September 11, 2021
-
Visions of the Sacred Heart
For two years between 1673 and 1675, a Visitation nun by the name of Margaret Mary Alacoque had multiple visions. In one of those visions, she said Jesus gave her 12 promises to those who venerated the Sacred Heart.
They include the promise to give them graces they would need in life, bring peace to their families, comfort them in their trials, give them a secure refuge during life and in death, bless their undertakings, bring mercy to sinners, make lukewarm souls more fervent, allow fervent souls to grow in holiness and perfection, bless every place where the image of Sacred Heart is shown, and give priests the gift of influencing hardened hearts, honor in the Sacred Heart those who honor it, and provide eternal happiness. Not everybody believed her, and Margaret Mary endured a lot of skepticism, which is somewhat understandable. Some of the other nuns were hostile to her, theologians who came to visit suggested she was delusional, but she stuck to her guns and eventually they came around.
Born in France in 1647, she served as novice mistress and assistant superior, until her death in 1690, at the age of 43. While being anointed, she said: “I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the heart of Jesus.”
She was canonized in 1920.
The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated on the eighth day of the Feast of Corpus Christi, nineteen days after Pentecost Sunday. You’ll have to look that up.
-
We get a little newsletter from a troupe of characters called, "Nuns 4 Fun." They are most famous for their silly plays about growing up Catholic. You may remember, "Late Nite Catechism" or "Bible Bingo" or "Mother Superior's Ho-Ho-Holy Night." They are saterical and funny, and each month they mail us their "St. of the Month," and their "Like 'nun' other"... I thought I would share....
-
July, a time to celebrate Saint Anne - Grandma to Jesus
This is a busy month. We celebrate Independence Day (July 4), World Chocolate Day (July 7), Bastille Day (July 14), Amelia Earhart Day (July 24), International Day of Friendship (July 30), and others. And, also, the Feast Day of St. Anne (July 26.)
We don’t know that much about St. Anne, but we know this: she was the only woman who gave birth to the Immaculate Conception.
Confused? Oh, don’t be. In case you don’t know what the Immaculate Conception is, here’s what it isn’t. It isn’t Christ being born without the benefit of sex. No, that’s what we call the Virgin Birth.
The Immaculate Conception is the conception of Mary, in the womb of her mother, Anne, in the regular way, but without the stain of Original Sin. So she could be born pure.
How amazing. But that isn’t all. Anne is the grandmother of Jesus, and that means God in also her grandson. He still had to listen to her! She’s also the mother-in-law of St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus and Mary’s husband.
Anne was born in Bethlehem and married Joachim from Nazareth in Galilee. We don’t know this from the Bible, because Anne’s name is never mentioned. But she is talked about in the Gospel of St. James, which was written about 150 years after she was around. We know the name Anne comes from the Hebrew name Hannah, which means Grace. We imagine Joachim was a shepherd, a common profession in those days.
They were an older couple, and then an angel appeared to Anne and said she was chosen to have this very special little girl. She must have been thrilled, and a little nervous.
Since we know Mary knew how to sew, we imagine Anne was the one who taught her. And Anne likely took care of Jesus when he was a child, so Mary and Joseph could have a night out. She might have even witnessed his first miracles. And she probably scolded him when he didn't pay attention, or finish his dinner. And she passed down stories. Like all grandmas. (for additional St. Anne fun...) -
Like 'nun'-other: Sister Clare of Assisi
The daughter of a count and countess, Clare was destined for a different life when she met St. Francis of Assisi while he was preaching in the streets. At the age of 15, she had refused to be married. Taken with this man, Clare began actively following his teachings. They became fast friends. One day she confided that she had a desire to live for God.On Palm Sunday in 1212, her bishop presented Clare with a palm, which she took as a sign. In the middle of the night, when she was 18 years old, Clare ran away from her palace home and entered religious life.
She eventually took the veil from St Francis at the Church of Our Lady of the Angels in Assisi, Italy.
After that, Clare founded the Order of Poor Ladies, and led it for 40 years. She wrote their Rule of Life, the first set of monastic guidelines known to have been written by a woman.
Everywhere the Franciscans established themselves throughout Europe, the Poor Clares joined them, eventually opening orders in several countries. Leading lives of prayer and silence, they had no money, and relied upon charity to get by.
To this day, the Poor Clares are a cloistered order of nuns.
Clare died at the age of 59 in 1253, after a long illness. After her death, her followers changed their name from the Order of Poor Ladies to the Poor Clares. Here’s an interesting tidbit. Apparently, when she was too ill to attend Mass, Clare could see and hear Mass on the wall of her bedroom. Remember, this was in 1253.
So when this new-fangled medium of television was invented, Pope Pius XII needed a patron saint, so he turned to Clare. She could see and hear Mass on her wall? Sounded like television to those Vatican researchers. That’s why St. Clare is the patron saint of television [and as time moved on, also the computer and internet].