Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest

Reading 1 Lv 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37

The LORD said to Moses,
"These are the festivals of the LORD which you shall celebrate
at their proper time with a sacred assembly.
The Passover of the LORD falls on the fourteenth day of the first month,
at the evening twilight.
The fifteenth day of this month is the LORD's feast of Unleavened Bread.
For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
On the first of these days you shall hold a sacred assembly
and do no sort of work.
On each of the seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD.
Then on the seventh day you shall again hold a sacred assembly
and do no sort of work."

The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the children of Israel and tell them:
When you come into the land which I am giving you,
and reap your harvest,
you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest
to the priest, who shall wave the sheaf before the LORD
that it may be acceptable for you.
On the day after the sabbath the priest shall do this.

"Beginning with the day after the sabbath,
the day on which you bring the wave-offering sheaf,
you shall count seven full weeks,
and then on the day after the seventh week, the fiftieth day,
you shall present the new cereal offering to the LORD.

"The tenth of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement,
when you shall hold a sacred assembly and mortify yourselves
and offer an oblation to the LORD.

"The fifteenth day of this seventh month is the LORD's feast of Booths,
which shall continue for seven days.
On the first day there shall be a sacred assembly,
and you shall do no sort of work.
For seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD,
and on the eighth day you shall again hold a sacred assembly
and offer an oblation to the LORD.
On that solemn closing you shall do no sort of work.

"These, therefore, are the festivals of the LORD
on which you shall proclaim a sacred assembly,
and offer as an oblation to the LORD burnt offerings and cereal offerings,
sacrifices and libations, as prescribed for each day."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 81:3-4, 5-6, 10-11ab

R. (2a) Sing with joy to God our help.
Take up a melody, and sound the timbrel,
the pleasant harp and the lyre.
Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our solemn feast.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
For it is a statute in Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob,
Who made it a decree for Joseph
when he came forth from the land of Egypt.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.

Alleluia 1 Pt 1:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of the Lord remains forever;
this is the word that has been proclaimed to you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 13:54-58

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.
They were astonished and said,
"Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter's son?
Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us?
Where did this man get all this?"
And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house."
And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.

From: Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37

Celebration of the Sabbath

[1] The Lord said to Moses, [4] “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord,
the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for
them.”

Celebration of the Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread

[5] “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, is the
Lord’s passover. [6] And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of
unleavened bread to the Lord; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. [7]
0n the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious
work. [8] But you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord seven days; on
the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work.”

Celebration of the First Fruits

[9] And the Lord said to Moses, [10] “Say to the people of Israel, When you
come into the land which I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the
sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest; [11] and he shall wave the
sheaf before the Lord, that you may find acceptance; on the morrow after the
sabbath the priest shall wave it.”

Celebration of the Feast of Weeks

[15] “And you shall count from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that
you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven full weeks shall they be, [16]
counting fifty days to the morrow after the seventh sabbath; then you shall pre-
sent a cereal offering of new grain to the Lord.”

Celebration of the Day of Atonement

[27] “On the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be
for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present
an offering by fire to the Lord.”

Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles

[34b] “On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the feast
of booths to the Lord. [35] On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall
do no laborious work. [36] Seven days you shall present offerings by fire to the
Lord; on the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present an offering
by fire to the LORD; it is a solemn assembly; you shall do no laborious work.”

[37] “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim as
times of holy convocation, for presenting to the Lord offerings by fire, burnt offe-
rings and cereal offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day.”

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Commentary:

23:1-4. Some of the feats mentioned in this calendar are also to be found in o-
ther books (cf. Ex 23:14-19; 34:18-26; Deut 16:1). It deals first with the sabbath,
which becomes the paradigm for all the other feasts, especially as far as rest is
concerned. Such importance was given to what could or could not be done on
the sabbath that all sorts of absurd and formalistic exaggerations developed.
More than once Jesus criticized the severe interpretations devised by the
scribes—a complicated and intolerable casuistry (cf. Mt 15:1-9; 23:41 Acts
15:10).

23:5-8. The Passover is also dealt with in Exodus 12:1-14:21-28 and 13:3-10.
The first month was called Nisan; earlier on it was called Abib, “spring” or “ears
(of grain)”. The feast began at sundown. Here it is depicted as a preparation for
the feast of the unleavened bread, which began the following day, 15 Nisan, and
lasted seven days, during which bread was eaten unleavened. The religious as-
sembly took place on the first day and the last. During these assemblies various
sacrifices were offered and a sacred meal took place. We recall that it was du-
ring this feast that Jesus instituted the Eucharist, doing so in the context of the
passover supper. And it was during the Passover that Jesus was sacrificed on
he altar of the cross. St John tells us that the sacrifice of Christ began at the
sixth hour on the day of Preparation, the exact time that the passover lambs
were sacrificed. This makes the beginning of a new Passover, in which a new
victim is sacrificed, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (cf.
Jn 1:29, 36; 19:14).

23:9-14. The feast of the first fruits, although the date is not a fixed one, is con-
nected with the Passover. In the Jordan valley grain was already ripe for harvest
by this time (cf. Num 28:26-31). The offering of first fruits is based on the convic-
tion that everything comes from God. In recognition of that divine sovereignty the
first sheaf to ripen was offered in sacrifice—a tradition which developed to the
point that no one could eat the crop without first making this offering to God. The
“morrow” after the sabbath was thought by some to have been the first sabbath
after 14 Nisan. Other scholars think that the sabbath was 15 Nisan and then the
offering of the first fruits took place on 16 Nisan. The “morrow” was the base day
for reckoning the start of feast of Pentecost, seven weeks later. The offering of
the first sheaves was accompanied by the sacrifice of a year-old lamb and two
tenths of an ephah of flour (cf. the note on Ex 29:38-46) that is, approximately
4.2 liters, and a quarter of a hin of wine (approximately one litre or two pints).

23:15-22. This feast, too, has elements connected with the grain harvest. Later
on it became linked with the giving the Law at Sinai. It was called Pentecost be-
cause it came fifty days after Passover. In Hebrew it was called Aseret, the
“great convocation” or assembly. Another name for it is the feast of Weeks (a
reference to the seven weeks which had passed since the Passover). The offe-
ring of the loaves of bread made from the first sheaf expressed thanksgiving and
joy for the harvest recently completed. The various sacrifices were offered as a
sign of repentance for and as an act of adoration for the greatness of God who
had blessed the work of his people.

From a Christian point of view, it is interesting that it was on the feast of Pente-
cost that the Holy Spirit came down on the apostles. For one thing, that Pente-
cost marked the start of a new stage with another Law, a much more perfect
one, written not on stones but in the depths of men’s hearts (cf. 2 Cor 3:3). For
another, because it also seems significant that it was at the moment when the
fruits of the earth were being harvested that the Church should receive the most
precious fruit of Christ’s death on the cross, the strength of the Spirit who puri-
fies and sanctities men with his divine grace.

23:23-44. In the Bible the number seven had a sacred character; symbolizing in
some way the perfection of God. Therefore the seventh month, as also the se-
venth year, had special significance in Israel. Thus, in the seventh month (in He-
brew, Tishre) three feasts were held. The first was the feast of Trumpets, which
took place on the seventh day. It began with the sounding of trumpets; hence
its name. Trumpets were also used to greet the appearance of the new moon.
These details probably reflect traces of astral cults; however, by becoming in-
corporated into the liturgy, they became purified and raised to a new plane, to
express at different times and different ways a deep feeling of attachment to the
Creator of heaven and earth.

On the tenth of the same month the day of atonement was celebrated—Yom Kip-
pur. It was a day of penance and expiation. It began at sundown, with the start
of the sabbath rest. The grave penalties imposed for transgressions show the
importance this day had, and still has today, in Jewish liturgy.

The other great feast is that of Tabernacles, celebrated over seven days, begin-
ning on 15 Tisre. In the Code of the Covenant it is called the feast of ingathering
(cf. Ex 23:16). The last of the harvest was saved around this time, particularly
the grape harvest. The feast marked the close of the agricultural year; it was a
most joyful feast. It was also regarded as preparation for the new period which
would start immediately with the new sowing. Prayers were offered for early rains,
which were so crucial to starting the work. This was why the rite of water was so
much to the fore. Water was borne in procession from the pool of Siloe and then
poured round the altar of the temple. In Jesus’ time a bunch of myrtle and acacia
branches (from trees growing on the river bank) was shaken during the proces-
sion, thereby invoking the divine blessing of rain. In the times of Ezra and Nehe-
miah, in the middle of the 5th century BC, huts made from branches of trees
were set up on the terraces of houses or in the countryside, and the people
camped in them over the days of the feast, in memory of the pilgrimage of the
people of Israel in the desert, when they lived in tents. This custom still survives
in the Jewish religion.

The Gospel of St John has much to say about this feast and about Jesus’ acti-
vity in connection with it (cf. Jn 7:2ff), including the important revelations our
Lord made apropos of its rites: it was on this feast that Jesus proclaimed that
from his heart rivers of living water would flow, a reference to “the Spirit, which
those who believed in him were to receive” (Jn 7:39).

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Matthew 13:54-58

No One is a Prophet in His Own Country

[54] And coming to His (Jesus’) own country He taught them in their synagogue,
so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom
and these mighty works? [55] Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother
called Mary? And are not His brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Ju-
das? [56] And are not all His sisters with us? Where then did this Man get all
this?” [57] And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is
not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” [58] And He
did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

53-58. The Nazarenes’ surprise is partly due to people’s difficulty in recognizing
anything exceptional and supernatural in those with whom they have been on fa-
miliar terms. Hence the saying, “No one is a prophet in his own country.” These
old neighbors were also jealous of Jesus. Where did He acquire this wisdom?
Why Him rather than us? They were unaware of the mystery of Jesus’ concep-
tion; surprise and jealousy cause them to be shocked, to look down on Jesus
and not to believe in Him: “He came to His own home, and His own people re-
ceived Him not” (John 1:11).

“The carpenter’s son”: this is the only reference in the Gospel to St. Joseph’s
occupation (in Mark 6:3 Jesus Himself is described as a “carpenter”). Probably
in a town like Nazareth the carpenter was a general tradesman who could turn
his hand to jobs ranging from metalwork to making furniture or agricultural imple-
ments.

For an explanation of Jesus’ “brethren”, see the note on Matthew 12:46-47.

[The note of Matthew 12:46-47 states:

46-47. “Brethren”: ancient Hebrew, Aramaic and other languages had no special
words for different degrees of relationship, such as are found in more modern lan-
guages. In general, all those belonging to the same family, clan and even tribe
were “brethren”.

In the particular case we have here, we should bear in mind that Jesus had diffe-
rent kinds of relatives, in two groups — some on His mother’s side, others on St
Joseph’s. Matthew 13:55-56 mentions, as living in Nazareth, James, Joseph, Si-
mon and Judas (”His brethren”) and elsewhere there is reference to Jesus’ “sis-
ters” (cf. Matthew 6:3). But in Matthew 27:56 we are told that James and Joseph
were sons of a Mary distinct from the Blessed Virgin, and that Simon and Judas
were not brothers of James and Joseph, but seemingly children of a brother of St
Joseph.

Jesus, on the other hand, was known to everyone as “the son of Mary” (Mark 6:3)
or “the carpenter’s son” (Matthew 13:55).

The Church has always maintained as absolutely certain that Jesus had no bro-
thers or sisters in the full meaning of the term: it is a dogma that Mary was ever-
Virgin (cf. note on Matthew 1:25).]

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

First reading
Leviticus 23:1,4-11,15-16,27,34-37 ©

The Lord spoke to Moses. He said:

‘These are the Lord’s solemn festivals, the sacred assemblies to which you are to summon the sons of Israel on the appointed day.

‘The fourteenth day of the first month, between the two evenings, is the Passover of the Lord; and the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of Unleavened Bread for the Lord. For seven days you shall eat bread without leaven. On the first day you are to hold a sacred assembly; you must do no heavy work. For seven days you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord. The seventh day is to be a day of sacred assembly; you must do no work.’

The Lord spoke to Moses. He said:

‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them:

‘“When you enter the land that I give you, and gather in the harvest there, you must bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest, and he is to present it to the Lord with the gesture of offering, so that you may be acceptable. The priest shall make this offering on the day after the sabbath.

‘“From the day after the sabbath, the day on which you bring the sheaf of offering, you are to count seven full weeks. You are to count fifty days, to the day after the seventh sabbath, and then you are to offer the Lord a new oblation.

‘“The tenth day of the seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. You are to hold a sacred assembly. You must fast, and you must offer a burnt offering to the Lord.

‘“The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of Tabernacles for the Lord, lasting seven days. The first day is a day of sacred assembly; you must do no heavy work. For seven days you must offer a burnt offering to the Lord. On the eighth day you are to hold a sacred assembly, you must offer a burnt offering to the Lord. It is a day of solemn meeting; you must do no heavy work.

‘“These are the solemn festivals of the Lord to which you are to summon the children of Israel, sacred assemblies for the purpose of offering burnt offerings, holocausts, oblations, sacrifices and libations to the Lord, according to the ritual of each day.”’

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 80(81):3-6,10-11 ©

Ring out your joy to God our strength.

Raise a song and sound the timbrel,

the sweet-sounding harp and the lute;

blow the trumpet at the new moon,

when the moon is full, on our feast.

Ring out your joy to God our strength.

For this is Israel’s law,

a command of the God of Jacob.

He imposed it as a rule on Joseph,

when he went out against the land of Egypt.

Ring out your joy to God our strength.

Let there be no foreign god among you.

no worship of an alien god.

I am the Lord your God,

who brought you from the land of Egypt.

Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

Ring out your joy to God our strength.

Gospel Acclamation	cf.1Th2:13

Alleluia, alleluia!

Accept God’s message for what it really is:

God’s message, and not some human thinking.

Alleluia!

Or	1P1:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

The word of the Lord remains for ever:

What is this word?

It is the Good News that has been brought to you.

Alleluia!

Gospel
Matthew 13:54-58 ©

Coming to his home town, Jesus taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? His sisters, too, are they not all here with us? So where did the man get it all?’ And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Sorrowful Mysteries

(Tuesdays and Fridays)

1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]

August Devotion -- The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.

This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.

On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.

INVOCATIONS

O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.

Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."

Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.

Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII

IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Sacred Heart Of Jesus

Sacred Heart Of Jesus image

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Heart of Mary image

Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. Amen.

....Only the Heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way ----From the Catechism. P:1439

From the depth of my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee, O Most Sacred, Divine and Adorable Heart of Jesus, to pay Thee all the homage of love, praise and adoration in my power.
Amen. - - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins. Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior's steps.-- >From the Catechism. P: 2669

The Salutation to the Heart of Jesus and Mary

An Offering of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Novena Prayer to Sacred Heart of Jesus

Prayer to the Wounded Heart of Jesus

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

Meditation & Novena Prayer on the Sacred Heart

Beads to the Sacred Heart

Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Daily Offering to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Exaltation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

The Holy Heart of Mary Is, After the Heart of Jesus, the Most Exalted Throne of Divine Love
Let us recollect that God has given us the feast of the most pure Heart of the Blessed Virgin so that we may render on that day all the respect, honor and praise that we possibly can. To enkindle this spirit within us let us consider our motivating obligations.

The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.

This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?

How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?

— St. John Eudes

Today: Immaculate Heart of Mary [DEVOTIONAL]

The Immaculate Heart of Mary [Devotional] Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Brown Scapular (Catholic Caucus)
The History of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Marian Associations Unite to Celebrate Immaculate Heart
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, AUGUST 22ND
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

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August 4, 2017

Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest

Reading 1 Lv 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37

Responsorial Psalm Ps 81:3-4, 5-6, 10-11ab

Alleluia 1 Pt 1:25

Gospel Mt 13:54-58

Readings at Mass

August, 2017

Pope's Prayer Intention

Artists, That artists of our time, through their ingenuity, may help everyone discover the beauty of creation.

Friday of the Seventeenth week in Ordinary Time