Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

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The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
                                    Friday, June 16, 2023

The Feast of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the most widely practiced and well-known devotions in the Roman Catholic Church. It takes the physical heart of Jesus as representation of His Divine love for humanity. The Feast of the Sacred Heart has been in the Roman Catholic Liturgical calendar since 1856, and is always celebrated 19 days after Pentecost Sunday and always falls on a Friday. The devotion especially emphasizes the unmitigated love, compassion, and long-suffering of the heart of Christ towards humanity.

The origin of the devotion to the Most Sacred Heart in the modern form, derived for a French Roman Catholic Saint, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, whose feast day is October 16th. She learned the devotion from Jesus during a mystical experience. Her revelations were numerous. ~ Newman Ministry website

Inspiring a Missionary Passion

The missionary passion that inspired Saint Frances Cabrini was born from a charism strongly rooted in the spirituality of the Sacred Heart that was revived in the late 1800s. This revival took place for several reasons, but it was primarily due to the bicentennial anniversary of the first appearance of the Sacred Heart to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and the consecration of the world to the Sacred Heart desired by Pope Leo XIII in the encyclical Annum Sacrum in 1899. ~ continued on following page.

Mother Cabrini grew up in the sacred sphere that is the Heart of Jesus. With extraordinary courage, she felt impelled to transfer her profound missionary world, entrusting her work to the unlimited trust that she was given by God’s Heart.
~ Sr. Patricia Spillane, MSC, Presentation, Free Yourself and Put on Wings

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini’s apostolic mysticism matured in light of two great sources: the spirituality of the Sacred Heart and her missionary life.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart had a profoundly spiritual influence in Mother Cabrini toward acceptance of God’s project of love of humanity, and this in turn became the social reparation in her works.

In the spirituality of Mother Cabrini, her source was the Sacred Heart of Jesus and her missionary spirit was the trickle with which she fed her tireless apostolic activity.
~ Introduction, Free Yourselves and Put on Wings

Today’s devotions

There are a number of activities that bring devotion to the Sacred Heart alive in our hearts and lives. The Lord’s healing promises flow through our embrace of these aspects of the devotion. Love, of course, is at the center of all these actions—love for Jesus and a desire to have that love grow in our hearts as we receive more and more of his love for us.

Certainly prayer is the place to start with any devotion but especially with devotion to the Sacred Heart. That is because it is a devotion that centers exclusively on our love relationship with our Lord. And just like any relationship, our relationship with Jesus requires communication to keep it strong and vibrant. Prayer is our ongoing conversation with God. ~ Franciscan Media website.

Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day, for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of family and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father.

CLMs Gain Insights on the Sacred Heart

The Cabrini Lay Missionaries (CLMs) of the Guadalupe Province were blessed to share in a reflection on the Spirituality of the Sacred Heart presented by Sr. Eileen Currie, MSC. Sr. Eileen shared so many wonderful insights about the Sacred Heart of Jesus. How perfect it was to hear about the love of God on Laetare Sunday, a day of rejoicing and joy.

We are most grateful to Sr. Eileen and her willingness to share her thoughts and insights with us. Our hearts were all touched as we heard about the unconditional love that God has for each of us.

“The goodness of the Heart of Jesus is immense and infinite in mercy.”

~ St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

“The Significance of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” was our special seminar with Sister Bernadette Anello, MSC for the two weeks – September 26th to October 7th. It was a blessing to have her illuminate the spirituality of our Institute. Praying the Sacred Heart Novena made our classes so very meaningful. Sister Patricia Spillane’s booklet has comprehensive concepts of the Heart of Jesus; please be sure to use it for your upcoming novena next year. You will absolutely love the various attributes of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and meditate on them all.

Our prayers and discussion were intentionally focused on all the aspects of Jesus’s heart. Helping us to have a fuller understanding, Sister Bernadette included some noteworthy writings and meaningful resources. We read Segundo Galilea’s writings, our Constitutions, Mother Cabrini’s writings, and shared our lived experiences. These magnificent resources made our two-week session unique and remarkable.

An understanding of how the theology and devotion of the Sacred Heart was a strong response to the needs of the times during the life of Francesca Cabrini, helped us to better appreciate the focus our Foundress had for our missionary congregation.. We could see why the God Who loves us would appear to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque to emphasize His great desire to draw one and all into His Heart of Love.

The apparition of the Sacred Heart to Margaret Mary bears one simple message to all: His Heart burns with love for all humanity, excluding no one. He loves us, and He deeply desires our love in return. In the crucifixion, His Heart was literally pierced out of love for us. And, far too often, the humanity He created and saved has responded with ingratitude and indifference. In turning to His Heart, we constantly receive and return that love, and we implore His mercy for ourselves and for those who are far from him.

We are so grateful to Sister Bernadette for sharing her wisdom with us, and to the Formation Team for creating this opportunity for Sacred Heart Theology and Spirituality. We hope that reading this short reflection gives you insight into what we have experienced.

Feast Day Festivities in Dobbs Ferry, NY

Cabrini of Westchester celebrated the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 24th with a liturgy led by Pastoral Care Director, Fr. Ron Galt, in the Cabrini Chapel. This year, the liturgy was very special as it was the first time in two years that residents were able to gather in the chapel to celebrate this feast day due to the distancing guidelines that were in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sr. Arlene Van Dusen, MSC was invited by Fr. Ron to share a reflection after the Gospel in which she said, “As the church celebrates the Feast of the Sacred Heart, remember that we are bound heart to heart with Jesus and His mother Mary. This feast is not so much about Jesus’ heart, but about our own hearts, which Jesus wants to be like His.”

After the reflection, the Missionary Sisters who were present during the Mass renewed their vows and several Cabrini Lay Missionaries renewed their commitments.

The festivities continued into the afternoon as the Missionary Sisters enjoyed a wonderful lunch prepared by Director of Food Service, Daryl Foriest and his team. This delicious meal was offered to the residents as well. A joyous Feast Day was had by all.

June 24 is the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

 

 

On June 24th,  we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The origins of the feast are with the visions received by St. Margaret Mary Alocoque, a 17th-century Visitation nun in a town called Paray-le-Monial, France. Her visions of Jesus presenting himself with his heart, were initially disbelieved by her fellow sisters. Then Jesus promised her in prayer that he would send her his “faithful servant and perfect friend.” Shortly afterwards, a Jesuit named Claude la Colombiere [arrived] at the convent to serve as a spiritual director for the sisters. He saw that Sr. Margaret Mary’s visions were authentic and devotion to the Sacred Heart spread from there.

The Feast of the Sacred Heart is an invitation to ask ourselves, “How did Jesus love?” and “Whom did Jesus love?” The answers to those two questions are: abundantly, totally and completely; and everyone, especially those who were poor or marginalized. But there are other questions that the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart raises: “How do I love?” and “Whom do I love?” And the most important question of all, “How can I love like Jesus?” Maybe that’s a question we can ask ourselves tomorrow and always, as we encounter each person with the love of our own hearts, which seeks to love as Jesus’ Sacred Heart did. ~ James Martin, SJ, AMERICA

In the Cabrinian community, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus holds great importance. It is the day on which the Missionary Sisters renew their vows and the Cabrini Lay Missionaries renew their commitments. Please keep the Missionary Sisters and the Cabrini Lay Missionaries in your thoughts and prayers in a special way on this Feast Day. And, this year, the Feast of the Sacred Heart is observed as the Missionary Sisters are about to enter their General Chapter which commences on Sunday, June 26th. We ask that you continue to keep the General Chapter in your prayers asking the Holy Spirit to inspire, enlighten and guide the proceedings and all those present.

A Message from the MSC Generalate in Rome…

Dear Sisters and colleagues,

We would like to share with you the link to the livestreaming of the General Chapter Opening Mass, on Sunday June 26 at 5:30 pm Rome time.

LINK: https://youtu.be/MiImnaKy5ak

We hope that you will participate – even if online – in this special moment for the Institute and the entire Cabrinian family.

Thank you.

 

Gathering for Lenten Prayer

Cabrini High School hosted a Lenten Evening of Reflection on Tuesday, March 29th in the Sacred Heart Chapel on campus. All Cabrini High faculty, staff, students, and friends of Cabrini were welcome to attend.

The night began with snacks and refreshments in the courtyard, until everyone gathered in the chapel to commence the Lenten Evening. Deacon Uriel Durr, the pastoral minister at Cabrini, shared a Lenten talk which was followed by reflection time, adoration, and confession. Guests were also invited to view Mother Cabrini’s Bedroom and Exhibit Room, which is recognized as a local shrine in New Orleans.

The evening culminated in a celebration of the Eucharist, led by Father Emanuel Mulenga, Cabrini’s campus chaplain. It was a wonderful night full of prayer. Thanks to all who made this evening possible and to all who attended

Dual Celebrations at Cabrini of Westchester

Cabrini of Westchester celebrated The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11th with a special liturgy led by Pastoral Care Director, Fr. Thomas Vadakemuriyil in the Cabrini Chapel. We were fortunate that several Missionary Sisters and Cabrini Lay Missionaries were present. They were able to recite their vows and commitments in front of the few that were physically gathered in the chapel and the residents who were watching the Mass from their rooms via television.

A festive luncheon, prepared by Cabrini’s Food Service Department, was held in the Board Room for those Missionary Sisters that reside in the nursing home.

As a happy coincidence, Sr. Alfonsina Gomes celebrated her birthday on this day! Sr. Alfonsina lives in the Cabrini convent and ministers to the residents as a Pastoral Care Associate. After the Mass concluded, Sister was serenaded to the tune of “Happy Birthday” and a birthday cake was served at the luncheon!

A wonderful Feast Day was had by all!

A Day of Commitment and Celebration

Cabrini Lay Missionaries (CLMs), Guadalupe Province, shared a beautiful Feast of the Sacred Heart and the celebration continued until June 13th.

On the Feast Day, we had a special prayer service, via Zoom. During the service, Adela Jarquin and Marianne McGowan, renewed their commitment to the CLMs for 3 more years. We are so grateful for their continued presence and their work toward the Cabrinian mission.

Following the renewals, five new CLMs made their initial commitment for 1 year. We are blessed to have Digna Merchan, Sheny Hinestroza, Susan Pierson, Veronica Hernandez-Perez and Victoria Ortiz-Perez begin their new journey as CLMs. Digna lives in New York, Susan in Pennsylvania and Sheny, Veronica and Victoria are from Guatemala. Each person received a certificate, their CLM handbook and a symbol, which is worn as a sign of being a CLM. They will be sharing more about themselves in the coming weeks in our CLM Corner in The Update.

We certainly did not let distance or a pandemic stop us from celebrating the gift of our new CLMs. On June 13th, we met again on Zoom. The Cabrini Sisters were invited to join us so they could meet our new members. We had Sisters from Colorado, Guatemala, New York, Pennsylvania and Nicaragua. It was a beautiful gathering as our new CLMs spoke about themselves and the amazing work that they are doing. A special blessing was prayed by all for our new CLMs. We pray that they will continue to bring the love of Christ to the world.

Thank you to everyone who helped to make this such a special time for all our CLMs.

Exciting News from Mother Cabrini Shrine

At the Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, CO, our newly renovated and expanded gift shop and additional restrooms are open! We invite you to come and see the beautiful, new space and shop our great selection of religious articles and merchandise. The gift shop is open every day of the week from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Campaign Update
To date, $3,170,635 has been raised for our capital campaign. We are so grateful to everyone who has contributed thus far! A $1 million, dollar for dollar match, has been generously offered to help us meet our campaign goal and complete this renovation project.

We invite you to please consider a donation to help us reach our $4.5 million goal so we can begin the chapel remodel and expansion in the fall. Please join us in praying for the Shrine and the success of our campaign. To learn more about the campaign and the further expansion plans please click here

June 11 is the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

June 11 is the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is devotion to Jesus Christ Himself, but in the particular ways of meditating on his interior life and on His threefold love — His divine love, His burning love that fed His human will, and His sensible love that affects His interior life.

Christ crucified is the revelation of the Father’s glory. Understanding this splendid revelation fills our hearts with the unique joy of being loved and participating in the salvation of the kingdom. This was the message entrusted by the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, calling us to render love for love, to make amends for the indifference and the coldness of so many hearts, to free our own hearts from egoism and violence. We learn from the Sacred Heart of Jesus what it means to give ourselves to the world. ~ Frances Cabrini: Remembering the Journey

For Mother Cabrini, steps, words, movements, thoughts were the field of action in which the Heart of Jesus could work, especially in souls who were open in expectant and faithful love. Joyful intimacy with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an abundant communion of love, is available to everyone. Those who love Jesus are happy when He is loved by others, but at the same time, they desire their own love to grow. ~ Frances Cabrini: Remembering the Journey

Let us pray:
Oh, Sacred Heart of Jesus, may we be patient and persevering in times of desolation, trusting that your love and grace will be ever present.
May we be grateful for the gift of your consolation and let it invigorate our faith, our hope, and our love.
May we always discern for this “work of your heart” in the light of your good spirit and hold firm in times of discouragement and darkness. We ask this, O Jesus, trusting in your promise. Amen.

1260 Upper Gulph Road, Wayne, PA 19087
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info@mothercabrini.org