Category Archives: Sacred Heart

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: Latin Mass Readings to Draw from the Sacred Wellspring

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One of the ways to gain a significant insight into a saint or feast day is to meditate on the Mass Readings for that day. So, on this Sacred Heart Friday, I will offer two posts featuring these. First up are the readings for the Mass for the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, using the Propers from the Extraordinary Form. Next post will have the Ordinary Rite Readings.

I will let them speak for themselves and you might want to petition the Holy Spirit for the wisdom and understanding to gain from these readings.

Introit (Psalms 32: 11, 19)

O God, who in the Heart of Thy Son,
wounded by our sins, dost mercifully
vouchsafe to bestow upon us the
boundless treasures of Thy love:
grant, we beseech Thee, that we who
now render Him the service of our
devotion and piety, may also fulfill our
duty of worthy satisfaction. Through
the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our
Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God,
forever and ever.

Collect

O God, who in the Heart of Thy Son,
wounded by our sins, dost mercifully
vouchsafe to bestow upon us the
boundless treasures of Thy love:
grant, we beseech Thee, that we who
now render Him the service of our
devotion and piety, may also fulfill our
duty of worthy satisfaction. Through
the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our
Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God,
forever and ever.

Epistle (Ephesians 3: 8-19)

Brethren, To me, the least of all the
Saints, is given this grace, to preach
among the Gentiles the unsearchable
riches of Christ: and to enlighten all
men, that they may see what is the
dispensation of the mystery which
hath been hidden from eternity in God,
who created all things: that the
manifold wisdom of God may be made
known to the principalities and powers
in heavenly places through the
Church, according to the eternal
purpose which He made in Christ
Jesus our Lord: in whom we have
boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him. For this cause I
bow my knees to the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, of whom all
paternity in heaven and earth is
named, that He would grant you
according to the riches of His glory, to
be strengthened by His Spirit with
might unto the inward man, that Christ
may dwell by faith in your hearts: that,
being rooted and grounded in charity,
you may be able to comprehend with
all the Saints, what is the breadth and
length, and height and depth: to know
also the charity of Christ which
surpasseth all knowledge, that you
may be filled unto all the fullness of
God.

Gradual (Psalms 24: 8-9)

The Lord is sweet and righteous:
therefore He will give a law to sinners
in the way. He will guide the mild in
judgment: He will teach the meek His
ways.

Lesser Alleluia (Matthew 11: 29)

Alleluia, alleluia. Take my yoke upon
you and learn from Me, because I am
meek and humble of Heart: and you
shall find rest to your souls. Alleluia.

Gospel (John 19: 31-37)

At that time: The Jews (because it was
the Parasceve), that the bodies might
not remain upon the cross on the
Sabbath day (for that was a great
Sabbath day) besought Pilate that
their legs might be broken, and that
they might be taken away. The
soldiers therefore came: and they
broke the legs of the first, and of the
other that was crucified with Him. But
after they were come to Jesus, when
they saw that He was already dead
they did not break His legs. But one
of the soldiers with a spear opened
His side, and immediately there came
out blood and water. And he that saw
it hath given testimony: and his testimony is true. And he knoweth
that he saith true, that you may
believe. For these things were done
that the Scripture might be fulfilled:
You shall not break a bone of Him.
And again another Scripture saith:
They shall look on Him whom they
pierced.

Offertory (Psalms 68: 21)

My Heart hath expected reproach and
misery; and I looked for one that
would grieve together with me, but
there was none: and for one that
would comfort me, and I found none.

Secret

Have regard, we beseech Thee, O
Lord, to the inexpressible love of the
Heart of Thy beloved Son: so that
what we offer may be a gift acceptable
to Thee, and an expiation for our
offenses. Through the same Jesus
Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who lives
and reigns with Thee in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

Preface of the Sacred Heart

It is truly meet and just, right and for
our salvation, that we should at all
times and in all places give thanks to
Thee, holy Lord, Father almighty,
eternal God: Whose will it was that
Thine only-begotten Son, while
hanging on the Cross, should be
pierced by the soldier’s lance: that the
Heart thus opened should, as from a
well of divine bounty, pour over us
streams of mercy and of grace: and
that the Heart which never ceased to
burn with love for us, should be for the
devout a haven of rest and for the
penitent an open refuge of salvation.
And therefore with Angels and
Archangels, with Thrones and
Dominations, and with all the hosts of
the heavenly army, we sing a hymn
to Thy glory, evermore saying:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

Communion Prayer (John 19: 34)

One of the soldiers with a spear
opened His side, and immediately
there came out blood and water.

Postcommunion Prayer

May Thy holy Mysteries, O Lord
Jesus, impart to us divine fervor:
wherein we may taste the sweetness
of Thy most loving Heart, and learn to
despise what is earthly and love what
is heavenly: Who lives and reigns
with God the Father in the unity of the
Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

Source: The Latin Mass Helper

I hope this was all beneficial to you. Really study these readings and gain some insight into what the Sacred Heart really signifies.

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The Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary! Part 5

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It’s Sacred Heart Friday time and this week I’m getting all mystical.

The Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary began when Jesus dwelt within the womb of Mary. Like all children when they are living within their Momma’s womb, He shared the body of Mary and thus she became the tabernacle for the Ark of the New Covenant that is Him.

Mary’s Immaculate Heart pumped the Precious Blood that flowed through His veins and arteries; she powered His Sacred Heart.

This union of the Two Hearts was far more intimate than any other. We all have heard of stories about pregnant women and how they marvel at the the movements of their unborn child; the kicks and wriggles and so forth. How much greater this must have been for Mary and Jesus. Mystical writings and approved private revelations tell that Jesus was fully aware from His conception in the womb. How? Unknown, but given that He is God and therefore would never have lost His Omniscience regardless of His form, He was fully in possession of His faculties. Some of the revelations also tell us that Jesus and Mary were in close communion with each other throughout her pregnancy. This makes sense. Jesus would obviously obey the Commandment to “Honor thy Father and thy Mother,” given His proximity to Mary while in her womb, it seems obvious that He would honor her in a way impossible for anyone else to do for their mother. He is God, omniscient, and in His mother’s womb. How do you think He would honor her? What feelings of love would He bestow upon Mary? What graces and blessings winkled He petition the Father to give her? 

Love returns love; what would Mary do for Him in return? She, who ‘kept all these things in her heart and pondered them’ could only return His love for her in kind. Mary, the daughter of God the Father, mother of God the Son, and Spouse of God the Holy Spirit….. what feelings of love and awe and wonder could she have given Him? 

It renders our attempts at worship and adoration paltry by comparison. This makes it reasonable for us to honor the recommendation of many saints, especially St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Louis de Montfort and others, to ‘go to Jesus through Mary.’ She can take our feeble and pathetic attempt to worship and adore Him and unite it to her own since her Heart is still united to His. 

The Union, or Alliance, of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary makes sense of all this. We can go directly to Jesus without Mary, but why would you in light of the above? There is much to ponder here; you cannot do it justice by rejecting ‘to Jesus through Mary’ out of hand when you realize the possibilities of their history together and the obvious truths entailed. 

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Sacred Heart of Jesus Novena begins June 7th

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The Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus begins June 7th this year so as to end on the day before the Feast day, which is June 16th this year. On the day of the Feast it is customary to consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart. The following is a popular prayer that can be used for a novena – it is even recommended to be said every day (which I do.) 

Efficacious Novena
 to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

This novena prayer was recited every day by Padre Pio for all those who asked for prayers.
The faithful are invited to recite it daily, so as to be spiritually united with the prayer of Padre Pio.

I. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of [insert your intention.] 
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be to the Father…Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, if you ask any thing of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.” Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of [insert your intention.] 
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be to the Father…Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.” Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of [insert your intention.] 
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be to the Father…Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender mother and ours.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.

Since I have been writing about the Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary as a part of my Sacred Heart Friday series, here are two novenas to the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

Here is an EWTN Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Here is another Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary from Pray More Novenas.

You can say it one day after the Sacred Heart. Some years I simplify things by saying the Sacred Heart Novena so that it ends on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, meaning it goes along day-for-day with the Immaculate Heart Novena. You can do whatever you wish. 

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My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

June and the Sacred Heart

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June is dedicated in the public arena to celebrating ‘Pride.’ Given the nature of of the sins celebrated by ‘pride,’ it makes you wonder whether ‘they’ intentionally picked June for it or is this just ironic ignorance? June is dedicated in the Catholic Church to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and if you’ve been reading this blog’s Sacred Heart Friday posts, you’d have picked up by now that the devotion to the Sacred Heart is in part a way of making reparations for such sins.

 

PC983

Apparently the ‘tolerance and diversity’ crowd that gets all triggered when they are offended have little problem reserving a right to offend others when it suits them. Who gets to pick who is acceptable to be offended? Hypocrisy at work? Anyway, ‘illegitimi non carborundum’ as they say in Latin (“Don’t let the dirty b******s get you down.”) If you are familiar with the Bible, we win in the end. Take this month and increase your devotion to the Sacred Heart. Tomorrow, June 2nd, is a First Friday. Go to Mass if you can, receive Holy Communion and offer it up in reparation for all the sins that will be committed in excess this month. Since Saturday the 3rd is a First Saturday, hopefully you can continue or start that devotion which is also in reparation for sins of ‘pride.’

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary! Part 3

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For this Sacred Heart Friday post, I’m going to set aside what I had originally written for Part 3; mainly because I don’t like what I’ve got. So, I’m taking this opportunity to remind everyone of certain upcoming feasts that relate to both the Sacred Heart and the Heart of Mary. 

Aside from the Solemnity of Pentecost this Sunday (this birthday of the Church!) we have this Monday the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. This is a new feast day, instituted by Pope Frances just a few years ago. I like it! Any increase in liturgical observances to Mary is all right with me! Mary IS the Mother of the Church; her heart nurtured it in the Church’s early years, after Christ’s Ascension and Mary’s own Assumption. She knew that the Church was the creation her Son, and just as His Sacred Heart beats in the Sacraments, her Immaculate Heart lovingly guided and taught the Apostles and disciples just like she taught Him during His first 30 years. 

This an example of how the Two Hearts operate. They work in tandem for the salvation of souls. Christ’s love for humanity leaves behind the Church to instruct the faithful until He returns; Mary’s love for us helps build up the Church.

Another day coming up is the  Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Right after the Annunciation Mary made haste and went to the hill country of Judea and visited her cousin Elizabeth who was with child. Carrying St. John the Baptist in her womb, Elizabeth was the first human to acknowledge Mary’s Divine Maternity when she greeted her. Not only that, but the unborn child in the womb  also acknowledged the existence of another unborn child, Jesus. St. John the Baptist, upon hearing Mary’s voice and the referencing to the Lord, leapt in Elizabeth’s wombs as he was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Another example of how the Two Hearts operate: Mary’s love for her cousin sends her off on a journey and the beating of the Sacred Heart in her womb signals to the Baptist. 

And that’s it for May. June begins next Thursday and that month is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus! I hope to finish up this series on he Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary as well as come up with some really great stuff. I may even post multiple Sacred Heart Fridays!

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary! Part 2

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As I stated in Part 1 of today’s Sacred Heart Friday post from last week (this makes sense only you read the conversation I had with the voices in my head that was transcribed in the Part 1 post) an alliance is always serves as a means to an end. Political alliances bolster the political standing of each member on the world stage. Military alliances ensure the security of each member. So, what is the end of the Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary?

Our salvation, of course!

Like I said in the previous post, all authentic Marian devotion leads the soul to Jesus. “To Jesus Through Mary” is the theme of many saints’ writings; especially St. Louis deMontfort and St. Maximilian Kolbe. Even Our Lady said at Fatima that she desired devotion to not just her Immaculate Heart, but of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

In Scripture, we’ve seen how Mary “kept all these things pondering them in her heart.” What things? What was being said about Jesus. Her heart was ever united to contemplating Him; she was His first disciple and greatest Apostle. Of course, neither role was mentioned in the Bible, but it stands to reason that she was. 

There is also another reason for the union of the Two Hearts: genetic. Jesus had no human father; He received all His humanity from Mary. What this actually means and its significance may be difficult to understand, but her heart was identical to His. Given His Sacred Humanity and Divinity and her Immaculate Conception, this must mean the union of the Two Hearts had to have supernatural implications.

Maybe we need to spend some time pondering these things in our hearts.

Now to the ‘our salvation’ part. Mary (our Mother and Jesus’) and Jesus (our brother) desire nothing less than we join them in Heaven. The devotion to the Hearts is geared towards that. The Immaculate Heart of Mary has suffered from the indifference of souls air not outright sacrilege and blasphemy. The Devotion of the Five First Saturdays is about reparation for the offenses against her Heart. Read about that here: Five First Saturday Devotions. Similarly, the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is about reparation for our sins and the sins of others. You can read about that here: Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Both are about reparation for sin. Who knows how many have been turned back from the path of perdition and now enjoy the blessedness of Heaven because of these?

Next week: “The Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary! Part 3!” I think it will be on the history of the Alliance, the saints that promoted it and so forth. That might need to carry over into a Part 4. There might be a Part 5, and that might involve Catholic Prophecy!

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary! Part 1

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Yes, I know this  Sacred Heart Friday post is late.

“What do you mean ‘late,’ Paulcoholic?”

“I mean that it was supposed to be published last Friday.”

“Oh, wow! That IS late! A whole week! What have you got to say for yourself?”

“I wasn’t feeling all that well last week and wasn’t confident of my writing and thinking skills and didn’t finish going over the post to publish it last Friday (it was written over the course of that past week, I just never finished it.) Then I had my laptop off most of the weekend and didn’t feel like editing it. And then the week started and… OK ‘stuff’ happened and I just never got to it. OK?”

“Um, yeah, OK! Just don’t let it happen again!”

“Oh, shut up.” Why do I let the voices in my head get access to the keyboard?

In this week-late Sacred Heart Friday post, I offer you the first of at least two on the union between the two hearts  of Jesus and Mary. It was to have been one long-ish post, but since I’m late enough as it is and I didn’t do much additional research for it this week, and I’m still not feeling all that well, it’s being split up in two. So here goes! And let’s hope that I can get Part 2 out by the end of today the 19th. If there’s a Part 3, that’ll be next week.

All authentic Marian devotion leads to Jesus. The basis for this fact is that Mary is our Mother. Because she loves us so much, she leads us to her Son. We are all her children (Jesus and us) and so she wants us all to be together. Our biological mother gave birth to us in our physical, temporal life and we were thus born into Original Sin. Mary, however, gave birth to us when we were baptized. Our baptism made us members of the Mystical Body of Christ; and as Mary is Christ’s Mother, she becomes ours as she is also the Mother of the Mystical Body. Original Sin was wiped away and we were born anew as brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ and children of God the Father. She can be said to be more our mother than our biological mother ever was and she loves us more than our Earthly mother ever could and by reason of her divine motherhood, enables us to gain eternity with Christ. 

It is love which unites the two. The Heart of Mary beats with a love for Jesus and for us; His Sacred Heart beats with love for His Mother and for us. Mary’s Heart has a maternal love for us and so yearns for us to belong to Jesus. His Heart, as I’ve said before in these Sacred Heart Fridays, loves us, since as God He loves His own creation. His love for us is so great that He suffered and died to free us from our sins.

This then, is the Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary. An alliance typically is a means to an end. What is the end of this Alliance?

I think I’ll answer that in Part 2, and whatever I was gonna come up with for Part 2 will be Part 3 next week!

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

May, Mary, and the Sacred Heart

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For this Sacred Heart Friday, I bring to your attention the (perhaps unintended?) symbolism of May coming just before June, in the sense of who these months are dedicated to.

May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary; June to the Sacred Heart. The Church teaches that all authentic Marian devotion leads us to Jesus. Therefore, we can spend this month of Mary, with its holidays of Our Lady of Fatima (May 13th) Mary, Mother of the Church (right after Pentecost) and the Feast of the Visitation (May 31st) preparing for the Sacred Heart. We can focus on each of those days and meditate or reflect on their significance, all with a mind as to how they lead us to Jesus.

The message of Our Lady of Fatima is prayer, penance and reparation. War is punishment for sin; immodest fashions offend God; we must pray the Rosary every day for the conversion of Russia as well as the World. Mary said, ‘In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph!” This means the ultimate end of Satan’s free rein of terror and a period of peace before the Second Coming.

Mary, Mother of the Church :the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ, therefore Mary is our Mother. The Church was established by Christ to facilitate our redemption. The Church has one job: to save souls. It was started out of love for us; without it, we would have no Shepherd and no way to authentically interpret Scripture. No Church and there would be the confusion and chaos as evidenced by the countless Protestant and Evangelical denominations. 

The Feast of the Visitation celebrates when Mary made haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was miraculously pregnant with St. John the Baptist. What lesson can we derive from this? Hospitality, for one. Make time in your life to come to the aid of your family, friends, kindred, tribe, clan, whatever. Your neighbor! Also, it is the declaration from Elizabeth that Mary IS the Mother of God, with Mary’s response that her should magnifies the Lord and her spirit rejoices in God, her saviour; as well as that all generations will call her blessed. Does your soul magnify the Lord? Are you grateful for all the things He has done for you? Do you call Mary ‘Blessed?’ 

Don’t forget! One if the ways to honor the Blessed Mother is doing the Five First Saturday Devotions.

Next Sacred Heart Friday: The Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary!

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Try Adoration!

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For this Sacred Heart Friday I’m renewing a call to my readers to begin Adoration. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is at the center of the Sacred Heart Devotion. The two go hand in hand. When one begins their devotion to the Sacred Heart it follows that they are inevitably led to Adoration. He left us the Blessed Sacrament behind after His Ascension to keep company and give us bread for the journey to our true Home, Heaven

So, this is an invitation to all of you who are able to do so to consider spending time with the Lord in Adoration. Jesus is truly Present: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist. If the Catholic parishes near you do not have Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament exposed sometime during the week or even 24/7, perhaps try to attend Mass earlier than usual and adore Him while He’s reposed in the tabernacle.

Most diocesan websites have directories of parishes including whether or not they have Adoration (as well as when it is scheduled.) You can also look this up of Facebook.

There is nothing on Earth like being in the Presence of the Lord. That’s HIM there, no symbol. HIM.

Eucharist

Here is an Adoration Directory. I do not know how up-to-date it is, so perhaps call the parish in advance to confirm.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Mother Angelica and the Sacred Heart

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Yesterday was the 100th Anniversary of Mother Angelica’s birth and so for this Sacred Heart Friday I thought I’d share this “Mother Angelica Live” classic TV episode (taken from the EWTN YouTube Channel.)

Enjoy! I did! After her Scripture reading she picks up a black-covered book that she says contains writings from some saints as well as stuff Jesus told these saints in private revelations. “Oh! I wish I had that book!” I think. Then as she’s holding it and flipping through it I notice it looks familiar. Black, hardcover, four words on the cover – two on the first line, two on the second….. waitaminute, that looks familiar! Could it be? So I pause the video, go off to my little prayer corner and pick up a black, hardcover book with four words on the cover. I go back and resume the video and carefully watch Mother holding it and when she manages to hold it up long enough to reveal the cover I hit pause and look. IT’S THE SAME BOOK I HAVE!!!!! I DO HAVE IT! WHEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Oh, it’s the “Sacred Heart Prayer Book,” (and she mentions it by name at 34:20. I could have just waited.) and  it was published by the Sacred Heart Publishers, out of San Bruno, California in 1980. It was compiled and edited by a Brother James, SDB (Salesians of Don Bosco) of Saints Peter and Paul Church, in San Francisco, California. I did an Internet search, the publisher is apparently no more, the address given in the book looks on Apple Maps and Google Earth to be a small office building, which indicates it may have been self-published? It does not look like it was professionally produced by an established publisher. It is sturdy and the binding is excellent and all that, but there’s no artwork or anything else common to traditionally made books. That church exists, and is well-known, and has been featured in numerous films. I bought my copy of it maybe 20+ years ago at a used book shop near Utica, New York.

IMG 0799

Oh hey! Right at the end she said she had 100s of copies of it and gave them away to anyone whom wanted them. I wonder if mine originally came from someone who received it from her? (Yes, I’m writing this post while the episode is running; I also downloaded it to watch offline whenever I want.)

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)