Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

June is the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart

Readings for the Rule of Saint Benedict for the Week: Ch 7:35-59 Humility

Let Your ears be attentive.

HEART OF JESUS, SOURCE OF ALL CONSOLATION,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

MARY, MOTHER OF HOPE,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

Where are you? ... 

Who told you that you were naked?

(Genesis 3:9, 11)

Welcome to the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time in the month of June dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It's certainly a nice place to be, that is, in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. You can't go wrong there. At the same time, it is also nice to be in the Immaculate Heart of His Mother, Mary. Place yourself in the heart of both Son and Mother. All will be well and all manner of things will be well, Julian of Norwich (c.1343-1416) tells us.

Thoughts are scattered today. Here, there, and everywhere as it goes. Just like the breeze. The lines included above from the Book of Genesis come from the first reading for Mass today. (Genesis 3:9-15). There, God goes looking for Adam and his wife who were hiding in the garden. It was at the breezy time of the day. ☺The couple was afraid, because they were naked, so they hid from God. So, God poses the questions, even though He knows the truth. At this breezy time of the day, then, just what was blowing around? Hmmm. When I read this account, something that comes to mind is the blame game. "It was 'her' fault," or, "It was 'his' fault." I think of the Family Circus cartoons I used to love. There it was the "Not me," game. The mom (Thelma), or dad (Bil) would ask who did this or that, and the children would respond, "Not me." It occurs to me too that in such a scene there was a little ghost in the photo. Was is the "Not me" ghost? I will have to take a look. I just did and found that I still love the cartoon, especially now as I smile and see the "Not me" ghost in a few scenes. Classic. Bil walks in the door carrying his tennis racket and asks two of his four children in the entryway. "Who left my racket out in the rain?, " asks Daddy. "Not me." Not me," are the responses of the two little boys, Billy and Jeffy. At the same time, the "Not me" ghost stands on the counter. Um huh. In any case, I reminded about the importance of taking responsibility for what I have done or haven't done. Instead of pointing the one finger at someone else, I am better to look at the three fingers pointing at myself. Take ownership and responsibility. No blaming allowed. The grace of God will carry us on. Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give the glory. Please, help us to do your holy will. For, as Jesus tells us in today's Gospel (Mark 3:20-35), whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. No hiding allowed. 

Keep going, faithful readers. We are not discouraged, Saint Paul tells us in the second reading at Mass (2 Cor 4:13-5:1). "Although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For any momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven" (2 Cor 4:16-5:1). Together, united, "we are always courageous ... for we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor 5: 6-7). As in the words of the psalmist: "Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it" (Ps 127:10).

Our voices for the week are varied. All come from saints who promoted Eucharistic devotion. Except for the first voice, that comes from Cardinal Robert Sarah in his powerful book, The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise, Ignatius 2017. I pick it up now and then.  I didn't know where to begin with the number of passages I've marked so far. Let's start with this one, that, as it turns out, might be responded to by a visit to the Blessed Sacrament.

It is necessary to leave our inner turmoil to find God. Despite the agitations, the busyness, the easy pleasures, God remains silently present. He is in us like a thought, a word, and a presence whose secret sources are buried in God Himself, inaccessible to human inspection.

The language that everyone understands is love.

(Saint Joseph Freinademetz, 1852-1908)

It is at the foot of the altar that we find the strength we need in our isolation.

(Saint Damien de Veuster, 1840-1889)

My dear ones, the visit to the Blessed Sacrament is an extremely necessary way to conquer the devil ... the devil is deathly afraid of fervent Communions and frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament

(Saint John Bosco, 1815- 1888)

Make my tongue, O Lord, like a swift arrow to declare they marvelous works.

(Saint Anthony of Padua, "Ark of the New Testament," Doctor of the Church, 1195-1231)

Jesus Eucharistic is a conqueror ... He wants to subject the universe to His gentle sway.

(Saint Peter Julian Eymard, 1811-1868)

In other years on the date I write this, June 9, which this year falls on a Sunday, the Church commemorates Saint Ephrem (306-373), Deacon and Doctor. Saint Ephrem was a poet and a theologian, famous for, among other things, "not only for the beauty of expression of his homilies but also for his hymns, which have spread far beyond his native Syriac church and are in use in East and West alike." The following is from one his hymns used as the patristic reading for the June 9 Office of Readings. And here, Saint Ephrem too, speaks of the Eucharist.

In Your sacrament we daily embrace You and receive You into our bodies; make us worthy to experience the resurrection for which we hope. We have had Your treasure hidden within us ever since we received baptismal grace; it grows ever richer at Your sacramental table. Teach us to find our joy in Your favor! Lord, we have within us Your memorial, received at Your spiritual table; let us possess it in its full reality when all things shall be made new.

(From a sermon by Saint Ephrem, deacon, in Office of Readings, June 9)

From the following line-up, you see that there are several saints to commemorate this week. Pray to them, they will help you respond more fully to the universal call to holiness. Included is Saint Anthony of Padua, Patron Saint of Lost and Found. And how fitting it is to turn to Saint Anthony when something is lost. It's like he immediately gets to work. Just this last week, in the midst of a busy day, I misplaced my Carmelite scapular. After Mass, I asked Saint Anthony to please get busy and find it. Not surprisingly, in less than an hour, a sister appeared holding it ... she found it in the laundry! Go, Saint Anthony, go! Thank you. Saint Simon Stock, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, pray for us.

SAINT EPHREM, DEACON AND DOCTOR,

SAINT COLUMBA,

SAINT JOSE DE ANCHIETA,

BLESSED EDWARD POPPE,

SAINT BARNABAS THE APOSTLE,

SAINT ONUPHRIUS,

BLESSED ALPHONSUS MAZUREK AND COMPANIONS,

BLESSED HILARY JANUSZEWSKI,

SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA, PATRON SAINT OF LOST AND FOUND,

SAINT DAVNET,

SAINT LIDWINA,

SAINT ALICE OR ALEYDIS,

SAINT GASPAR BERTONI,

SAINT ELISHA, PROPHET,

BLESSED MARIA CANDIDA OF THE EUCHARIST,

SAINT METHODIUS OF CONSTANTINOPLE,

BLESSED PETER SNOW AND RALPH GRIMSTON,

BLESSED GERARD, CISTERCIAN MONK, OLDER BROTHER OF BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX,

SAINT GERMAINE COUSIN,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: To my voice in supplication.

© Gertrude Feick 2024