June 5: Pentecost Sunday The Feast of Pentecost is said to be the visible establishment of the New Covenant Church, and its mission to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. While the Holy Spirit filled Mary, the Apostles, and other disciples interiorly, there were three visible signs that correspond to the optional readings for this feast day. Click here to read more about Pentecost.
June 12: Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Interestingly, the feast of the Blessed Trinity is not as ancient as the feast days of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. It was introduced in the ninth century and was only inserted in the general calendar of the Church in the fourteenth century by Pope John XXII. Yet it is the fundamental dogma, on which everything in Christianity is based, and in whose name all Christians are baptized. This dogma, simply stated, is that there is one God and in this one God there are three Divine Persons; the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. There are not three Gods, but one, eternal, incomprehensible God! No person can fully understand this eternal truth; yet we believe that in heaven we will understand what it means, in union with Christ, to share as sons and daughters in the very life of God.
The timing of this feast may be seen as the culmination of the preceding major feast days. All three Persons shared in the work of our redemption. The Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ became man and died for us, the Holy Spirit became our Guide and Consoler. The feast of the Most Holy Trinity is the Church’s celebration of the blessings of the Christmas and Easter seasons; this mystery is a synthesis of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” – Mat: 28:19
June 19: Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
Corpus Christi celebrates the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. This feast day was established as a result of a Eucharistic miracle that occurred in 1263 and was confirmed by Pope Urban IV. This miracle occurred, when for the first time in the history of the Church, there was a debate among certain theologians about the Body and Blood of Christ actually being present in the consecrated bread and wine. In 1264, inspired by the Eucharistic miracle, Pope Urban established this feast day and requested St. Thomas Aquinas compose the liturgy and the office.
“Desirous that we be made partakers of His divinity, the only-begotten Son of God has taken to Himself our nature, so that having become man, He would be enabled to make men gods. He assumed our nature to bring us salvation. For on the altar of the Cross He immolated to the Father His own Body as a victim for our reconciliation and shed His blood for our ransom and regeneration. So that we would always remember these great benefits, He left us His Body as food and His Blood as drink under appearances of bread and wine.”
– St. Thomas Aquinas
June 24: Sacred Heart of Jesus
While devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has a long and ancient history, this feast day is relatively recent. The Solemnity was first celebrated in France. The liturgy was approved by the local bishop at the request of St. John Eudes, who celebrated the Mass on August 31, 1670. The celebration was adopted in other places in France. In 1856, Pope Pius IX established the Feast of the Sacred Heart as obligatory for the universal Church. Click Here to read more.
June 25: Immaculate Heart of Mary
Devotion to the love and virtues of the Heart of Mary dates back to early Christianity, inspired by Simeon’s prophecy “that a sword will pierce through your own soul” (Luke 2 35) and culminating with Mary’s presence at the foot of the Cross. St. Augustine says that at the foot of the cross “Mary cooperated through charity in the work of our redemption”.
The actual feast day was first celebrated by St. John Eudes in Autun, France in 1648 and afterwards in a number of French dioceses. From there the feast spread to other dioceses under popes Pius VI and VII. After the revelations of the Miraculous Medal in 1830, and the establishment of the Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, refuge of sinners, the Congregation of Rites finally approved the Office and Mass of the Most Pure Heart of Mary in 1855.
“Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”.
– Prayer from the Miraculous Medal.
June 28: St. Irenaeus (125-202 AD)
St. Irenaeus was a disciple of St. Polycarp (who in turn was a disciple of St. John the Apostle) and was sent to Lyons, France to confront the heresies of the Gnostics. He is a Doctor of the Church and his most famous work is Adversus Haereses (Against the Heresies) where he corrects the Gnostics misuse, and misinterpretation, of Biblical passages. St. Irenaeus was martyred in the persecution initiated by the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus in 202 AD. Our Lady Undoer of Knots has been a very popular novena since the 17th century. Though the novena is based on a painting commissioned to celebrate the reconciliation of the marriage of a German noble couple, the source of Mary’s title is a quote from St. Irenaeus: “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by the obedience of Mary; what the virgin Eve bound by her unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosened by her faith.” Pope Francis has promoted this devotion by proclaiming “Through Mary, all the knots of our heart, every knot of our conscience can be undone.”
Use this web link if you are interested in praying this novena: https://www.praymorenovenas.com/mary-undoer-knots-novena
June 29: Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul
Both of these Apostles are considered the foundation stones of our Catholic Faith. They were both martyred in 66 or 67 AD under Nero, in Rome. St. Peter was buried on the hill of the Vatican where recent excavations have revealed his tomb on the very site of the Basilica of St. Peter’s. St. Paul was beheaded in the Via Ostia on the spot where now stands the basilica bearing his name. Under their leadership, Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire, became the center of the Christian world to spread the faith.
“Therefore brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I think it is right as long as I am in this body to arouse you by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me.” – II Peter 1:10-11, 13-14“I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but to all who have longed for his appearance.” – II Tim 4: 6-8.
