Liturgical Year: August

The month of August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated, not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is. This is because the expression ‘Mary’s Heart’ is to be understood in a biblical sense: That is, it denotes the human person of the Blessed Virgin herself, her intimate and unique being (born without sin). Mary’s Heart is the center and source of her internal experiences, thoughts, feelings, and reflections that she has as an individual. It also denotes her mind, memory, her will and love; and the single-mindedness with which she loved God and the disciples and devoted herself wholeheartedly to the work of her Son.

This devotion has received renewed emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima. In Lucy’s 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. This practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The roots of this devotion to Mary’s Heart are in Scripture, where on two occasions reference is made to Mary’s heart by St. Luke, in Luke 2:19 “Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart,” and Luke 2:51 “His mother (Mary) meanwhile kept all these things in memory, meaning in her heart.”

The most beautiful biblical text about Mary’s heart is the Magnificat (taken from Luke’s Gospel (1:46-55)) because it reveals to us the wondrous riches of Mary’s humble and regal heart. Her heart sings a song of praise and salvation for all God’s people.

My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name;
And His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of His mercy
Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.

the Magnificat is more than a prayer of praise. It also reminds us about the essential link between humility and holiness. Just as God has “regarded the lowliness of his handmaid (Mary’s answer to Gabriel)” and “has done great things” for Mary in making her the Mother of his Son, so too “he has put down the mighty from their thrones (with his own might!) and has exalted the lowly.”

In our devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Heart there is no more effective prayer than the Rosary which is about the mysteries of her Son’s life and hers. There is no better way to obtain through Mary’s intercession the help we desperately need to learn how to be loving and selfless.

We hear all the time about praying the Rosary, in fact our Blessed Mother has asked us to pray it many times. But let us not forget the prayers and hymns of praise that bring joy not just to God but to ourselves also. Praise of God enhances our relationship with Him and brings joy to both Him and us, as it reflects our gratitude and appreciation for all He has done.

Many times we find ourselves praying for; a lost loved one, someone who is sick or hurt, trouble in a loved one’s life or in our own or we get caught up in worldly situations and circumstances and forget that God wants our praise along with our problems.

In this month of honoring the Immaculate Heart of Mary, let us do what She asks, pray the Rosary daily and do what She does, pray and sing praised to the Lord.

Pray the Rosary Every Day

On our 30th wedding anniversary, my wife and I stood side-by-side on a podium above the crowd at Fatima participating in the international Rosary that is prayed every day no matter what – the Rosary is prayed without fail. I know that Fatima is only a private revelation, but nevertheless the Church has endorsed it, and that makes it wrong for us to disregard it. The Church informs us that God sent His Mother to Fatima to tell us that we need to pray the rosary every day. There were no other prayers that She asked us to say every day. Other prayers can be said any time, once a day, if you like. But the Rosary was specifically asked for by our Blessed Mother. 

If my wife sends me to the store for a bottle of milk, and I come back with ice cream, is she pleased? In a way, ice cream is better than milk, but that is not what she asked for, she would not be pleased. And just as my wife trusts me to do what she asks, our Blessed Mother trusts us to do what She asks of us.

If we want to be like Jesus, we must do what His Mother asks. If we do not, how can we expect God the Father to hear us? We cannot with impunity disobey the Mother of God. She knows better than we the dangers of spiritual warfare. She sees more clearly than we the challenges of an earthly life and the demons that try to wipe away our faith in God and destroy our soul. At Fatima She warned us: You must say your rosary every day. 

If a mechanic warns you that your car needs repairing or it will break down, surely you would heed that warning. If the gas gauge warns you that you need more gas, do you do nothing about it? And if Our Lady comes to Fatima and tells us, not just once but six times, that we must say the rosary every day, do we disregard that warning? If we do, we have only ourselves to blame when we find that our children have lapsed from the faith, along with our own self and our spouse. 

Those who do not take Fatima seriously and say the rosary every day in their homes are like the Jews who laughed at Jeremiah. If God sends us His prophets and we do not take them seriously we have the whole of the Old Testament to tell us what happens as a result. But at Fatima, God sent us, not His prophets, but His Immaculate Mother. If we abandon the family rosary the Church of the future is going to consist solely of those families who have been faithful to the rosary. And there will be vast numbers of families who used to be Catholic. 

We need to start gathering our families together every day and pray the Rosary together. Before you say, “I don’t have the time, we are all on different schedules, my children have sports after school, we just can’t get together … ” Remember, all things are possible with God. 

Those of you with sons and daughters that have their own families, you need to witness to them the power of the Rosary and help them bring their family together in praying the Rosary. Remember, your children are as much a part of you as your spouse, no matter how old they are.

Start once a month with programs already being offered in your parish, like: First Friday Holy Hour, First Saturday Holy Hour, or come early to Sunday Mass with your family and pray the Rosary before Mass. Or start once a week, then twice, then three times a week, then once a day. 

The Rosary is often described as a powerful prayer, with many saints and popes emphasizing its importance. For example, Saint Padre Pio said, "The Rosary is the ‘weapon’ for these times," and Pope Leo XIII stated, "The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life." - "If you say the Holy Rosary every day, with a spirit of faith and love, our Lady will make sure she leads you very far along her Son's path." -  Saint Josemaria Escriva

 

Liturgical Year - August

 

The month of August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated, not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is. This is because the expression ‘Mary’s Heart’ is to be understood in a biblical sense: That is, it denotes the human person of the Blessed Virgin herself, her intimate and unique being (born without sin). Mary’s Heart is the center and source of her internal experiences, thoughts, feelings, and reflections that she has as an individual. It also denotes her mind, memory, her will and love; and the single-mindedness with which she loved God and the disciples and devoted herself wholeheartedly to the work of her Son.

This devotion has received renewed emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima. In Lucy’s 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. This practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The roots of this devotion to Mary’s Heart are in Scripture, where on two occasions reference is made to Mary’s heart by St. Luke, in Luke 2:19 “Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart,” and Luke 2:51 “His mother (Mary) meanwhile kept all these things in memory, meaning in her heart.”

The most beautiful biblical text about Mary’s heart is the Magnificat (taken from Luke’s Gospel (1:46-55)) because it reveals to us the wondrous riches of Mary’s humble and regal heart. Her heart sings the praises of God, but it is not a solitary song about the history of her soul. The Magnificat is a song of the history of salvation for all God’s people.

My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name;
And His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of His mercy
Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.

the Magnificat is more than a prayer of praise. It also reminds us about the essential link between humility and holiness. Just as God has “regarded the lowliness of his handmaid” and “has done great things” for Mary in making her the Mother of his Son, so too “he has put down the mighty from their thrones (with his own might!) and has exalted the lowly.”

(Note also our Blessed Mother’s humility in referring to herself in this prayer, as she does in giving her consent to Gabriel mentioned earlier, as the Lord’s handmaid, his servant!)

In our devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Heart there is no more effective prayer than the Rosary which is about the mysteries of her Son’s life and hers. There is no better way to obtain through Mary’s intercession the help we desperately need to learn how to be loving and selfless.

The Litergical Year: July

 

The month of July is dedicated to The Precious Blood of Jesus. The entire month falls within the liturgical season of Ordinary Time, which is represented by the liturgical color green. This symbol of hope is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. It is used in the offices and Masses of Ordinary Time. 

The feast of the Precious Blood of our Lord was instituted in 1849 by Pius IX, but the devotion is as old as Christianity. The early Fathers say that the Church was born from the pierced side of Christ, and that the sacraments were brought forth through His Blood.

"The Precious Blood which we worship is the Blood which the Savior shed for us on Calvary and re-assumed at His glorious Resurrection; it is the Blood which courses through the veins of His risen, glorified, living body at the right hand of God the Father in heaven; it is the Blood made present on our altars by the words of Consecration; it is the Blood which merited sanctifying grace for us and through it washes and beautifies our soul and inaugurates the beginning of eternal life in it." 

Devotion to the Precious Blood is not a spiritual option, it is a spiritual obligation, not only for priests, but for every follower of Christ. To understand the meaning of the Precious Blood we must get some comprehension of the gravity of sin, of the awfulness of offending God, because it required the Blood of the Son of God to forgive that sin. 

 

Let us Pray 

 

Lord Jesus, You became Man in order by your Passion and Death and the draining of your Blood on the Cross, might prove to us how much You, our God, love us. Protect us, dear Jesus, from ever running away from the sight of blood. Strengthen our weak human wills so that we will not only not run away from the cross, but welcome every opportunity to shed our blood in spirit in union with your Precious Blood, so that, dying to ourselves in time we might live with You in Eternity. Amen  

 

Knights of Columbus

 “If we get the man right, we get everything right – the marriage, the family, the parish, the community. We need men who will say ‘yes’ to their God-given vocation.” - Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly

Our Founder, Blessed Michael McGivney, gathered and empowered Catholic lay men to become faith-filled leaders in their families and community. We stand shoulder to shoulder with more than 2 million brothers around the world. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your faith, help protect your family with our financial products and services, or serve your neighbors in need, the Knights of Columbus has the tools to help you point the world, and your family, to Christ.

Like Blessed Michael McGivney, we believe that when men come together in fraternity seeking to grow in faith, they change the world. Our common bond is our devotion to the Catholic faith and our brotherhood in Christ. We join together to help one another become better Catholics, better husbands, better fathers, better providers for our family, and better citizens of the country in which we live. We place special emphasis on charity, the first principal of our order. 

Be the man God called you to be! Our fraternal order emphasizes faith, fellowship, and service. Together we collectively strengthen our faith and perform works of charity benefiting our Catholic faith, local Church and community.

 

Knights of Columbus - National website 

 

Knights of Columbus - NC website 

 

 Our Founder - Blessed Michael McGivney

 

 

 

Kapaun's Men

 

Servant of God Emil Kapaun is the most decorated Chaplain in United States history. Growing up among the farming communities of central Kansas, after ordination Kapaun felt called to serve both God and country in the United States Army. This down-to-earth priest served as an Army Chaplain both at the end of World War II, and most notably on the battlefields and in the prison camps of Korea, making a name for himself with his fearless attitude and undying commitment to his men. 

Chaplain (Capt.) Emil J. Kapaun served with distinction during the Korean War. Beyond saying Mass for troops behind the line, Father Kapaun went above and beyond the call of duty to serve his soldiers. When their position was overrun, Kapaun pushed aside a Chinese soldier preparing to execute an American. With complete disregard for his own safety, Kapaun saved his fellow soldier and carried him on his back. In captivity, Kapaun continued to care for his soldiers by saying Mass, stealing extra food and literally giving them the clothes off of his back during the freezing Korean winter. On May 23, 1951, he died in captivity of malnutrition and pneumonia.   

Venerable Emil J. Kapaun - In a prisoner of war camp filled with the desperate and dying, where hope fades with the light of each day, the light of Christ shines through the actions of a simple yet heroic Catholic Priest from Kansas.

A graduate of West Point, COL Mike Dowe served in the Korean War, where he was captured and held as a prisoner of war. There, he witnessed the heroism of one of America's most beloved Medal of Honor recipients - Father Emil Kapaun. A decorated battlefield chaplain, Fr. Kapaun tended to the sick and wounded, procured food, and raised the spirits of his fellow prisoners of war. Fr. Kapaun would pass away in the prison camp. Decades later, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama. And in 2021, his long-lost remains were finally identified.   

Korean War POW Mike Dowe, Witness to Medal of Honor Recipient Fr. Emil Kapaun (Full Interview).

Inspired by Servant of God Father Emil Kapaun, Kapaun's Men unites men in prayer, formation and discussion in order to help us courageously respond to God's universal call to holiness and become better husbands, fathers, leaders and friends.

Kapaun's Men examines how the concept of Stewardship helps us to realize that even the "ordinary" events of our lives have extraordinary meaning. Inspired by Servant of God Emil Kapaun, Kapaun's Men unites men in prayer, formation and discussion in order to help us courageously respond to God's universal call to holiness and become better husbands, fathers, leaders and friends. 

Recognizing that we are stronger together than we are alone, we accompany each other to have each other's back in time of need. 

Father Kapaun's Final Word
Memorial Video

 

From the Kapaun's Men Beatitude Series, featuring POWs William Funchess, Mike Dowe and Herb Miller.

 

Links to Kapaun's Men:

Kapaun's Men

Kapaun's Men Formed (Video series)

Kapaun's Men Virtue Series (YouTube)