Summer Son: 3 dates NOT to miss this June

• All the graces necessary in their state of life
• Peace in their homes
• Comfort in all their afflictions
• Secure refuge in Jesus during their life, and above all, in death
• Abundant blessings  upon all their undertakings
• For sinners, to find in his Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy
• Lukewarm souls would become fervent
• Fervent souls would quickly reach high perfection
• He will bless every place in which an image of his Heart is displayed and honored
• Priests will be given the gift of touching even the most hardened hearts
• Those who promote devotion to the Sacred Heart would have their names written in his Heart
• Those who receive holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months will receive Jesus’ Heart as safe refuge, the grace of final perseverance and shall not die in disgrace or without receiving the sacraments.

June 24 Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist

Jesus himself set the stage for the the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist when he said of him, “I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Luke 7:28).

By saying this, our Lord was pointing out John’s pivotal place in salvation history.

Luke testifies to his with the emphasis he places on the announcement of John’s birth and on the birth itself. In his Gospels, Luke drew a parallel between the life of John and the life of Jesus. John was so popular during his time, that people thought he was the Messiah.

But John always pointed away from himself and toward Jesus. In fact, he sent away some of his followers to become the first disciples of Jesus.

As if that weren’t enough, John had the privilege of baptizing our Lord (Mt 3:14-15) Can you imagine?

We have a beautiful month ahead of us, as summer gets into full swing. We also have a beautiful opportunity to commemorate three solemnities of the Church and in the process, draw closer to our Lord. June is a great month relish the sun. It’s also a great month to relish the Son.

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I’d like to point you to the inspiring work of two of my colleagues, both writing on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble: Warning! Atheist in the Church: How the Eucharist Saved My Life

Kathy Schiffer: The Body and Blood of Christ. Really. Just Think of That!

Image: Zwadi, Unsplash