DEVOTION OF THE MONTH

We are blessed to have a new community of Sisters join our CASS core team! Mother Teresa Christe, Mother Marie de Lourdes and Sister Mary Vianney have been invited by Bishop Barber to form a new community of consecrated women, devoted to Jesus through Mary, in the Diocese of Oakland. Their community will be known as The Oblates of the Heart of Mary. The Sisters bring a long experience in religious life and classical education (most recently serving at Chesterton Academy of St. James in Menlo Park). They look forward to joining our endeavors to grow our Academy by their prayerful support and practical assistance. Mother Teresa Christe will offer monthly reflections in our CASS newsletter series.

Our date of birth is a fact that often is noted with a Sharpee on the family calendar.  The reality that this date proclaims a birthday does not end with the faded ink on our birth certificates.  Loved ones plan, shop, bake, wrap, decorate (you know the drill!), to express devoted love and gratitude for the birthday boy or girl!  In our lives and families, such acts of devotion for one another sweeten the burdens of daily life.  Relationships are renewed, gratitude is shown and creativity, motivated by love, elevates and strengthens us. 

Our lives as followers of Christ feature a similar interplay of Doctrine and Devotion. A quick mental glance through your past week will prove this point.  For example, you firmly believe in the Doctrine of the True Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and you expressed your belief by a time of Eucharistic Adoration, an action that expressed your love and gratitude for Jesus’ presence, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.  You believe that Mary is the Mother of God and that she loved Him as her own son. You express your belief by placing flowers before her image or praying decades of the Rosary. Doctrine is considered to be all that is universally taught by the Catholic Church while Devotion is an expression of our loving gratitude for that Truth. 

Imagine that it is the first Sunday of January, you're on your way out of the Church after  Mass. The well-dressed ushers, planted strategically in the vestibule, direct you to the mountainous pile of wall calendars teetering on the narrow display tables along the side of the crowded space.  Father had clearly reminded the congregation about them at the end of Mass but somehow, in that 7 minutes between his announcement and the complicated process of filing your family through the teaming aisle, you nearly forgot to take one. Father urged all to display the calendar at home in order to be aware of the saints, solemnities, and Holy Days of Obligation of the year ahead.  He added that observing the “devotion of the Month”, displayed therein, might just be an achievable goal for a New Year’s resolution.  The thought spurs you to action and right then and there, you make your resolve to live this year under the gentle influence of each month’s special devotion. 

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the practice of “the devotion of the month” developed over time as popular devotions began to develop in the lives of Christ’s followers on earth. Since the practice of these devotions were not directly connected to the Mass and Liturgies of the Church, they could easily be observed within the church, home and school - not to replace the Mass - but to serve as a way to keep the faith vibrant in the church, in the home and especially in hearts. The practice of these devotions, especially since the 16th century found their way into the liturgical calendar and some had entire months devoted to them.  For example, Pope Pius XI popularized dedicating the entire month of March to St. Joseph (1877), while Pope Leo XIII urged all Catholics to observe October as “The Month of the Rosary” (1883).

For the Month of August the “devotion of the month” features Our Blessed Mother’s Immaculate Heart.  In Luke 2:19 we read that Mary “pondered these things in her heart” as the mystery of the Incarnation and Redemption played out before her in the life of her Divine Son.  Who better than Mary can teach us how to reflect, contemplate and act in the Name of Jesus.  In our Blessed Mother we have a true Mother given to us by Christ as His dying gift on Calvary, “‘Woman, behold thy Son’, and to the disciple ‘Behold, thy Mother””(John 19:26,27). Just as our earthly Mothers leave a lasting mark on our hearts and attitudes, so Mary, when we truly express  our devotion, begins to influence us from the inside out.  At Fatima, Our Lady revealed to the children that her Immaculate Heart would be our refuge and the road that would lead us to God.  

Here are a few ways you can practice the “devotion of the month” during August, the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

1. Consider putting up a little shrine in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in your home or work space.  It can include an image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a candle, the gospel of Luke or any other helpful reading.  As an act of love and gratitude to God for His gift of Our Blessed Mother, keep fresh flowers before her image all month. 

2. When the clock strikes the hour, take a moment to ponder, with Mary, God’s action in your life and invoke Our Lady with a little prayer like: “Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for me and my family” “Immaculate Heart of Mary, lead me to Jesus”

3. Pray your daily Rosary, contemplating the mysteries through the eyes and heart of Mary. What are her thoughts, sentiments and prayers as she contemplates these mysteries with you?

Acknowledgements:

Catholic Answers, 2025,  https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/special-devotions-for-months

Bible Gateway, Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)

St. John Eudes, The Admirable Heart of Mary 1948, pdf, opensource, 2022

Just above the high altar at St. Leo the Great Parish stands a life sized Crucifixion scene with a notable difference from others.  We Sisters chant our Divine Office in its shadow every day which has given us ample time to ponder its message.  Standing beside the Cross on Jesus’ right, is the image of the Sorrowful Mother, her hand extended toward Him in a gesture of loving support and participation.  Jesus’ wounded  face is inclined toward His Mother in acknowledgement of her presence while the beloved disciple stands in awe at Jesus’ left, with his hand over his heart.  Pondering this image, one can almost hear Christ’s words, “Woman, behold thy son…Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.” (John 19: 26,27)

Hold that image for a moment... for, September pulls back the curtain to reveal the Month dedicated to the Sorrowful Mother.  The Month of Our Lady of Sorrows came about as a result of a growing devotion to Mary under this title, beginning in the 11th century.  Several hundred years later, Pope Pius VII had recourse to Our Lady under this title in the Church experienced during the turbulent reign of Napoleon. After annexing Rome to France, Napoleon ordered the Pope Pius VII arrested and imprisoned from 1809 -1814.  Our Mother of Sorrows was his solace! When the Holy Father was finally released, he instituted a new liturgical feast in September in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows. He intentionally placed the feast day very close to the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross to emphasize Our Lady’s participation in the sufferings, death and resurrection of her Son. He taught that this devotion encourages us that our sufferings too, can be united with those of Christ.  Pope Pius VII extended this feast to the universal Church and encouraged the entire month to be dedicated to her honor.  

Think about the last year and those who have reached out to you for prayers and consolation.  In your most intimate relationships you celebrate not just joys but the inevitable sorrows of life.  Have you consoled a friend who miscarried a child, lost a parent, a job, or are in a turbulent family situation? Only the best and trusted of friends show up for this role! By this devotion, Mary personally invites us, as a dear and intimate friend, to keep company with her in her Sorrows.  In turn, she will reveal to us the secret of suffering as a participation in the redeeming action of Her Son.  

Seven events, referred to in Sacred Scripture, are honored as Mary’s Seven Sorrows: The Seven Sorrows or “dolors” are particular events in the life of Mary that caused excessive sorrow in her Immaculate Heart, sorrows in which she was especially united to Jesus. 

1) The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34-35)

2) The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-21)

3) The Loss of Jesus for Three Days (Luke 2:41-50)

4) The Meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Road to Calvary (John 19:17)

5) The Crucifixion of Jesus (John 19:18-30)

6) Jesus Taken Down from the Cross (John 19:39-40)

7) Jesus Laid in the Tomb (John 19:39-42)

Why is Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows so important?  

Consider the thoughts of the Saints on this devotion, particularly St. Bernard, St. Louis Marie de Montfort and St. Alphonsus Marie Ligouri:

• Mary, mother of Jesus, was a mother more loving than all other mothers. She loved more than all mothers combined. both natural and supernatural love were united in the heart of Mary: she loved Jesus as her Son, and she loved Him as her God.

• Since she was a perfect woman, not even the slightest self-love stained her Immaculate Heart. Therefore her capacity for love was (and is) astonishing.

• Mary stood—she did not collapse in anguish—at the foot of the cross, and watched her Son suffer and die.

• In her anguish, where could she turn her gaze for consolation as she stood beneath the Cross? When we suffer, we can lift our eyes to Jesus, and find solace there.

As we are under great obligations to Jesus for His Passion endured for our love, so also are we under great obligations to Mary for the martyrdom which she voluntarily suffered for our salvation in the death of her Son.  

What are the fruits of this devotion?

Daily sorrows often bring out the worst in us - impatience, blame, self-pity…need I say more?  Those who practice this devotion experience these fruits in their daily lives as promised by Our Lady to St. Gertrude the Great: 

• I will grant peace to their families.

• They will be enlightened about the divine mysteries.

• I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work.

• I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.

• I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.

• I will visibly help them at the moment of their death, they will see the face of their Mother.

• I have obtained from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors, will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son and I will be their eternal consolation and joy.

Ways to Practice this Devotion during the Month of September

• Consider placing a picture of Our Lady of Sorrows on your home screen on your computer or phone.  Take time to contemplate and talk to Our Lady as you look at the screen before work or communications.

• As a difficulty arises during the day (as they inevitably do), place yourself at the foot of the Cross with Mary and offer this contradiction with the prayer, “Oh my Jesus, this is for Love of Thee, Who died on the Cross for love of me.”

• Construct a shrine in your home or display an image of Our Mother of Sorrows in a prominent place in  during the Month of September

Acknowledgments

https://www.maryimmaculateoflourdesnewtonma.org/the-month-of-our-lady-of-sorrows-and-pius-vii

https://osmm.org/devotions-to-our-lady-of-sorrows/

https://www.biblegateway.com 

“Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven". (Matt 18:10)

It had been a long week of school for my friend, Anne Marie, a veteran first grade teacher in at St. Peter’s Catholic School.  We had planned to meet, take a walk and have dinner together.  I arrived at the school parking lot just as the sun was setting and the last cars were leaving for the weekend.  Venturing to my friend’s classroom, I found the door unlocked and the lights off.  My eyes sought the teacher’s desk to find my friend but oddly, her voice greeted me from the back of the classroom where her slim frame had found its way behind a child’s tiny desk and chair.  “What are you doing back there?” I asked in surprise.  “Praying for a little boy who is experiencing a very difficult family situation.” Anne Marie answered.  She then relayed to me her custom of praying for her students from their desks after the school day – especially asking the intercession of their Guardian Angels. I have never forgotten my friend’s simple yet profound faith in the often-forgotten presence of the Holy Angels.   

In our Catholic devotional tradition, October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary and the Guardian Angels.  Since there will be no shortage of opportunities to celebrate the Holy Rosary this month, I would like to share a little about these magnificent spirits who accompany us on our earthly pilgrimage.

“Fast Facts” about the Angels

• Angels are created spirits without bodies, having understanding and free will.  (Baltimore Catechism #37) …they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness (CCC#330).

• Angels are mentioned in the Old Testament 117 times and 180 times in the New Testament (Bible Gateway)

• The Guardian Angels are given to us by God as an expression of His loving providence. The Angels help us by praying for us, by acting as messengers from God to us, by protecting us from harm and inspiring us to do good. (Balt. Cat. #43)

• Angels were created through and for God and serve as messengers of His saving plan (CCC #331)

Ways to Honor the Angels and Grow in Devotion during this Month of October

• Consciously turn to your Guardian Angel, in prayer.  Thank God for their inspiration and protection.  

• Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church #328 - #336

• Communicate with the Angels of your children and loved ones through prayer – especially in times of trial and concern

• Consider, this month, setting up a little shrine to the Angels in your home and praying the following prayer with your family: “Angel of God my guardian dear to whom God’s Love commits me here.  Ever this day, be at my side to light, to guard, to rule and to guide. Amen.” 

• During the Rosary, meditate on the agency of the Angels in each of the Divine Mysteries of the Life of Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph.

Acknowledgements:

Bible RSV. Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/ 

Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd ed.). (1997). Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Catholic Church. (1949). The Baltimore Catechism, Connell, Rev. Francis,  Confraternity Edition, Benziger Bros. Press

November – Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, The Faithful Departed

On a late August morning, I was gently shaken awake by my Mother.  My eight-year-old eyes opened to Her’s.  Her lips held a very slight smile so as not to frighten me, but her gaze was obstructed by a mist of tears.  “God took Bobby last night” she whispered.  “He was in a car accident and He has gone into eternity. Let’s all go pray the Rosary for Bob’s soul.”  She hugged me and continued her rounds of waking up my siblings. Stunned to hear of the death of my oldest brother, just 15 years old and on his way to camp with family friends, I gathered with the small crowd of my pajama-clad siblings around our family shrine and recited the Sorrowful Mysteries. My mind was confused in disbelief, my heart was sad but there was a certain peace as we united in prayer together as a family, praying for the repose of the soul of my brother, “Bobby”. 

Although this unexpected death left us all grief-stricken, we children were no strangers to the reality of life’s final destination.  My Mother had read to us daily, the lives of the saints  – martyrs shedding their blood courageously for love of Christ, virgins giving their lives completely to Jesus, confessors founding lasting institutions of charity, priests and bishops who labored ceaselessly for their flocks.  With each of these stories there was one common denominator.  A holy death.  The stories of saints never end in an earthly accomplishment, but rather in the death of these holy heroes. Even as children, we knew that this life was temporary, and the best was yet to come. This was not a morbid reality: it was hope filled and rooted in the truth of our Catholic Faith.

The reality of death and what we followers of Christ hope for, is prescribed in the very first lessons of our Faith.  Even at 5 years old,  my St. Joseph First Communion Catechism, with the amazingly detailed colored pictures, held for me all the answers: 

· Who made us?  God made us

· Why did God make us? God made us to show forth His goodness and to share the everlasting happiness of Heaven

· What must we do to be happy God in Heaven?  To be happy with God in Heaven, we must know Him, love Him and serve Him in this world.

The devotion of this month devoted to the Faithful Departed – the Holy Souls in Purgatory - brings these truths freshly to our minds as we pray for our beloved dead who have gone before us into the life of eternity. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven,” which is experienced by those “who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified” (CCC 1030). It notes that “this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” (CCC 1031).

The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven. 

It is entirely correct to say that Christ accomplished all our salvation for us on the cross. But that does not settle the question of how this redemption is applied to us. Scripture reveals that it is applied to us over the course of time through, among other things, the process of sanctification through which the Christian is made holy. Sanctification involves suffering (Rom. 5:3–5), and purgatory is the final stage of sanctification that some of us need to undergo before we enter heaven. Purgatory is the final phase of Christ’s applying to us the purifying redemption that he accomplished for us by his death on the cross. (Catholic Answers)

The following is an article from “Refine” an online magazine for Catholics of all states of life. In it you will find ideas of ways to observe “Halloween” season and the month of November, dedicated to the Holy Souls:

https://refinelife.co/living-memento-mori-family-friendly-ways-to-bring-meaning-to-all-hallows-eve/

Acknowledgements:

Catholic Answers https://www.catholic.com/tract/purgatory

Catholic Church. 2000. Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed. Huntingdon, PA

St. Joseph First Communion Catechism. St. Joseph, MO: Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1963.

In January we Catholics continue to celebrate Christmastide! A Child has been born for us and His name shall be Jesus, Savior!

When we hear of a friend or relative expecting a child we often ask two questions: ”when is the due date?” and “have you chosen a name?”

In the afterglow of the Octave of Christmas, we Catholics celebrate the most Holy of all Names, Jesus, with the entire month of January dedicated to this devotion. This year, the feast is celebrated on January 3. In the convent, you will hear the Oblate Sisters invoke the Holy Name frequently during each day by praying, L. Most Holy Name of Jesus…R…save us!

Why is this? Because it is the holiest of names. To reverently invoke the name, Jesus, is to offer the shortest yet most powerful of prayers!

According to Jewish Law, eight days after a child was born, he was circumcised and given a Name. At the time of Christ’s birth, this was done most likely by the father. It can be assumed that St. Joseph conducted this ceremony within the Holy Family. Because when he had initial doubts about taking Mary, already with child, he was given a vision.

“…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, ‘God is with us.’ 

When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.” Matthew 1:20 – 25

Father Paul O’Sullivan (pen name: E.D.M.), in his gem of classic, Wonders of the Holy Name, offers much to contemplate regarding this devotion to the Name of Jesus. Here are a few hi-lights:

“Devotion to the Holy Name is so easy that everyone without exception can practice it. It demands no time so that the busiest man can repeat it countless times. It is so powerful, so certain that it never fails to produce in our souls the most wonderful results.

It consoles the saddest heart and makes the weakest sinner strong. It obtains for us all kinds of favors and graces, spiritual and temporal.”

“Two things we must do,

First of all, we must understand clearly the meaning and value of the Name of Jesus. Secondly we must get into the habit of saying it frequently, …hundreds of times every day. Far from being a burden it will be an immense joy and consolation.”

Fr. Paul goes on to explain what happens to us when we frequently recite the Holy Name of Jesus, either silently in our hearts, or reverently out loud.

“Each time we say Jesus, it is an act of perfect love for we offer to God the infinite love of Jesus.

The Holy Name of Jesus saves us from innumerable evils and delivers us especially from the power of the devil who is constantly seeking to do us harm.

The Name of Jesus gradually fills our souls with a peace and a joy we never had before.

The Name of Jesus gives us such strength that our sufferings become light and easy to bear.”

The following are some tips for observing this month of the Holy Name of Jesus in your homes, with and in work spaces:

• Make a couple of signs on the computer or by hand to display in your household this month. Where Jesus’ Name is displayed and honored, there will be peace.

• Pray the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/holy-name-litany-27905

• In joys, sorrows or uncertainty, pray the Holy Name of Jesus reverently as a prayer on the beads of your rosary.

Acknowledgements:

O’Sullivan, Paul, Wonders of the Holy Name, 1949, The Catholic Printing Co., Lisbon, Portugal

Parsch, Dr. Pius, The Church’s Year of Grace, 1957, North Central Publishing Company, St. Paul

EWTN.com/devotions

“Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph, I give thee my heart and my soul.

Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph, assist me in my last agony.

Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with thee.”

These were the last words I was able to whisper into my mother’s ear as she prepared to make her journey to eternity. The Doctor told us that she didn’t have long to live but that she could likely still hear those gathered around her in these last hours. Because I was unable to get to her bedside in time, my brother held his phone up to Mom’s ear so that I could say, “Thank you” and bid her a tearful farewell…for now. Without even rehearsing what I would say, I delved into my memory and launched into praying these prayers Mom herself had taught me. The gift of prayer she had given to me came back to her in her last moments.

What a lasting (even everlasting), impression we make upon our children! Although we may not always have the satisfaction of seeing the fruits of our spiritual labor for their souls, the seeds are planted! I witnessed this powerfully this past Saturday at the first gathering of our Chesterton Academy student-applicants. 

Early on the feast of St. John Bosco, January 31, our promising students assembled at the Parish of Santa Maria for a placement test, lunch, games and a visit to the Eucharistic Jesus in the Church. Our intention was to ask Him for His care and protection through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother. We prayed for ourselves, our families and all involved in making CASS possible, chose a scripture quote to ponder and presented roses to an image of Our Mother of Good Council. At the conclusion of our formal prayer, I invited the students to leave or stay for a time of private prayer. They all stayed. With heads bowed in prayerful silence they spent several minutes before the Blessed Sacrament. The strong sense I draw from their desire to stay is that prayer is familiar to them and that they have already begun developing a strong, spiritual foundation within their own families. This is an encouraging statement about the quality of the families of our young people who will be the founding class of the Chesterton Academy of St. Serra.

These two incidents usher us well into our February, Devotion of the Month – The Month of the Holy Family!  

This devotion presents the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as the model of virtue of all Christian households. Devotion to the Holy Family grew significantly in the 1600’s in Canada and France. It soon spread more widely and in 1893, Pope Leo XIII expressed his approval of a feast under this title.  

In the words of His Holiness Pope Leo XIII, "Nothing truly can be more salutary or efficacious for Christian families to meditate upon than the example of this Holy Family, which embraces the perfection and completeness of all domestic virtues."

The Holy Family models for us what family life should exemplify. It is a school of virtue for both parents and children. There we find God and learn how to connect with God and with others. The family is where love is freely given without self-interest. It is where we learn to love, to pray and to practice the gift of charity. Pope John Paul II has said, “The family, more than any other human reality, is the place in which the person is loved for himself and in which he learns to live the sincere gift of self” (Chaput, Nov. 27, 2002).

We should ask ourselves if our own family models that of the Holy Family. We need to be open to God’s grace to value the positive and to accept our mistakes — and to be willing to rectify them. Parenting is a very challenging responsibility and at times errors are made despite the best intentions. Recognizing this, children should trust their parents and never forget that parents want only what is best for them.

Which leads us to what may be the most important family virtue — forgiveness. Living so intimately within the family nucleus naturally gives rise to unpleasant situations where someone is apt to be offended. St. Paul knew this when he told us to “bear with and forgive one another.”  The health of our family may depend on how quickly we learn to forgive without harboring feelings of resentment.  

No family can thrive and grow without constant work. Even the material details that take time and effort are essential to keeping the family strong. Everyone has to pull together for the good of the family — even to the point of putting ahead of our own needs and ambitions the happiness of other family members, setting aside our own selfish desires.  

It is also important to pray as a family, especially the Holy Rosary. Prayer will help us to

intensify our closeness with each other and to learn to forgive.

(Letter on the Family, No. 57). — Excerpted from The Holy Family models what family life should be, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.

Acknowledgements

Trinity Communications, 2026, Catholic Culture.org,

CatholicCulture,com: Liturgical Year,

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/02_1.cfm