July 2026

Jubilee Year of Saint Francis on the 800th Anniversary of His Death 

July is the month dedicated to the Precious Blood

The Lord speaks of peace to His people. 

OUR LADY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

SAINT FRANCIS,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

BLOOD OF CHRIST, STREAM OF MERCY,

SAVE US.

BLOOD OF CHRIST, VICTOR OVER DEMONS,

SAVE US.

BLOOD OF CHRIST, COURAGE OF MARTYRS,

SAVE US.

BLOOD OF CHRIST, PEACE AND TENDERNESS OF HEARTS,

SAVE US.

Welcome to July dear faithful readers. It is God bless America, red, white, and blue, happy 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence; July, the month dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus. Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor, save us! Blood of Christ, help of those in peril, save us!

This month's suggestion for reflection stems from a quotation I marked in Anne Tyler's Vinegar Girl, that is, "You could feel physically wounded if someone hurt your feelings bad enough." As children, "we," that would be my friends and I, used to sing a little ditty, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me." Even though there is truth in that short song, words are powerful and can hurt us. And, even though one of Don Miguel Ruiz’s Four Agreements is, “Don’t take things personally,” we do take things personally, and are wounded as a result. Over time, one can diminish in myriad ways. Words, spoken and unspoken, from another, can hurt our feelings, even to the point when we become physically wounded, in mind, body, and heart. Maybe you can recall a time a two, or more, when your feelings were hurt, by what someone said, or did not say to you, in what tone, with what body language, with what force, and so on. With these thoughts in mind, perhaps paying more attention to what and how we speak to others is due. Are our words and actions building up, or tearing down? Are we at the very least civil, using "thank-you," "please," "you are welcome," "I am sorry," "It is my fault" ... It is no wonder that Saint Benedict, who we celebrate July 11th, had an entire chapter on Restraint of Speech, Chapter 6. You might read it. In a nutshell, remember the psalmist who sings, "I have resolved to keep watch over my ways that I may never sin with my tongue. I have put a guard on my mouth, I was silent and was humbled, and I refrained even from good words." Even good words, you ask? Saint Benedict explains, "Here the prophet indicates that there are times when good words are to be left unsaid out of esteem for silence." Furthermore, "so important is silence that permission to speak should seldom be granted even to mature disciples, no matter how good or holy or constructive their talk, because it is written: 'in a flood of words you will not avoid sin,' and elsewhere, 'The tongue holds the key to life and death.'" And one other gem I read in my monthly missal: "We can use our treasured capacity for speech to offer prayer, as fragrant incense before God, or to offer hurt to another."* The decision is ours: speech to offer prayer or speech to offer hurt. Hmmm. 

United in faith and prayer, we encourage each other as we continue on the journey to God. May the following voices inspire us ... 

Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament ... There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves on earth.

(J.R.R. Tolkien, 1892-1973)

Our God dwells within us and the only way we can become one with our God 

is to become one with our authentic self.

(Maurice Blondel, 1861-1949)

Sei vil o grande; mori, lo saprai.

Whether great or mediocre; in death, it will be known.

(Marco Antonio Altieri, 1450-1532)

These three remain: word, example, prayer; but the greatest of these is prayer.

(Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153)

When we dismiss or deny the hopes of others, she [Mma Ramotswe] thought, we forget that they, like us, have only one chance in this life.

(Alexander McCall-Smith, Tea Time for the Traditionally Built)

Concern for those whom one loved was an inescapable feature of this life - and it was impossible to imagine a world without such concern.

(Mma Ramotswe in Alexander McCall-Smith, Tea Time for the Traditionally Built)

And most of all I am grateful to you for being my friend, Mma; I am grateful to you for that. That is the best thing anybody can be to anybody else - a friend.

(Mma Makutsi to Mma Ramotswe in Alexander McCall-Smith, Tea Time for the Traditionally Built)

But when you are old like me, you think that the whole world is changing. There are new people everywhere. New buildings. And all this rush - everybody is in a hurry. And you sit there and think: Why is everybody in a hurry? That will not make the crops grow any quicker, will it? It will not.

(Fanwell's grandmother to Mma Ramotswe in Alexander McCall-Smith, 

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built)

And wisdom from two powerful Carmelites to remember first, at the beginning of each day ...

However quietly we speak, He is so near that He will hear us; we need not wings to go in search of Him but have only to find a place where we can be alone and look upon Him present within us.

(Saint Teresa of Avila, 1515-1582)

and second, at the end of each day ...

When night comes, and look back over the day and see how fragmentary everything has been, and how much you planned that has gone undone, and all the reasons you have to be embarrassed and ashamed: just take everything exactly as it is, put in in God's hands and leave it to Him. Then you will be able to rest in Him - really rest - and start the next day as new life.

(Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Edith Stein, 1891-1942,  in The Tablet, January 2, 2021, p. 17)

Once again, there are plenty of saints to invoke this month. Why not choose one and learn about him or her. Among others, the life of Saint Alphonsa Muttathupadathu (1910-1946) is interesting. 

SAINT JUNIPERO SERRA, PRIEST,

SAINT OLIVER PLUNKETT,

BLESSED NAZJU FALZON,

OUR LADY OF BUDSLAU,

BLESSED JOHN CORNELIUS,

BLESSED MARIA CROCIFISSA,

SAINT PIER GIORGIO FRASSATI,

SAINT MARIA GORETTI, VIRGIN,

SAINT MONINNE,

SAINT PETER TO ROT,

SAINT MAELRUAIN,

SAINT KILIAN,

SAINT WITHBURGA,

SAINT AUGUSTINE ZHAO RONG AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS,

THE MARTYRS OF GORCUM,

SAINT PAULINA OF THE HEART OF THE DYING JESUS,

SAINT VILLEHAD, MARTYR,

SAINT LEO IGNATIUS MANGIN, PRIEST, MARY AHU WU AND COMPANIONS, MARTRYS,

BLESSED JANE SCOPELLI,

SAINT CNUT, KING AND MARTYR, PATRON OF DENMARK,

SAINT BENEDICT, ABBOT,

SAINT JOHN JONES,

SAINT KJELD, PRIEST,

SAINTS LOUIS MARTIN AND MARIE AZELIE GUERIN,

SAINT HENRY,

SAINT TERESA OF LOS ANDES,

SAINT KATERI TEKAKWITHA,

SAINT BONAVENTURE, BISHOP, DOCTOR,

SAINT SWITHUN,

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL,

SAINT HELIER,

SAINT KENELM,

BLESSED JOHN SUGAR, PRIEST, AND ROBERT GRISSOLD, MARTYRS,

BLESSED INACIO DE AZEVEDO,

SAINT THERESE OF SAINT AUGUSTINE AND COMPANIONS,

SAINT CAMILLIS OF LELLIS, PRIEST,

SAINT BARTHOLOMEW OF THE MARTYRS, BISHOP, 

SAINT JOHN PLESSINGTON,

SAINT APOLLARIS, BISHOP, MARTYR,

SAINT THORLAK,

SAINT ELIJAH, FATHER OF THE CARMELITES,

SAINT LAURENCE OF BRINDISI, PRIEST, DOCTOR,

SAINT MARY MAGDALENE,

SAINT BRIDGET OF SWEDEN, RELIGIOUS,

SAINT PHILIP EVANS AND JOHN LLOYD,

OUR LADY, MOTHER OF DIVINE GRACE,

SAINT CHARBEL MAKHHLOUF, PRIEST,

SAINT DECLAN,

SAINT JOHN BOSTE,

BLESSED ROBERT LUDLAM AND NICHOLAS GARLICK,

BLESSED JOHN SORETH,

BLESSED MARIA MERCEDES PRAT,

SAINT JAMES, APOSTLE,

SAINTS ANNA AND SAINT JOACHIM,

SAINT TITUS BRANDSMA,

BLESSED ROBERT SUTTON,

BLESSED RUDOLPH ACQUAVIVA AND COMPANIONS,

SAINT VICTOR,

SAINT SAMPSON,

SAINT ALPHONSA MUTTATHUPADATHU,

SAINTS MARTHA, MARY AND LAZARUS,

SAINT OLAV, MARTYR, PATRON OF NORWAY,

SAINT PETER CHRYSOLOGUS, BISHOP, DOCTOR,

SAINT JUSTIN DE JACOBIS,

SAINT IGNATIUS LOYOLA,

PRAY FOR US.

*Magnificat, June 2026, p. 253.

This month's photo: lol. To learn the name of these glorious flowers, I googled "hairy tulip," and even though they look "hairy," these beauties are better known as "fringed tulips." Justice and peace shall kiss.

© Gertrude Feick 2026