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Daily Readings for:June 12, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, from whom all good things come, grant that we, who call on you in our need, may at your prompting discern what is right, and by your guidance do it. 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.

RECIPES

o Stuffed Peppers with Rice

ACTIVITIES

o Religion in the Home for Preschool: June

PRAYERS

o June Devotion: The Sacred Heart

LIBRARY

o None

· Ordinary Time: June 12th

· Thursday of the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time

Old Calendar: St. John of San Facundo, confessor; Saints Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor and Nazarius, martyrs

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. John of San Facondo born in 1430 in Spain. He was a canon of the cathedral of Burgos and then entered the Hermits of St. Augustine. He was distinguished for his great devotion to the sacrifice of the Mass and for his forceful preaching. He died in 1479.

Today is also the commemoration of Sts. Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor and Nazarius. These four martyrs have been venerated together at Rome from very early times.

St. John of San Facundo

John came from a wealthy family. During a serious sickness he vowed to embrace an ascetic way of life upon recovery. In fulfillment of his resolve, he gave the better of his two garments to a beggar who went about almost naked, and joined the hermits of St. Augustine at Salamanca (1463); at the time that monastery was universally respected because of its strict rule and discipline. He was often granted the privilege of seeing Christ the Lord at holy Mass and learning the deepest secrets directly from God Himself, the secrets of men's hearts and the secret events of the future. Through his prayers the seven-year-old daughter of his brother was raised to life. His death was probably due to poisoning.

John's special charism was to calm passions and to restore peace. How quickly disputes and quarrels arise! Yet we must practice the beatitude: "Blessed are the peacemakers." Remember that the prayers for peace and the kiss of peace in the Mass should not be empty ceremonies.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Salamanca, Spain.

Symbols: A hermit of St. Augustine, walking upon the sea; holding a chalice and host surrounded by rays of light.

Sts. Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor, and Nazarius

Basilides was a soldier in Rome, Nabor and Nazarius soldiers in Milan. Their bodies were found on the present day by St. Ambrose. All three died as martyrs under Diocletian. Cyrinus or Quirinus was a famous bishop of Siscia. In the church of the Apostles in Milan, St. Ambrose inscribed a number of edifying verses over the tomb of St. Nazarius. The final lines are: "Whom the Cross leads to victory, for him the Cross is the pledge of peace."

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

The Word Among Us

Meditation: 1 Kings 18:41-46

10th Week in Ordinary Time

Seven times he said, “Go, look again!” (1 Kings 18:43)

Fresh from defeating the pagan prophets, Elijah knew that God was about to break the long famine by sending a monster rainstorm. But seven times he sent his servant to look for a tiny sign of that coming storm. And seven times the servant returned reporting, “There is nothing” (1 Kings 18:43).

Finally the servant reported glimpsing a tiny cloud. That was enough for Elijah. He sent a message to the king and put on his running shoes. Almost immediately, the storm broke in full force.

How often do you find yourself in that servant’s position? You intercede, but you can see no sign that God is about to intervene or that he is at work at all in the situation. Usually all you can do is keep praying, keeping your eyes open for that tiny cloud, that little sign that God is about to work. It may not look like much, and it may be a long time coming, but you know that God is perfectly capable of producing impressive results from seemingly unpromising beginnings. The Holy Spirit needs only the tiniest of openings, so never give up hope!

Where can you discern a tiny cloud on your horizon today? What is God up to?

Look first for the tiny signs that God is at work in situations you have been laying at his feet for a long time. Perhaps that neighbor who turns a deaf ear to God-talk is troubled by something he regards as unjust. Perhaps the niece who no longer goes to church has decided to name her newborn after a favorite saint. Perhaps you realize that a book you and a friend are reading together may provide an opening to share the good news.

Try also to be open to surprises God may have in hand—areas that haven’t yet entered your mind or prayers. His cloud may look like an invitation to a party with a casual acquaintance. Maybe an innocent question opens up a new level of conversation. When you catch a glimpse like this, act on it! One thing is certain: God never delays. He comes at exactly the right time. May we always be open and alert to his work!

“Lord, open my eyes so that I can see you at work in my life and in your world.”

Psalm 65:10-13; Matthew 5:20-26