June 2023 — Overview for the Month
Description
The month of June is dedicated to The Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Highlights
June 13
St. Anthony
Called the Wonder Worker, 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.
Recipe of the Month
Nameday Cookies
To different saints' days, make sugar cookie dough and roll out with symbolic cookie cutters.
Activity of the Month
Stitching Feast-Day Symbols
Research with your children the different symbols for saints and feast days, and do some stitching of the symbols.
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.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee.
Publisher & Date
Catholic Culture, August 7, 2021
The month of June 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 Holy Father's Intentions for the Month of June 2023
For the abolition of torture: We pray that the international community may commit in a concrete way to ensuring the abolition of torture and guarantee support to victims and their families. (See also Apostleship of Prayer)
Feasts for June 2023 1. Justin, Memorial
2. Marcellinus & Peter; Ember Friday, Opt. Mem.
3. Charles Lwanga & Companions, Memorial
4. TRINITY SUNDAY, Solemnity
5. Boniface, Memorial
6. Norbert, Opt. Mem.
9. Ephrem, Opt. Mem.
11. CORPUS CHRISTI, Solemnity
13. Anthony of Padua, Memorial
16. SACRED HEART OF JESUS, Solemnity
17. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Memorial
18. ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, Sunday
19. Romuald, Opt. Mem.
21. Aloysius Gonzaga, Memorial
22. Paulinus of Nola; John Fisher & Thomas More, Opt. Mem.
24. NATIVITY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, Solemnity
25. TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, Sunday
26. Josemaría Escrivá, Opt. Mem.
27. Cyril of Alexandria, Opt. Mem.
28. Irenaeus, Memorial
29. STS PETER & PAUL, Solemnity
30. First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church, Opt. Mem.
Focus of the Liturgy
The Gospel readings for June are from St. Matthew. All Sunday readings are from Year A, and weekday readings are Cycle I.
June 4 | God sent his Son that the world might be saved through him. |
June 11th | My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. |
June 18th | Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and sent them out. |
June 25th | Do not be afraid of those who kill the body. |
Highlights of the Month
As we begin to feel the warmth of summer, we can reflect that we celebrate the feasts of Trinity Sunday (June 4), Corpus Christi (June 11), the Sacred Heart of Jesus (June 16) and the Immaculate Heart of Mary (June 17). 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.
The saints that we will focus on this month are:
St. Justin (June 1),
Sts. Marcellinus and Peter (June 2),
St. Charles Lwanga & Companions (June 3),
St. Boniface (June 5),
St. Norbert (June 6),
St. Ephrem (June 9),
St. Anthony of Padua (June 13),
St. Romuald (June 19),
St. Aloysius Gonzaga (June 21),
Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More (June 22),
St. Paulinus (June 22),
the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24),
St. Josemaría Escrivá (June 26),
St. Cyril of Alexandria (June 27),
St. Irenaeus (June 28),
the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul (June 29)
and the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome (June 30).
The feast of St. Barnabas (June 11) is superseded by the Sunday liturgy.
A Time of Love
Following Pentecost, the Church begins her slow descent from the great peaks of the Easter Season to the verdant pastures of Ordinary Time, the longest of the liturgical seasons. She pauses briefly, to praise the Holy Trinity — Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier; and then the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi. 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.
Therefore, the close of the Easter season marks not the cessation but rather the beginning of Ordinary Time is the commencement of the Church’s activity. 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.
This item 12552 digitally provided courtesy of CatholicCulture.org
