Blessed Cecilia, Diana, and Amata

Blessed Cecilia, Diana, and Amata

June 8th

Bl. Cecilia, Bl. Diana, and Bl. Amata whose feast day is celebrated presently by the Order of Preachers on June 8^th were early companions of St. Dominic and Blessed Jordan of Saxony second Master General of the Order. In the year 1222 Blessed Jordan convinced the d'Andalo family to establish a convent staffed with Diana and four companions and four nuns brought from Rome, two of them Cecilia and Amata. Diana died on January 9, and when Cecilia and Amata died, they were buried with her. All three were beatified in 1891 by Pope Leo XIII.

The following is a letter written to Blessed Diana by Blessed Jordan.

“Dear Diana,

I cannot find the time to write you the long letter your love would wish for and I would so gladly send. Nonetheless I do write, I send you a very little word, the Word made little in the crib, the Word who was made flesh for us, the Word of salvation and grace, of sweetness and glory, the Word who is good and gentle, Jesus Christ and him crucified, Christ raised up on the cross, raised in praise to the Father's right hand: to whom and in whom do you raise up your soul and find there your rest unending for ever and ever.

Read over that Word in your heart, turn it over in your mind, let it be sweet as honey on your lips; ponder it, dwell on it, that it may dwell with you and in you for ever.

There is another word that I send you, small and brief; my love, which will speak for me to your love in your heart and will content it. May this word too be yours, and likewise dwell with you for ever.

Farewell, and pray for me, Jordan”

St. Charles Lwanga

The martyrs of Uganda

Feast: June 3

St. Charles Lwanga was born in Buddu County in Uganda about 1860 or 1861. He first heard about Jesus Christ from some members of Chief Mawulugungu's household, and he became a catechumen. He was subsequently baptized May 15, 1885.

He had been an assistant to Joseph Mkasa, who was in charge of the pages in the household of the Kabaka, Mtesa, who was friendly toward the Christian missionaries. His successor, Mwanga, however, was very anti-Christian and immoral. When he was rebuked by Mkasa for the murder of some of the missionaries and for his immoral behavior, his hatred boiled over. Mkasa was killed. This was November 15, 1885. Charles Lwanga asked for and was given baptism.

He subsequently replaced Mkasa as Chief of the pages. He had secretly baptized some of the catechumens among them, and often saved them from the Kabasa's unchaste advances. In May of 1886 a rampant persecution began.

He was arrested with many of the Christian pages, aged 13 to about 30, who had publicly professed their Christian faith, and refused the immoral demands of Mwanga. They were killed On June 3, 1886 after weeks of cruel treatment. The youngest martyr was St. Kizito, age 13. Charles Lwanga was 24. Because of his holiness and courage he was was able to give his companions the joyful support they needed to sustain their faith.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

Sacred Heart of Jesus

Our Lord in his appearances to Saint Margaret Mary promised twelve blessings to those who practice devotion to his Sacred Heart.

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.

2. I will give peace in their families.

3. I will console them in all their troubles.

4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.

5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.

6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.

7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.

8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.

9. I will bless those places wherein the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.

10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.

11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my Heart.

12. In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.

Corpus Christi

The Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar

At that time: Jesus said unto the multitude of the Jews:
My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
As the living Father hath sent me,
and I live by the Father:
so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
This is that bread which came down from heaven:
not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead:
he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

Our Lady of Sheshan, sustain all those in China,
who, amid their daily trials, continue to believe, to hope, to love.
May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world,
and of the world to Jesus.
In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high,
offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love.
Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love,
ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built.
Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us, now and for ever. Amen!

The Creed of St. Athanasius

The Most Blessed Trinity

Quicumque vult

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

And the Catholic Faith is this:

That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost.

But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one, the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible,and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.

As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord.For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be both God and Lord,

So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion, to say, here be three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.

And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other; none is greater, or less than another; But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting; Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father, as touching his Manhood. Who although he be God and Man, yet he is not two, but one Christ; One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the Manhood into God; One altogether, not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.

This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.

WHITSUNDAY

Father of light, from whom every good gift comes,
send Your Spirit into our lives with the power of a mighty wind,
and by the flame of Your wisdom open the horizons of our minds.
Loosen our tongues to sing Your praise in words
beyond the power of speech,
for without Your Spirit
man could never raise his voice in words of peace
or announce the truth that Jesus is Lord,
who lives with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.