Index
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Saint Casimir Parish
MINISTRY OF PRAISE
JULY, 2018
St. Casimir Parish
Almighty God,
grant that with the help of St. Casimir’s intercession
we may serve you in holiness and justice.
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PLEASE PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING INTENTIONS
(July Papal intention)
That God will bless our nation and guide it in living out Gospel freedom and
justice.
That the shepherds of the Church will proclaim Christ, admonishing and
teaching everyone with wisdom.
That our parish community will commit itself to the truth of the Gospel with
zeal, self-sacrifice, and hope.
That young people will strive toward a renewal of the world in the light of
the Gospel, and will oppose violence and the illusions of instant happiness.
That God bless Father Bacevice and
the Pastoral and Finance Councils in their efforts to secure the future of
St. Casimir Parish.
That all parishioners recognize their responsibility to
St. Casimir Parish’s future through financial support, commitment to parish
activities, sharing ideas, and most importantly prayer.
That those facing difficult decisions or stressful situations may be blessed
with the serenity and assurance to meet each need with faith.
That those who risk their lives in order to protect the lives of others will
be strengthened, shielded, and aided.
That those who pray be validated in their belief of its
power.
WHAT’S HAPPENING 
AT ST. CASIMIR PARISH?
First
Friday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament,
8:00 – 9:00am in Church
July 11th Eucharistic
Adoration,
6:00-7:00pm in Church
July 25th
Annual Holy Name picnic (check the bulletin for time and location)
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SAINT FOR JULY
SAINT ELIZABETH OF PORTUGAL
“Peacemaker”
(1271-1336)
July
4th |
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Elizabeth was not
well enough to undertake her final peacemaking journey, made all
the more difficult by the oppressive heat of the season. She
would not, however, permit herself to be dissuaded from it. She
answered that there was no better way
to give of her life and her health than by averting the miseries
and destruction of war.
By the time she had successfully brought about
peace, she was so sick that death was imminent.
At Elizabeth’s birth her father,
Pedro III, future king of Aragon, was reconciled with his father
James, the reigning monarch. Thus, she grew up during a time of
peace. She learned self-discipline and acquired an interest in
spirituality. This prepared her to meet the challenges ahead, when,
at the age of 12, she was given in marriage to Denis, king of
Portugal.
Elizabeth’s marriage was a difficult one, as her
husband was unfaithful, jealous and quarrelsome. Early in her life
as queen she was able to establish for herself a pattern of life
open to growth in God’s love. Elizabeth practiced works of mercy.
She was the mother of two children and showed great concern for
abandoned children and wayward girls. She built a hospital, an
orphanage and a shelter for poor travelers.
Throughout her life, as queen, and later as a
widow and a lay member of the Franciscans at a monastery of the Poor
Clares, she promoted peace among arguing factions in her own family.
She repeatedly sought and effected peace between the king and their
rebellious son, Alfonso, and acted as a peacemaker in the struggle
between Ferdinand, king of Aragon, and his cousin James, who claimed
the crown. In her final days she brought about a lasting peace
between her son who was now the king of Portugal, and his
son-in-law, the king of Castile. Elizabeth is usually pictured in
royal clothing with a dove or an olive branch.
Source: IN HIS LIKENESS, Rev. Charles E. Yost; SAINTS AND FEAST
DAYS, Loyola University Press;
SAINT OF THE DAY, Rev. Leonard Foley, O.F.M., Editor |
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THOUGHTS FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH |
Freedom and Responsibility
# 1731 Freedom is the
power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and
so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. By free will one
shapes one’s own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth
and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude.
#1733
The more one does what is good the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom
except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do
evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to “the slavery of sin.”
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REFLECTION |
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THE GRACE OF
THE GOOD SAMARITAN |
The more repugnant the work, the greater should be our
faith and cheerful devotion. That we feel the repugnance is but
natural, but when we overcome it for love of Jesus we may become
heroic. Very often it has happened in the lives of the saints
that a heroic overcoming of repugnance has been the key to a
high sanctity. Such was the case of Saint Francis of Assisi, who
when meeting a leper completely disfigured, drew back, but then
overcoming himself, kissed the terrible disfigured face. The
result was that Francis was filled with an untold joy. He became
the complete master of himself and the leper walked away
praising God for his cure.
When we handle the sick and the needy we touch the
suffering body of Christ and this touch will make us heroic; it
will make us forget the repugnance and the natural tendencies in
us. We need the eyes of deep faith to see Christ in the broken
body and dirty clothes under which the most beautiful one among
the sons of men hides. We shall need the hands of Christ to
touch these bodies wounded by pain and suffering.
(by Saint Teresa of
Calcutta)
Source: MAGNIFICAT, July 2013 (Vol. 15 No,5) pp.183-184)
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Lietuvi