June is the Month of the Sacret Heart of Jesus

Do you remember as of last month, we are starting something new and exciting?  If you go back to May’s post, you will see a list of 18 ideas of how to focus on the theme of the month.  We are picking them at random, just to make it fun and challenging.  Hubby once again picked it out of a plastic cup and this time, came up with:  Location!  That means, I have the task of finding a location relating to the Sacred Heart. 

Well, that didn’t require a lot of thought…

Sanctuaire du Sacre-Cœur ~ Paray-le-Monial

Charolais-Brionnais, France

This is where Our Blessed Lord appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, showing her the ineffable love of His Sacred Heart.  Have a look at their site above, for an informative 18-minute video and more.  Excerpt:

“Three great apparitions of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary focus on the message for the attention of all men…They took place between the end of December 1673 and June 1675.  One can identify three great dimensions of this message: a declaration of love (I), a complaint (II), a demand (III).”

These 3 dimensions are described in detail on the Home page.

It just so happens, this is a very special year in the United States, for devotion to the Sacred Heart!  From Sacred Heart Enthronement Network:

“…the United States Catholic Bishops will offer prayers of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11, on behalf of our nation. This historic event coincides with the 250th Anniversary of our nation and serves as an invitation to place our trust in Christ. Catholics are encouraged to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament, pray for our nation, and perform acts of charity and service, as we prepare for this important moment. You can watch the Consecration take place in Orlando, Florida, via livestream on the Catholic Bishops Website. 

…we are in a great spiritual battle between good and evil. Now is the time to pray, consecrate, enthrone, honor, and share the message of His Heart more fervently than ever.”

…And pray for peace!

The USCCB is also taking this opportunity to honor Catholics who have historically contributed to the United States.  They are producing a video series on this (see link above).  Sacred Heart Enthronement Network is promoting a Sacred Heart Revival, which you may participate in.  Here is the Novena to the Sacred Heart on their site, which begins June 3.  There is so much else to discover that this ministry is doing and also a Catholic shop.

The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is on Friday the 12th , and is a solemnity, therefore no penance is required.  This is also the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.  Let us lift up our spiritual fathers to the most loving Heart of Our Lord in their many needs.  We cannot help but notice the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the very next day!  This is obviously no coincidence, as Holy Church shows us how intimately the 2 Hearts are united.  The feast of Corpus Christi  (the 4th in the trad, the 7th in the post-con, known as the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ) is also linked to the Sacred Heart, as it is an aspect of the Corpus of Christ.  We may also invoke His Eucharistic Heart in this wonderful Mystery of the Incarnation.

Note below, we celebrate several New Testament figures this month:  Saint Barnabas (mentioned in Acts), Saint John the Baptist, Saint Peter and Saint Paul.  As of Trinity Sunday, this past Sunday, we have entered the Time After Pentecost and remain therein until Advent, in the trad.  We continue to meditate on the Mystery of the Redemption for the rest of the Liturgical Year.

Some key feasts coming up from both calendars…

11th-Saint Barnabas

13th-Saint Anthony of Padua-Companion of Saint Francis, Visionary of the Christ Child, Doctor of the Church

23rd-Vigil of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

22nd-Saint Thomas More, Martyr

24th-Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

29th-Saints Peter & Paul

30th-Commemoration of Saint Paul / First Martyrs of the Church 

****** Prepper Challenge for Spring ******

With current events in mind, it’s the same as it was for March, April & May...Make a plan and begin implementing it.

15 Points Preparedness Worksheet

Biblical Support for Preparedness

Noah was the Original Prepper ~ Build Your Ark!

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on Us!

Saint Margaret Mary, Pray for Us!

March is the Month of Saint Joseph-Part 2

Why does Holy Church dedicate the month of March to Saint Joseph?  As probably all of you know, his feast is celebrated on the 19th, honoring his espousals to the Mother of God.  It is interesting to note, this feast always occurs during Lent (unless it happens to fall on a Sunday, in which case, have your Italian dinner with tiramisu to celebrate!)…as Easter falls between March 22nd and April 25th (Sunday after first full moon after vernal equinox, which the Church fixes at March 21st MORE INFO).  So it is a no-brainer to incorporate Saint Joseph’s feast into your Lenten exercises.  Some ideas:  attend Mass, read the Mass from the missal, pray a novena starting 9 days before the feast, give alms in honor of Saint Joseph.

Other notable feasts this month in both calendars…

3rd-Saint Katherine Drexel, USA

7th-First Saturday of the Immaculate Heart / Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor of the Church

17th-Saint Patrick, patron of Ireland

18th-Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop & Doctor of the Church

21st-Saint Benedict, founder of monasticism, twin of Saint Scholastica

22nd-Passion Sunday, begins octave of Passiontide in the trad

24th-Saint Gabriel the Archangel, immediately before the Annunciation

25th-Annunciation of the Lord/Blessed Virgin Mary

27th-Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, always one week before Good Friday

29th-Palm Sunday, Holy Week begins

Prepper Challenge for March:  Make a Plan!

How did you do with last month’s pantry organizing challenge?  Feel free to contact us with your thoughts and we may post it!  Please know, I am doing these challenges with you.  I have bought some great products and also have been watching motivating videos.  There are so many resources out there now for decluttering, minimalism and organizing.  (Yes, you can and should be a minimalist prepper.)  Here are some products I love:

The Home Edit 3-Tier Shelf      OXO POP Container

I have also been insanely getting into making custom labels.  I bought a thermal label printer, which works from your PC or phone, a lot like Power Point.  You can be really creative and it’s lots of fun.  The older strip-tape manual printers are still quite common and they work great too.

We are now at war with Iran.  This could go in many concerning directions.  Iran is a whole different animal than anything we have ever dealt with before.  Supply issues is a major concern…along with the domino effects this may have.  So, consider yourself warned.  Avail yourself of reliable alternative media, which we regularly refer you to, to stay informed.  In terms of supply, I recommend having a reasonable amount for your family, plus a little extra.  People may need to stay with you.  You may also need to help others in your community.  It is impossible to say “how much” you should have, but cluttering your home is counter-productive.  Pray for guidance and trust God.  And don’t worry, be at peace…and learn how to be resilient (gardening, sewing, keeping small animals and other useful non-electronic skills).

So, this month, think about what I have said above and please print our…

15 Points Preparedness Worksheet

This 4-page worksheet will make it super easy to sit down with your family and make a concrete preparedness plan for the next 12 months and beyond.  And it’s not what you expect, it is from a holistic perspective, based on over 20 years of research and experience. Don’t delay, just print it and start filling it out.  I’ve made it easy for you!  And again, I am doing it with you. It’s about time for me to review this and spiff up my own plan. (If you are local to Long Island, please note I am available to give a talk on this.)