08-JUN-Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lectionary: 358/573

Reading 1

2 Timothy 4:1-8

Beloved:

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,

who will judge the living and the dead,

and by his appearing and his kingly power:

proclaim the word;

be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;

convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.

For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine

but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity,

will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth

and will be diverted to myths.

But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances;

put up with hardship;

perform the work of an evangelist;

fulfill your ministry.

For I am already being poured out like a libation,

and the time of my departure is at hand.

I have competed well;

I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.

From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,

which the Lord, the just judge,

will award to me on that day, and not only to me,

but to all who have longed for his appearance.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 71:8-9, 14-15ab, 16-17, 22

R. (see 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.

My mouth shall be filled with your praise,

with your glory day by day.

Cast me not off in my old age;

as my strength fails, forsake me not.

R. I will sing of your salvation.

But I will always hope

and praise you ever more and more.

My mouth shall declare your justice,

day by day your salvation.

R. I will sing of your salvation.

I will treat of the mighty works of the Lord;

O GOD, I will tell of your singular justice.

O God, you have taught me from my youth,

and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.

R. I will sing of your salvation.

So will I give you thanks with music on the lyre,

for your faithfulness, O my God!

I will sing your praises with the harp,

O Holy One of Israel!

R. I will sing of your salvation.

Alleluia

See Luke 2:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of God

and pondered it in her heart.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Luke 2:41-51

Each year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,

and when he was twelve years old,

they went up according to festival custom.

After they had completed its days, as they were returning,

the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,

but his parents did not know it.

Thinking that he was in the caravan,

they journeyed for a day

and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,

but not finding him,

they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.

After three days they found him in the temple,

sitting in the midst of the teachers,

listening to them and asking them questions,

and all who heard him were astounded

at his understanding and his answers.

When his parents saw him,

they were astonished,

and his mother said to him,

"Son, why have you done this to us?

Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety."

And he said to them,

"Why were you looking for me?

Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

But they did not understand what he said to them.

He went down with them and came to Nazareth,

and was obedient to them;

and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

OR

Mark 12:38-44

And in his teaching he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and to have salutations in the market places 

and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts,

who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."

And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.

And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny.

And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.

For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living.”

Reflection 1

Catholic Daily Reflections 

The Heart of Perfect Love

He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. Luke 2:51

Over and over, the Scriptures reveal to us that the Blessed Virgin Mary “kept all these things in her heart.” What things? She continually pondered the great mystery of the life of her Son as His sacred life unfolded before her eyes.

A mother’s love is strong. Many times, a mother is more aware of the details of her child’s life than even the child itself. She is attentive, consoling, present, tender and loving. This was who Mary was to her divine Son, Jesus.

Mother Mary did not have full knowledge of every divine reality. She did not gaze upon the Most Holy Trinity with her eyes as she walked the earth. She did not have the full knowledge of the plan of the Father. But she did walk through life with the perfection of faith. She also knew the many truths of Heaven and earth through her Immaculate Heart. Her heart was a heart filled with every virtue. She loved with a love that was indescribable. And what she especially pondered in her Immaculate Heart, over and over throughout life, was the pure and perfect love she had for her Son. To her, this love left her in amazement. She was continually in a state of holy awe as she interacted with her Son, gazed upon His sacred life, and watched Him advance in “wisdom and age and favor before God and man” (John 2:52). The love in her heart was a lesson to herself. She continually deepened her knowledge of God through the pondering of the perfect love placed in her heart by her God. And this God, her Savior, was her Son.

We celebrate today the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Though there are many feasts throughout the year in which we honor this holy daughter of God, this celebration is an opportunity for us all to ponder her pondering heart.

A human heart is not just physical, it is also spiritual. It is the spiritual source of our love of God and others. From our heart flows either virtue or vice, love or hate, generosity or selfishness. As we honor the Immaculate Heart today, we are called to look at the ideal of what should live within our own hearts and what should flow forth from them. The perfection of all virtue is what must ideally flow from every human heart throughout time. And it is the heart of our Blessed Mother that will teach us how to internalize those virtues so as to become an instrument of the love of God to others.

Reflect, today, upon the spiritual perfection of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Perfection is difficult to comprehend in our fallen state. But the more we look to the ideal, the more we will desire that ideal. And the more we desire that ideal, the more we will obtain it. Allow yourself today to ponder the ideal heart as it resided in the Mother of God and ask for her to intercede for you so that you will more fully imitate her.

Reflection 2

One Bread,  One Body 

THE JOY OF GIVING ALL

“They gave from their surplus wealth, but she gave from her want, all that she had to live on.” —Mark 12:44

Jesus, Who gave everything for us by dying on the cross, calls us to respond by giving everything for Him (see Mt 13:44ff). We give what we truly need and therefore go without necessities. Have you ever given to the Lord to the point that you couldn’t buy enough food to get the calories necessary to function normally? How many parents have given up such a basic necessity as sleep as they pour out their lives for their children? How many people in difficult marriages continue to love their spouses unconditionally although their needs for being respected, affirmed, and loved are not being met?

Life in Christ is a life of sacrificial, crucified giving. Mother Mary, Immaculate Virgin, gave all that she had for Jesus her Son.  As St. Teresa of Calcutta has said, we as followers of Christ must give till it hurts. In a self-centered society, this does not sound like good news. But, paradoxically, only by giving all do we have a life worth living. Jesus warns and promises us: “Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Lk 9:24).

Prayer:  Father, may I understand and live Your teaching that “there is more happiness in giving than receiving” (Acts 20:35).

Promise:  “I for my part am already being poured out like a libation. The time of my dissolution is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” —2 Tm 4:6-7

Praise:  “Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart” (Lk 2:19).

Reflection 3

Shared from God's Word

The feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary falls on the day after the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We call the heart of Jesus sacred because his heart reveals the heart of God, a heart of pure love for humanity. We call the heart of Mary immaculate because her heart is pure and given over in complete love to Jesus. She gave her heart totally to her son; consequently, she had to undergo the experiences of pain and suffering. In the gospel we see how Mary suffered when she lost her son for three days. When we give our hearts to someone, it not only completes us but also makes us vulnerable. When the person we love suffers or is hurt, we suffer and get hurt too. True love is willing to suffer with the sufferer, and it transforms suffering into spiritual joy. 

Prayers

Most Immaculate Heart of Mother Mary, you reveal to us the perfect way to love your Son and to be devoted to Him. Fill me with the love you had for your Son by interceding for me. Thank you for the witness you gave to us all and help us to imitate the countless virtues that flowed from your heart. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, I love you and give praise and thanks to God for the unfathomable graces that were instilled within your heart at the moment of your conception and remain with you today and forever. Please pour down upon me and upon the whole world the loving mercy of Your Son, so that I can more fully become your child and a child of God. Please pray for me and for the whole world so that one day your Immaculate Heart will triumph and all people will come to know and love your divine Son. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You!

Lord Jesus, all that I have is yours. Take my life, my possessions, my time and all that I have and use them as you desire for your glory.

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 158: The Content of Your Speech

The content of your daily speech is a clear reflection of the content of your soul.  So what does your speech reflect?  Very often you may find that your conversations throughout the day have been about superficial and worldly matters.  Though some casual conversations of this sort are normal and healthy, you should also be able to point to regular conversations that speak of the glory of God and your life of faith.  You should be able to see daily words of charity and holiness.  And you should see words that build others up (See Diary #804).

Reflect upon your conversations of the past week.  What have they been about?  Have you fallen into the trap of being cunning or harsh?  Have you criticized or put others down?  If so, these conversations reveal your soul.  At times, your conversations may not fall into the category of sin, but may be dominated by worldly and unimportant things such as a fascination with wealth, or entertainment, or jokes or the like.  Though none of these may be evil in and of themselves, if they are the dominant content of your speech then there is little room for the Lord.  Seek to make your words and daily conversations a reflection of your deep love of Christ.  Let your speech become an outpouring of the Mercy of God alive in your life.  This is one key way through which God reveals the sanctity of your soul and uses you to bring holiness to others.

Lord, I surrender to You my speech.  I give to You every thought I have and every word that comes forth from my mouth.  Please use my words to reveal Your glory and the Mercy that permeates Your Heart.  May this Mercy also permeate my heart and flow forth from my lips as an invitation to holiness for all.  Jesus, I trust in You.