Blessed Junípero Serra (USA)

Optional Memorial (1969 Calendar): July 1

Listed on the 1969 Calendar of Saints for the United States, the Church today celebrates the life of Blessed Junípero Serra. Specifically in the United States, the Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of Blessed Junípero Serra, who gave nearly his entire life to evanglize non-believers. This is someone I truly admire because evangelization is close to my heart.

He was originally born as Miguel Jose Serra on the island of Mallorca, Spain on November 24, 1713. When he entered the Franciscan Order in 1730, he took the name of Junípero, the name of the companion friar of St. Francis of Assisi. He was ordained in 1737, and he taught philosophy and theology at the University of Padua for twelve years. Then at the age of 37, he answered an inner calling to go to the New World and convert the natives so that they might be saved.

Blessed Junípero arrived at Vera Cruz, Mexico and walked the 250 miles to Mexico City along with his companion. Along the way he received an insect bite on his leg that would remain with him for the rest of his life. At times it would become life threatening. For the next 18 years, Blessed Junípero evangelized the people of central Mexico and the Baja Peninsula. He became president of the missions there.

However, politics soon entered the situation. Charles III of Spain ordered an expedition to beat Russia to territory south of Alaska. Jose de Galvez persuaded Junipero to set out for present-day Monterey, California along with him. The first mission he founded after the 900 miles journey north was in San Diego (1769). At that time the expedition was nearly canceled due to a shortage of food. Blessed Junípero and another friar began a novena that would lead up to the day of the departure, March 19, the feast day of St. Joseph. And, on that day, a relief ship arrived allowing Blessed Junípero to continue onward.

Numerous missions would follow including San Antonio and San Gabriel (1771), San Luis Obispo (1772), San Francisco and San Juan Capistrano (1776), Santa Clara (1777), and San Buenaventura (1782). I suggest you look at a map of California missions.

Blessed Junípero frequently faced death from non-Christian natives as well as cruel military commanders. Yet through prayer and faith, he saved many souls; he would frequently pray from midnight until dawn. He baptized over six thousand people and confirmed five thousand. The amount of miles he traveled would have encircled the earth. Blessed Junípero also helped make the "Bill of Rights" for Native Americans a reality. He died on August 28, 1784, of tuberculosis and is buried at Mission San Carlo Borromeo in Carmel, Monterey, California. He was beatified in 1988.

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Devotions to the Precious Blood of Jesus

When did this devotion begin?

Devotion to the Precious Blood is connected to devotion to the Passion and Death of Our Lord since through the shedding of His Blood, mankind was redeemed. Consequently, one can say the Church has always honored the Blood of Jesus Christ. Romans 5:9 states, "we are justified by His blood", and Hebrews 13:12 states, "and so Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people by His blood, suffered outside the gate." 1 John 1:7 also writes of the Precious Blood: "...and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin." We would do well to meditate on the seven times Christ shed His Precious Blood for our salvation. As Fr. Peter Scott reminds us: 

"The veneration of the Precious Blood of Our Divine Saviour is as old as the Passion in which it was shed. It is founded on the simple doctrine of the Incarnation, namely that the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity took a human nature to Himself, and that this human nature is the human nature of God. We call this the hypostatic union. Every part of Christ’s human nature is united to the second divine Person. This includes his Precious Blood, to which is consequently owed the adoration that is owed to God Himself, that of Latria. We consequently do not need any private revelation to tell us about devotion to the Precious Blood, but find it deeply rooted in the deposit of the Faith."

Closer to our modern era, devotion to the Precious Blood has been greatly encouraged by Blessed Gaspar Buffalo, founder of the Congregation of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. Pope Pius IX was exiled from Rome in 1849. A companion of Pope Pius IX was Don Giovanni Merlini, the third general of that Congregation. Don Giovanni Merlini suggested to Pope Pius IX that he make a vow to give the Feast of the Precious Blood to the entire church if he should regain the papal territory. 

We owe the institution of a special feast in honour of the Precious Blood to Pope Pius IX, who on August 10, 1849, from his exile in Gaeta, did just that - he ordered its celebration in commemoration of the defeat of the forces of the revolution that enabled him to return to Rome. Then, it was Pope Pius XI, who gave it the status of a first class feast, in commemoration of the 19th centennial of the mystery of the Redemption. The Feast of the Precious Blood is celebrated on July 1st.

Devotions:

• Chaplet of the Most Precious Blood
• Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus (approved by Pope John XXIII on February 24, 1960)
• Offering in Reparation to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus (approved by Pope Pius VII on September 22, 1817)
• An Offering of the Precious Blood for Souls

Recommended Reading:

• Devotion to the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ: The Greatest Devotion of Our Time
• Devotion to the Precious Blood
• Devotions to the Precious Blood - Catholic Prayers for July Kindle Edition

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The Rosary For the Poor Souls in Purgatory

On the Cross:

Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord hear my voice. Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If Thou, O Lord wilt mark iniquities; Lord who shall stand it? For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness: and by reason
of Thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord. My soul hath relied on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning-watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. Because with the Lord there is mercy: and with Him plentiful redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Eternal rest give unto them. O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. From the gate of hell. Deliver their souls, O Lord. May they rest in peace. Amen. O Lord, hear my prayer. And let my cry come unto Thee. The Lord be with you. And with thy Spirit. Let us Pray: O God the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, we beseech Thee to grant to the souls of thy servants the remission of their sins, so that by our prayers they may obtain pardon for which they long. O Lord, who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen. May they rest in peace. Amen.

On Large Beads:

Eternal rest give to them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them.

Three Small Beads:

Act of Faith: My God, I believe in Thee, because Thou art Truth
itself

Act of Hope: My God, I hope in Thee because Thou art infinitely good

Act of Charity: My God, I love Thee with my whole heart and above
all things because Thou art infinitely perfect.

On Small Beads:
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love. Sweet Heart of Mary be my salvation.

At the end:

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, pray for us. St. Joseph, model and patron of those who love the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us.

Purgatory exists! I encourage the saying of this prayer for all of the pour souls there. We could very well end up there one day ourselves, and then we will need the prayers of the living too. (Photo Source)

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Weekend Humor

I'm very busy today, but I wanted to post this joke I received in my inbox:

Lost on a rainy night, a nun stumbles across a monastery and requests shelter there. Fortunately, she's just in time for dinner and was treated to the best fish and chips she's ever had.

After dinner, she goes into the kitchen to thank the chefs. She is met by two brothers, "Hello, I'm Brother Michael, and this is Brother Charles."

"I'm very pleased to meet you. I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful dinner. The fish and chips were the best I've ever tasted. Out of curiosity, who cooked what?"

Brother Charles replied, "Well, I'm the fish friar," She turned to the other brother and says, "then you must be...?" "Yes, I'm afraid I'm the chip monk."

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July Rosary Intentions

Please pray for Pope Benedict XVI's intentions for the Month of July:

General: That all those who are in prison, and especially young people, may receive the necessary support from society to help them rediscover a sense to their own existence.

Missionary: That in the mission territories, different ethnic and religious groups may live in peace and together build a society inspired by hu­man and spiritual values.

Please also pray for the Intentions on the Catholic Community Forum's July Rosary Intentions Thread.

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Month of the Precious Blood

Today is July 1, 2006, and we begin the Month of the Precious Blood of Jesus. I am particularly fond of the Litany of the Precious Blood. We must remember that each of us is worth something. We were all purchased for a price - the blood of the Eternal Son of the Father, Jesus Christ.

Please see my post Devotions to the Precious Blood for documents and devotions.

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Thank you for your Advice and Prayers

I posted a few days ago about a group of atheists I have been talking with on the Internet. I have posted what I hope is my last reply to them. Here is what I wrote to them:

Well for the most part, no one wanted to just assume something for the sake of discussion. I asked just to keep this a civil conservation without profanity and my request was ignored. I said I care about everyone here and for that I was told that I am not cared for. I ask for you guys to prove your side of the story about God and you don’t.

I’m done here. I know I haven’t made a difference with anyone that I’ve talked with. But, I appeal to those that are reading my words without responding - please know that God is real. He is in the Catholic faith, the only denomination that goes back to the time of the apostles. I am here because I care. I used “please” several times and still people just don’t listen. For those of you out there that haven’t responded, seek Jesus Christ. Don’t remain in darkness. Go out to Jesus Christ and experience forgiveness, love, and hope, which reach unimaginable depths in Christ.

Again to those out there that are searching I ask:

Why do you doubt Jesus Christ? Do you believe that Alexander the Great existed? Do you believe King Tut existed? Why would you doubt Jesus Christ? There are many proofs of His life, death, and Resurrection. Historians have taught me there is proof for His existence. The story was recorded by 4 separate authors and today it’s in a book called the Bible.

Look at the faith of the martyrs, the apostles, and the saints. For 2,000 years, millions of people willingly laid down their lives rather than denouce Jesus. Certainly they would not die for nothing.

Look to the fact that the Church has survived every persecution that was thrown against it. Look to the place of Jesus’s Ascension. The spot where Christ had stood could never be covered with pavement; and more than that, the marble slabs placed there burst upwards into the faces of those who were laying them. The footmarks in the dust there prove that the Lord had stood on that spot: the footprints are discernible and the ground still retains the depressions his feet had left. They can not be covered.

Look at the miracles of the Holy Eucharist especially the Miracle of Lanciano that I posted about but no one commented on. Look also to the apparations of Mary in Guadalupe, Knock, Fatima, and Lourdes. Look at the Miracle of the Sun witnessed by 70,000 people in Fatima, some from a great distance than the rest of the group.

I am leaving this forum now. I just ask that no one respond to anymore of my words here. If you don’t, I have no reason to come back and say anything.

For those of you out there that are unsure of God, again I say “seek Him” becasue if you do, you will find Him. If anyone here ever wants to truly search for God or convert to the Catholic faith, I will help you in anyway that I can. You can contact me through my blog.

Good bye, everyone! And, I wish to thank the administration here for allowing me to stay and voice my opinion. I will leave now and no longer bother any of you again.

And, as I expected, they began to insult me again here (you will have to scroll down near the bottom). They also admit in one comment that they have found the comments of you guys, my fellow Catholic friends, on my other post. They said that they deleted all of your comments (again near the bottom). Again they insulted me.

I am sorry if any of you took a lot of time in your comments. I am sorry for this. But, I realize that I can't change them. I am writing this looking a crucifix. His hands are bleedings. His feet are pierced. The man of love that created the world and performed miracles, is condemned to die. And still He died for them. Jesus Christ is forgiveness.

I pray and hope that the people of that forum see charity in my words. For we are a people of faith. We are not the ones insulting and persecuting others like they insist the Church does. We silently accept all persecution and offer it up to our Master. We then are worth something because Jesus gives us strength! I did not use profanity and repeatedly thanked them. For that I was insulted regardless with profane words. For it sadly is the "blind leading the blind and both shall fall into the ditch."

This is why I must become a priest. I am going to do it for love. I still care about each one of them on that blog. I want every last one of them to be in peace forever. I don't want any of them to have to go to hell and look upon the face of the devil. St. Catherine received a vision of the devil once from Our Lord. And she told Him that she would rather walk on burning coals for the rest of eternity than go to hell and look upon the devil's face for one more moment.

I am called to live a life of love and serve everyone. And, I will serve Him in anyway possible. I am called to forgive those that attack me and pray for them. I have done that and will continue to do that.

So my friends, may the Lord, the God of peace, bless you all for your prayers and advice.

"Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:10-11)

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Alabama Pro-life Law Goes Into Effect, Protection from Violence Against Unborn

Tomorrow, July 1, 2006, a law will go into effect for Alabama.

It will "...protect pregnant women and their unborn children from acts of violence. The measure holds criminals who kill or injure a mother's baby accountable for two crimes when he attacks a pregnant woman. The law applies throughout pregnancy and makes the state one of 24 to protect women during all nine months of pregnancy and one of 34 that offer legal protection through all or part of pregnancy."

Source: LifeNews

This was previously signed into law by Governor Riley back in April 2006.

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St. John of the Cross: We are judged on love

"In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone" (St. John of the Cross)

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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"Mother Angelica" by Raymond Arroyo

Last night I just finished "Mother Angelica" by Raymond Arroyo. At approximately 320 pages, it took me a significant amount of time because of work and other things that forced me to put the book down. Overall, the book was good. I really respect Mother Angelica now. Before reading this, I never thought about everything she experienced and did in her life.

She came from a poor family and just barely survived. As a child, she was miraculously healed through the intercession of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Mother Angelica entered a Canton Convent even though her mother strongly disapproved. Later on, it took tremendous work just to establish her convent in Indiana. Then she worked to spread the Gospel through writing. After all of this came EWTN and the world's first Catholic shortwave radio station called WEWN. She went further and created another convent in 13th Century style. All of this was done trusting in God. She started off with nothing with each project and left the rest to God. For that she encountered much debate and problems mainly from several liberal US bishops.

If you are a fan of EWTN, this book is a must read.  If you don't have the time but want to learn more about the book, check out the CatechismClass Book Summary on "Mother Angelica".

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