Some Said, “No Soap”Cooks work wonders by adding herbs and spices to all kinds of

dishes. We can practically taste the food as appetizing aromas waft from a simmering pot on the stovetop or a pan in the oven.

When Jesus declared Himself “the living bread that came down from heaven,” even seasoned listeners to God’s Word didn’t understand. Skeptics quarreled about how the Lord could possibly give His flesh to eat. It didn’t seem possible. As food goes, it didn’t sound good.

Cilantro leaves get snipped and added to Mexican, Thai, and an array of other international foods. Jesus came for people the world over. Cilantro has vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other health-food benefits. Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, prescribed it as medicine. Jesus came to heal the sick, whether physically or spiritually. Cooks mince cilantro into foods because it adds a fresh and tangy flavor, sort of like citrus and parsley in one. Jesus, One with the Father and Holy Spirit, added something new to the sacred Words of Old Testament Scripture.

Here’s the thing about cilantro, though: To some people, it tastes like soap. Once you have tried cilantro, you either like it or leave it. Celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), the Gospel of John lets us encounter Jesus at a pivotal time. People in the crowds gave Him a try. Some became believers, but others turned and left.

Anyone with a taste for cilantro finds it a culinary gift. A sprinkling of cilantro can even add flavor to bread. Jesus taught that the grace to come to Him, our Bread of Life, is a gift from our heavenly Father. When we gather for Holy Mass, listening to the Word and seeing the Body and Blood of Christ offered for us renew our zest for living in faith.

Just a little of your favorite seasoning can do something good in the kitchen. As we begin the season of summer, even a small gift to Heart of the Nation will do something even better!

Faith As Close As Your TV

Monthly Bulletin June 2020

Fr. Mark PayneChaplain

FATHER’S DAY PRAYER INTENTIONS

Please use the enclosed spiritual bouquet card to send the names of beloved fathers to be remembered in special Masses celebrated by Heart of the Nation’s chaplains on Father’s Day, June 21.

PRAYER RESOURCESIn addition to TV Mass, Heart

of the Nation provides free prayer resources in print and online.

• Prayer & Worship Guide: Besides the large-print text for Sunday Mass, each issue contains weekly reflections, a guide to the daily Scripture readings from Monday through Saturday, and seasonal prayers. To order a free subscription for yourself or someone you love, see page 4.

• Online Rosary, Prayer Network, and More: Visit www.HeartoftheNation.org, and click on Prayer Resources.

Let’s backtrack just a bit. Charles Carroll, the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence, laid the first stone for the trailblazing Baltimore and Ohio railroad on July 4, 1828. Granite provided a base for the tracks.

Jesus laid a solid foundation for our faith. He gave the name Peter (“rock”) to the Disciple who became first in the Apostolic succession of Popes to this day.

On the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul, Scripture from the Acts of the Apostles shows Peter shackled and under guard. His life of ministry has derailed. An angel appears, Peter’s chains fall off, and he follows the angel past inert guards. An iron gate into the city miraculously opens.

Open land in America drew people from a mix of religions Westward. Fr. Francis Kelley, first president of the Catholic

Church Extension Society, obtained funds for three chapel cars. The largest had Chapel Car – St. Paul emblazoned on a steel car, with an altar, wooden pews, stained glass windows, and living space transforming the inside.

In Biblical times, a Pharisee named Paul ruthlessly persecuted

Christians. Near Damascus, light flashed around him and temporarily struck Paul blind. The voice of Jesus asked why Paul was persecuting Him.

Paul recovered and became “Apostle to the Gentiles.” Evangelization picked up steam.

When the St. Peter and St. Paul chapel cars unhitched from trains and parked on sidetracks, usually for a week or so, the priest on board could minister to Catholics and invite others to discover the Catholic faith.

When we feel isolated, the Lord gladly comes to us. When we get sidetracked in our prayer lives, He longs to come back into our train of thought.

Fr. Tony ScannellChaplain

Together in FaithMoses asked God to accompany the people he led out of Egypt. They complained against

God but needed all the divine help they could get. In the New Testament, Saint Paul advised the Corinthians to encourage one another as they made positive changes in their lives.

“In these past few months, God has surely heard complaints,” said Fr. Mark Payne, chaplain for Heart of the Nation. “People have gotten discouraged. God doesn’t abandon us and wants us to have courage. Through His grace, people encourage one another.”

Your gift this month will help to bring TV Mass and inspirational publications to people in need. Fr. Mark continued, “In this time of struggle, people have held on to the love and hope of every Mass and every prayer.”

On the Right TrackSt. Peter and St. Paul found both welcome and hostility in their travels, whether

we mean the saints or the chapel train cars named after them. On June 29, we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Their railway namesakes, dedicated in the early 1900’s, each carried a priest in a traveling church to serve Catholics and evangelize along the way.

“Jesus our Savior has truly blessed me with this wonderful Sunday Mass.”

~Brother George

“Thank you for the faithful Sunday Mass. It is a precious source of strength and healing.”

~Romela

“I miss going to Mass terribly. I can’t give much, but please accept what I can give.”

~Juanita

“Your Mass has brought my husband and I such hope. May God bless you all.”

~John & Nancy

Sacred and Immaculate HeartsPeople mean the world to Jesus. Devotion to her Son means the world

to Mary. Two feast days in the Catholic Church, celebrated back to back, celebrate the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (June 19) and the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (June 20).

The Lord invites His followers to become, like Him, “meek and humble of heart” (Matthew 11:29). Meek means to patiently endure. Humility means to do so without boasting. Pope Pius IX established celebration of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus as a worldwide observance. Pope Leo XIII taught consecration to the Sacred Heart as a way for people to unite in devoted prayer, increase faith and love in the world, and seek openness to God’s will among those in darkness.

Scripture tells us that Mary reflected in her heart after Shepherds revealed the message told to them about the birth of our Savior. When 12-year-old Jesus decided to stay behind in Jerusalem after the Passover festival, Mary and Joseph didn’t know where to look. Finding him in the Temple, an exasperated and yet relieved Mother Mary reflected on what she could not understand.

In a world at war in 1942, the faithful gathered around radios as Pope Pius XII offered a prayer consecrating the Church and humanity to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Holy Father expressed hope for peace and prayed for the grace that can quickly convert human hearts. In 1944, he decreed a worldwide feast day celebrating the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pure of heart, Mary loves her Son and welcomes the opportunity to bring prayers to the Lord. As Mother of the Church, she exemplifies the blessedness of saying “yes” to God.

Faith, Hope, LoveLoving Lord Jesus, We pray with hope for healing of illness and of hearts afraid. We pray in faith for the strength that comes through Your merciful grace. We pray that Your love for us will be our comfort and mainstay. We pray that Your compassion will be felt today and always.Amen.

Father’s Day Prayer

Heavenly Father,You chose Saint Joseph, And I ask that You will bless All who seek to follow Humble ways of holiness.Joseph chose with love As he faced uncertainty; May his example guide Hearts to gentle charity.Husband of Mary, Joseph served protectively; Please give grace to all fathers Who watch over families.Caring for Jesus Through woodworking with his hands, May Joseph help fathers To know that You understand.Thank You for fathers, Enduring, forgiving, pleased To give love to children With hearts open to their needs.Amen.

Under Joseph’s WingNo sparrow falls to the ground without the heavenly

Father’s notice (Matthew 10). In the Gospel reading for Father’s Day, June 21, Jesus describes the heavenly Father’s loving attentiveness.

Vesper sparrows had other common names before a 19th-century writer compared their evening songs to hymns. Unlike other sparrows, they nest on the ground. God chose Saint Joseph to watch over Mary and Jesus here at ground level. Like vesper sparrows taking migratory wing to survive the winter, Scripture describes the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt to escape danger from King Herod. Joseph and his family later returned to Israel, settling in Nazareth. Like plain-looking vesper sparrows, the family didn’t stand out. Joseph did his woodworking. The family participated in religious events. People wondered where the son of a carpenter got the extraordinary wisdom of His teaching.

God, in His care, blesses children with loving fathers. Father’s Day offers an opportunity to celebrate the love of fathers, grandfathers, and our heavenly Father.

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