This weekend the Church in the United States celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (also known by the Latin Corpus Christi or ?the Body of Christ?). Many other countries around the globe observe this great gift and mystery on its traditional date of the Thursday following Holy Trinity Sunday. This Solemnity is ?intended to teach the faithful how to share in the Eucharistic sacrifice and to have it more profoundly influence their life, to revere the presence of Christ the Lord in this Sacrament, and to offer the thanks due for God?s gifts? ( Ceremonial of Bishops, 385). Besides centering your week in the Mass of the Lord?s Day, making that extra effort to participate in the Mass during the weekdays is one way to live this feast of Corpus Christi throughout the year! Come to weekday Mass! Another excellent practice is to offer time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament ? stop in church to make a visit when you are in the neighborhood or take part in weekly extended Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at Boyceville (Monday) or Spring Valley (Thursday-Friday). What graces the Eucharistic Lord desires to bestow on us, our families, our parishes, our communities, and the world if we but place ourselves in His presence!

This Friday, June 27, is the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Because the Spring Valley and Elmwood parishes specially honor our Lord?s Most Sacred Heart, Masses will be celebrated that day at 8:00 AM (Spring Valley) and 1:30 PM (Heritage of Elmwood Nursing Home). The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that ?Jesus knew and loved us each and all during His life, His agony, and His Passion and gave Himself up for each one of us: ?The Son of God . . . loved me and gave Himself for me? [Galatians 2:20]. He has loved us all with a human heart. For this reason, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation, ?is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that . . . love with which the divine Redeemer continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings? [Pius XII, On Devotion to the Sacred Heart, DS 3924] without exception? (478). May this be our prayer throughout this month of June dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus: ?Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who glory in the Heart of your beloved Son and recall His love for us, may be made worthy to receive an overflowing measure of grace from that fount of heavenly gifts? (Collect, Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus).

For the third year the Bishops of our nation have invited us to observe a Fortnight for Freedom (June 21-July 4). These are meant to be two weeks of prayer and education regarding our first American freedom, namely, religious liberty. Religious freedom is a founding principle of our country protected by the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights. Before that, though, religious liberty is a fundamental human right, rooted in the dignity of every human person?people of any faith or no faith at all. Religious freedom is not a Catholic, Jewish, Orthodox, Mormon or Muslim issue? it?s an American issue, a civil rights issue. In a guest column in the Baltimore Sun, Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore outlined why every American should be concerned about the current state of religious liberty in our own nation. ?Why do so many people want faith removed from public view? Why has it become counter-cultural for believers to openly discuss their faith? Why are they discouraged from bringing their faith-inspired values to the public square and to their places of business? Why, when people from nearly every sector of our society promote tolerance and acceptance of almost everything, do they still seek to marginalize God and all things of God? [. . .] After all, faith plays an integral role in our collective efforts to promote the common good. Faith inspires people to serve their neighbors, it brings people together, it enriches the national conversation on important public issues, and it centers the lives of countless Americans. And religious liberty protects this important role that faith plays . . . [Pope Francis reminds us]: ? We're not called to be ?part-time Christians,? we're called ?to live our faith at every moment of every day.? As we strive to answer this call, we know that religious freedom protects more than the freedom to worship on Sunday; it also protects our ability to live out our faith the other six days of the week.? After all Masses in our parishes during this fortnight we will pray the Litany for Liberty. Following the weekday Masses of June 23-27 and July 1-3 in Spring Valley and Elmwood we will pray Morning (or Evening) Prayer before the exposed Blessed Sacrament and conclude with Benediction. And at 5:00 PM on Monday, June 30, Deacon Kevin Ray will lead a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament at Boyceville.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Saint Luke, pray for us!
Father Kevin C. Louis, STL