Sacred Heart Catholic Church

Daily Reading

• Saturday of the Third Week of Advent - Reading 1 Sg 2:8-14 Hark! my lover–here he comesspringing across the mountains,leaping across the hills.My lover is like a gazelleor a young stag.Here he stands behind our wall,gazing through the windows,peering through the lattices.My lover speaks; he says to me,"Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one,and come!"For see, the winter is past,the rains are over and gone.The flowers appear on the earth,the time of pruning the vines has come,and the song of the dove is heard in our land.The fig tree puts forth its figs,and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance.Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,and come!"O my dove in the clefts of the rock,in the secret recesses of the cliff,Let me see you,let me hear your voice, For your voice is sweet,and you are lovely." Or Zep 3:14-18a Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!Sing joyfully, O Israel!Be glad and exult with all your heart,O daughter Jerusalem!The LORD has removed the judgment against you,he has turned away your enemies;The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,you have no further misfortune to fear.On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!The LORD, your God, is in your midst,a mighty savior;He will rejoice over you with gladness,and renew you in his love,He will sing joyfully because of you,as one sings at festivals. Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21 R. (1a; 3a) Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.Sing to him a new song;pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.But the plan of the LORD stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations.Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.Our soul waits for the LORD,who is our help and our shield,For in him our hearts rejoice;in his holy name we trust. R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song. Alleluia <a href="https://bible.usccb.orgroute? "> R. Alleluia, alleluia.O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:come to save us, Lord our God!R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 1:39-45 Mary set out in those daysand traveled to the hill country in hasteto a town of Judah,where she entered the house of Zechariahand greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,the infant leaped in her womb,and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,cried out in a loud voice and said,"Most blessed are you among women,and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me,that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believedthat what was spoken to you by the Lordwould be fulfilled." Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Canisius, priest and… Continue Reading...

Daily Reflection

• Shout for Joy! The Lord is in Your Midst! / ¡Griten de Júbilo! ¡El Señor Está en Medio de Ustedes! - Click here for daily readings Prior to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis last July, communities across the nation participated in Eucharistic processions in the streets, where priests carried our Lord out in the open for all to see. After one of these processions, a friend of mine shared with me that along the way, they passed a herd of sheep, who began walking alongside them. Further down the road, they passed some cows who were out to pasture. The cows looked at them quizzically at first, and then also began walking alongside them in procession. How incredible!!  As I imagined what it would be like to witness how even the animals sensed the presence of Jesus and followed along, it reminded me of the first Christmas. In that rugged semi-outdoor atmosphere, the sheep and cows knelt before our newborn Lord in adoration and kept him warm with their breath. Several years ago, our parish hosted a display of Eucharistic miracles, and many of them also recounted the uncharacteristic behavior of animals in the presence of the consecrated host.  If even cattle recognize our beloved Lord and follow Him, how much more so should we! The birthday of Christ our King is in just four days. Are we ready to bow down before him in homage and offer Him the gift of ourselves? Are our hearts filled with praise as our first reading proclaims? “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!…The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior…” I can’t even imagine how the people of that time felt, those who had been waiting for centuries for His arrival. He was really here, just as He promised! The time had come! I’m sure the hearts of each and every shepherd, magi, and visitor burned within them, just being in the presence of the Almighty. Heaven had come to earth! And the same happens to us at every Mass when Jesus comes to us, comes into our very bodies to abide in us. Does your heart burn within you? Do you shout for joy? If not, now is the perfect time to examine why, and to make a change in order to celebrate the most joyful Christmas ever.  Contact the Author Antes del Congreso Eucarístico Nacional en Indianápolis el julio pasado, comunidades por todo el país participaron en procesiones eucarísticas en las calles, donde los sacerdotes llevaban a nuestro Señor al aire libre para que todos lo vieran. Después de una de estas procesiones, una amiga me contó que, en el camino, pasaron al lado de un rebaño de ovejas, que comenzaron a caminar junto con ellos. Más adelante, pasaron al lado de unas vacas que estaban pastando. Las vacas miraron a la gente con curiosidad al principio, y luego también comenzaron a caminar junto con ellos en procesión. ¡Qué increíble! Mientras imaginaba cómo sería presenciar cómo incluso los animales percibían la presencia de… Continue Reading...