“And after six days Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him. And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying:
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him.
And the disciples hearing, fell upon their face, and were very much afraid. And Jesus came and touched them: and said to them, Arise, and fear not. And they lifting up their eyes saw no one but only Jesus. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of man be risen from the dead.”
Matthew 17:1-9
We commemorate the glorious Transfiguration of Our Lord on the 6th of this month, in the trad and the new calendars. Though not a Holy Day of Obligation, it is still a wonderful day to attend Mass, recite a devotion such as a litany, or pray the Luminous Mysteries, which contain the Transfiguration.
Holy Church devotes the next 3 months to our Blessed Mother. August celebrates her Immaculate Heart, September her 7 Sorrows, and October the Holy Rosary (along with sanctity of life issues). At Nomen Christi Apostolate, we call this the “Marian Triad of the Months,” and we encourage meditation upon these aspects of Mariology, along with devotions. If we can see how Our Lady’s heart ties into her sorrows and the Rosary, this would be a path for us to understand and love her more. We are so indebted to her, this is least we can do.
We celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the 15th, a Holy Day of Obligation and one of the Glorious Mysteries. This feast also has a vigil. Other Marian feasts of August: Our Lady of the Snows (which refers to a miracle in Italy combined with the dedication of Saint Mary Major Basilica) on the 5th, Our Lady of Knock on the 17th and the Queenship of the BVM & the Immaculate Heart on the 22nd (double feast, yay!). Marian-related feasts are: Saint Dominic, seer of the Rosary on the 4th & 8th and Saint Joachim, father of the BVM the day after the Assumption, the 16th.
What better way to honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary, than to begin the Fatima Devotion of the First Saturdays “Communion of Reparation” (this month, that is the 3rd)? This is for the purpose of offering reparation to her much-offended heart of incomprehensible love, and for general atonement. In this time of increasing tensions between nations, we would do well to consider the words of Sr. Lucia:
“Whether the world has war or peace depends on the practice of this devotion, along with the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is why I desire its propagation so ardently, especially because this is also the will of our dear Mother in Heaven.”
Sister Lucia, Fatima Seer, 1939
If your parish does not offer the First Saturdays, why not think about meeting with your pastor and getting it started? Pray on it!
Here are some other notable feasts coming up, note St. Monica and St. Augustine, mother and son, are 1 day apart:
Saint Alphonsus Liguori-1st & 2nd
Saint John Vianney-4th & 8th
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)-9th
Saint Clare (Chiara) of Assisi-11th & 12th
Saint Maximilian Kolbe-14th
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux-20th
Saint Rose of Lima-23rd & 30th
Saint Bartholomew, Apostle-24th
Saint Monica-27th
Saint Augustine-28th
Passion of Saint John the Baptist-29th
Saint Fiacre of Brie (non-standard)-30th
Saints Rose & Fiacre, patrons of gardeners, pray for us!
What is the purpose of paying attention to feastdays? It is part of our Catholic Faith that is sadly being lost. If we are attentive to these days, it can have the following benefits:
1) Encourage us to attend Mass more frequently.
2) Renew our interest in the saints. Provide a chance to teach our children about them.
3) Increase our prayer and devotional life.
4) Provide opportunity for reading Holy Scripture.
5) Give us a greater love for and knowledge of the Catholic Faith.
6) Help us to think creatively about practicing the Faith.
7) Provide grace and bring us closer to the Kingdom of Heaven!
We provide both trad and new feasts.