Sacred Heart Catholic Church

Daily Reading

• Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Readings for the Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin MaryReading 1  JER 3:14-17 Return, rebellious children, says the LORD, for I am your Master; I will take you, one from a city, two from a clan, and bring you to Zion. I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart, who will shepherd you wisely and prudently. When you multiply and become fruitful in the land, says the LORD, They will in those days no longer say, “The ark of the covenant of the LORD!” They will no longer think of it, or remember it,  or miss it, or make another. At that time they will call Jerusalem the LORD’s throne; there all nations will be gathered together to honor the name of the LORD at Jerusalem, and they will walk no longer in their hardhearted wickedness. Responsorial Psalm  JER 31:10, 11-12ABCD, 13 R. (see 10d) The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,proclaim it on distant isles, and say:He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,he guards them as a shepherd his flock. R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.The LORD shall ransom Jacob,he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings:The grain, the wine, and the oil,the sheep and the oxen.R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,and young men and old as well.I will turn their mourning into joy,I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock. Alleluia  LK 8:15 R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heartand yield a harvest through perseverance.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel  MT 13:18-23 Jesus said to his disciples: “Hear the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom without understanding it, and the Evil One comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” - - -Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in… Continue Reading...

Daily Reflection

• How to Be Good Soil / Cómo Ser Tierra Fértil - Click here for daily readings Jesus is the divine Sower who sows the seed of his word in the community of followers that he calls apart from the world. The seed takes root in us when we hear the word of God. To hear, to really hear, to absolutely hear the voice of God and not the myriad other distracting voices that call out for our attention, we must do something that is very difficult. We must cultivate silence.  Most retreatants discover that on the first day or so of a retreat, in the quiet of the retreat house with nothing to do except listen to God’s voice, that a thousand other voices—strident and loud—all of a sudden appear, clamoring for attention. Listening to those stories and letting them go can be an essential first step in creating the silent soil that is able to receive God’s Word. But we don’t need to be on a retreat to enter into this atmosphere of silent recollection. It is possible to spend a short period every day as a mini-retreat to cultivate the soil of our heart.  We can start by disconnecting from social media and our phones. At first it may seem frightening to be cut off from the torrent of words and images that flood our media-saturated consciousness. We might feel nervous as we wait in silence for the work of the divine Sower. Our soul may feel fragmented and untilled and unprepared for the seed. In patience we will acquire the stillness that longs to receive the fullness of God’s Word. It is a spiritual art and discipline to be able to distinguish the harmony of God’s voice from the discord of worries, temptations, desires, and ambitions. This discernment comes precisely from the experience of entering into silence. Pope Benedict XVI said, “‘Only in silence can the word of God find a home in us, as it did in Mary, woman of the word and, inseparably, woman of silence’ (Verbum Domini, n. 66). This principle — that without silence one does not hear, does not listen, does not receive a word — applies especially to personal prayer as well as to our liturgies: to facilitate authentic listening, they must also be rich in moments of silence and of non-verbal reception” (General Audience, March 7, 2012). How does God desire you to open wide your heart in silence? Ask the Lord what practical steps he desires you to take to recover this contemplative dimension of life. Contact the author Jesús es el Sembrador divino que siembra la semilla de su palabra en la comunidad de seguidores a los que llama aparte del mundo. La semilla echa raíces en nosotros cuando escuchamos la palabra de Dios. Para escuchar, para escuchar de verdad, para escuchar absolutamente la voz de Dios y no la miríada de otras voces que nos distraen y llaman nuestra atención, debemos hacer algo que es muy difícil. Debemos cultivar el silencio. La mayoría de los participantes de los… Continue Reading...