Catholic Fire

1. This past weekend, we enjoyed visiting one of our favorite places -- the Wichita Botanica Gardens . Here are just a few of the flowers we saw there.  Roses: Climbing Rose - "America" Climbing Rose - "Don Juan" Grandiflora Rose - "Elle" Pineapple Cactus  (not a rose, but a beautiful flowering plant nonetheless) 2. June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and today, Friday, June 3 is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Read  Seven Saint Quotes on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for reflection today. 3.  Saturday, June 4 is the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary , another special feast day. It takes place just one day after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The proximity of both celebrations reflects the deep connection between the Heart of Jesus and the Heart of His Mother.  4.  Here is a short prayer from St. John Eudes: An Offering of the Hearts of Jesus a...

On June 3, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus . Here are seven inspiring saint quotes for reflection on this beautiful feast day. 1.  "The Heart of Jesus is an open heart. Spend your time there...It is not an ordinary school or a boarding school or a school for examinations, but it is a school of Jesus where you come to learn and to know the Heart of Jesus - where the teachers are His Mother and He. What have we to learn? To be meek and humble; if we are meek and humble, we will learn to pray. If we learn to pray we will belong to Jesus. If we belong to Jesus we will learn to believe and if we believe we will learn to love and if we love we will learn to serve." -- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta 2. "Let us learn to honor the Sacred Heart in the Eucharist. Let us never separate them." -- St. Peter Julian Eymard  3. "The Sacred Heart of Christ is an inexhaustible fountain and its sole desire is to pour itself out into the hear...

The month of June is singled out for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The novena to the Sacred Heart begins on Wednesday, May 25 and ends on Thursday, June 2, the eve of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which takes place on June 3 this year. Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request) Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request) Our Father...Hail Mary....Glory Be To the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. III. O my Jesus, you ha...

By Jean M. Heimann Today’s saint, Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647 – 1690), was selected by God to be a witness to the passionate love He has for each one of us, as symbolized by the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Through visions and private revelations, God used her, as His instrument, to spread His love throughout the world. Growing up in the town of Janots in the Burgundy region of France, Margaret Mary’s childhood was marked by sickness and family problems. Her father died of pneumonia when she was only eight years old and his death left the family in a state of poverty. Relatives took control of the family home, treating both Margaret Mary and her mother cruelly. She stated: “The heaviest of my crosses was that I could do nothing to lighten the cross my mother was suffering." Margaret Mary developed a painful rheumatic condition at 12 and was bedridden until she was 15. After considering marriage for a period of time, she decided to dedicate her life to God. She entered the ...

August 18 is the optional memorial of St. John Eudes, a French priest who founded of the Society of Jesus and Mary (the Eudists) and the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity.  Pope Leo XIII proclaimed him to be the “father, doctor and apostle of the liturgical cult of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.” John Eudes was born at Ri, Normandy, France, on November 14, 1601, the son of a farmer.  Prior to John's birth, his parents who had been praying for a child and when he was born, they offered him to God through Mary. He attended the Jesuit college at Caen, joined the religious order of the Oratorians, and was ordained a priest at the age of 24. John worked as a volunteer, caring for the victims of the plagues that struck Normandy in 1625 and 1631. In order to avoid infecting his fellow religious, he lived in a huge cask in the middle of a field during the plague. At age 32, John became a parish missionary, building a reputation as an extraordinary preacher and confes...

June 12 is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On this feast, we focus our attention on Jesus truly present in the Holy Eucharist and reflect on God’s unconditional love and boundless mercy as symbolized by His heart. The Catechism of the Catholic Church , quoting Pope Pius XII's Encyclical " Haurietis Aquas " states, "[Jesus] has loved us all with a human heart. For this reason, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation, 'is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that... love with which the divine Redeemer continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings' without exception ( CCC ,478). Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has as its dogmatic foundation the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. On account of the hypostatic union, every part of our Lord's Human Nature is worthy of adoration. Hence, therefore, we adore His bodily Heart, beating in His Bosom. We also honor...

"The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also." — Harriet Ann Jacobs 1. It has been a great spring! God has blessed us with lots of showers, which has done wonders for my flowers, fruit-bearing trees, and the garden! Thank you, Lord! The potted plant (an annual named verbena) above, which hangs on my shepherd's hook in the back yard is flourishing and I have only watered it twice in the last month due to the plentiful rain here! 2. These bright, cheerful lilies on the side of the garage are also loving the weather here! 3. These are just a few of the beautiful birds that land on the back yard crabapple tree and head for the mulberry tree, where they enjoy a feast. 4. We have recently added tomato plants to our vegetable garden. This one is a 'Big Boy.'  5. Just for fun, here's our little one, playing with her favorite mate. 6. It's not too la...

The month of June is singled out for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The novena to the Sacred Heart begins on Thursday, June 4, 2015 and ends on Friday, June 12, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request) Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request) Our Father...Hail Mary....Glory Be To the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and ...

By Jean M. Heimann Today’s saint, Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647 – 1690), was selected by God to be a witness to the world of the passionate love He has for each one of us, as symbolized by the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Through visions and private revelations, God used her, as His instrument, to spread His love throughout the world.  Growing up in the town of Janots in the Burgundy region of France, Margaret Mary’s childhood was marked by sickness and family problems. Her father died of pneumonia when she was only eight years old and his death left the family in a state of poverty. Relatives took control of the family home, treating both Margaret Mary and her mother cruelly. She stated: “The heaviest of my crosses was that I could do nothing to lighten the cross my mother was suffering."  Margaret Mary developed a painful rheumatic condition at 12 and was bedridden until she was 15. After considering marriage for a period of time, she decided to dedicate her life to...

August 18 is the optional memorial of St. John Eudes, a French priest who founded of the Society of Jesus and Mary (the Eudists) and the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity.  Pope Leo XIII proclaimed him to be the “father, doctor and apostle of the liturgical cult of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.” John Eudes was born at Ri, Normandy, France, on November 14, 1601, the son of a farmer.  Prior to John's birth, his parents who had been praying for a child and when he was born, they offered him to God through Mary. He attended the Jesuit college at Caen, joined the religious order of the Oratorians, and was ordained a priest at the age of 24. John worked as a volunteer, caring for the victims of the plagues that struck Normandy in 1625 and 1631. In order to avoid infecting his fellow religious, he lived in a huge cask in the middle of a field during the plague. At age 32, John became a parish missionary, building a reputation as an extraordinary preacher and confes...

Fr. Barron gives his take on the new film "The Fault In Our Stars." Who would believe that the Sacred Heart of Jesus is part of the film?

"I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled." (Luke 12:29) We have approached the fire of the love of God. Let us allow that fire to burn our lives. Let us feed the desire to spread that divine fire throughout the world, making it known to all the people around us. They too can experience the peace of Christ and find happiness there. A Christian who lives united to Christ's heart can have no goals but these: peace in society, peace in the Church, peace in his soul, the peace of God which will reach its climax when his kingdom comes. ~ St. Josemaria Escriva Image Source

Today is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On this feast, we focus our attention on Jesus truly present in the Holy Eucharist and reflect on God’s unconditional love and boundless mercy as symbolized by His heart. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has as its dogmatic foundation the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. On account of the hypostatic union, every part of our Lord's Human Nature is worthy of adoration. Hence, therefore, we adore His bodily Heart, beating in His Bosom. We also honor the Heart of Jesus as a reminder, or symbol, of His love for us, and we are moved to make Him a return of love, because He has loved us and He is not loved by men. Love, consecration, and reparation are the characteristic acts of this devotion. In this form it is now solemnly approved by the Church. On the feast of the Sacred Heart celebrated on the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi an act of reparation is prescribed for recitation in every ch...

Fr. James Kubicki,SJ, National Director of the Apostleship of Prayer, shares an inspiring message with us about the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Pope John Paul II.

The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Related:  Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus begins today St. Maria Josefa of the Sacred Heart of Jesus St. Claude de la Columbiere

The month of June is singled out for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The novena to the Sacred Heart begins today. Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request) Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request) Our Father...Hail Mary....Glory Be To the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible wor...

The saint of the day for March 20th is St. Maria Josefa of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. "Do not believe that caring for the sick consists only in giving them medicine and food; there is another kind of care which you should never forget, that of the heart which seeks to adapt to the suffering person, going to meet his needs.” These are the words of one whose mind and heart were fully seized of a mission, Saint Maria Josefa of the Heart of Jesus. The mission: to be a “neighbor” to the sick and the suffering in the world. Canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 1 in the Jubilee Year 2000, St Maria Josefa was the Foundress of the Institute of the Servants of Jesus of Charity. Conceived in the year 1871 in Bilbao, Spain, this Institute, totally dedicated to nursing the sick with a contemplative approach, has a presence of more than 1000 members in some 43 houses spread across the globe. Maria Josefa was the oldest daughter of Bernabe Sancho and Petra de Guerra born on Septem...

Today the Church honors St. Claude de la Columbiere (1641-1682), a Jesuit missionary, who was the brilliant and holy spiritual director of St. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. Claude de la Colombiere is best known for his association with St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the devotion of the Sacred Heart, but his life has its own drama. He was sent to England after his spiritual direction of St. Margaret Mary was over and became embroiled in the Titus Oates "Popish Plot," was imprisoned, then banished from England. His story is part of the history of the seventeenth century. He was born near Lyons in 1641 to a very devout family and entered the Society of Jesus at Avignon. After his novitiate, he taught grammar and the humanities. Even before his ordination to the priesthood, he gained a reputation as a preacher. After completing his studies in Paris, he became tutor to the sons of Colbert, the financial minister of Louis XIV, but was dismissed from his post and returned t...

Today is the optional memorial of St. John Eudes, a French priest, parish missionary, founder of the Eudists and of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity, and author of the liturgical worship of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. John Eudes was born at Ri, Normandy, France, on November 14, 1601, the son of a farmer. He went to the Jesuit college at Caen when he was 14. Despite his parents' wishes that he marry, he joined the religious order of the Oratorians in France and was ordained a priest at the age of 24. John worked as a volunteer, caring for the victims of the plagues that struck Normandy in 1625 and 1631. In order to avoid infecting his fellow religious, he lived in a huge cask in the middle of a field during the plague. At age 32, John became a parish missionary, building a reputation as an outstanding preacher and confessor During his long life,  he preached not less than one hundred and ten missions in different parts of France.. He was known for his opposit...