The Feast of St Justin Martyr.

THE CHURCH DEDICATES THE MONTH OF JUNE TO HONORING THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS. WE WILL PROVIDE A SNIPPET OF TEACHING ON THE SACRED HEART FROM TRUSTED SOURCES EVERY DAY IN JUNE. 

"Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one....

"I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.” (John 17: 11.... 19).

Wednesday 1st June 2022, of the 7th Week of Easter is the feast of St Justin Martyr (+ 165). Born in Samaria in Palestine, he is an eminent philosopher and the first apologist in the Church. He defended the Christian faith in his writings in Rome where he established a school of public debate. St Justin was beheaded under Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Justin is the patron saint of apologists, philosophers, teachers and speakers.

In the high priestly prayer on the night before His Passion, Jesus prayed to His Father that His disciples should be consecrated in the truth. God's word is truth. Jesus, the Word of God is truth. To consecrate means to set apart, to sanctify, to purify for holy purposes.

Have you ever seen a new Altar or Chalice consecrated by the Bishop? It is a worthwhile experience. It will help to appreciate the prayer of Jesus in our key Scripture. What will you do if you walk into your church and find gansters partying around the Altar and drinking beer with the Chalice? Calling the police will not make the Altar and Chalice pure, holy and consecrated again. The sacred objects have been desecrated. They have been made unholy through sacrilegious action. The Bishop may  order both objects to be destroyed or he may decide to reconsecrate the expensive Altar and have the Chalice destroyed and buried.

You are consecrated by Baptism for Mission and Witness. When one fails through a serious sin, the person has become desecrated. Our Supreme High Priest, Jesus the Christ who delights in mercy has made provision for our re-consecration through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

When you live as one consecrated to the truth, you will avoid conforming yourself to the ways and habits of this world. Rather through daily renewal of your mind by the word of God the Holy Spirit will transform your mind. When being fed by the Scriptures becomes your habitual manner of living, discerning what is the will of God for you becomes a habit. The will of God is our peace and prosperity.

6.1. "Jesus knew and loved us each and all during his life, his agony and his Passion, and gave himself up for each one of us: "The Son of God. . . loved me and gave himself for me."  He has loved us all with a human heart. For this reason, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation,  "is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that. . . love with which the divine Redeemer continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings" without exception." (CCC 478).

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