THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE SOURCE OF GRACE. THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY IS THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACES. ON THE EVE OF PENTECOST, LET US ASK THE HUMBLE VIRGIN OF NAZARETH WHO IS FULL OF GRACE TO INTERCEDE FOR US FERVENTLY TO BE FILLED WITH THE FIRE, GIFTS AND FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

"It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true.  There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written." (John 21: 24 - 25)

Saturday 4th June 2022 of the 7th Week of Easter. We honor the Blessed Virgin Mary on this First Saturday in June.

A summary of the key Scripture for today might be: The word of God, Sacred Tradition and Apostolic Magisterium.

#1. The word of God: John the Evangelist whom we believe is the author of the Gospel according to St John testifies to the veracity of the word of God he committed to writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

#2. Sacred Tradition: John warns that it is an error to limit God's word to what is written. There is so much more. The Holy Spirit is promised to lead the Church into the fullness of truth.

#3. Apostolic Magisterium: Anyone who doubts that full teaching authority is given to the Apostles headed by St Peter and his successors should read the New Testament prayerfully. This authority was foreshadowed in the Old Testament by the authority given to Moses and the Prophets to teach and interpret Scripture. God is not the author of confusion.

On the eve of Pentecost, let us pray to God to restore unity of heart and mind in the Church.

6. 4.  "What is meant by Devotion to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in what it consists. THE particular object of this devotion is the immense love of the Son of God, which has induced Him to die for us, and to give Himself wholly to us in the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar, and this, although He foresaw all the ingratitude and outrages which He was to meet with in this state of a victim immolated till the end of ages; preferring rather to expose himself daily to the insults and contempt of mankind, than to fail in showing us, by the greatest of all wonders, to what an excess He loves us."  (DEVOTION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS - Fr. John Croiset, SJ).

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"TO BELIEVE IN CHRIST MEANS TO DESIRE UNITY; TO DESIRE UNITY MEANS TO DESIRE THE CHURCH; TO DESIRE THE CHURCH MEANS TO DESIRE THE COMMUNION OF GRACE THAT CORRESPONDS TO THE FATHER’S PLAN FROM ALL ETERNITY." (POPE ST JOHN PAUL II).

"Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world." (John 17: 20.... 26).

Thursday 2nd June 2022, of the 7th Week of Easter is the feast of two early martyrs of the Church:  St. Marcellinus, Priest and Peter, Exorcist (+ 304). In prison, they converted many of their fellow prisoners including the jailer. Both were martyred under Emperor Diocletian.

In our key Scripture for today, Jesus prayed for Church Unity. He wants Christians to be of one heart and one mind so that the world would look at Christians and see Jesus in us.  The standard for this unity is: "Just as you [Father] are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me."

Today there may be more than 40,000 denominations in the world.  You may wonder: What type of answer is this to the Prayer of Jesus for unity of His disciples?
Why did God permit Christian disunity? This is surely a mystery of Divine Providence.

One of the greatest obstacles to Unity is that a sizable number of Christian denominations do not believe in the type of Unity that Jesus prayed for His Church. Number one obstacle to unity without doubt is Sin. Sin exists in all churches. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit deals  with sins in the churches. Can we still hope to see visible unity in our lifetime?

6.2. "Let the soul who is desirous of advancing in perfection hasten to My Sacred Heart." (St Gertrude the Great).

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THE CHURCH DEDICATES THE MONTH OF JUNE TO HONORING THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS. WE WILL PROVIDE A SNIPPET OF TEACHING ON THE SACRED HEART FROM TRUSTED SOURCES.

"Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one....

"I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.” (John 17: 11.... 19).

Wednesday 1st June 2022, of the 7th Week of Easter is the feast of St Justin Martyr (+ 165). Born in Samaria in Palestine, he is an eminent philosopher and the first apologist in the Church. He defended the Christian faith in his writings in Rome where he established a school of public debate. St Justin was beheaded under Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Justin is the patron saint of apologists, philosophers, teachers and speakers.

In the high priestly prayer on the night before His Passion, Jesus prayed to His Father that His disciples should be consecrated in the truth. God's word is truth. Jesus, the Word of God is truth. To consecrate means to set apart, to sanctify, to purify for holy purposes.

Have you ever seen a new Altar or Chalice consecrated by the Bishop? It is a worthwhile experience. It will help to appreciate the prayer of Jesus in our key Scripture. What will you do if you walk into your church and find gansters partying around the Altar and drinking beer with the Chalice? Calling the police will not make the Altar and Chalice pure, holy and consecrated again. The sacred objects have been desecrated. They have been made unholy through sacrilegious action. The Bishop may  order both objects to be destroyed or he may decide to reconsecrate the expensive Altar and have the Chalice destroyed and buried.

You are consecrated by Baptism for Mission and Witness. When one fails through a serious sin, the person has become desecrated. Our Supreme High Priest, Jesus the Christ who delights in mercy has made provision for our re-consecration through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

When you live as one consecrated to the truth, you will avoid conforming yourself to the ways and habits of this world. Rather through daily renewal of your mind by the word of God the Holy Spirit will transform your mind. When being fed by the Scriptures becomes your habitual manner of living, discerning what is the will of God for you becomes a habit. The will of God is our peace and prosperity.

6.1. "Jesus knew and loved us each and all during his life, his agony and his Passion, and gave himself up for each one of us: "The Son of God. . . loved me and gave himself for me."  He has loved us all with a human heart. For this reason, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation,  "is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that. . . love with which the divine Redeemer continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings" without exception." (CCC 478).

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