“In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph!”
~ Our Lady of Fatima ~
In this month of the Immaculate Heart, we begin on the 1st, with the First Saturday, which is a devotion in reparation to this very Heart. What a great time to begin the “Communion of Reparation,” given to us by Our Lady of Fatima. If your church is not doing this, why not help them start it? Otherwise, you can look at: First Saturdays At Home. Regarding Marian-related feasts, we have St. Alphonsus Liguori (famously authored The Glories of Mary) also beginning the month…..St. Dominic, the Assumption, St. Joachim (he is honored together with Our Lady immediately following the Assumption) and a double Marian feast on the 22nd, which includes the trad feast of the Immaculate Heart. We also have another saint devoted to Mary, St. Maximilian Kolbe, who died on the Vigil of the Assumption. He was starved at Auschwitz, but would not die, so he was given a lethal injection. How appropriate a day to die for one who early in life, created a Marian apostolate, “Militia Immaculatae.” I have noticed something in my research that I have not seen mentioned anywhere…he started the apostolate in 1917, just 3 days after the “Miracle of the Sun,” witnessed by thousands at Fatima. I wonder if that great event spurred him on to create his ministry. Let us give honor and reparation to Our Mother’s dear heart this month. There are so many ways to do this-please find something that resonates for you and your family.
This month shows us 3 Doctors of the Church and also the Transfiguration of Our Lord. These are just some highlights of Holy Church’s month of August. Its always good to look at the coming weeks to plan your spiritual life…..
+++
1-First Saturday / St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor, ”Prince of Moralists, Most Zealous Doctor, Patron of Confessors & Moral Theologians” (new)
2-St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor (trad)
4-St. John Vianney (new-I saw his heart once!) / St. Dominic, Seer of the Holy Rosary
6-TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD
7-First Friday
8-St. John Vianney (trad)
11-St. Clare of Assisi, her actual name was Chiara (my name-I am named after my grandmother who was born in Sicily), also known as Clara (new)
12-St. Clare of Assisi (trad)
14-Vigil of Assumption / St. Maximilian Kolbe, Martyr of Charity under Hitler
15-ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (not a holy day of obligation this year in the US)
16-St. Joachim, Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary
20-St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Doctor, ”The Mellifluous Doctor, Oracle of the 12th Century, Thaumaturgus of the West, Arbiter of Christendom, Last of the Fathers”
22-Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary / Immaculate Heart of Mary
24-St. Bartholomew, Apostle
28-St. Augustine, Doctor, ”Doctor of Grace, Doctor of Doctors”
This blog gives old and new feasts. The titles of the Doctors of the Church are taken from The 35 Doctors of the Church,TAN Books.