Father Felix Onuora, C. S. Sp., is a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa. He is pastor of three parishes in rural south central Iowa: Sacred Heart, Chariton; Saint Francis of Assisi, Corydon; and Saint Brendan, Leon.
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Sacraments
Baptism - Arrangements should be made as soon as possible following birth. Please contact the office to schedule your child's baptism.
Holy Eucharist - Catholics in the state of grave sin should not receive Holy Communion until after receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance. Ordinarily, non-Catholics are not allowed to receive Holy Communion. For more information, please click here.
Reconciliation and Penance - Offered on Saturdays from 3:45 - 4:15 p.m. or call the office to schedule an appointment.
Holy Matrimony - Please contact the office at least six months prior to your wedding date. If there is a prior marriage with no annulment, then the process may take up to a year.
Anointing and/or Holy Communion - If you or someone you know is admitted to the hospital and would like to receive Anointing of the Sick or Holy Communion, please call the office to schedule a visit.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:3-5 (RSVCE)
Wisdom from our Saints
"O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? Christ is risen, and you are overthrown. Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen. Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life reigns. Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages." (St. John Chrysostom, Easter Homily)
The gospel writers do not provide much detailed description of Jesus’ crucifixion. They knew that their readers were already well aware of what happened when someone was crucified because most of them had either seen a crucifixion or the dead victim of one still hanging on his cross.
It was in the Sixth Century B.C. that the Persians came up with this excruciatingly painful death. Later the Roman began making frequent us of it. Why crucifixion? It was a cheap form of execution, and it served as a great deterrent to would-be criminals. The Romans, for example, crucified Sparticus and his 6,000 all along the Appian Way so that those who traveled this main road from Rome to the seaport would have clear knowledge of what happened to those who dared to rebel against Rome.
The gospels don’t tell us much about Jesus’ crucifixion, but they do indicate that even Jesus’ tormentors must have know that this was a tortuous punishment because they offered “wine mingled with myrrh,” a drink that would have alleviated the pain, “but he did not take it.” (Mark 15:23) Thus we wee that Jesus again chose to bear the full weight of the punishment due for our sins.
Later Jesus says, “I thirst” and is offered sour wine, often compared to vinegar. Pope Benedict reminds us that Jesus also thirsts for our love, but we sometimes respond “with a sour heart,” not generously giving our love and gratitude to Him.
How offensive it must have been to our pure Lord Jesus to have been stripped of His clothes before that crowd who would have cheered at His humiliation. How painful, too, because stripping off His clothes, by now probably adhering to His many cuts and deep lacerations, would have torn open those wounds.
Later, we learn from John, that as Jesus was dying on His Cross, the uncaring soldiers divided His garments among themselves, but His tunic was without seam, “woven from top to bottom,” so they cast lots for it. (John 19:23-24) This garment, perhaps a gift form one of the women who followed Jesus, would have been quite costly.
Pope Benedict writes that the high priest’s garment was, like this, woven from a single thread, so thus we are reminded that Jesus, our high priest, was fulfilling His high priestly ministry by offering sacrifice (Himself) to God.
Even with Simon’s help, Jesus probably fell again. As we said earlier, Jesus was suffering not only mentally and spiritually for our sins, but by now, cursed, bloodied, and battered, every part of Jesus’ body must have been in agony. St. Bernard of Clairvaux said that Jesus had revealed to him that the wound on His left shoulder was the most painful of all. At St. Bernard’s urging, Pope Eugenius III granted a 3000 year indulgence to anyone who sincerely prayed the Lord’s Prayer and three Hail Mary’s in honor of this wound. Mother Angelica is the founder of the worldwide communications network EWTN. One of her favorite prayers is an old one entitled the
“Prayer to the Shoulder Wound of Our Lord Jesus.”
O Loving Jesus, meek Lamb of God, I, a miserable sinner, salute and worship the most Sacred Wound of Thy Shoulder on which Thou didst bear Thy heavy Cross, which so tore Thy Flesh and laid bare Thy Bones as to inflict on Thee an anguish greater than any other wound of Thy Most Blessed Body. I adore Thee, O Jesus, most sorrowful; I praise and glorify Thee and give Thee thanks for this most sacred and painful Wound, beseeching Thee by that exceeding pain, and by the crushing burden of Thy Cross, to be merciful to me a sinner, to forgive me all my mortal and venial sins, and to lead me on toward Heaven along the Way of the Cross. Amen.
Books could be and have been written on the last few days and moments of Jesus’ life. Most of the following information--very abbreviated--has come from Steve Ray’s cd Stations of the Cross, Pope Benedict’s book Jesus of Nazareth Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection and The Catechism of the Catholic Church.
When discussing the Stations it might be helpful to discuss first a bit of history.
Even in the first and second centuries a few pilgrims traveled what has been called Via Dolorosa or the Way of Sorrows, the path Jesus walked on His way to Calvary. Journals have been found from pilgrims writing in the third and fourth centuries about their visits to the holy sites. In 2010 more than three million Christians walked the two and a half miles around Jerusalem through Jewish, Christian, Armenian, and Muslim quarters, all seeking to follow the “Way of the Cross.”
No one knows for certain the exact route Jesus’ was forced to walk, but location of some key places have been determined, in spite of the fact that now people--due to the accumulations of the various societies living there over the centuries--walk about nine feet above the street level where Jesus once walked.
Although people have sought to follow in Jesus’ footsteps since the earliest times of Christianity, the cost and the time it took to travel there inspired St. Francis of Assisi to start the chapel version of the Station of the Cross. Thus we have mounted on the wall of our church fourteen Stations to help us recall and grieve over and give thanks for Jesus’ great sacrifice of love for us.
Over the years there have been anywhere from eleven to thirty Stations but the standard number is now fourteen, or fifteen because of the importance of remembering that the resurrection followed Jesus’ death.
Eight, or nine, of the Stations have a biblical basis Six are not mentioned in the Bible but are reasonable to believe.
Moving on in our tour of our church, we might notice that in the southeast corner of the nave is a small statue of the Infant of Prague. The infant king is dressed in royal robes and crowned in kingly splendor. He has one hand raised in blessing. In the other hand He holds a globe, symbolizing His eternal sovereignty.
The original statue of the Infant of Prague is located in the church of Our Lady of Victory in the city of Prague. This wax figure, about 19 inches tall, is dressed in garments a royal child might wear. In the early 1600’s this statue was given to the Carmelites of Prague by a Spanish princess, who said in her presentation, “I hereby give you what I prize most highly in the world. As long as you venerate this image you will not be in want.”
Over the years her words have been proven true countless times. When the Carmelites showed faithful devotion to the infant, they were blessed. However, in 1631 the Swedes conquered and plundered the monastery and threw the statue behind the altar. Both of its hands were broken off at the time. For seven years the statue was forgotten there in a pile of rubbish, and the Carmelite community and the city suffered. Finally, however, the statue was remembered and its hands were replaced. In 1642 a special chapel for the Divine Infant was built, and it was dedicated on the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. Since then many people from all over the world have shown devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague, and many favors have been granted by the Child.
Numerous saints have been especially devoted to the Child Jesus, whether He was know as the Infant of Prague or Santo Bambino or as any of the many names He has been given.
All throughout her young life (she died at age 24), Thérèse of Lisieux had a special love for the Child Jesus. She painted pictures of Him and asked Him to consider her “His little plaything.” She wrote, “I told Him not to use me as a valuable toy children are content to look at but dare not touch but to use me like a little ball of no value which He could throw on the ground, push with His foot, pierce, leave in a corner, or press to His Heart if it pleased Him; in a word, I wanted to amuse little Jesus, to give Him pleasure; I wanted to give myself up to His childish whims. He heard my prayer.”
Another Saint Teresa also had a special devotion to the Child Jesus. St. Teresa of Avila had such a tender love for Him that one special day He chose to visit her while she was walking up the stairs in her convent. He asked her, “Who are you?” She replied, “I am Teresa of Jesus, and who are you?” The beautiful Child said, “I am Jesus of Teresa.”
This experience was so moving to Teresa that from then on she always brought a statue of the Child Jesus to every new house/convent she founded (18 of them) and decorated a chapel in His honor. Each statue was dressed differently, and each was given a special name. St. Teresa played a viola, and she loved to compose songs and then play and sing to the Child.
We already know how much St. Anthony of Padua and the Infant Jesus loved each other. Another great Franciscan also held the Baby Jesus in great affection. St. Francis of Assisi's mother, a wealthy woman, believed that the son she was about to give birth to was destined to serve God in a special way, so she chose to have him in a place similar to the birthplace of Jesus. She gave birth to Francis in a barn, in humble surroundings with the warmth of animals around them. Throughout his life then Francis loved Christmas and often contemplated the holy birth of the Baby Saviour. It was Francis who originated the tradition of the church. In 1223 he and his fellow friars recreated the original Nativity with manger and cattle and donkeys. The faithful in the area came and saw these poor surroundings, and their love for the Infant grew. A church was eventually built on that spot, and from then on Christians have recalled the miraculous, holy birth of their Saviour by displaying manger scenes.
Many people from all over the world, Catholics and non-Catholics, watch and listen to EWTN, the network Mother Angelica founded, but perhaps some do not know that Mother Angelica, too, has long been devoted to the Child Jesus. One special day in 1995 the Divine Child spoke to her. She was visiting Bogota, Columbia, to encourage South Americans to view EWTN and help to make Spanish language programs for it. While there she was taken to tour the Shrine of Divino Nino. She was surprised to discover that the priest who had led the effort to build the shrine was Father John Rizzo. (John Rizzo was Mother’s father’s name!) She was even more surprised when the beautiful statue of Divino Nino turned towards her and said, “Build me a Temple and I will help those who help you.” What did Mother do? Let’s read Mother Angelica’s words taken from Come and See: A Pilgrim’s Picture Book: “It’s unbelievable to me that, when Our dear Lord asked for a Temple, and said He would take care of those who helped us, I never in my wildest dreams thought it would be so beautiful...At every turn He would change it. It got bigger and bigger, and more beautiful. We were going to put just ordinary floor tile in the Church; He guided us to put in marble. In every possible way He intercepted some or our ideas, and we could see what He wanted. And so this is truly a Church that God has built– a real Temple, a place where the people can go and rest their souls, renew their faith, and give themselves and opportunity to receive the graces and the peace, the forgiveness and the mercy that only God can give.
“The statue of Divino Nino, the Divine Child Jesus, at the side Altar is the Child Jesus interceding for all of us. The statue outside in the Piazza is a big monument, the Divine Child Jesus inviting us to accept His love and His Heart, and to carry with us and within us the Childhood of Jesus. For the Lord said, ‘Unless you become as little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven.’ And in Isaiah it gives us a good example of what God expects to do in this world in this life: it says ‘... and a little Child shall lead them.’ May we all be led by the Divino Nino Jesus.”
The Child Jesus, whether known as the Infant of Prague or Divino Nino or Santo Bambino (as Padre Pio called Him) or...How sweet it would be to hold Him in our arms. But we might remember the great blessing we do have. Every time we receive Holy Communion we receive Jesus and hold Him, not just in our arms but within us!
In the Confessional a window depicts the theological virtue of faith “by which we believe in God and believe all that He has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief, because He is truth itself. (Father John Corapi, in commenting on this theological virtue, said that “faith is something we’re given, not something we all decide on or agree on.” In other words, he said, we have “faith in all—not in part, not by consensus—“ that the Church teaches.) By faith ‘man freely commits his entire self to God’…The gift of faith remains in one who has not sinned against it. But ‘faith apart from works is dead’: when it is deprived of hope and love, faith does not fully unite the believer to Christ and does not make him a living member of His Body. The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it…” (See the CCC 1814-1816)
Considering what the Catechism tells us about faith, how wise were the people who decided that the window illustrating faith should light the confessional!
Our window illustrates faith with a cross. Around 100 AD Saint Ignatius of Antioch wrote, “As for me, my spirit is now all humble devotion-- the cross which so greatly offends the unbelievers, but is salvation and eternal life to us.”
Act of Faith
O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in three Divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; I believe that Thy Divine Son became man, and died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.
The next three windows on the east side of the church depict the three theological virtues: faith hope and love. They are called theological virtues because they come from God and lead us back to Him. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says that these virtues “are the foundation of Christian moral activity…They are infused by God into the soul of the faithful to make them capable of acting as his children and of meriting eternal life. They are the pledge of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in the faculties of the human being” (CCC 1812-1813)
As we stand at the foot of the stairway to the choir loft and look up, we see that lighting the stairway is the anchor of hope. What a great place to have this window! The Catechism tells us that hope “keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during time of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude…The beatitudes raise our hope toward heaven as the new Promised Land…In ever circumstance each one of us should hope, with the grace of God, to persevere ‘to the end’ and to obtain the joy of heaven, as God’s eternal reward…”So as we sometimes feel overwhelmed looking up the steep stairway of life, we should always remember what lies ahead if we are faithful!
Why is an anchor used as the symbol of hope in our window? Mike Aquilina, who has written a great book on Christian symbolism says that anchors were not mentioned in the Old Testament, but do appear in New Testament references. It is in Hebrews 6:19-20 where the anchor is clearly connected to hope. In a commentary on Hebrews, Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch write that hope is “The confident desire for glory (Hebrews 2:10), rest (4:1), and blessing” (6:7), that “can keep the believer from drifting (2:1), just as an anchor symbolized hope in our salvation, but because it was Christ’s death on the cross that redeemed us and gave us this hope, most anchors were drawn to resemble a cross and so called crypto-crosses.
Want to read more about hope as a theological virtue? See the CCC 1817-1821.
Act of Hope
O my God, relying on Thy infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
On the east wall of our church, to the right of the stairway to the choir loft, is a window depicting a lamb with a banner. A lamb in church art can usually represent two things. When shown with a shepherd, the lamb symbolizes each of us. Jesus is our Good Shepherd and we are his lambs or sheep as He tells us in John 10:11-15: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them…I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me…and I lay down my life for the sheep.” Remember too the 23rd Psalm which begins, “The Lord is my shepherd…”? And the parable about the lost sheep in Luke 15:6?
Jesus again refers to us as lambs or sheep in John 21:15-17 when He says to Peter, “Feed my lambs…Tend my sheep…Feed my sheep.” Perhaps though a bit off the point of our window discussion, it might be appropriate to mention here that it is in this discussion with Peter that Jesus delegates Peter to be the next shepherd of His flock, the Church. As He did in Matthew 16:13-20, Christ establishes Peter as head and protector of the Church. In this role Peter and His successors were to protect us from the “wolves” of this world, preserve the gospel, and be sure that we are fed spiritually.
Back to our window. When a lamb is not pictured with the Good Shepherd, but rather is alone, it usually represents Jesus, the pure and innocent one who was sacrificed in atonement for our sins. When he sees Jesus, John the Baptist cries out, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29) Do these words sound familiar? Remember what we say at Mass? In the Gloria and ancient hymn of our Church, we sing, “Lord God, Lamb of God…” and later we sing the Agnus Dei—“Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.”
The Jews who heard John the Baptist say these words would have immediately been reminded of the sacrificial lambs whose blood was painted on the doorposts of the Israelites in Egypt so that the angel of death would pass over their homes. (Exodus 12) Just as those lambs saved the Israelites, our Lamb, at a later Passover, died upon His cross at the exact hour when the Jewish priests were sacrificing the Paschal/Passover lambs in the temple. (John 19:14) In 1 Corinthians 5:7 Paul writes, “Christ, our Paschal lamb, has been sacrificed. “Peter tells his readers, “You know that you were ransomed…not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 18-19)
Sometimes the Lamb of God is portrayed reclining, reminding us of the innocent wounded and/or slain Christ. Our Lamb is meek and innocent yet victorious, reminding that Jesus—our sacrificial Lamb—rose from the dead victorious. Our Lamb carries a banner with a cross on it. This commonly pictured Lamb and banner remind us that Jesus conquered sin and death by suffering and dying for us on His cross and that we who follow Him as our King serve “beneath His banner.’”
Pope Benedict XVI said on the feast of Christ the King on November 22, 2009, “But in what does this ‘power’ of Jesus Christ the King consist? It is not the power of the kings or the great people of this world; it is the divine power to give eternal life, to liberate from evil, to defeat the dominion of death. It is the power of Love that can draw good from evil, that can melt a hardened heart, bring peace amid the harshest conflict and kindle hope in the thickest darkness. This Kingdom of Grace is Pilate: whoever accepts His witness serves beneath His ‘banner.’ …Every conscience, therefore, must make a choice. Who do I want to follow? God or the Evil One? The truth or falsehood? Choosing Christ does not guarantee success according to the world’s criteria but assures the peace and joy that He alone can give us…”
There are many more lamb and shepherd references throughout the Old and New Testaments (Isaiah 53, Jeremiah 11:19, Ezekial 34—about bad and good shepherds, Acts 8:32, Revelation 5 …), but it is time to move on to the next window!
The last large window on the southeast side of the nave depicts the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemene. We all remember that sad evening. After the Last Supper, Christ and His Apostles retired to the garden. There, Jesus, saying to His friends “My soul is exceeding sorrowful,” went off a little way and prayed to His Father. There are some aspects of this moving event that we might consider more closely. Why has Jesus so filled with sorrow? Why Gethsemene? Does the place have any significance? Why does Jesus speak about a cup? Why did Jesus tell His followers to pray so that they would “not enter into temptation”? How about… Well, let’s discuss, the scene this window depicts, try to answer these questions, and discern how we today might apply aspects of this evening to our lives.
The story of Jesus’ agony is found in Matthew 26, Mark 14 and Luke 22.
At the Last Supper, we recall Jesus instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist, giving us the blessing of receiving the great gift of His Body and Blood in Communion. That night he also instituted the Sacrament of Holy Orders, thus ordaining the Apostles as the first priests. After this final supper, Jesus, “as was His custom,” went to the Garden of Gethsemene, a lush garden located accross the Kidron Valley on or near the Mount of Olives. Both Luke (Luke 22:39) and John (18:2) tell us that this was a favorite retreat for Our Lord. Is there any significance in its name—Gethsemene? It means “olive press” or “oil press.” One commentator suggests that it was here in this garden that Jesus began to be bruised and crushed so that our sins could be forgiven and we might have eternal life with Him.
It was in this beautiful garden that Our Lord suffered “an agony” so great that “His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down upon the ground.” (Luke 22:44) A great mental anguish and physical distress came upon Him as He thought about what was to come—His betrayal, the false accusations, the mockery, beatings, being spat upon, scourged, horribly tortured, crucified, the terror His beloved disciples would feel, the grief of His dear Mother, the sinners who would still reject Him even after His loving sacrifice… St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “The gathered storm of all these evils rushed into His most gentle heart and flooded it like the ocean sweeping through broken dikes.”
It is while He is agonizing over all of the things that Jesus cries, “Abba, Father, all thing are possible to thee; remove this cup from me: yet not what I will but what though wilt.” (Mark 14:36) Why does Jesus refer to a cup? Jesus referred to this cup earlier in Matthew 20:22 and Mark 10 when He asked the sons of Zebedee (James and John), “Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?”
It is helpful to realize that Matthew wrote his gospel for Jewish converts to Christianity. They would have readily understood the significance of Christ‘s use of the word “cup”. There are many references to the cup in the Old Testament. For example, it is referred to as the “cup of his wrath” in Isaiah 51:17, the cup of the wine of wrath” in Jeremiah 25:15, and as “the cup of staggering” in Isaiah 51:22. Zechariah 12:2 calls it “a cup of reeling.” These and many other cup references meant the punishment that would be given to sinful humanity. Now, however, Jesus takes this cup upon Himself and He does so willingly. In John 12:27, Jesus asks, “And what shall I say, ‘Father, save me from this hour?” In John 10:18, He says, “No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” Then in the garden Jesus says to His Father,”…yet not what I will, but what thou wilt.” (Mark 14:36) And with His assent, He agrees to suffer all of the punishment due for our sins so that we might be redeemed. He agrees to become the “Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world.” He agrees to become the lamb that Isaiah prophesied, “like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before it shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth… he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (53:7&12) Even on the cross before He says, “It is finished,“ He says, “I thirst” as if to say He is ready for more punishment to be certain our redemption in complete. (John 19:30 and 28) Amazing Love!
Cardinal J. Francis Stafford said in 2006 “Every human throughout history has loaded his or her sins upon the Innocent One whose outstretched arms embraced them all in love.”
Perhaps here might be a good place to remind ourselves that Jesus was truly God but also truly human. Because of His anxiety—physical and mental—we have proof that Jesus was genuinely human. We remember that the devil tempted Jesus three years earlier in the desert, but “departed from him until an opportune time.” (Luke 4:13) Now in the garden it seems the devil thinks he has found the opportune time since he attacks Jesus again, this time with fear, knowing that as a human He would naturally fear suffering. Just a few minutes earlier Jesus had told his companions to watch and pray so that they would “not enter into temptation” for “the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.” Aquinas says that because Jesus was truly man, his human will was not omnipotent (all-powerful), and so Christ also asked the Father to strengthen His will to resist the temptations assailing.
It is interesting to note that the three Apostles who were with Jesus at the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor (Matt.17) were the same three who were a “stone's throw” from Him as He suffered in the garden. Thus Peter, James and John actually saw Jesus as truly God and truly man.
What else might we learn from the events in the Garden of Gethsemene?
Notice that Jesus calls His Father, “Abba.” This is a loving term of a child for his father and a reminder to us that God the Father is also a loving “Daddy.”
Father Mitch Pacwa says we might see that Jesus in “living out” or “praying” the Lord’s Prayer as He asks His Father to help Him to resist temptation and to deliver Him from evil and then tell His Father “thy will be done.”
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen points out that the first thing Jesus asks of his newly ordained priests is that they spend an hour with him in prayer. (Sheen took this request to heart himself and spent an hour every day—no matter where he was or how busy his schedule—in Eucharistic adoration.) Should we also spend time with Jesus in daily prayer, frequent visits with Him in church, and at Eucharistic Adoration?
As we said earlier, Jesus told the Apostles to watch and pray that they would “not enter into temptation.” What temptation? Perhaps the temptation to abandon Jesus or to lose faith in Him when they saw that He was arrested and killed? Or perhaps they would be tempted to deny Him later in order to avoid persecution themselves? If Jesus prayed for strength to resist temptation and told His Apostles to pray for that, shouldn’t we also pray for strength against the temptations we deal with daily. St. Francis de Sales writes, “If our Lord had only said watch, we might expect that our power would be sufficient, but when He adds “pray,” He shows that if He keeps not our souls in time of temptation in vain shall they watch who keep them.”
Jesus’ companions failed to keep watch and pray with Him, but then “an angel from heaven” came “strengthening Him” (Luke 22:43) Pope Paul VI says that angels “intercede for us and come to the aid our weaknesses in brotherly care.”
Even though Jesus asked them to watch and pray, the Apostles kept falling asleep. They were sleeping while the devil was prowling around the garden and while Judas was busily going about his betrayal of Jesus. St. Thomas More writes, “Does not this contrast between the traitor and the apostles present to us a clear and sharp mirror image (as it were), a sad and terrible view of what has happened through the ages from those time even to our own?...For very many are sleepy and apathetic in sewing virtues among the people and maintaining the truth, while the enemies of Christ in order to sow vices and uproot the faith…are wide awake—so much wiser (as Christ says) are the sons of darkness in their generation that the sons of light.” More wrote in the 1500’s, yet his words might easily be a description of our times.
·So…are we sleeping or are we watchful and praying and sewing virtues and maintaining the truth or…?
A simple window can give us much to think about, can’t it?
The next window we see on the south side of our church is a window which depicts John the Baptist baptizing Jesus. As we examine this window, we might ask several questions. Who was John the Baptist? Why was he baptizing? Why would Jesus—our perfect God—want to be baptized? Was John’s baptism the same as the Sacrament of Baptism which Jesus instituted? We might even ask why John is wearing animal skins.
First of all, let us see what we can learn about John the Baptist. We might recall that the first time we hear about him is in Luke 1, where we are introduced to his father Zechariah, a priest of Judah. Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were “both righteous” and “blameless”. (Wouldn’t it be wonderful if God, too, saw each of us as righteous and blameless?) They were an older couple and had never been blessed with children, but when Zechariah was in the temple offering incense to God while many people were outside uniting their prayers with his, suddenly an angel appeared to him. The angel announced, “I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you…” Frightened yet attentive, Zechariah learned that his prayers had been heard. What had Zechariah been praying for? He was so far along in years that it is perhaps questionable that he was praying for a son, yet Zechariah had great faith in God. As a priest of Israel, he certainly must have prayed for his country and world. Whether Zechariah prayed for one or two or all three of the above, God was about to answer his prayers. He and Elizabeth would have a son, and Gabriel says that that son, John, “will be great before the Lord…he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah. “Wow! Imagine what a dad might feel and think upon hearing these words!
The next time we hear about John is when Mary goes to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth, who is expecting the baby Gabriel promised. Just as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, “the baby leaped in her womb…for joy.” At this moment Elizabeth is made aware that Mary, too is with child, and Elizabeth exclaims, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of you womb! And why is this granted me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Thus we see that already John is doing what the Lord has called him to do. After John is born, his father says, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people…”
John grows up and prepares for his mission by spending time in the wilderness. Then “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” (27or 29 A.D.) John goes “into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. (Luke 3:2-3) Matthew tells us that John was prophesied by Isaiah, who spoke of, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.” (Matt 3:3)
Remember that Gabriel said that John would have the “spirit and power of Elijah”? John reminds his people of the prophet Elijah, who “wore a garment of haircloth, with a girdle of leather about his loins.” (2 Kings 1:8) Matthew says, “Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather girdle around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.”(3:4-5) Matthew adds that “Jerusalem and all Judea and the entire region about the Jordan” went out to hear John preach and to be baptized by him. (Matt. 3:5-6)
John baptizes people in the Jordan River, and thus—symbolically—they turn away from their sinful lives and their sins are washed away (forgiven). John’s baptism, however, did not have the power of the Sacrament of Baptism. It did not actually cleanse souls of sin as the Sacrament of Baptism does. The sacrament not only bestows God’s forgiveness for all previous sins: it also gives sanctifying grace. Our Catechism tells us that this grace “heals our human nature wounded by sin by giving us a share in the divine life of the Trinity.” It also helps us to resist temptations to sin and thus to be more holy and Christ like.
If John’s baptism was meant to help people reform their lives in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, why then did Jesus want to be baptized? After all, He was the Messiah. He had committed no sins, so he did not need to have sins symbolically washed away. Even John saw no need for Jesus to be baptized. He said to Jesus, “I need to be baptized by you and do you come to me? (Matt. 3:14)
Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matt. 3:15)
Our Catechism tells us that with this baptism Jesus accepts the role of “God’s suffering servant. He allows Himself to be numbered among sinners; He is already the ‘Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.’ Already He is anticipating the ‘baptism of His death’” (CCC 536)
As a Jewish boy and man, Jesus had already obeyed all of God’s commands. He had been circumcised, presented at the temple, and redeemed as the firstborn. Now, at the age of which, according to Jewish custom, rabbis began to carry out their function as teachers, Jesus was about to begin His public life. To fulfill all righteousness means to do everything that will fulfill all of God’s will and designs for salvation. So Jesus was baptized to fulfill God’s saving plan in all its aspects as a final preparation for beginning His public mission. Saint Thomas Aquinas says there was another reason, as well, for Jesus to be baptized by John in the presence of so many witnesses. He says, “When He attained to the perfect age… when the time came for Him to teach, to work miracles, and to draw men to Himself, then it was fitting for His Godhead to be attested to from on high by the Father’s testimony, so that His teaching might be the more credible.”
Our window depicts this moment. Notice the dove—the symbol of the Holy Spirit—descending from above? From the moment of His conception, Jesus was fully God and fully man. (He was one divine person, but He had two natures—one divine and one human.) Thus He and the Holy Spirit were always totally united, but the descent of the Holy Spirit indicates that now the Holy Spirit was beginning His action through Jesus.
It is in this moment that John hears “A voice from heaven, saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Thus the mystery of the Holy Trinity is revealed, and Jesus is declared the divine, only-begotten Son of God.
Let’s see. Have we answered all of the questions posed when we began our consideration of this window? Well, our first question was, “Who was John the Baptist?” We know he was Jesus’ kinsman, we know his mission was to prepare the people for coming of the Messiah, we know that he baptized people as a symbolic way of washing their sins away, and we know he led a simple life of penance. There are a few more things we could add. He was humble. At one point he says that he is not even worthy to unite Jesus’ sandal, and he tells his followers that Jesus “must increase, but I must decrease.” John loved God and the truth so much that he was not ashamed to shout the truth in the streets of Israel. He honestly and courageously warned people that they needed to prepare themselves spiritually to meet their Lord by changing their hearts, reforming their lives, and doing penance for their sins. Good advice for us even today, isn’t it? Want to know more about what happened to John? Read Luke 3, Marks 6, and Matthew 14.
Want to know more about Jesus’ baptism by John or about the Sacrament of Baptism? Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church 535-537 or see pages 758-759 in the index.
As we continue our tour of our church, we now reflect on the message in the next window on the south side of the church. In it we see Jesus standing behind a table. In His hand He holds bread, and on the table is a cup. Two men are seated at the table, one looking with devotion at the “bread” and the other bowing his head toward the cup. What biblical event is depicted here? The story of Emmaus. It can be found in Luke 24:13-35. It tells of two disciples who are walking the seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus and talking about the passion and death of Jesus. These men are described as “sad”. It is while they are walking, however, that Jesus draws near and walks with them. Not recognizing Him, they explain to Him that in the past few days “Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people” was condemned to be crucified. They “had hoped” that Jesus would redeem Israel. Now they seem to have lost that hope in spite of the fact that—they tell their fellow traveler (Jesus)—that very morning those who had visited Jesus’ tomb had found it empty, and some had been told by angels that Jesus was alive.
Why, we might wonder, on this day of His resurrection did Jesus chose to appear to these two men. They were not among His twelve Apostles. We are told the name of only one of them—Clopas. We don’t know much else about them except that they seem sad and discouraged and, perhaps—because they had chosen to leave Jerusalem and the other followers of Jesus—they had begun to lose faith in Jesus. So why did Jesus choose to appear to them? He scolds them a bit first, “O foolish Men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken!” But then He explains how it was necessary that the Messiah come and suffer and did as He did.
It is interesting that after He explained why it was “necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory,” Jesus was about to continue on His way, but they “constrained” Him to stay with them. Note that they didn’t just invite Him, but they nearly held on to Him, urging Him to stay. Might this say something to us about our relationship with Jesus? He comes to us in our neediness, yet it is up to us to open our hearts and invite Him to remain with us.
When the men had urged this wise stranger to stay, he joined them at supper. As he did, “He took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him.” Then Jesus vanished, but remained with them in the Holy Eucharist. This moment might give us something to consider. Are our eyes opened, and do we recognize that Jesus is truly present when He offers us His precious Body and Blood in Holy Communion? Can we say, as the two men did, that when Jesus is with us, “our hearts burn within us”? The two men were so filled with joy and thanksgiving that they returned to Jerusalem that very night to share the good news that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead and had appeared to them. Are we so full of joy when we hear Christ’s word and receive Him that we—like the two men—might be willing to walk seven miles to share the good news that Christ is risen? His is risen indeed! Let’s share this good news!
While we are discussing our Blessed Mother, let us pause in our discussion of the church windows and look more closely at the altar dedicated to her. We might first look at the base of the altar. Here the Archangel Gabriel is depicted as announcing to the young Virgin Mary that God has chosen her to be the mother of His Son. (This is the moment of The Annunciation, a feast we celebrate on March 25.) From this very moment --when Mary of her own free will chose to say yes to God--she became our example.
We don't "hear" Mary saying a lot in the New Testament, but let us consider some of what she does say and what it might teach us about how to follow Jesus.
In Luke 1:38 she answers Gabriel with the words, "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." By saying this Mary knew that not only was she agreeing to participate in God's plan of salvation, but that she also was placing her trust in God to protect her from whatever might threaten an unmarried young women shown to be with child. Can each of us say these words freely and willingly with Mary? The let us say, "Lord, I am your servant, so whatever You want to do with me--my body, my mind, my talents, my possession, my reputation...do it."
In Luke 1:46 Mary declares, "My being magnifies the Lord" or--another translation--"My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord." Does everything about us (our attitudes, our actions, our words...) proclaim God's greatness to our Heavenly Father and to those around us?
In Luke 1:47 Mary gives us another example. She says, "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior." Do we too find such joy in God, in Jesus our Savior? Are we such joyful Catholics that others look at us and want a share in our joyful relationship with Jesus?
At the wedding feast at Cana, when Mary notices that the hosts are out of wine, she says to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you." Can we honestly say that we always do what Jesus would want us to do? Can others in our community look at us Catholics and say that we truly only to please Jesus? Are we examples to others as Mary is to us?
Even though only a few of her words are included in the gospels, Mary certainly is an example for us to follow isn't she? And those few words can give us much to think about, can't they?
Let look again at the base relief depiction of the Annunciation. See the dove hovering above Mary? It reminds us of Gabriel's words, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." Later, too, when John the Baptist baptizes Jesus, Matthew records "...he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him." Traditionally, then, in art the Holy Spirit has been portrayed as a dove.
Notice that Mary is holding a book in her hand. This is not an indication of Mary's love of reading, but rather another common symbol used in art show that Mary was familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures and so would know the prophecies about the long-promised Messiah.
Let us now look up at the statue of Mary on this south altar. Can you see that Mary is standing on the head of a snake which has an apple in its mouth? What is this meant to recall for us? Remember when Mary said yes to God's plan for her to be the mother of His Son? At that moment the promise God made in Genesis 3:15 begins to be fulfilled. In that verse God says to Satan, that evil serpent who has tempted Adam and Eve with the forbidden fruit, "...I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed: he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
Mary was "the woman" promised, and her Seed, Jesus, began to crush the head of the serpent when He became man and suffered and died on the cross so that we might be redeemed. Of course, Satan continues his rebellion against God by trying to lure as many of us to Hell as he can. But in the end Jesus will soundly and finally defeat Satan and his followers.
God said, "I will put enmity between you and the woman..." What does enmity mean? Deep-seated hatred. Satan hates Mary because she willingly participates in God's plan for our redemption. Because Mary loves Jesus and us, as any loving mother would, she will do everything she can to protect us from our enemy, Satan. For this reason the Church has long taught that we should ask Mary to pray for us. St. Thomas a Kempis once wrote that the devils fear Mary so much that on hearing her name, they run like escapees from a raging fire. St. Alphonsus Ligouri wrote that even calling May's name would give people strength to turn from occasions of impurity. St. Padre Pio used to ask that his "weapon" be brought to him. That weapon was his rosary. Father John Corapi, a prominent preacher today, often has said to us, his fellow Catholics, "Your Mama (Mary) wears army boots!" So, if we need help in resisting the temptations of the devil, we know that we can turn to Mary and she will help us.
Let us look once again at our statue of Mary. Notice that she is wearing a crown? The Church teaches that Mary is the Queen of Heaven. Is there any biblical basis for this teaching? Let's get our Bibles and turn to 1 Kings 12:20. Here we see that King Solomon's mother--not one of his many wives--was honored by him and sat at his right hand. There are other references in the Old Testament that show the importance given to the Queen Mother. (1 Kings 14:21, 1 Kings 15:13, 2 Kings 24:12, and Jeremiah 13:18, for examples) In Luke 1 :43 we read that Elizabeth exclaims, "And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" With these words we are reminded that Mary is the mother of a King: she is the Queen Mother. In Revelation 12:1-2 we are given an image of Mary as a queen with child. She is "clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet." It is interesting that Our Lady of Guadelupe's image, which miraculously appeared on Juan Diego's tilma (cloak) in 1531 show Mary surrounded by the sun, standing on the moon, and expecting a child.
If we look again at our statue we can see that Mary's right hand directs our attention toward the child Jesus on her arm. This gesture, often found in artwork depicting Mary and Jesus, is meant to remind us of Mary's main goal--to get all us to turn to and follow her Son, Jesus.
The other window in our church dedicated to Mary is the window closest to the south altar. In this window Mary stands alone, almost as if floating in air. Perhaps the artist meant to remind us of Mary's Assumption into heaven. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death."
Note that Mary did not ascend by her own power as Jesus did, but God took her up. We are prepared for just such a blessed event by two similar occurrences in the Old Testament. Genesis 5:24 tells us that "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." In 2 Kings 2:11 Elisha and Elijah were walking together when suddenly "... a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven."
Did Mary die before her body and soul were assumed? The Church has never formally answered that question. In 1950 Pope Pius XII wrote in Munificentissimus Deus (The Most Generous God) that Mary "after the completion of her earthy life was assumed body and soul into the glory of heaven." Notice he did not say whether she died or not. Because of her Immaculate Conception, Mary was preserved free from original sin and thus from the consequences of sin, yet Pope John Paul II pointed out that because Mary suffered while her Son Jesus suffered through His Passion and His Death on the cross, it might be logical to conclude that Mary died as her Son did.
Another point sometimes mentioned when Mary's Assumption is discussed: Mary was, as her kinswoman Elizabeth declares in Luke 1:42, "Blessed...among women," so wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that as the early Christians guarded the relics of Peter and Paul and others, they would most certainly preserve Mary's remains? Yet no one ever claimed to possess or to know where Mary's body was. The Church has declared that there were no remains to preserve and venerate because Mary was assumed--body and soul--into heaven.
Catholics do not worship Mary, but--following her Son's example--we do love and honor her. We also ask her to pray for us. Because Mary is so important to her Son and to us, her spiritual children, we have several reminders of her in our church.
If we look at the window high to the left of the main altar, we will see another heart. This is meant to symbolize Mary's Immaculate Heart. Devotion to her Immaculate Heart is an ancient practice in the Church. Her heart reminds us of her being the loving Mother of Jesus and of her love for God and us. It also reminds us that Luke wrote that as she and Joseph raised Jesus and experienced the visit of the shepherds and the prophecy of Simeon and the loss of Jesus in the temple..."Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart."
In Fatima, Portugal in 1917, Mary appeared to three children (Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco) several times. One of those times she held in the palm of her right hand a heart surrounded with thorn. Lucia later wrote, "We understood it was the Immaculate Heart of Mary, insulted by the sins of humanity, which wanted reparation." Mary said to the children, "[My Son] wants to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart in the world. To those who accept it, I promise salvation and those souls will be loved by God as flowers I have place to embellish His Throne."
Another time the Boy Jesus stood beside His beloved Mother and told the three children, "Have pity on the heart of you Most Holy Mother which is covered with thorns with which ingrate men pierce it at every moment with no one to make an act of reparation to pull them out."
Mary and Jesus asked that we honor her Immaculate Heart on the first five Saturday of five consecutive months by going to Confession, receiving Holy Communion, praying five decades of the Rosary and meditating for fifteen minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary in reparation for sins. In return Mary promised that she would-- as our Mother-- pray for us and intercede for us at the hour of our death.
In 1930, years after Jacinta and Francisco had died and Lucia had become a nun, Lucia's confessor asked her why there were five rather than seven or nine Saturdays. Lucia explained that Jesus had told her there were five kinds of offenses perpetrated against the Immaculate Heart of Mary:
blasphemies against her Immaculate Conception
against her virginity
against her divine maternity, at the same time refusing to accept her as the Mother of men
those who publicly try to instill indifference, scorn, and even hatred to her in the hearts of children
and those who insult her directly in her sacred images
Perhaps we should mention here that Catholics are not obligated to believe in apparitions such as those at Lourdes or Fatima as they are required to believe what is said in the Apostles' Creed, for example. However, if after thoroughly investigating, the Church determines that an apparition is worthy of belief, then Catholics might find it reasonable and prudent to believe in the message.
Notice that the depiction of Mary's heart in our window does not include the thorns the children of Fatima saw, but rather has a sword piercing it. This is a reminder of what we read in Luke 2:22-35, the story of the old man named Simeon, who recognizes Baby Jesus as the messiah and tells Mary that a sword will-pierce her.
Sometimes pictures of Mary's heart show that it is pierced not by a single sword but rather with seven small swords or daggers. These remind us of Mary's Seven Sorrows (or Seven Dolors): Simeon's prophesy, the flight into Egypt, the loss of the Child Jesus in the temple, Mary's accompaniment of Jesus on the way of the cross, the crucifixion of her Son, His descent from the Cross, and His entombment in the Holy Sepulchre.
Let's look once again at our window. Notice that above Mary's heart are some lilies. Lilies are traditional symbols of purity. These remind us that Mary was, as we say at Mass, "ever virgin." In Luke 1, when the Archangel Gabriel tells Mary that she will conceive and bear the "Son of the Most High," Mary asks, "How can this be, since I have no husband?" Gabriel tells her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God."
But did Mary remain a virgin even after the birth of Jesus? How about later references to Jesus' brothers and sisters? From the very earliest days of the Church, it has always been taught that these brothers and sisters were relatives. The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words used in these references in the Bible can mean brothers and sisters but also nephew, niece, half-brother, half-sister, and cousin. Note, too, that the James and Joseph who were called the "brothers of Jesus" are the sons of another Mary, a disciple of Christ whom Matthew calls "the other Mary." (Matthew 27:56 and 61, Matthew 28:1, and Mark 15:40)
In the Gospel of John, Jesus entrusts Mary to John. If she had other children, why weren't' they with her and Jesus then, and why would Jesus ask John to care for her? (John 19:26-27)
From the beginnings of the Church, Catholics have always believed Mary to be "ever virgin." St. Augustine (354-430 A.D.) wrote the Mary "remained a virgin in conceiving her Son, a virgin giving birth to Him, a virgin in carrying Him, a virgin in nursing Him at her breast, always a virgin."
In the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we address Mary as "Holy Virgin of Virgins" and Mother most pure, Mother most chaste, Mother inviolate, Mother undefiled."
One of the other things we might observe about the window is the wreathe of flowers around Mary's heart. Are they roses? Early Christians saw Mary as the scriptural "Rose of Sharon." (Song of Song 2:1) A traditional story says that roses and lilies were found in Mary's chamber after Her Assumption. The word Rosary comes from the Latin rosarium, which means garland, garden or wreathe of roses. (In fact, many who have prayed the Rosary over the years have offered each "Hail Mary" as a sort of rose to Mary.)
There is another window in our church and an altar devoted to Mary. We'll discuss these next.
In the third window west of St. Anthony's statue is a full- length portrait of Jesus gesturing toward his Sacred Heart. Because our church is named after the Sacred Heart, there are actually three windows that depict this aspect of Jesus. The other two--one in the west side of the sacristy and the other high up the the right on the main altar--depict his heart alone.
Why do Catholics reverence and adore the Sacred Heart? On June 16, 1675, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was praying before the Blessed Sacrament in her convent in Paray-leMonial, France, when Our Lord appeared to her. After some discussion, He pointed to His Sacred Heart and said, "Behold the Heart that has so loved men that it spared nothing to bear witness to this love; and which, in exchange, receives from most people only ingratitude, irreverence, sacrileges, indifference and scorn against Me in the Sacrament of Love." He went on to ask St. Margaret Mary to help Him draw His people closer to Himself by working to have the Feast of the Sacred Heart established. He also asked that people be encouraged to honor His Sacred image in their homes a to carry His small "shields" with them.
Thus we celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart on the Friday following the second Sunday after Pentecost. In return, Jesus said that for those who worthily receive Communion on that day and make and act of reparation to the Sacred Heart "in satisfaction for the offenses received during the time I have been exposed on the altars," His heart would "dilate to distribute abundantly the influences of its divine love upon those who revere it and endeavor to have others do the same."
How might families honor His Sacred image in their homes? There is a special enthronement ceremony where--in the presence of a priest--the family acknowledges publicly and solemnly that Christ is the King and loving Master of their home and family and the head of the family installs a picture or statue of the Sacred Heart in a prominent place in the home. The family members then pledge to live as though the Sacred Heart was actually dwelling with them in their home.
What about the "shield" or badge? It is meant to express our love of the Sacred Heart and to be a sign of our confidence in His protection against the snares of the devil and other dangers. St. Margaret Mary herself made many of these badges herself, and she and her fellow sisters carried them with them wherever they were. Over the years thousands of the faithful, including many Popes, have worn or carried the badges. Thousands, too, have been distributed among our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Blessed Pope Pius IX declared, "I will bless this Heart and wish that all those made according to this model receive the same blessing without need for a priest to renew it. Futhermore, I want Satan to be prevented in every way from harming those who carry this badge, a symbol of the adorabe Heart of Jesus." Several Sacred Heart parishioners have had the opportunity to pick up these badges in our church and, hopefully, they carry them.
In return, for our efforts to repent of our sins, to honor His Sacred Heart, and to live as if Jesus, the Sacred Heart, is actually living with us in our homes, Jesus gave us twelve promises.
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. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of death. 5. I will pour abundant blessings on 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 speedily rise to great perfection. 9. I will bless the homes in which the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored. 10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts. 11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their name written in My Heart, and it shall never be effaced. 12. I promise thee in the excess of the mercy of My Heart, that its all-powerful Love will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of Nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.
Let us take a close look at this image in our windows. It is rich in symbolism. Notice the cross above the heart? It reminds us of His death and our call to take up our crosses. The flame represents the fire of His love that burns for us. He longs to show us this love and His mercy if we would only repent, go to confession, and follow Him. See the crous on thorns? It reminds us of His suffering for us, but also calls us to ask Him to be the King of our hearts and lives. If we look carefully, we will see that there are drops of blood near the bottom of His heart. He gave even the last drops of His blood for us. He asks only that we love and follow Him in return.
Why do our windows contain three images of the Sacred Heart and why is the statue of the Sacred Heart enthroned on our main altar? Now we know. Perhaps they will inspire us to carry a Sacred Heart badge with us and find an image of Him in a place of honor in our homes.
