June Saints & Feast Days – St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church

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.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary – June 12

The Immaculate Heart of Mary is celebrated on June 12 and comes the day after the celebration of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Immaculate of Mary encompasses her joys and sorrows, her virtues, and her motherly love for Jesus and all of us. Her heart is shown with seven swords and usually red or white roses surrounding it. It was at Fatima that Our Lady asked for reparation against her Immaculate Heart.

On March 25, 2020 Cardinal Antonio Marto, Bishop of Leiria, Fatima, presided over the consecration of 22 countries to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They are Portugal, Spain, Albania, Bolivia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Guatemala, Hungry, India, Kenya, Mexico, Moldova Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.

Saint Juliana- June 12

Saint Juliana was born in 1270 and died in 1341. After her mother died, Juliana started a group for women who dedicated their life to prayer and good works. She is considered to be the founder of the Servite nuns.

The Servites dress was a black gown, with a leather belt, and a white veil; it had short sleeves because they took care of the sick. Juliana was very devoted to the sick and even sucked out infectious wounds using her mouth.

As she lay dying, she could not receive holy communion because of vomiting. So the priest spread a corporal upon her chest and put the Eucharist on it. Shortly afterward, the host disappeared, and the image of the cross, just like the one on the host, was found on her breast. She was canonized in 1737.

12 Promises Made

Additional June Feast Days

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.