The month of July is dedicated to The Precious Blood of
Jesus. The entire month falls within the liturgical season of Ordinary Time,
which is represented by the liturgical color green. This symbol of hope is the
color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the
eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. It
is used in the offices and Masses of Ordinary Time. The last portion of the
liturgical year represents the time of our pilgrimage to heaven during which we
hope for reward.
The Holy Father's Intentions for the Month of July 2012
General: That everyone may have work in safe and secure
conditions.
Missionary: That Christian volunteers in mission territories
may witness to the love of Christ. (See also www.apostleshipofprayer.net)
Feasts for July
The feasts on the
General Roman Calendar celebrated during the month of July are:
1. Thirteenth Sunday
of Ordinary Time, Sunday
3. Thomas the
Apostle, Feast
4. Independence Day
(USA), Opt. Mem.
5. Anthony Mary of
Zaccaria; Elizabeth of Portugal, Opt. Mem.
6. Maria Goretti,
Opt. Mem.
8. Fourteenth Sunday
in Ordinary Time, Sunday
9. Augustine Zhao
Rong and companions, Opt. Mem.
11. Benedict,
Memorial
13. Henry, Opt. Mem.
14. Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha
(USA), Memorial
15. Fifteenth Sunday
in Ordinary Time, Sunday
16. Our Lady of Mount
Carmel, Opt. Mem.
18. Camillus de
Lellis (USA), Opt. Mem.
20. Apollinaris, Opt.
Mem.
21. Lawrence of
Brindisi, Opt. Mem.
22. Sixteenth Sunday
in Ordinary Time, Sunday
23. Bridget, Opt.
Mem.
24. Sharbel (Charbel)
Makhloof, Opt. Mem.
25. James, Feast
26. Joachim and Anne,
Memorial
29. Seventeenth
Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday
30. Peter
Chrysologus, Opt. Mem.
31. Ignatius of
Loyola, Memorial
Focus of the Liturgy
The Gospel readings for the four Sundays in July are taken
from St. John and St. Mark — all are
from Year B, Cycle 2.
July 1st - 13th
Sunday of Ordinary Time
This Gospel recounts the healing of Jairus' daughter and the
cure of the woman with the issue of blood.
July 8th - 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Our Lord teaches in the synagogue and is rejected by those
present.
July 15th - 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Jesus sends out the twelve apostles and gives them authority
over unclean spirits.
July 22nd - 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Jesus invites the Apostles to "come away and rest a
while."
July 29th - 17th
Sunday of Ordinary Time
This Gospel tells the
story of the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
Highlights of the Month
July is usually hot
and a time for relaxing. It is also the time when crops planted in the Spring
are maturing and growing. Just as the crops are dependent upon summer rains not
only to grow but to survive so our spiritual development is dependent upon our
frequenting the sacraments and receiving the Blood of Christ.
The main feasts of this month are St. Thomas the Apostle
(July 3), St. Elizabeth of Portugal (July 5), St. Maria Goretti (July 6), St.
Augustine Zhao Rong (July 9), St. Benedict (July 11), St. Henry (July 13), Bl.
Kateri Tekakwitha (USA - July 14), St.
Bonaventure (July 15), Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (July 16), St. Camillus (July
18), St. Bridget (July 23), St. Sharbel (July 24), St. James (July 25), Sts.
Joachim and Anne (July 26) and St. Ignatius of Loyola (July 31).
The feasts of Bl. Junipero Serra (July 1), St. Mary Magdalene (July 22) and
St. Peter Chrysologus (July 30) are superseded by the Sunday liturgy.
A Time of Regeneration
The Blood that
coursed through the veins of Christ was a part of that Sacred Humanity made
possible by the maternity of Mary, whose parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne are
honored this month. (July 26). Our Lord's blood poured out on the Cross
purchased our salvation, washed clean the robes of the martyrs, and gave birth
to the Church as it flowed from his wounded side. The Precious Blood of Christ
— now pulsing through his Mystical Body — continues its salvific work,
preserving and purifying, repairing and providing nourishment for regeneration
and renewal of its members.
July’s longer and warmer days also provide us with the
opportunity for renewal, both interior and exterior. Schedules relax and
pressures ease, inviting travel. But, whether we travel or not, like the
missionary, Bl. Junipero Serra (July 1), we preach to others — by our conduct,
our speech, even the clothes we wear. May we be modest in everything we do,
imitating St. Maria Goretti, the young martyr for purity (July 6), and
“preaching” Christ to everyone we meet.
The summer Readings of Ordinary Time remind us that our
earthly pilgrimage is also a journey, a great adventure towards union with
Christ, the Beginning and the End of our journey. Each Sunday with its Easter
renewal becomes a mile marker along the way, linking where we have been with
where we are going. May the Precious Blood of Jesus sustain us as we journey to
our true home, with Mary and the angels as our companions on the way.
Courtesy> Catholicculture.org
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