a vow of virginity, an unprecedented act for a Native American woman, whose future depended on being married. She found a place in the woods where she could pray an hour a day and was accused of meeting a man there! Her dedication to virginity was instinctive: She did not know about religious life for women until she visited Montreal. Inspired by this, she and two friends wanted to start a community, but the local priest dissuaded her. She humbly accepted an "ordinary" life. She practiced extremely severe fasting as penance for the conversion of her nation. She died the afternoon before Holy Thursday. Witnesses said that her emaciated face changed color and became like that of a healthy child. The lines of suffering, even the pockmarks, disappeared and the touch of a smile came upon her lips. She was beatified in 1980.

Excerpted from Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.

Patron: Ecologists; ecology; environment; environmentalism; environmentalists; exiles; loss of parents; people in exile; people ridiculed for their piety; World Youth Day.

Symbols: lily (a symbol of her purity); a cross (a symbol of her love of Jesus Christ); or a turtle (a symbol of her clan).

Things to Do:

This website is dedicated solely to information regarding Saint Kateri. Also this website, Lily of the Mohawk, is worth a visit.
A wonderful place to make a pilgrimage is the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs. The Shrine is situated in the heartland of New York State, in the Diocese of Albany. The Shrine is the site of the America's first and only canonized Martyrs: St. Rene Goupil (1642), Jesuit brother; St. Isaac Jogues (1646), Jesuit priest; and St. John Lalande (1646), lay missioner. Here also is the birthplace of the Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks, born at Ossernenon in 1656, just ten years after these Martyrdoms.
Read more about St. Kateri in this article, The Lily and the Cross.
For even more information you may order Kateri Tekakwitha: Mohawk Maid and/or Kateri Tekakwitha, Mystic of the Wilderness from Amazon.com.

St. Francis Solano
The diocese of Cordova, in Spain, was the birthplace of this Saint, who won many thousands of souls to God. From his earliest years he was characterized by a modest behavior, prudent silence, and edifying meekness.

His education was entrusted to the Jesuit Fathers, and later he entered the Order of St. Francis. Soon he excelled every one in the house in humility, obedience, fervor in prayer, and self-denial.

In 1589 he sailed for South America to preach the Gospel to the Indians in Peru. While near shore the ship struck rocks, and there was danger of drowning.

The captain hurried the officers and principal passengers into the only boat there was, and tried to induce the missionary to accompany them; but he refused to do so. Consoling the remaining passengers, he prayed fervently and alone kept up his hope in God's mercy. At last rescuers arrived and all were taken off in safety.

The missionary did not confine his ministry to Lima. He visited the forests and deserts inhabited by the Indians, and by degrees he won their trust and in this way baptized nine thousand Indians. He was then recalled to Lima, which at that time was like a godless Ninive. Francis preached to the hardened sinners, and the whole city became converted.

Finally after a painful sickness his last words being, "God be praised!" his soul departed this earth on 14 July 1610. He was declared Blessed by Pope Clement X in 1675, and canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726. Saint Francis' feast is held July 24th.

Excerpted from Butler's Lives of the Saints

Patron: Argentina; Bolivia; Chile; Paraguay; Peru

Things to Do:

Read more about this great missionary saint here.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin (Memorial)

Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt. (Genesis 46:3)

The separation had been long and filled with pain and bitterness. Each one thought he would never see the other one again. And yet they both prayed, hoping that God would work some kind of miraculous reunion. Countless tales of separation and reunion, even up to the present day, echo this ancient story of Jacob and Joseph.

The journey toward their longed-for reunion required faith from both men. Jacob thought his son was dead. The news that he was alive seemed too good to be true—not to mention, Egypt was a foreign land many miles away. How could this elderly patriarch make such a trek? But when God told him not to be afraid, Jacob believed his promise of protection. He packed up his family and all his belongings and immediately started on the journey.

Joseph, too, needed to exercise his faith. Bitter experience had told him that his brothers were far from trustworthy. But when Judah told him that their father was on his way, Joseph overcame his suspicions and rushed out to meet him. Despite all that had happened in the past, he still decided to trust his brother.

In prayer today, bring to mind one or two relationships that have grown distant. Maybe it’s a close friend you have lost track of. Perhaps it’s your aging parents who live far away or your children who have taken jobs in other cities. You never see them; days, even months, can go by without any contact with them. What a blessing it would be to see them again!

Pray for these people every day. You never know how God might bring about your longed-for reunion. It may take time—maybe months or even years. But why not take that first step today? Call them or send them a letter. Maybe even plan to visit them.

Whatever you do, remember what the Lord said to Jacob: “Do not be afraid”! Remember: he longs for unity even more than you do. He loves to see his children coming together again. That means you can trust that he has a good plan.

“Jesus, thank you for reunions! Pour your grace into all my relationships today.”

Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40
Matthew 10:16-23

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for July 14, 2017:

Teach your child (or a neighbor’s child) a value this weekend but do it without saying a word. Consider faithfulness to a promise, self-control, goodness, gentleness, modesty, chastity. Which of these fruits of the Holy Spirit is the biggest challenge for you?

Regnum Christi

July 14, 2017 – Divisions in the Family

14 Jul 2017

Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

Father Edward McIlmail, LC

Matthew 10:16-23

Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord, you are the one constant in my life. You are my beginning and my end. I love you as my savior. I trust you as my closest companion. I hope in you as the one who will welcome me into eternal joy.

Petition: Grant me, Lord, a deeper union with you as the only one who will never fail me.

1. Trust, But Not Too Much: A key paradox of Jesus was that he loved us so much that he underwent the horrors of crucifixion to redeem us and give us a chance at salvation. Yet, he also knows our weaknesses. He knows how fickle the human heart can be. “Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well” (John 2:24-25). Likewise, Christ warns us not to put too much faith in other people. Like us, everyone else has weaknesses. Our faith in them should be relative and realistic. It shouldn’t be on the same level as our faith in Christ. Do I put “too much” faith in others? Do I realize that expecting too much from them leaves me open to needless anguish?

2. Betrayal for Siblings: Christ is the rock against which the waves of humanity crash. His demands cut to the heart of each of us, and require a personal response. How each person responds is a mystery. Some will say yes, some will say no. The division within each person can echo in divisions within families. Little wonder that kin can be our fiercest foes. Christ’s own show of steadfastness assures us that he remains more loyal than even family members. Can I accept that following Christ can cause friction with my loved ones? Can I offer up my trials for their salvation?

3. Love Without Sacrifice: Christ never promised his followers an easy life. If he had, there would be no shortage of disciples. He knows what really makes us mature in love: sacrifice. Sacrifice purifies us, ennobles us. Love without sacrifice is a fairy tale. To love means to share in another’s pain. “When men and women demand to be autonomous and totally self-sufficient,” said Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI in a speech February 9, 2008, “they run the risk of being closed in a self-reliance that … reduces them to an oppressive solitude.” Similarly, if we close ourselves to God’s pleasure, we stay stuck in our littleness. Can I accept suffering for Christ as a way to break out of the cocoon of my comfort?

Conversation with Christ: Jesus, it’s not easy being your follower. Opposition can arise on all sides, even from within the family. Help me bear all this well, for love of you. Grant me the serenity to persevere in the faith. I offer my sacrifices for the salvation of those who oppose my following you.

Resolution: I will pray or make a sacrifice for a family member who is away from the faith.

Homily of the Day

July 14, 2017

In the Gospel reading Jesus forewarns his disciples about the cost of discipleship: As followers of Jesus and witnesses to Christ and his message, they would be hated, arrested, brought to trial, persecuted and even put to death because they were followers of and believers in Jesus. Jesus assured them of God’s help.

Indeed from the beginning the Apostles and the Christians were hated, arrested and persecuted and even put to death because they were Christians.

The Acts of the Apostles (Acts 6: 8- 15; 7: 1 -60) tells us about St. Stephen, the first martyr for Christ, who died in witness of his faith in the Lord Jesus. The Greek word martyr originally meant witness: today we call martyrs those who suffered or died for what they believed or stood for. All of us are called to be “martyrs,” witnesses to Jesus. As witnesses we should be ready to be ridiculed and hated, persecuted and even put to death: with God’s grace and the assistance of the Holy Spirit, may we remain faithful witnesses, “martyrs.”

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 33, Issue 4

<< Friday, July 14, 2017 >>

St. Kateri Tekakwitha

Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30
View Readings

Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40

Matthew 10:16-23
Similar Reflections

GETTING READY TO DIE

"At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive." —Genesis 46:30

Simeon prayed: "Now, Master, You can dismiss Your servant in peace" (Lk 2:29). Simeon was ready to die because he had seen Christ.

St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was ready to die because shortly before his death he saw "an opening in the sky, and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand" (Acts 7:56).

Death is knocking at the door. Jesus also stands at the door of our lives and knocks (Rv 3:20). If we open the door, see Jesus, and give our lives to Him, we are ready to die and to live.

Jesus promised: "Blest are the single-hearted for they shall see God" (Mt 5:8). To see Jesus is not a matter of the eyes but of the heart (see Eph 1:18). When we see Jesus to be our Lord, Savior, and God, then we have a new life, a life stronger than death.

See Jesus. Love Jesus. Live in Jesus. Die in Jesus. Live forever in Jesus.

Prayer: Father, enlighten "the eyes of my heart" (Eph 1:18, our transl).

Promise: "When they hand you over, do not worry about what you will say or how you will say it. When the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. You yourselves will not be the speakers; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you." —Mt 10:19-20

Praise: St. Kateri was baptized at age twenty and died at age twenty-four, attending Mass every day.