BIG C CATHOLICS

June 21, 2017 Let us pray for more loving hearts so as to be like Christ in living selflessly. This we ask in Jesus' name; that we may love others as much as God loves us. This version of the novena comes from Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque who is most commonly associated with the ancient devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Sacred Heart of Jesus Novena Prayers - Day 8 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 (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 (name your request). Our Father...Hail Mary....Glory Be To the Father... Sac

Act of Dedication to the Virgin Mary O Holy Mary, my Mother, into your blessed trust and custody, and into the care of your mercy I this day, every day, and in the hour of my death, commend my soul and body. To you I commit all my anxieties and miseries, my life and end of my life, that by your most holy intercession and by your merits all my actions may be directed and disposed according to your will  and that of your Divine Son. Amen. A Life Devoted to Christ This young man was a saint among saints. He received his First Holy Communion from St. Charles Borromeo and, during his novitiate, his spiritual director was St. Robert Bellarmine, S.J. Born into distinguished nobility in Northern Italy, his father wanted him to become a soldier and enlisted the support of eminent church people to persuade his son to embrace the more “normal” vocation. But Aloysius was determined to enter religious life. Transferring his inheritance to his brother, he becam

On June 21st, the Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, a 16th century Jesuit seminarian known for his radiant purity and holiness. He was born March 9, 1568, in Castiglione, Italy, to a wealthy and influential family. His father had big plans for his oldest son. He sent Aloysius to serve in the court of King Philip II of Spain. Although destined for the military, unbeknownst to his father, at age 9, Aloysius dedicated himself to religious life, making a vow of perpetual virginity. Saint Charles Borromeo gave him his first Holy Communion. A kidney disease prevented Aloysius from having a full social life. Consequently, he spent his time praying and reading about the lives of the saints. He was drawn to spiritual things more than material wealth. As a teenager, he asked permission to renounce his inheritance and to pursue his religious vocation. At first his father opposed him, but in time relented. When he was 18, Aloysius joined the Jesuits. In 1591, a plagu

The Priesthood is the Love of the Heart of Jesus. — St. John Vianney ______________________________________________ In reflecting upon this profound insight from the  Curé d'Ars , the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI observed, “This touching expression makes us reflect, first of all, with heartfelt gratitude on the immense gift which priests represent, not only for the Church, but also for humanity itself.” Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who glory in the Heart of your beloved Son and recall the wonders of his love for us, may worthily receive our measure of grace from that fount of heavenly gifts.

June 20, 2017 Let us pray that we may have more pure hearts like Christ. As disciples of Jesus and the children of God, such an aspiration is fitting. Let's pray that we may see and treat others with selfless love while putting all judgement and malice aside. This version of the novena comes from Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque who is most commonly associated with the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Sacred Heart of Jesus Novena Prayers - Day 7 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 (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 (

Pope Pius XI taught that devotion to the Heart of Jesus is "the summary of our religion." And in 1956 Pope Pius XII wrote in his encyclical on the Sacred Heart, "Consequently, the honor paid to the Scared Heart is such as to raise it to the rank—so far as external practice is concerned—of the highest expression of Christian piety. For this is the religion of Jesus which is centered on the Mediator who is man and God, and in such a way that we cannot reach the Heart of God, save through the Heart of Christ." The devotion to the Sacred Heart calls for reparation of sin, and the devotion should lead us to a deeper understanding of His infinite love and mercy for us. Our Lord told St. Faustina, "My daughter, know that My Heart is mercy itself. From this sea of mercy, graces flow out upon the whole world. No soul that has approached Me has ever gone away unconsoled" (Diary, 1777). And yet, when we look at the Image of the Merciful Savior, we see rays of

Optional Memorial - June 19th Anyone who knew Romuald as a youth might have been surprised at what he would eventually become. Like many of us, however, the good impulses of his heart needed time, and, in the case of Romuald, much discernment to come to full fruition. His life of prayer and penance would become the model for many. Romuald was born into Italian nobility in the city of Ravenna around the year 950. Like many of his contemporaries who were raised in the faith, Romuald desired holiness, but the allure of the world was too much to overcome. His actions and lifestyle were given over to the pursuit of worldly pleasures, but they would come to an abrupt and unexpected end when he was about 20 years old. It was then that his father, Sergius, obliged him to be his second in a duel. What is more, the person with whom his father was dueling was a relative, and the dispute was over property. When Romuald witnessed his father kill the other man, he was so horrified that he