Ite Missa Est
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July 15, 2020 Volume XII , Issue 7 ITE MISSA EST A Newsletter from the Missions Office/Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States Catholic Diocese of Columbus, Ohio July, month of the Most Precious Blood of our Lord To monthly mission donors: Egypt at the time of Moses and Precious Blood making special Thank you for your support! Pharaoh. mention of Saint Chrysostom, Saint Austin, Saint Gertrude and On behalf of His Excellency The imagery of sacrificial blood Saint Catherine of Sienna whom he Robert J. Brennan, the Bishop of from slain animals is made more considered the Prophetess of the Columbus, and Very Rev. Father vivid and meaningful if we recall Precious Blood for putting Andrew Small, OMI, the National Moses’ words from the Book of emphasis on It as the solution to Director of the Pontifical Mission Exodus, “And he took the blood the ills of her times. Societies in the United States, I and sprinkled it upon the people, would like to thank you for your and he said: ‘This is the blood of Father also remarks that the prayers, sacrifices and financial the covenant, which the Lord has Precious Blood makes us support for the missions. made with you concerning all these appreciate more Christ’s words’” (Exodus 24:8). redemption of mankind, His **************************** sacrifice and Passion. The old sacrifice took a new form By tradition, the Catholic Church in the New Testament when the It also makes us comprehend the dedicates each month of the year to Immaculate Lamb of God offered beautiful doctrine and the august certain devotions. July is devoted Himself on the altar of the Cross to realities of the Blessed Sacrament to the Precious Blood of Jesus. redeem mankind from sin and the as we kneel in front of the slavery of Satan. tabernacle in humble adoration. In the past, the Most Precious Blood of Christ was celebrated in And during the Last Supper, Our Over time the Church gave Her July as confirmed by past popes Lord offered Himself in an blessing to the devotion by and recalled by Emeritus Pope unbloodied yet real sacrifice when approving societies like the Benedict XVI in his speech after He uttered the following words: Missionaries of the Precious praying the Angelus on July 5, Blood; enriching confraternities 2009. He made special mention of “For this is my blood of the new like that of Saint Nicholas Carcere, Pope John XXIII’s apostolic letter testament, which shall be shed for in Rome, and that of the London “Inde a Primis” (dated June 30, many unto remission of sins.” Oratory; attaching indulgences to 1960) which explained the (Matthew 26:28). Truly, this prayers and scapulars in honor of devotion’s significance and “shedding of blood” or, “pouring the Precious Blood. approved its litanies. out of blood” took place and forms one of our glorious mysteries of our Faith. Sacrifice is the highest form of **************************** religious worship which man offers In his book, Precious Blood, Father to God as an act of praise, thanks- Pope Francis’ giving, petition and atonement. Frederick William Faber calls Saint Paul the doctor of the July Prayer Intention: The most singular and pre-eminent Precious Blood owing to the sacrifice of the Old Law was the evident fondness to preach on It in We pray that today’s families immolation of the Paschal Lamb his epistles (Rom. 3:25; Eph. 1:17; may be accompanied with love, which celebrated the sparing of Heb. 9:12). respect and guidance. Israel’s first-born from the fatal sword of the Angel of Death in He recounts that the lives of the **************************** Saints are replete with devotion the The True Face of Love But we can know the designer of “That’s true, Lord”, the woman the Grand Canyon, the human eye, answered, “but even dogs are “If you do not feel compassion the Milky Way galaxy. The allowed to eat the scraps that fall before a needy person, if your heart designer of the Eiffel Tower is beneath their masters’ table” is not moved, it means something is dead. But the Creator of Mount (Matt. 15: 24 – 27). not right”. Pope Francis said in his Everest is alive and well. And He reflection on the parable of the invites us to know Him. Jesus healed the woman’s daughter “Good Samaritan”. and made His position clear. He It is impossible to know the was more concerned of bringing “Let us not allow ourselves to get meaning of life if we do not know everyone in than shutting certain carried away by egotistical the Maker of life. The Maker of life people out. insensitivity.” The Pope said. “The is willing to be our teacher. capacity for compassion has **************************** become the touchstone of We have a teacher. His name is Christians, indeed of the teachings Jesus. He reveals wisdom and truth. A joke a priest can tell… of Jesus. Jesus Himself is the We can know, not just facts about Father’s compassion toward us”. God, but His heart, His joy, His Two nuns were shopping at a passion, His plan and His sorrows. grocery store. And they passed by a The Pope said that mercy towards beer cooler. One of the nuns said to human life in a state of need is the “Whoever” the other. “Wouldn’t a nice cold true face of love. This is how one beer taste wonderful on a hot becomes a true disciple of Jesus “For God so love the world that He summer evening?” and the face of the Father is gave His one and only Son, that manifested: “Be merciful, even as whoever believes in Him shall not “Indeed, it would Sister”, the the Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36). perish but have eternal life” second nun answered, “but I would And God, our Father, is merciful (John 3:16). not feel comfortable buying beer, because He is compassionate. He is since it would cause a scene at the able to have this compassion, to “Whoever” is you and me. “ Who- checkout stand”. “I can handle draw near to our suffering, our sin, ever” is everyone. But we humans that,” the other nun replied, and she our vices, our miseries. are not prone to this “whoever” picked up a 6-pack and headed for policy. We tend to build fences check-out. “May the Blessed Mary”, Pope between rich and the poor; between Francis said, “help us to understand the educated and the uneducated; The cashier had a surprised look on and above all to experience ever between the old timers and the his face when the two nuns arrived more the unbreakable bond newcomers; between the with a 6-pack of beer. “We use beer between God the Father, and His conservatives and progressives; be- for washing our hair,” the nun said. concrete generous love for us, and tween Democrats and Republicans. “Back in the convent we call it may she give us the grace to be Catholic shampoo”. compassionate and to grow in In Jesus’ time there was an impass- compassion. (from the Angelus, able gulf between Jews and Without blinking an eye, the July 14, 2019). Gentiles. A Jew could not drink cashier reached out under the coun- milk drawn by Gentiles, or eat their ter. Pulled out a package of pretzel We are not left with food. Jews could not aid a Gentile sticks, and placed them in the bag mother in her hour of need. Jewish with the beer. He then looked the our Wonderings physicians could not serve non- nun straight in the eye, smiled and “Let not the wise boast in their Jewish patients. No Jew would said, “Curlers are on the house”. wisdom, nor the mighty on their have anything to do with a Gentile. strength, nor the rich on their They were unclean. **************************** wealth. Whoever boasts must boast An indication of the coming of a Sister Zephrina Mary, Director in this: that He understands and new order surfaced at a Gina Sergio, Program Coordinator knows Me” (Jer. 9: 23 - 24). conversation with Jesus and a Visit us on the web at We cannot know Gustave Eiffel, Gentile woman. www.columbuscatholic.org the designer of the famous Eiffel “I was sent only to help God’s lost Follow us on Twitter Tower in Paris, France because he sheep – the people of Israel”. 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