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June 2009 - Overview for the Month
The month of June is dedicated to The Sacred Heart of Jesus. The entire month falls within the liturgical season of Ordinary Time, which is represented by the liturgical color green. This symbol of hope is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. It is used in the offices and Masses of Ordinary Time. The last portion of the liturgical year represents the time of our pilgrimage to heaven during which we hope for reward.
General: That international attention towards the poorer countries may give rise to more concrete help, in particular to relieve them of the crushing burden of foreign debt.
Missionary: That the particular Churches operating in regions marked by violence may be sustained by the love and concrete closeness of all the Catholics in the world. (See also www.apostleshipofprayer.net)
The feasts on the General Roman Calendar celebrated
during the month of June are:
The readings for the Sundays in June are taken from St. Mark, and St. Matthew and are from Year B, Cycle 1.
The main feasts of this month are St. Justin (June 1), Sts. Marcellinus and Peter (June 2), St. Charles Lwanga and Companions (June 3), St. Boniface (June 5), St. Barnabas (June 11), St. Anthony of Padua (June 13), Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More (June 22), the Birth of St. John the Baptist (June 24), St. Cyril of Alexandria (June 27) and the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul (June 29). The feasts of St. Aloysius Gonzaga (June 21) and St. Irenaeus (June 28) are superseded by the Sunday liturgy.
Ordinary Time is the hour to "go out to all the world and tell the good news.” The feasts of June highlight this expansion of the Church. At least ten times, the Church vests in the red of the martyrs whose blood is the very seed of her growth. She also celebrates the feasts of the apostles Peter and Paul, and the birth of St. John the Baptist, proto-disciple and prophet. We, too, are called to be witnesses like the apostles and martyrs. May the Heart of Jesus inflame our hearts so that we may be worthy of our Baptismal call to holiness. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. |
 Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus, truly present in the Holy Eucharist, I place my
trust in you.
Highlights
June 13
St. Anthony  Called
the Wonder Worker because of the numerous miracles attributed to
him while he was living and since his death. He is one of the most
popular saints in the Catholic Church and is implored as the patron
of lost things and a hundred other causes. He was a preacher and
theologian and was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius
XII.
Since June is the month for weddings this would
be a good time to try your hand with this soup.
The Enthronement is the recognition of the Royal
Power of Jesus Christ over the family which pledges to live in union
with the Sacred Heart by love, grace and obedience to His Commandments.
Symbols
The Archbishop of Mentz established the foundation
for Christianity in Germany. His emblem refers to his defense of
the Gospel as he met the blow of death while confirming baptized
converts.
One of the Apostolic Fathers, whose feast
day in olden times was celebrated by young lads and clerks bedecked
with roses. This shield is divided.
The interwoven symbols of Sts. Peter and
Paul are used at Winchester, where the cathedral church is dedicated
to these saints.
The triquetra is one of the many
symbols that clearly express the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity.
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As we begin to feel the warmth of summer, we can reflect that God is Love and the Sacred Heart of Jesus — present on earth in the Blessed Sacrament — is the human manifestation of God's Love for men. Appropriately June is considered the month for weddings where human hearts join and cooperate with the Creator in bringing forth new life. The family they create is a human reflection of the Blessed Trinity.
Ordinary Time is the
longest of the liturgical seasons. Like the lush June
growth all around us, the green of the liturgical season points
to the new life won for us by the Redemption of Jesus Christ, the
new life of Charity. For Our Lord came to cast the fire of His love
on the earth, and to that end, sent His Holy Spirit at Pentecost
in the form of tongues of fire.
