The Sacred Heart of Jesus Part II

Last Friday we had one of the Miles Christi priests lead our weekly formation group. One of the talks he gave was on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He said something that was very interesting and which is prompting me to spend some time this month posting more about the Sacred Heart. Over the next few weeks, I will try to post different prayers and background information that will help us to grow in our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Father told us that when Jesus had appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the late 1600's, He did so because it was at a time when Jesus was being despised, most especially by consecrated people. Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary because He wanted to express His deep sadness at not being loved. He was asking for reparation against these sins, especially those committed by His consecrated people.

At that point in the talk, one of the women made a comment that led to the discussion of how Jesus must feel at this time in history. If it was bad enough back then for Jesus to appear, how must He feel right now????? Father told us that that is why the devotion to the Sacred Heart is so important for our time. We need a renewal of this devotion, which has as its main goal to increase love for Jesus in the world. The devotion focuses on the human heart of Jesus because the heart represents the essence or goodness of a person. According to Father, when we grow in this love, we grow in goodness.

So during the course of this month, look for other posts on this much needed devotion. We need to spread it so that we can help compensate for all of the sins committed against the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Three Holy Events

In the past week we've had a Trinitarian experience - 3 very holy events to attend. Last week I mentioned that we attended the funeral Mass for Bishop Kaffer. A very beautiful tribute to a very holy man.

On Saturday, we once again found ourselves back in the Cathedral for the diocesan ordination Mass. Three men were ordained into the church and, having never been to an ordination before, I have to say it was a very beautiful and moving experience. A friend of mine said he was thinking about how the young men must have felt the night before and that it probably was a lot like how we all felt the day before we got married - nervous, excited and a bit fearful of what it would be like.

At one point during the ordination ceremony, after the men were actually ordained, the Bishop presented each new priest with a chalice filled with wine and a paten with a host on it and said to them, "Understand what you do and imitate what you celebrate". What a beautiful saying for a priest to remember. It was too bad that there weren't as many priests at the ordination as there had been at the funeral, for I think it would be a good reminder to them of what their own ordination had been like and it might help to rekindle any flames that might be dying out (you know, kind of like how a good anniversary celebration with your spouse does the same thing :)

Unfortunately, due to the length of the Mass and the fact that we had another event to go to, we did not get our new priest blessing. However, we often go to the parish where one of the priests is now "stationed" and so I intend on finding him and asking him for it soon!

During both Masses at the Cathedral, the choir was outstanding. They sang a rendition of the Alleluia that I have never heard before. It is called the Salisbury Alleluia. If you've never heard it before, either, it is very dramatic. I was hoping to find someone's rendition of it to put up here but unfortunately I could only find one and it didn't do it justice. Anyhow, during this Alleluia, the Deacon, escorted by seminanrians with candles, processed around the front of the altar and up the steps to the ambo. By the time he got there, you really felt the awe of what he was about to proclaim. With the dramatic music and the deacon holding up the Gospels, you really felt like the Word of God was present. I must pass on the advise given to me: If you've not been to an ordination before, I would highly encourage you to go!

The third event was last night. Two of our daughters received the Sacrament of Confirmation by a Bishop who performed it according to the Latin Rite. While I could not understand any of it, the ceremony was very beautiful. You could just feel the reverence of the Bishop and his love for the church. There were 28 girls and boys that came from three different states to be a part of this awesome experience. I am so glad that we had the chance to participate in this very intimate and holy gathering. Welcome into the fullness of the church, our two new Soldiers of Christ: Joan and Mary-Agnes. (Notice their oily foreheads. The girls said the Bishop made the sign of the cross and then rubbed the oil in with quite a bit of enthusiasm!)

Through all of the events of this past week, I got the sense that God has been showing me the beauty of the Catholic Church. I know that sometimes we get bogged down by the problems we encounter in it, but if we take a moment to search it out, the beauty, the splendor and the majesty of our beloved Church is still there.

Trusting God

I've had a few interesting experiences this past week that have made me really think about trusting God. Last week on day 3 of our week-long marathon of activities, for a variety of reasons, we were running VERY late for Mass. We got in the car at 8:15 for our 25 minute drive to make it to 8:30 Mass. Do the math and you will realize that it just wasn't adding up. I decided that speeding wouldn't even get me there on time, so I starting praying that God would suspend time. When that didn't seem to be working (my watch hands were still moving :) I started hoping that we would at least be there for the start of the Consecration. At 8:40 we pulled up, jumped out of the car, ran to the front door of the church and noticed that Father was just beginning Mass. You see, it was "change the missal day" and they had just finished up. Thank you God!

A few days later (day 5 of our marathon), we were again running late. This time we were late leaving for a ballet recital that was to begin at 2:00. It was 1:10 and I wasn't sure how long it was going to take us to get there (not my fault - the ordination was 2 hours and 10 minutes long!). Despite my DH trying to give me the quickest directions possible to this place on the far side of the earth, we didn't arrive until 2:30. As we flew into some empty seats, we quickly realized that all of the people that we had come to see were just about to go on stage for the first time. It seems that the recital got started late, the teacher talked for about 10 minutes and the first part of the recital didn't involve our friends at all. Thank you God!

Yesterday, day 6, we had our cast and crew party scheduled at a local park. In addition to the picnic, the girls were going to be performing some skits and dances on the outdoor stage. There was an 80% chance of rain all day, and it had already rained in the morning. Low and behold, it didn't rain again until we got home, and it was late enough that everyone else would have gotten home, too, without getting wet. Thank you God!

So how is it, with all these wonderful examples of how God looks out for us in even these small and insignificant ways, that I can doubt that He is looking out for us in the big ways. With some major issues facing us in the near future, how come I still panic when we get another piece of news that doesn't sound good? These things shouldn't phase me. I know I should trust that whatever happens, Jesus is completely guiding this ship. Even if there is silence, I have to trust that He knows what is going on and that He has things under control. Isn't that what He has been trying to show me this past week???



*Note - Two of my daughters will be receiving the sacrament of Confirmation this evening. Please pray for them and for all who will be attending! Thanks.

7 Quick Takes Friday Vol 26

1.

Emily update - Well, this week for Emily has been one of severe trial and yet joy. The other day was probably the closest she has come to dying. She had a very rough day with radiation and collapsed and was rushed to the ER. Her heart rate and blood pressure were all over the place. After awhile they finally got her stabilized and she began to do much better. In fact, yesterday was her last chemo treatment and today is her last radiation treatment. Thank you so very much for all of your prayers because her mother truly believes that it was all the prayers that have gotten her this far. I will let you know if there are any further developments during her recuperation time.

2.

I know there is a lot that one can find to complain about in the Catholic Church today, but we had the incredible honor of seeing the Church in all Her glory. On Wednesday we attended the funeral Mass for Bishop Roger Kaffer. Words cannot describe the beauty of this Mass. There is something that just moves me almost to tears to see that many priests and bishops at one altar. There was at least 10 bishops, probably about 150 priests and countless deacons and seminarians. We were even honored with the presence of His Eminence Francis Cardinal George. It was a very moving tribute to a very holy man.

3.

I'll never forget one of Bishop Kaffer's favorite homilies. I heard it for the first time when we were at Catholic Familyland with him. He was talking about the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Of course I cannot remember the entire thing, but he founded his argument on the statement that either Jesus was telling the truth about Himself in John chapter 6 (the Eucharistic discourse), or He was not. If Jesus was not telling the truth then that meant that either He was a fool, because He was essentially delusional, or He was a liar. I can see Bishop Kaffer even now getting revved up and saying "I know Jesus and He isn't a liar and He isn't a fool". I wish someone would circulate that talk, it is quite powerful!

4.

Because we never have enough to do, we decided to slip in an ordination this weekend. There are three men being ordained this Saturday in the Joliet diocese. Please say a quick prayer for them! I've had a number of people tell me that I should go to an ordination because they are something to behold. I also have heard that the blessings of a newly ordained priest are very special. Can't wait to get those!

5.

Our garden is in, watered and weeded. Actually, it isn't looking too bad. I don't expect that to last for too long, however. We always seem to start out good, but somewhere along the line something happens and our garden ends up a mess. Anyhow, here is a picture of our very first (and very cute) green pepper.

6.

Well, I ordered a new bathing suit from a modest bathing suit company online a few weeks ago. Let me just state that I have a very hard time "seeing" the big picture of things. I cannot envision what a room will look like by looking at a paint chip. Therefore, I also have a very hard time envisioning what a bathing suit will look like from a small rectangular swatch on my computer screen. Let's just say that when I put it on, I looked like a large, florescent house. Thankfully the lady where I ordered it from is allowing me to return it for a darker, solid colored suit.

7.

Well, this shall be all for today because I can't really come up with anything else. We've had a very busy week and my head is still spinning. Unfortunately it won't stop spinning until next Thursday (I hope). Of course, all this running around we've been doing to far off places just when gas prices decide to skyrocket. Oh well. Have a great weekend.

Ever Think of Building your Own Website?

Now that school is over for most families, and you'll have so much more time on your hands, I thought I'd bring up the subject of building your own website. About a year and a half ago, my husband and I stumbled onto Site Build It and we really were impressed with what they had to offer.

Since then, as you know, I've been working on my website. I knew absolutely nothing about website building, and at times it has been frustrating, but with a little perseverance, I've been able to put together my site and learn a lot in the process. I find it to be a lot of fun and wish I had more time to work on it.

My husband has put together a site for the company he works for (his family's business). He hasn't had much time to work on it, but because it is a service business, it is fun to watch the contact forms come in from people who want work done.

Ms 17 yo has recently gotten to the point that her website has a home page. We decided to make this part of her Junior year schoolwork. She, too, has had no prior website experience, but is enjoying learning about how to do it. Hopefully she can build her site big enough to help her pay for college.

The main thing that SBI requires from someone who signs up with them is that you have a passion for something. Is there something you love to talk about or know a lot about? Then build a website about it. That is what makes it fun and not work. That is what will keep you going when you might be struggling. We all have something we are passionate about or know a lot about. Heck, I just stumbled across an SBI site about apple cider vinegar! The possibilities are endless.

If you'd like more info and you're a SAHM, then you can click here.
Are you a student looking to generate some extra income? If so, click here.
If you just want the basics, click here.

Give it some serious thought. It really is loads of fun!

Auxiliary Bishop Roger L Kaffer RIP

The Joliet Diocese has suffered a tremendous loss with the death last week of our Auxiliary Bishop Roger Kaffer. Bishop Kaffer was a friendly, very approachable man who loved the youth. When he was the principal of one of the local Catholic high schools, Bishop Kaffer made it a point to visit the home of every family that had a student in the high school.

Bishop Kaffer was the auxiliary bishop of the diocese for 24 years. He was also the State Chaplin for the Illinois Knights of Columbus for 16 years.

On a personal level, we were privileged to have Bishop Kaffer come to our home back in 1996 to enthrone our home to the Sacred Heart. This was one of his personal apostolates to which he was very devoted. He loved spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart and would try hard to find a spot in his very busy schedule for anyone who was interested.

We also had the honor of having him preside over some of our homeschool group graduation Masses. When our two eldest daughters graduated from 8th grade, Bishop Kaffer was the presider and handed them their diplomas.
Based on what I've known and seen of Bishop Kaffer, I'm sure that he heard those beloved words of our Lord, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him and may his soul, and all the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

Welcome to June, the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Last year, in one of his weekly addresses, Pope Benedict the XVI urged Catholics

"to renew, in this month of June, their devotion to the Heart of Jesus." The Holy Father also explained that the Sacred Heart is a symbol "of the Christian faith that is especially dear, to ordinary people as well as to mystics and theologians, because it expresses the 'good news' of love in a simple and authentic way, encapsulating the mystery of Incarnation and Redemption."

We can spend the month focusing on our relationship with Jesus and His loving heart, so often wounded by our many sins. We can spend the month making reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for all of these sins committed. It is also a good month to renew our consecration to the Sacred Heart. Here is a consecration prayer from St. Margaret Mary Alacoque that can be used:

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee.

I take Thee, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death. Be Thou, O Most Merciful Heart, my justification before God Thy Father, and screen me from His anger which I have so justly merited. I fear all from my own weakness and malice, but placing my entire confidence in Thee, O Heart of Love, I hope all from Thine infinite Goodness. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist Thee. Imprint Thy pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee.

I beseech Thee, through Thine infinite Goodness, grant that my name be engraved upon Thy Heart, for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory, to live and to die as one of Thy devoted servants.

Amen.

When Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary and asked her to spread this devotion to the Sacred Heart, He told her of these twelve promises for anyone who follows this devotion. They are as follows:

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will give peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
9. I will bless those places wherein the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my Heart.
12. In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.

Let us honor our Lord and His most Sacred Heart during this month and make reparation for all of the ways in which His heart is wounded.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.