Oct 16 – Memorial for St. Hedwig, Religious; Memorial for St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin
St. Hedwig (1174–1243)was the daughter of the Duke of Croatia, and aunt of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. She married Prince Henry I of Silesia and Poland in 1186 at the age of 12, and became the mother of seven. She cared for the sick both personally and by founding hospitals. Upon her husband’s death, she gave away her fortune and entered the monastery at Trebnitz.
- Patron Saint Index
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647–1690) was healed from a crippling disorder by a vision of the Blessed Virgin, which prompted her to give her life to God. After receiving a vision of Christ fresh from the Scourging, she was moved to join the Order of the Visitation by Paray-le-Monial in 1671.
She received a revelation from our Lord in 1675, which included 12 promises to her and to those who practiced a true devotion to His Sacred Heart, whose crown of thorns represent his sacrifices. The devotion encountered violent opposition, especially in Jansenist areas, but has become widespread and popular.
The Twelve Promises of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary for those devoted to His Sacred Heart are:
- I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
- I will establish peace in their families.
- I will console them in all their troubles.
- They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of their death.
- I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
- Sinners shall find in My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy.
- Tepid souls shall become fervent.
- Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
- I will bless the homes where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honoured.
- I will give to priests the power of touching the most hardened hearts.
- Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be effaced.
- The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under any displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.
- Patron Saint Index
Rm 3:21-30
Lk 11:47-54
Is God the God of Jews alone and not of the pagans too? Of pagans too, most certainly, since there is only one God.
One of the most common questions I get asked during Catechism is if our brothers and sisters who are not Catholics can be saved. At some point in our lives, most of us would have asked this question in one form or another. Some would ask, “What about those people in the mountains who have not heard about Christ?” “What about those of other religions and they are good people?” “What about those babies who died and were not baptized?” At the root of the questions is our concern if good people will end up eternally separated from God just because they are not Catholics. That did not seem consistent with a just, good and merciful God.
According to Lumen Gentium 16: Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience. Nor does Divine Providence deny the helps necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God and with His grace strive to live a good life. Whatever good or truth is found amongst them is looked upon by the Church as a preparation for the Gospel. So yes, even non-Catholics can reach heaven.
And what about the babies who did not get the chance to be baptized? The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children which caused him to say: “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,” allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church’s call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.
The next question then is, “Why be Catholic? What’s the point of being a Catholic?” This is really a very fair question. After all, our faith is pretty famous for all things that we could not do but seems to make people happy. According to the Baltimore Catechism, God made us ‘to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.’ The best place to know that here on earth is in the Catholic Church. I once read in a book that while we are on earth, we learn to enlarge our hearts so we can receive and appreciate God’s love more when we are in heaven. The author mentioned that all of our hearts will be filled with God’s love when we reach heaven. However, some of us would have bigger hearts since we’ve learned how to enlarge our hearts more on earth.
Is the Catholic Church helping you learn to love and be loved? This is the best place to be in to learn that.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Stephanie Villa)
Prayer: Lord, please help me enlarge my heart a little today so I can learn how to give and receive love.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, God, for preserving the Catholic Church.
OXYGEN 
Leave a comment