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Month
of the Immaculate Heart
The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart
of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated because it is united
to her person and is the seat of her love, virtue, and inner life.
Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.
The devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary has received new emphasis
in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest
of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in
1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the
Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses committed
against her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice
parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred
Heart.
On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration
of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us
remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month
of August. Pope Paul VI, on the floor of the Vatican Council at the
close of the third session, renewed publicly the consecration of the
Church and the world to Mary's Immaculate Heart.
Before making a consecration it is most desirable to make a careful
preparation extending over some period of time. One good way to make
that preparation is described in the last part of St. Louis de Montfort's
True Devotion book. The most essential thing is not making an act
of consecration, with or without some solemnity, though that is important.
The essential thing is to live that consecration.
Mary, in view of her Immaculate Conception, was most fitted to respond
most fully, and that she did, with a fullness and perfection beyond
our ability to visualize — for we recall that Pius IX told us
that even at the start of her existence, her holiness was so great
that "none greater under God can be thought of, and no one but
God can comprehend it."
Our very consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary calls upon us
to make reparation for the offenses that we and others have committed
against her. The Church, in inviting us to consecrate ourselves to
her Immaculate Heart, implicitly calls upon us for this reparation.
But more explicitly, and even before Fatima, Saint Pius X offered
a plenary indulgence to all who on the first Saturday of the month
would observe special devotions in honor of the Immaculate Virgin
in a spirit of reparation for the blasphemies uttered against her.
There is, however, an even more basic reason why each one of us owes
reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary: every sin of ours caused
grief and suffering to her in union with her divine Son. For sin was
the cause of that terrible day on Calvary when she, as the New Eve,
shared in the torment of the great sacrifice, and, amidst indescribable
pain, brought forth spiritually all the members of the Mystical Body
of her divine Son. God willed that Mary should be intimately associated
with His Son in bearing the burden of all sin; surely then, her Immaculate
Heart, in union with His divine Heart, should receive reparation from
us who have caused them such pain. If anyone causes hurt to even a
very ordinary human being, he does not overlook the need to make amends.
How much more do we owe to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
Finally, living a consecration could be described as following three
attitudes or spirits:
Union — Imitation of Jesus and Mary, so as to become like them,
and trying to develop as constant as possible a realization of His
and her presence.
Dependence — Give to Jesus and Mary the right to dispose of
everything we have, temporal and spiritual.
Obedience — Jesus and Mary have the right to ask us to do anything
at all, even without reward. In consecration, we recognize that right,
give it on a basis of love, and plan to carry it out with fullest
generosity.
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| LIVES
OF THE SAINTS |
November
11
ST.
MARTIN OF TOURS
St.
Martin, the soldier saint lived in the fourth century. He
joined the Roman army in Italy when he was only fifteen.
November
12
ST.
JOSAPHAT
St.
Josaphat was born in the Ukraine and baptized John in 1580.
He became a monk in the order of St. Basil and chose the name
Basil. He was a self-sacrificing, brave man.
November
13
ST.
FRANCES XAVIER CABRINI
St.
Frances was born on July 15, 1850. As a child growing up in
Italy, she dreamed about being a missionary to China.
November
14
ST.
LAWRENCE O'TOOLE
St.
Lawrence was born in Ireland in 1128. He was the son of a
chief. When he was only ten years old, a neighboring king
made a raid on his father's territory and carried him away.
November
15
ST.
ALBERT THE GREAT
St.
Albert lived in the thirteenth century. He was born in a castle
on the Danube River in Swabia (southwest Germany). Albert
went to the University of Padua in Italy.
November
16
ST.
MARGARET OF SCOTLAND
St.
Margaret was an English princess born in 1046. She and her
mother sailed to Scotland to escape from the king who had
conquered their land.
November
17
ST.
ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY
St.
Elizabeth, the daughter of the king of Hungary was born in
1207. She married Louis, the ruler of Thuringia, while she
was very young.
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PHOTO OF THE MONTH |
Tour
of the Relics of the Passion
(International Center
for Holy Relics)
www.HolyRelics.org
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| REFLECTIONS |
 “Jesus’
Baptism”
Why did Jesus, the sinless one sent from the Father in heaven,
submit himself to John’s baptism? John preached a
baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke
3:3). In this humble submission we see a foreshadowing of
the “baptism” of Jesus bloody death upon the
cross. Jesus’ baptism is the acceptance and the beginning
of his mission as God’s suffering Servant (Isaiah
52:13-15; 53:1-12). He allowed himself to be numbered among
sinners. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father’s
will. Out of love he consented to this baptism of death
for the remission of our sins. Do you know the joy of trust
and submission to God?
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