Posted on 05/29/2019 9:40:00 PM PDT by Salvation
St. Joan of Arc
Regina Coeli
Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia. / For He whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.
Has risen, as he said, alleluia. / Pray for us to God, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. / For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
Let us pray.
O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thursday, May 30
Liturgical Color: White
St. Joseph Marello died on this day in
1895. He founded the Oblates of St.
Joseph, an order dedicated to helping the
poor. He chose St. Joseph as the order’s
patron because of St. Joseph’s unending
desire to serve Jesus.
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Easter: May 30th
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter; Solemnity of the Ascension
MASS READINGS
May 30, 2019 (Readings on USCCB website)
COLLECT PRAYER
O God, who made your people partakers in your redemption, grant, we pray, that we may perpetually render thanks for the Resurrection of the Lord. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
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Old Calendar: St. Felix I, pope and martyr; St. Joan of Arc, virgin
In the United States, the ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Omaha, and Philadelphia have retained the celebration of the Ascension on the proper Thursday while all other provinces have transferred this solemnity to the Seventh Sunday of Easter, May 8. If transferred today is observed as an Easter Weekday. The following readings are used: Acts 18:1-8/Jn 16:16-20 (294).
Today is the feast of Pope St. Felix I, who governed the Church from 268 to 273. St. Felix I was buried in the “crypt of the popes,” in the catacomb of St. Callixtus, and is often confused with the second century martyr St. Felix, a victim of persecution under the Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Also it is the feast of St. Joan of Arc (some places), Patron saint of France. In her day, the English were allied with the Burgundians in a war against the rest of France. Joan was compelled by voices of her favorite saints to take up arms in defence of her country. Dressed in a suit of white armor, she led the French in battle against the English, who retreated, believing that she was in league with the devil. She continued to battle against the English, with dwindling support, until she was eventually captured and tried as a witch. She was found guilty and at the scaffold she pleaded guilty in exchange for a pardon from the Church. However, since the English had no intention of releasing her from prison, she quickly renounced her confession and resumed wearing men’s clothing. For this they publicly burned her at the stake for witchcraft and heresy. The Church reversed its decision in 1455, and she was canonized in 1920.
St. Felix I
The son of Constantius, Felix was a Roman by birth. He was elected to the papacy shortly after the death of St. Dionysius. It was Felix who received the letter from the Asiatic bishops announcing the deposition of Bishop Paul of Antioch, Dionysius having died before its arrival. Felix was also informed of the election of Domnus I to replace the deposed heretic. Unfortunately, Paul refused to vacate the church building and denied entrance to the newly appointed Domnus. Emperor Aurelian, who then sat on the throne, happened to be passing through Antioch when he was asked to intervene in the matter. Aurelian ordered the see to be turned over to whichever bishop was in true communication with the bishops of Italy and Rome. At long last, Paul was forced to make an undignified exit, while Timaeus, Domnus’ successor, was able to take his rightful place among his flock.
Felix is said to have ordained that the celebration of Mass take place over the graves of martyrs. Although Felix reigned for nearly six years, little else is know of his pontificate, except that it was free from persecution. Felix died in December and was buried in the papal crypt located in the cemetery of Calixtus. His feast is kept on May 30.
— Excerpted from The Popes: A Papal History, J.V. Bartlett
St. Joan of Arc
Saint Joan was born on January 6, 1412, in the village of Domremy to Jacques and Isabelle d’Arc. Joan was the youngest of their five children. While growing up among the fields and pastures of her village, she was called Jeannette but when she entered into her mission, her name was changed to Jeanne, la Pucelle, or Joan, the Maid.
As a child she was taught domestic skills as well as her religion by her mother. Joan would later say, “As for spinning and sewing, I fear no woman in Rouen.” And again, “It was my mother alone who taught me the ‘Our Father’ and ‘Hail Mary’ and the ‘Creed;’ and from none other was I taught my faith.”
From her earliest of years Joan was known for her obedience to her parents, religious fervor, goodness, unselfish generosity and kindness toward her neighbors. Simonin Munier, one of Joan’s childhood friends, tells how Joan had nursed him back to health when he was sick. Some of her playmates teased her for being ‘too pious.’ Others remembered how she would give up her bed to the homeless stranger who came to her father’s door asking for shelter.
Joan was ‘like all the others’ in her village until her thirteenth year. “When I was about thirteen, I received revelation from Our Lord by a voice which told me to be good and attend church often and that God would help me.” She stated that her ‘Voices’ were Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret. At first her ‘Voices’ came to her two or three times a week but as the time for her mission drew near (five years later), they visited her daily telling her to ‘Go into France’ to raise the siege of Orleans, conduct the Dauphin Charles to Reims for his crowning and to drive the English from the land.
Joan went to the neighboring town of Vaucouleurs, which means Valley of many colors. There she spoke to the loyal French governor by the name of Sir Robert de Baudricourt. After many rejections he finally agreed to send her to the Dauphin who at the time was living at the castle of Chinon.
On the evening of February 23, 1429, she began her mission for God. In the company of six men, she rode through the Gate of France on her way to Chinon. Joan reached this town on March 6th, but was not received by the Dauphin, Charles, until the evening of March 9th.
After being accepted and approved by a Church council headed by the Archbishop of Reims, Joan was allowed to lead the Dauphin’s army. This part of her career was meteoric. She entered Orleans on the evening of April 29th and by May 8th the city had been freed. The Loire campaign started on June 9th and by June 19th the English were driven out of the Loire valley. The march to Reims started on June 29th and by July 17th Charles was crowned King of France in the cathedral of Reims.
From this time on, for reasons know only to King Charles, the king no longer valued Joan’s advice and guidance. She had always told him that God had given her ‘a year and a little longer’ to accomplish His will but the king seemed to take no notice of it. For almost a year he wasted what time remained to Joan, until in frustration, she left the court. Her last campaign lasted from the middle of March until her capture at the town of Compiegne on May 23rd, 1430. Her ‘year and a little longer’ was over.
Abandoned by her king and friends, she started her year of captivity. As a prisoner of the Burgundians she was treated fairly but that all changed when on November 21st, 1430, she was handed over the English. How she survived their harsh treatment of her is a miracle in itself.
The English not only wanted to kill Joan but they also wanted to discredit King Charles as a false king by having Joan condemned by the Church as a witch and a heretic. To obtain this goal the English used those Church authorities whom they knew to be favorable to them and the staunchest of these was Bishop Cauchon.
Joan’s trial of condemnation lasted from February 21st until May 23rd. She was finally burnt at the stake in Rouen’s market square on May 30th, 1431.
Twenty-five years later the findings of Joan’s first trial were overturned and declared ‘null and void’ by another Church court, who this time was favorable to King Charles. It was not until 1920 that the Church of Rome officially declared Joan to be a saint. Her feast day is celebrated on May 30th.
Excerpted from St. Joan of Arc Center
Patron: Captives; France; imprisoned people; martyrs; opposition of Church authorities; people ridiculed for their piety; prisoners; rape victims; soldiers; WACs; WAVES; Women Appointed for Voluntary Emergency Service; Women’s Army Corps
Symbols: Bareheaded girl in armor with sword, lance or banner
Things to Do:
Visit the St. Joan of Arc Center for more information.
http://wau.org/meditations/current
Meditation: John 16:16-20
Easter Weekday or The Ascension of the Lord (Solemnity)
You will see me. (John 16:16)
What a promise! Jesus was preparing to go away, but he would come back, and the apostles would see him once more. These words must have brought them a great measure of comfort.
And yes, they did see Jesus again—on Easter Sunday, when he appeared to them in the upper room. But the “seeing” Jesus was speaking of here meant more than just encountering him again with their physical eyes. Jesus was also talking about the way that the Holy Spirit would help them sense Jesus’ presence and his guidance even after he had ascended and was no longer visible.
But why would Jesus think it was important for us to “see” him again? Didn’t his cross and resurrection take care of our salvation? Wasn’t it enough for us to hear his gospel and be baptized into his name?
Simply put, no. And thank God for this truth! We need to “see” Jesus every day. We need to hear his voice, to receive his love, and to be formed by his wisdom. As St. Paul taught, Jesus gave us the Spirit “so that we may understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).
The truth is that we could never grasp the price that Jesus paid for our salvation or the depth of his love for us on our own. We need the Spirit as well, to give us the grace we need to live out Jesus’ commands. Without the Holy Spirit, we limit both our understanding and our abilities.
This is why Jesus wants us to be baptized, or immersed, in his Holy Spirit. He knows it’s the only way we can know the power and presence of God in our lives.
So what did the apostles do after Jesus was taken away from them and they could no longer see him? Looking forward to the fulfillment of his promise, they joined together in prayer. They delved into the Scriptures. They prayed, “Come, Holy Spirit!”
Let’s follow their example. From now until Pentecost, let’s dive into Scripture, fix our eyes on Jesus, and persist in prayer. Let’s ask for the grace to see Jesus with new eyes, the eyes of the Holy Spirit.
“Come, Holy Spirit! Open the eyes of my heart!”
Acts 18:1-8
Psalm 98:1-4
Saint Gregory the Great (c.540-604)
Pope, Doctor of the Church
Homilies on the Gospels, no. 29
May love draw us after him
"And after the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God" (Mk 16:19)… For he was returning to his own place, going back to a place he had never left, since when he ascended into heaven through his human nature, he bound together heaven and earth through his divine nature… But on this festive day we must particularly consider this, dearly beloved, that our decree of condemnation has been cancelled today, our sentence to corruption has been cancelled. The nature which was told: "You are dust and to dust you shall return" (Gn 3:19) today went to heaven… Dearly beloved, it is fitting that we should follow him in our hearts to where we believe he has ascended in his body. Let us flee earthly desires. Let nothing here below delight us who have a father in heaven.
We must consider carefully that he who was mild at his ascent will be terrible at his return. He will demand from us with great strictness whatever he has commanded of us with gentleness. Reflect on these things, my friends, constantly turn them over in your minds. The disturbance of things may still be driving your hearts to and fro, but fix the anchor of your hope now in your eternal home. Establish your mind's attention in the true light. We have heard that the Lord has ascended into heaven. Let our belief be the subject of our meditation. If the weakness of our body still holds us here, let us follow him by the footsteps of our love. He who gave us our desire will not fail us in our hope, our Lord Jesus Christ
Daily Marriage Tip for May 30, 2019:
If your spouse does something thoughtful, reinforce your gratitude with a simple thank you or a thoughtful gesture in return.
Regnum Christi
May 30, 2019 – I Am a Witness to You
Daily Meditation
Ascension Thursday
Luke 24:46-53
And Jesus said to them, “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Then he led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them, he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the Temple praising God.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, as I begin this prayer, I offer you my whole self: my thoughts, desires, decisions, actions, hopes, fears, weaknesses, failures and petty successes. I open my entire being to you, aware that you know everything already. I’m certain of your mercy and of the purifying power of your penetrating, loving gaze.
Petition: Lord, help me to praise you and spread your message everywhere.
We Too Are Witnesses to the Work of Jesus Christ: What a beautiful scene. Our Lord suffered, died, rose on the third day and then spent 40 days with the apostles and the disciples. Now, just before he ascends into heaven, he leaves his Church with this message of love — mercy and forgiveness. The apostles experienced Our Lord’s mercy. Now he gives them the commission to go out into the whole world and preach forgiveness of sins in the power of the most holy of names: “Jesus.” Because the apostles preached as Christ had told them, we are all beneficiaries of Our Lord’s mercy. We have experienced this in our hearts. We, too, must bear witness to the work of Jesus Christ.
Clothe Me with Your Holy Power, Lord Jesus: We know that an apple seed, if given proper nourishment, will become an apple tree and produce many apples through many seasons. We know this through experience. God made the apple seed, and he gave it power to become an apple tree. Now Christ tells the apostles he will clothe them with power from on high so that they will be blessed with something that is well beyond their own human nature and power. They will be given the power to bear abundant fruit for the kingdom of Christ. Two thousand years later, Christ is still clothing people with this power from on high: with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which we received when we were baptized and in greater proportion when we were confirmed. Through prayer we begin to see with supernatural vision the person we can be and the fruit we can produce.
May I Give You Only Praise and Adoration: The apostles were sad and dejected when Our Lord told them he would be leaving. Now, they are filled with awe and praise. The scales have fallen from their eyes. The shadow of the cross no longer strikes the same fear in their hearts. Christ has conquered sin and death, and they are witnesses to this, for they have experienced it in their own lives. This past Lent we accompanied Our Lord during his passion and death. We then witnessed his resurrection. Now we see him ascending into heaven. Like the apostles, we, too, are so moved to stand in awe of so great a God that we are compelled to sing his praises day and night. This attitude goes hand-in-hand with being messengers of his love to all peoples.
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, I want to be a holy dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. Your gift to me is your Spirit of truth and love. You nourish me with the things of heaven. May I decrease so that you may increase.
Resolution: I will speak well of others today and shun all tendency to judge others or speak badly of them.
Homily of the Day
May 30, 2019
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Recall a time when you lost sight of Jesus. Whenever we focus on our troubles, we take our eyes off Jesus and become blind to what He’s doing to help us. Spiritual growth means improving our self-control so that we focus on Jesus no matter what’s happening. The sooner we remember to do this, the sooner we see Him again.
When work or our ministry preoccupies us, remember that Jesus is beside us, instructing us in what to do, how to do it, and how to be a witness of his love and truth. Losing sight of Jesus makes us vulnerable to sin. Then, when we get in touch with our sins and realize that we’ve crucified Christ by hurting others and ourselves, we truly do mourn and weep, as Jesus prophesied in this Gospel reading. But notice that He added: “You will grieve for a time, but your grief will be turned into joy.” What is it that is grieving us now? Where is our joy lacking? Why are we lacking it? How can our grief be turned into joy?
When we deny our need for forgiveness or after seeking it we deny that we have been forgiven, we lose the joy of our salvation. Likewise, when we look to externals for our joy, we lose the gift of joy that Jesus has given us. Only by seeing Jesus as the true source of joy can we find hope and healing and lasting happiness. Only by noticing how Jesus handled life can we develop the right attitudes about our own life. Only by observing why Jesus was glad to suffer for the sake of others can we find blessings in our sufferings.
Have we lost sight of Jesus? Look again. Keep our eyes on Jesus, but when we have to look at others, or things or events or whatever, see them through his eyes!
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Acts 18:1-8
View Readings
Psalm 98:1-4
John 16:16-20
Similar Reflections
SWING SET?
“I tell you truly: you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices; you will grieve for a time, but your grief will be turned into joy.” —John 16:20
Imagine a little boy sitting in a swing. This child’s slightly older brother begins to push his brother in the swing. At first, the younger brother is delighted. Then his brother pushes the swing harder. The younger brother begins to become afraid. He cries to his brother to stop. The older brother pushes even harder. The younger child begins to scream and cry.
This scene is analogous to trusting in the Spirit. When the wind of the Spirit blows our swing, it can be delightful. However, if the Holy Spirit pushes harder, we might become afraid. Because of our fears, we can refuse to let the wind of the Spirit lift us up to the heights.
The Holy Spirit swung Paul so hard that he was sent to be a missionary to the Gentiles (see Acts 18:6). The cross is the ultimate push of the Holy Spirit. We are naturally afraid to be lifted up to the cross.
Tomorrow begins the Pentecost novena, which is often all about growing to trust the Holy Spirit before He pushes your swing harder. Pray with all your heart the Pentecost novena.
Prayer: Jesus, lifted up on the cross, in the Resurrection, and in Your Ascension, may I let you draw me to Yourself (Jn 12:32).
Promise: “Many of the Corinthians, too, who heard Paul believed and were baptized.” —Acts 18:8
Praise: At a healing service, Jesus healed Nora’s torn rotator cuff, restoring her full range of motion.
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