Keeping up with your Catholic faith can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be!

We all have busy schedules. Between work, school, responsibilities and social lives, where can we squeeze in the time to focus on developing a deeper relationship with Our Heavenly Father? That’s why Sacred Heart Parish has brought you the one spot where you can pray, learn and reflect!

Everything you need to Keep Up Catholic!

 

Prayer of the Day

  • Act of Confidence: Prayer of the Day for Thursday, September 28, 2023 - My soul, dilate thy heart; thy Jesus can give thee every good gift; He loves thee ardently. Hope, then, for great favours from this Lord, Who, through an impulse of love, comes to thee all love. Yes, my Jesus, my hope, I trust in Thy goodness, that in giving Thyself to me this morning, Thou wilt kindle in my poor soul the flames of Thy pure love, and of an ardent desire to please Thee, that, from this day forward, I may wish only what Thou wishest. Amen. Continue Reading...
  • Evening Prayer to God the Father: Prayer of the Day for Wednesday, September 27, 2023 - O eternal God and Ruler of all creation, You have allowed me to reach this hour. Forgive the sins I have committed this day by word, deed or thought. Purify me, O Lord, from every spiritual and physical stain. Grant that I may rise from this sleep to glorify You by my deeds throughout my entire lifetime, and that I be victorious over every spiritual and physical enemy. Deliver me, O Lord, from all vain thoughts and from evil desires, for yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, ... Continue Reading...
  • Rite of Exorcism: Prayer of the Day for Tuesday, September 26, 2023 - The priest delegated by the Ordinary to perform this office should first go to confession or at least elicit an act of contrition, and, if convenient, offer the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and implore God's help in other fervent prayers. He vests in surplice and purple stole. Having before him the person possessed (who should be bound if there is any danger), he traces the sign of the cross over him, over himself, and the bystanders, and then sprinkles all of them with holy water. After this he ... Continue Reading...
  • The Prayer Thank You God!: Prayer of the Day for Monday, September 25, 2023 - Dear Loving and Compassionate God, Giver of all gifts, we pray especially today for the mercy and love You give us. Open our hearts and minds to You. Give us the grace to accept your mercy. As we live each day, we pray for those less fortunate, especially those who are hurting, and whose wounds need to be healed. Help us become involved in ways that show them how deeply we care. Give us the personal courage to listen to their concerns and help them find the ... Continue Reading...
  • Haiku Prayer 10: Prayer of the Day for Sunday, September 24, 2023 - "Haiku" prayers, in Japanese poetical form, have their origin in the fourteenth century. They consist of 17 syllables arranged in three lines (5-7-5). This provides a simple format for composing personal and family prayers. The following haiku prayer is a Canadian example. You are encouraged to develop your own. Blessed mother, pray to Jesus for all the world, pray to Him for us. Continue Reading...

 

Saint of the Day

  • St. Lorenzo Ruiz: Saint of the Day for Thursday, September 28, 2023 - Saint Lorenzo Ruiz was born around the year 1600 in Binondo, Manila in the Philippines. He was the son of a Chinese father and a Filipino mother. Both were Christians and took care to raise Lorenzo as a Catholic. He served happily in his parish church as an altar boy and calligrapher. As a young man, Lorenzo joined the Dominican Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary. Later, he married a woman named Rosario. The happy couple had three children, two sons and one daughter. By all ... Continue Reading...
  • St. Vincent de Paul: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, September 27, 2023 - St. Vincent de Paul was born to a poor peasant family in the French village of Pouy on April 24, 1581. His first formal education was provided by the Franciscans. He did so well, he was hired to tutor the children of a nearby wealthy family. He used the monies he earned teaching to continue his formal studies at the University of Toulose where he studied theology. He was ordained in 1600 and remained in Toulose for a time. In 1605, while on a ship traveling from Marseilles to Narbone, he was ... Continue Reading...
  • Sts. Cosmas & Damian: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, September 26, 2023 - Sts. Cosmas and Damian were brothers, born in Arabia, who had become eminent for their skill in the science of medicine. Being Christians, they were filled with the spirit of charity and never took money for their services. At Egaea in Cilicia, where they lived, they enjoyed the highest esteem of the people. When the persecution under Diocletian broke out, their very prominence rendered them marked objects of persecution. Being apprehended by order of Lysias, governor of Cilicia, they underwent ... Continue Reading...
  • St. Finbar: Saint of the Day for Monday, September 25, 2023 - He was the son of an artisan and a lady of the Irish royal court. Born in Connaught, Ireland, and baptized Lochan, he was educated at Kilmacahil, Kilkenny, where the monks named him Fionnbharr (white head) because of his light hair; he is also known as Bairre and Barr. He went on pilgrimage to Rome with some of the monks, visiting St. David in Wales on the way back. Supposedly, on another visit to Rome the Pope wanted to consecrate him a bishop but was deterred by a vision, notifying the pope ... Continue Reading...
  • Martyrs of Chalcedon: Saint of the Day for Sunday, September 24, 2023 - A group of forty-nine Christians slain in Chalcedon during the reign of Emperor Diocletian . Records indicate that the martyrs were members of the choir in the church of Chalcedon. Continue Reading...

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Daily Reading

  • Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest - Readings for the Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, priestReading 1 Ezr 9:5-9 At the time of the evening sacrifice, I, Ezra, rose in my wretchedness, and with cloak and mantle torn I fell on my knees, stretching out my hands to the LORD, my God. I said: "My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you, O my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our heads and our guilt reaches up to heaven. From the time of our fathers even to this day great has been our guilt, and for our wicked deeds we have been delivered up, we and our kings and our priests, to the will of the kings of foreign lands, to the sword, to captivity, to pillage, and to disgrace, as is the case today. "And now, but a short time ago, mercy came to us from the LORD, our God, who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place; thus our God has brightened our eyes and given us relief in our servitude. For slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned us; rather, he has turned the good will of the kings of Persia toward us. Thus he has given us new life to raise again the house of our God and restore its ruins, and has granted us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem." Responsorial Psalm Tobit 13:2, 3-4a, 4befghn, 7-8 R. (1b) Blessed be God, who lives for ever.He scourges and then has mercy;he casts down to the depths of the nether world,and he brings up from the great abyss.No one can escape his hand.R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.Praise him, you children of Israel, before the Gentiles,for though he has scattered you among them,he has shown you his greatness even there.R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.So now consider what he has done for you,and praise him with full voice.Bless the Lord of righteousness,and exalt the King of ages.R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.In the land of my exile I praise himand show his power and majesty to a sinful nation.R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.Bless the Lord, all you his chosen ones,and may all of you praise his majesty.Celebrate days of gladness, and give him praise.R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever. Alleluia Mk 1:15 R. Alleluia, alleluia.The Kingdom of God is at hand;repent and believe in the Gospel.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 9:1-6 Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authorityover all demons and to cure diseases,and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of Godand to heal the sick.He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey,neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,and let no one take a second tunic.Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.And as for those who do not welcome you,when you leave that town,shake the dust from your feet in testimony… Continue Reading...

Daily Reflection

  • Get Ready! / ¡Prepárate! - Click here for daily readings I don’t think I ever commented on Ezra before but this one really got me! Can you imagine wanting to go to church but feeling so unworthy? The humility of Ezra is hard for me to imagine. How about you? Let’s say you were heading toward the steeple and decided the only way you could enter the front door would be on your hands and knees, submitting to the awesome power of God. It sounds quite radical doesn’t it? Right now I feel radical. I want Ezra to teach me how to be more humble. Those that lived during Old Testament times did not have the sacrament of confession. And by the looks of the confession lines today, it doesn’t seem to be an important sacrament anymore for some people. When I was an altar boy many moons ago, the lines on Saturday morning were very long. And there were usually two priests hearing confessions. What has happened in the last 50 years? You are probably not as old as I am, but you did plow through the last three years of the COVID debacle. Because of the rules and demands placed on us we could not attend Mass. Later, many of us could attend Mass again, but only in a gym. It just didn’t feel right did it? Also, wearing masks destroyed our socialization. I know it did for me. I even got to the point of not being able to recognize some parishioners who I have known for quite some time. I had a real problem with that. The bishops gave permission for us to miss Mass. But, when we were given the green light to get back into church, there were a lot of empty pews. Many were hesitant to come back and chose to continue to watch Mass on television. Some have still not come back. I suggest we all spend some time contemplating the love that Ezra had for His God. We cannot love someone that we do not know. To know Him is to love Him. If you cannot sit in front of the Tabernacle in your church during the week, then sit in your prayer chair and spend some time in silence and beseech the Lord to open your heart and claim Him for your own. Then, relax and get ready to receive your new Pentecost! Serving with joy! Contact the author Creo que nunca he comentado sobre Ezra, ¡pero la lectura de hoy realmente me llamó la atención! ¿Te imaginas querer ir a la iglesia pero sentirte tan indigno? Me cuesta imaginar la humildad de Ezra. ¿Y tú? Digamos que te dirigías hacia el campanario y decidiste que la única forma en que podrías entrar por la puerta principal sería de rodillas, sometiéndote al asombroso poder de Dios. Suena bastante radical, ¿no? Ahora mismo me siento radical. Quiero que Ezra me enseñe a ser más humilde. Los que vivieron durante los tiempos del Antiguo Testamento no tenían… Continue Reading...