Homily – Deacon Stuart, 2012-07-01

Homily – Deacon Stuart, 2012-07-01

“Oliver Plunkett, Priest, Professor of Theology, Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of all Ireland, you have been found guilty of high treason and it is this courts decision that you will be executed for your crimes.”

“Have you anything to say?”

His reply : “Deo Gratias – Thanks be to God.”

And so on this date, July 1^st, in 1681, Oliver Plunkett was executed – his crime - “Propagation of the Catholic faith in Ireland” [He was hanged, drawn and quartered.]

And so we honor the memory of Saint Oliver Plunkett , he was canonized in 1975 , on this date. He was the last Roman Catholic martyr to die in England and the first new Irish saint for almost 700 years. He understood the great risk of his vocation, and touched the lives of many Irish Catholics with his fearless and faithful leadership and paid the ultimate price.

Faith brings Risk as we heard in the gospel.

First, Jairus, – a synagogue official, devout Jew, and an establishment figure with considerable standing in the community, throws himself at the feet of Jesus.

Jesus, the radical rabbi, teacher, healer, and antiestablishment figure, who kept company with all kinds of sinners, and even performed acts of kindness on the Sabbath.

Jairus begs Jesus to come lay his hands on his 12 year old daughter, who is at the point of death, so that she might live. For those of us with children we can certainly understand how a father would risk almost anything to see his 12 yr old child saved from death.

However, the risks he took – discrimination in his synagogue, loss of standing within his community, ostracization of his family and ridicule if his daughter had not been healed were a measure of the incredible Faith he had in Jesus Christ!

As they journey to his home word comes that his daughter has died! And while Jairus’s reaction is not recorded, one can only imagine the father’s anguish at this news.

What is recorded is Jesus’s response to him – “Do not be afraid, just have FAITH.”

When they arrive at the house, they find a commotion, weeping and wailing. Jesus tells the crowd that the child is not dead but asleep. The crowd ridicule Jesus but with great faith in his Father, he takes the child by the hand says “Little girl, I say to you arise,” and of course she does.

We see the Faith of Jairus in Jesus; the Faith of Jesus in his Father, and the Risk to both their reputations.

In the second healing story: A woman has been hemorrhaging for 12 years, and her faith is such that she believes merely touching Jesus’s garments would heal her. So she pushes her way through the crowd, touches Jesus’s garment and is healed.

But Jesus feels the power leave him and asks of the crowd amassing around him “Who touched me?”

So I ask you to imagine Jesus’s disciples, looking at him incredulously, and saying (in Aramaic of course), Lord, you’re kidding, right? You see the crowd pressing all around you and yet you ask: “Who touched Me?”

However, the woman hearing this and understanding what has happened approaches Jesus with great trepidation and falls at his feet confessing what she did. Jesus tells her, “Your FAITH has saved you - be cured of your affliction.

But what a risk she took! In the Judaic culture of the time a ritually unclean woman touching a man she didn’t know.

Faith Brings Risk

So what does this mean to us today? We will in a few minutes approach the table of our Lord and receive Him, precious body and blood. With this most Holy Sacrament He touches us in a most wonderful way. Through the Eucharist He offers healing and fortification for our journey of faith, which the Lord knows is never easy. Strengthened with this gift we are able to take the RISKS that living as a Catholic in American society today requires.

Our religious freedom in this country is under attack.

You should be well aware of current healthcare legislation that negatively impacts the ability of Catholics and our institutions as well as other religions to operate freely and in accord with our beliefs. While this is serious enough when we look at the fine print, the government has decided it can define what is, and what a religious institution is not.

This is history because the constitution says that it can’t do that and I quote “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the FREE exercise thereof….”

Fr. Jenkins, President of Notre Dame University, who have filed a lawsuit against the government, said “If we concede that the government can decide which religious organizations are sufficiently religious to be awarded the freedom to follow the principles that define their mission, then we have begun to walk down a path that ultimately leads to the undermining of those institutions.”

Religious freedom was embraced by our country’s founders as “an essential condition of a free and democratic Society.”

When the bill of rights was ratified religious freedom had the distinction of being the FIRST amendment – because it is indeed the first liberty.

But this attack is more than healthcare; Boston, San Francisco, Washington DC and our state have driven local Catholic adoption and foster care services out of business.

But it’s not just Catholics – in NYC they barred sixty churches of various faiths from renting public schools for their services, but non-religious groups were welcome to rent them for a multitude of purposes.

Yesterday’s Sun Times’ opinion page was a full page article about the growth of non-believers, atheists, agnostics and other faithless. It said, 1 in 6 Americans are not affiliated with any religious group, while for 18-29 year olds it’s 1 in 4. Its hurtful conclusion – that if this trend continues, it’s going to be harder and harder for believers to continue to call to faith atheists!

A few months ago Cardinal George while talking about this attack on our religious freedom said “I expect to die in my own bed, that my successor will die in prison and that his successor will be martyred.”

Yes I’ll repeat that! “I expect to die in my own bed, that my successor will die in prison and that his successor will be martyred.”

Make no mistake – In this country Christians, and particular Catholics are under attack; and I implore you to study the issues, get involved in the debate and take a risk and defend your faith and resist this attack on our religious freedoms. If you have children or grandchildren under the age of 20, you owe it to them.

Martin Luther King Jr. – 50 years ago, said “The church is neither the master nor the servant of the state, BUT its conscience, guide and critic.”

And he added:

“On some positions:

A coward has asked the question ‘Is it safe?’

Expediency asks the question ‘Is it politic?’

Vanity asks the question ‘Is it popular?’

But conscience asks the question, ‘Is it right?’

And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”

For Christians and particularly Catholics in America I believe that time is now.

God Bless you all and the United States of America.

[Edited for punctuation and clarity by blogger]

Humor: obama & Bush on a Train

Sitting together on a train were Pres. Obama, George W. Bush, a little old lady, and a young blonde girl with large breasts.

The train goes into a dark tunnel and a few seconds later There is the sound of a loud slap.

When the train emerges from the tunnel, Obama has a bright red hand print on his cheek.

No one speaks.

The old lady thinks: Obama must have groped the Blonde in the dark, and she slapped him.

The blonde girl thinks: Obama must have tried To grope me in the dark, but missed and fondled The old lady and she slapped him.

Obama thinks: Bush must have groped the blonde in the dark. She tried to slap him but missed and got me instead.

George Bush thinks: I can't wait for another tunnel so I can slap the crap out of Obama again!!!

The Generations

In case you were wondering:

- People born before 1946 were called
The Silent generation. 

- People born between 1946 and 1964 are called
The Baby Boomers. 

- People born between 1965 and 1979 are called
Generation X. 

- And people born between 1980 and 2010 are called Generation Y. 

Why do we call the last group Generation Y?

Y should I get a job?
Y should I leave home and find my own place?
Y should I get a car when I can borrow yours?
Y should I clean my room?
Y should I wash and iron my own clothes?
Y should I buy any food?

But a cartoonist explained it very eloquently below...

Archbishop Charles Chaput -- Fortnight for Freedom Closing Homily

Archbishop Charles Chaput -- Fortnight for Freedom Closing Homily from Rocco Palmo on Vimeo.

Here is the text:


My dear faithful people of God and people of Good will,

Philadelphia is the place where both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were written. For more than two centuries, these documents have inspired people around the globe. So as we begin our reflection on today’s readings, I have the privilege of greeting everyone here today -- and every person watching or listening from a distance -- in the name of the Church of my home, the Church of Philadelphia, the cradle of our country’s liberty and the city of our nation’s founding, so greetings to all of you from the people of Philadelphia. May God bless and guide all of us as we settle our hearts and minds on the Word of God.


Paul Claudel, the French poet and diplomat of the last century, once described the Christian as “a man who knows what he is doing and where he is going in a world [that] no longer [knows] the difference between good and evil, between yes and no. He is like a god standing out in a crowd of invalids . . . He alone has liberty in a world of slaves.”

Like most of the great writers of his time, Claudel was a mix of gold and clay, flaws and genius. He had a deep and brilliant Catholic faith, and when he wrote that a man “who no longer believes in God, no longer believes in anything,” he was simply reporting what he saw all around him. He spoke from a lifetime that witnessed two world wars and the rise of atheist ideologies that murdered tens of millions of innocent people using the vocabulary of science. He knew exactly where forgetting God can lead.

We Americans live in a different country, on a different continent, in a different century. And yet, in speaking of liberty, Claudel leads us to the reason we come together in worship this afternoon.

Most of us know today’s passage from the Gospel of Matthew. What we should, or should not, render unto Caesar shapes much of our daily discourse as citizens. But I want to focus on the other and more important point Jesus makes in today’s Gospel: the things we should render unto God.

When the Pharisees and Herodians try to trap Jesus, he responds by asking for a coin. Examining it he says, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” When his enemies say “Caesar’s,” he tells them to render it to Caesar. In other words, that which bears the image of Caesar belongs to Caesar.

The key word in Christ’s answer is “image,” or in the Greek, eikon. Our modern meaning of “image” is weaker than the original Greek meaning. We tend to think of an image as something symbolic, like a painting or sketch. The Greek understanding includes that sense but goes much further. In the New Testament, the “image” of something shares in the nature of the thing itself.

This has consequences for our own lives because we’re made in the image and likeness of God. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the same word, eikon, is used in Genesis when describing creation. “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” says God (Gen 1:26). The implication is clear. To be made in the image of God is more than a pious slogan. It’s a statement of fact. Every one of us shares -- in a limited but real way -- in the nature of God himself. When we follow Jesus Christ, we grow in conformity to that image.

Once we understand this, the impact of Christ’s response to his enemies becomes clear. Jesus isn’t being clever. He’s not offering a political commentary. He’s making a claim on every human being. He’s saying, “render unto Caesar those things that bear Caesar’s image, but more importantly, render unto God that which bears God’s image” -- in other words, you and me. All of us.

And that raises some unsettling questions: What do you and I, and all of us, really render to God in our personal lives? If we claim to be disciples, then what does that actually mean in the way we speak and the way we act?

Thinking about the relationship of Caesar and God, religious faith and secular authority, is important. It helps us sort through our different duties as Christians and citizens. But on a deeper level, Caesar is a creature -- a creature of this world -- and Christ’s message is uncompromising: We should give Caesar nothing of ourselves. Obviously we’re in the world. That means we have obligations of charity and justice to the people with whom we share it. For Christians, patriotism is a virtue. Love of country is an honorable thing. As Chesterton once said, if we build a wall between ourselves and the world, it makes little difference whether we describe ourselves as locked in or locked out.

But God has made us for more than the world. Our real home isn’t here. The point of today’s Gospel passage is not how we might calculate a fair division of goods between Caesar and God. In reality, it all belongs to God and nothing – at least nothing permanent and important – belongs to Caesar. Why? Because just as the coin bears the stamp of Caesar’s image, we bear the stamp of God’s image in baptism. We belong to God, and only to God.

In today’s second reading, St. Paul tells us, “Indeed religion” -- the RSV version says “godliness” – “with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.” My dear friends, true freedom knows no attachments other than Jesus Christ. It has no love of riches or the appetites they try to satisfy. True freedom can walk away from anything -- wealth, honor, fame, pleasure. Even power. It fears neither the state, nor death itself.

Who is the most free person at anything? It’s the person who masters her art. A pianist is most free who -- having mastered her instrument according to the rules that govern it and the rules of music, and having disciplined and honed her skills -- can now play anything she wants.

The same holds true for our lives. We’re free only to the extent that we unburden ourselves of our own willfulness and practice the art of living according to God’s plan. When we do this, when we choose to live according to God’s intentions for us, then -- and only then -- will we be truly free.

This is the freedom of the sons and daughters of God. It’s the freedom of Miguel Pro, of Mother Teresa, Maximillian Kolbe, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and all the other holy women and men who have gone before us to do the right thing, the heroic thing, in the face of suffering, adversity and death.

This is the kind of freedom that can transform the world. And it should animate all of our talk about liberty – religious or otherwise.

I say this for two reasons. Here’s the first reason. Real freedom isn’t something Caesar can give or take away. He can interfere with it; but when he does, he steals from his own legitimacy.

Here’s the second reason. The purpose of religious liberty is to create the context for true freedom. Religious liberty is a foundational right. It’s necessary for the good of society. But it can never be sufficient for human happiness. It’s not an end in itself. In the end, we defend religious liberty in order to live the deeper freedom that is discipleship in Jesus Christ. What good is religious freedom, consecrated in the law, if we don’t then use that freedom to seek God with our whole mind, our whole strength, our whole soul and all that we are?

Today, July 4, we celebrate the birth of a novus ordo seclorum – a “new order of the ages,” the American Era. God has blessed our nation with resources, power, beauty and the rule of law. We have so much to be grateful for. But these are gifts. They can be misused. They can be lost. In coming years, we’ll face more and more serious challenges to religious liberty in our country. This is why the Fortnight for Freedom has been so very important.

And yet, the political and legal effort to defend religious liberty – as vital as it is – belongs to a much greater struggle to master and convert our own hearts, and to live for God completely, without alibis or self-delusion. The only question that finally matters is this one: Will we live wholeheartedly for Jesus Christ? If so, then we can be a source of freedom for the world. If not, nothing else will do.

God’s word in today’s first reading is a caution we ignore at our own expense. “Son of man,” God says to Ezekiel and to all of us, “I have appointed you as a sentinel. If I say to the wicked, ‘you will surely die’ – and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them . . . I will hold you responsible for their blood.”

Here’s what that means for each of us: We live in a time that calls for sentinels and public witness. Every Christian in every era faces the same task. But you and I are responsible for this moment. Today. Now. We need to “speak out,” not only for religious liberty and the ideals of the nation we love, but for the sacredness of life and the dignity of the human person – in other words, for the truth of what it means to be made in the image and likeness of God.

We need to be witnesses of that truth not only in words, but also in deeds. In the end, we’re missionaries of Jesus Christ, or we’re nothing at all. And we can’t share with others what we don’t live faithfully and joyfully ourselves.

When we leave this Mass today, we need to render unto Caesar those things that bear his image. But we need to render ourselves unto God -- generously, zealously, holding nothing back. To the extent we let God transform us into his own image, we will – by the example of our lives – fulfill our duty as citizens of the United States, but much more importantly, as disciples of Jesus Christ.
May God brings to completion the good things he begins in us today.

Pastor John Hagee on Obama

Message to ALL Christians in America from Pastor John Hagee of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas.

Greetings to all of our Salt Covenant Partners and friends across the nation and around the world.

First, I want to express my profound appreciation to President Barak Obama for doing what all of the Republican candidates have not been able to do for months: he unified the Bible-believing church in America in one week over the issue of abortion.

When the President ordered the Catholic Church to provide contraceptives to prevent the birth of new life, he hit a nerve in the heart of every true Catholic and Evangelical.

Being a politician, he will attempt to compromise his position until after the election and then release the full power of government to force the church to obey the state.  Think about this!  If he made this bold statement before the election, consider how brutal he will be if he is re-elected!

I have said it before and I will say it again:  the election on November 6, 2012 for the office of President is the day of decision for America.  Four more years of Obama will bring absolute socialism to America.  Our children and grandchildren will never know the greatness of America that we have experienced.  THIS MUST NOT HAPPEN!

FORTY DAYS OF PRAYER

I am asking the Christians of America to join us in 40 days of prayer for this Presidential election.  These 40 days of prayer will begin on September 28, 2012.  You can do it individually or in groups, but prayer is the most powerful force God has given us to bring our nation back to righteousness.  I'll be saying more about this as the year progresses, but mark it on your calendar and start telling your family, friends, and church members NOW about the 40 days of prayer.

Sincerely,

Pastor John Hagee

If my people, which are called by my name, 

shall humble themselves, and pray, seek my face,

and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear

from heaven, and will forgive their sin, 

and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 

Fortnight for Freedom - Day 14

Happy Independence Day! Thanks for putting up with me these past 14 days. I hope my postings inspired you to pray and take action to protect our religious liberties. History teaches us that religious freedom is a precious gift, and it can be taken away swiftly, Mexico in 1926, or slowly, Nazi Germany. Many say “It cannot happen here.” But it is already happening.

The culmination of the “Fortnight for Freedom” initiative does not mean we can relax, stop praying, stop writing our elected officials, stop learning about the issues, stop exhorting our friends and relatives. It begins.

Taking one word from Scripture “Watch!”

We are Catholics. Our faith teaches us to be good citizens, but we are near the time, perhaps the time is already here, that calls for civil disobedience. The call has been heard: “I will not, I cannot, I should not comply.”

Prayer for the Nation
Archbishop John Carroll of Baltimore (First Bishop of the United States)

We pray, Thee O Almighty and Eternal God! Who through Jesus Christ hast revealed Thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of Thy mercy, that Thy Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of Thy Name.

We pray Thee, who alone art good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life, our chief bishop, Pope N., the Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of his Church; our own bishop, N., all other bishops, prelates, and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise amongst us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct Thy people into the ways of salvation.

We pray Thee O God of might, wisdom, and justice! Through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with Thy Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.

We pray for his excellency, the governor of this state, for the members of the assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by Thy powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability.

We recommend likewise, to Thy unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of Thy most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal.

Finally, we pray to Thee, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of Thy servants departed who are gone before us with the sign of faith and repose in the sleep of peace; the souls of our parents, relatives, and friends; of those who, when living, were members of this congregation, and particularly of such as are lately deceased; of all benefactors who, by their donations or legacies to this Church, witnessed their zeal for the decency of divine worship and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance. To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, light, and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Amen.

U.S. Constitution - Amendment 1

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.


God bless America. God bless you.

Fortnight for Freedom - Day 13

I would be remiss if I let this religious freedom initiative pass without a day devoted to the Sacred Heart. This devotion has seemed to decline with the excitement of Vatican II, as many traditional rituals/liturgies have; as I've previously mentioned Perpetual Adoration - I wonder why? Then there is some 'competition' with the Divine Mercy devotions. But I think the greater cause is the secularization and hedonism of our society: religious discarding their habits, Mass attendance way down; retreat houses, when you can find one, are more about ecology then renewing our relationship with God.

But I see a revitalization of many of our traditional forms of devotion. I see churches bringing these back. Those that do are growing, those hanging on to the aging liberal movement of the '60s and 70's are declining. Youth want something to hang their hats on, not a constantly changing movement. People are looking for direction from the Vatican, not their liberal pastors or bishops.

My parents had a devotion to the Sacred Heart which I picked up on. It went latent for years passing through young adulthood. But I gradually reacquainted myself and found the devotions rewards and blessings. I'm currently reading "Heart of the Redeemer" by Timothy T. O'Donnell, S.T.D., Ignatius Press, that will tell you all you want to know about the devotion and its history.

With help from Wikipedia, I can express that the Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of his divine love for humanity. The devotion especially emphasizes the unmitigated love, compassion, and long-suffering of the heart of Christ towards humanity. The origin of this devotion in its modern form is derived from a French Roman Catholic nun, Marguerite Marie Alacoque, who said she learned the devotion from Jesus during a mystical experience.

How soothing and refreshing to contemplate that the Father gave His Son to us, and the Son gave his life for us, out of His great love, so we may share eternity with Him.

Worship of the Sacred Heart mainly consists of the Salutation of the Sacred Heart, and the Litany of the Sacred Heart.

And so I pray for the intention of our religious freedom - join me if you like:

Sacred Heart A Salutation Prayer by Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque:

Hail, Heart of Jesus, save me!
Hail, Heart of my Creator, perfect me!
Hail, Heart of my Saviour, deliver me!
Hail, Heart of my Judge, grant me pardon!
Hail, Heart of my Father, govern me!
Hail, Heart of my Spouse, grant me love!
Hail, Heart of my Master, teach me!
Hail, Heart of my King, be my crown!
Hail, Heart of my Benefactor, enrich me!
Hail, Heart of my Shepherd, guard me!
Hail, Heart of my Friend, comfort me!
Hail, Heart of my Brother, stay with me!
Hail, Heart of the Child Jesus, draw me to Thyself!
Hail, Heart of Jesus dying on the Cross, redeem me!
Hail, Heart of Jesus in all Thy states, give Thyself to me!
Hail, Heart of incomparable goodness, have mercy on me!
Hail, Heart of splendor, shine within me!
Hail, most loving Heart, inflame me!
Hail, most merciful Heart, work within me!
Hail, most humble Heart, dwell within me!
Hail, most patient Heart, support me!
Hail, most faithful Heart, be my reward!
Hail, most admirable and most worthy Heart, bless me!


The Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus:

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the World, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, formed in the womb of the Virgin Mother by the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, united substantially with the word of God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Divinity, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father is well pleased, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, rich to all who invoke Thee, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, saturated with revilings, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, crushed for our iniquities, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, made obedient unto death, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in Thee, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, delight of all saints, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord,
Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V. Jesus, meek and humble of Heart.
R. Make our hearts like unto Thine.

Let us pray

Almighty and everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Thy well-beloved Son and upon the acts of praise and satisfaction which He renders unto Thee in the name of sinners; and do Thou, in Thy great goodness, grant pardon to them who seek Thy mercy, in the name of the same Thy Son, Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, world without end.


Sacred Heart of Jesus an offering prayer - The Raccolta

O Divine Heart of Jesus, grant, I beseech Thee, eternal rest to the souls in purgatory, final grace to all who are to die today, true repentance to sinners, the light of faith to pagans, Thy blessing to me and to all who are mine.

To Thee, O most loving Heart of Jesus, do I therefore commend all these souls, and for them I offer all Thy merits, together with the merits of the most Blessed Mother and of all the saints and angels, and also together with all the Sacrifices of the Mass, the Holy Communions, the prayers and good works that are made today throughout the entire Christian world.

You may want to read my post on the Feast of the Sacred Heart which was the work by Saint Bonaventure found in the Office of Readings for that day.

Fortnight for Freedom - Day 12

I've been wondering what to post for Day 12, I decided to do a little surfing and see what I can come up with to share to help you become more acquainted with the religious freedom issues. So see below.


* * * * *

Homily by Fr. Martin Fox at Bonfire of the Vanities blog - Spreading God's Life" He has a great site. Visit him some time.

As you know, right now all Catholics in America--all 70 million of us-- are focusing intently on a “Fortnight for Freedom,” which will conclude this Wednesday as celebrate our nation’s independence.

It’s inspiring to see your responses! Between both parishes, over 5,000 rosaries, prayers, sacrifices and so forth, that we know of.
We have all that posted in the vestibule. And, of course, many others are praying and sacrificing but didn’t turn in a response. Multiply that by the tens of thousands of parishes nationwide, and it adds up, doesn’t it?
Also, remember this isn’t just Catholics. Many of our fellow Americans, of different faiths, likewise see the threats to religious freedom; and not just at home, but everywhere.
For example--in Germany, a court ruled that
parents commit a crime if they circumcise their children.

If that ruling is upheld, that makes an essential part of Islam and Judaism is now a crime.

Now, we are all, also, aware of the major decision handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court last week. It isn’t my place to talk from the pulpit about that whole decision. But, it does connect to the question of religious freedom-- because the mandate hanging over our heads, that would force our Catholic institutions to act contrary to our Faith, was authorized by the President’s health-care law.

A lot of folks are asking, how does that ruling last week affect the mandate threatening us?

The answer is that we continue our efforts. There are lawsuits against the mandate that would force us to provide contraception and abortion services, and those are still working their way through the courts. They haven’t been decided yet. So we keep praying and we keep sharing our message.

 If you are tempted to give up, call it over, remember the woman in the Gospel.
She waited twelve years! Remember the official whose child died-- they said, don’t trouble the teacher any longer. They gave up. And yet Jesus answered the prayer.

A lot of folks are reacting to this discussion of religious freedom by saying, it’s all political. Well, it’s partly political of course. The politicians are making decisions that affect our mission as Christians. They chose to do that; and so we must respond. Our response is prayer and asking them to relent. This is totally legitimate. The Mass prayers, you’ll notice, are for our public officials. We’re praying for them. We want good for our President, our Congress and our courts. Let’s not give up on them.

But let’s step away from that arena and talk about the bigger picture.

We must defend the freedom of the Church to carry out her mission because that mission is about fostering God’s Life in the world. As the first reading said: God fashioned us for life; God desires all Creation to enjoy the fullness of life.

Everything we profess; everything we do, is about that fullness of life.

We defend marriage because that makes a difference for families. That’s about life.

We stand for all unborn children to have life. We want mothers to have the help they need to choose life. Many of the institutions now in danger exist to do just that.  Instead of contraception, we stand for welcoming and cooperating generously with the gift of life, because we know the problem is not too much life--too many people-- but too little justice in how this world’s abundance is made available for all.

We built countless schools, charities and hospitals precisely to help share God’s life with the poor and those in the shadows. And we aim to keep doing that, without interference.

Other people are questioning our motives, perhaps attacking us. But you and I are clear on what we stand for. God’s Creation which is fashioned for life. We are sent to heal and to restore--to give God’s healing and life.



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Msgr. Charles Pope of the Archdiocese of Washington has a very good reflection drawing from 1Kings - the efforts of Elijah seemingly alone and depressed, but God it with him. God will not abandon him. So too for us. We are fighting the fight, we are running the race. At times it looks like we are loosing, but take hope. God is with us. Read his post here.

H/T The Happy Catholic.



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From the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the Diocese of Tyler, comes this sermon from Fr. Anthony McLaughlin on June 21st, the opening of Fortnight for Freedom. 22 minutes long, but a great synopsis of what is going on. Don't miss this. It provides great information for entering into conversation with others on religious freedom.

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If you have not seen this video yet, it is a good one, well done - gets to the point. You want to fee good, you want hope? Watch this.

Our Most Cherished Liberty - Fortnight for Freedom - Day 11

A short but good video from CatholicTV.

Fortnight for Freedom - Day 11

Today, it is time again to write to another political leader, so I write to Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois. I hope others who read this will take the time, and have the courage to write their elected representatives to defend and protect our religious liberties.

An Open Letter to Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn

Dear Governor Quinn,

As part of the Catholic Church’s initiative called “Fortnight for Freedom,” as a fellow Catholic I write you with my views concerning your administration and our religious freedoms.

I write this with as much charity as possible, yet as a Catholic I am obligated to point out some matters to you with prayers and hope that you will amend your positions. I am taught that if a brother or sister sin we must point out their errors to them. If they do not listen it is on them, but if I say nothing, it is on me.

It is difficult to understand how we are so diametrically opposed to each other. We both identify ourselves as Catholic, we both went to Catholic grammar and high schools, you went to Georgetown, a Catholic University, yet you are 100% pro-abortion, and I am 100% pro-life. You favor gay “marriages” while I work to strengthen the family. Your actions and policies have caused a grave injustice to the Catholic community.

You have a gifted background, a gift from God, to have become a great statesman, but you chose the route of political expediency by discarding your Christian values and morals. One day you will meet your maker and will have to explain yourself. Have you not sold your soul?

The Catholic Church not only suffers now because of the Federal HHS mandate and the recent Supreme Court ruling, but it suffers from policies of your administration and the liberal/Democratic ideologies. From the very start Catholics have served the people of Illinois and the Unites States in charity and at times courageously. We opened schools, universities, opened hospital after hospital, and myriads of other outreach and charitable efforts.

The thanks we have received is the demand that we violate our religious principles. We were a highly rated adoption and foster care provider, serving one out of five adoptions, I believe. Then came the legislation which you approved recognizing homosexual marriages. We told you we could not throw out our morality, but we would make referrals to other agencies. But that was not good enough for you. You demanded we provide these services to homosexual couples against our faith and morals. And so we had to close shop. This was a great loss to the people of Illinois.

There are other numerous anti-Catholic actions and policies that must be condemned. So please do not degrade the name of Catholic by identifying yourself as one. You may call yourself one, but your actions surely don’t represent one.

I will pray for you so that somehow you have a change of heart and become the man your Creator intended you to be. If you are a Catholic then you must defend Catholics and all religious freedoms.