On our table where we eat our everyday meals, we have a little homemade shrine.

It consists of a statue and other decorative elements which I change according to the season. Now that it’s almost June, The Sacred Heart of Jesus will be honored. (The statue of Our Lady will go back on the shelf above the sofa.) There are little flash cards with an invocation or prayer which are alternated every few days  and kept at the base of the statue. Some invocations from The Litany of The Sacred Heart are:

Heart of Jesus, aflame with love for us. Have mercy on us

Heart of Jesus, source of justice and love. Have mercy on us.

Heart of Jesus, source of all conciliation. Have mercy on us.

Heart of Jesus, salvation of all who trust in You. Have mercy on us.

Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, Touch our hearts and make them like your own.

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The Immaculate Heart of Mary – June 12

Saint Juliana- June 12

Personal Reflection

Provided by Diana Sarma & Kathy Yost

When we were growing up in our two story house, we had a very big picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the landing of the staircase. We knew that Jesus blessed us and protected our home. And as kids, we went up and down the steps many times a day. I’d like to think that we said a prayer of thanksgiving or praise each time we passed by the picture. But, I don’t think so.

I’d like to think we prayed a short invocation,each time we passed by the picture. But, again, I don’t think so.

More often than not, we were bounding up and down the stairs with thoughts lsewhere, 

giving a quick glance to Our Lord, knowing He is here. He is always here. He is with us and that He loves us.

Then one day when I was about ten years old, I became quite ill.The doctors were making house calls right and left, and my mother took to spelling out words like polio, (which I didn’t have), thinking I wouldn’t understand. 

My parents took down the picture of the Sacred Heart, moved it into my room, and balanced it on my dresser. At the time, I didn’t know what was more serious, my mother thinking I couldn’t spell, my illness, or the fact that the picture was actually moved into my bedroom.

But, now from my bed, I did know that Our Lord was really up close and personal. I felt the tremendous faith and love that my parents had for the Lord, and felt what Our Lord intended, when He asked us to honor Him in His most Sacred Heart.

Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts, have mercy on us.

May 13 is Our Lady of Fatima Day. We are especially looking forward to praying the Rosary together at 7:00pm on May 13 on the call line. The number is (848) 220-3100  and the code is 618 1960. Call in beginning at 6:45pm.

One of the topics at the Afternoon Women of Grace was the Five First Saturday Devotions, and again, I learned more about what Our Lady requests of us.

It was in the third apparition at Fatima that our Lady promised that she would return to make a request. And this she did on December 10, 1925 when she appeared to Lucia with the Child Jesus, who was standing on a little cloud.

The Child Jesus spoke first, “Have compassion on the heart of your most Holy Mother, covered with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there’s no one to make an act of reparation to remove them.” Then Our Lady spoke, “Look, my daughter, at my heart surrounded with thorns, which ungrateful men pierce me at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude.

Do you, at least, try to console me, and announce in my name that I promise to assist, at the moment of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation, all those, who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months:

1. Confess 
2. Receive Holy Communion
3. Say five decades of the rosary
4. Keep me company while meditating on the Rosary with the intention of making reparation to me.

There are five types of offenses and blasphemy against the immaculate heart of Mary, which on May 29, 1930, Our Lord revealed the following:

1. Against the Immaculate Conception 
2. Against her perpetual virginity
3. Against her divine maternity refusing at the same time to recognize her as the mother of men
4. Blasphemy of those who publicly seek to sow in the hearts of children indifference or scorn or even hatred of our Immaculate Mother 
5. Offense of those who outrage her directly in her holy images

“ See, my daughter,  the motive for which the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspired me to ask for this little reparation, and in consideration of it, to move My mercy to pardon souls who have had the misfortune of offending her. As for you, always seek by your prayers and sacrifices, to move My mercy to pity for these poor souls.”

The Afternoon Women of Grace is held once a month where all women are welcome, to come together by Zoom to pray, learn, and share. I think it definitely helps increase our life of prayer and living out our Catholic vocation, and look forward to these times of getting closer to Our Lord and Our Lady. (You need not have taken the Women of Grace course to attend, and can come when you can.)

Sue Garza will be happy to answer any questions/ and for the link, please contact: suegarza50@yahoo.com