Saint of the Month
St. Rose Phillippine Duchesne
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne was a passionate young woman with a heart for missionary work. She joined the Visitation nuns at the age of 19, but a few years later, convents were shut down during the French Revolution, and Rose was forced to return to life as a lay woman for many years. Ten years later, she was finally able to rejoin a convent, this time as a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart. In 1818, she was sent to the Louisiana Territory as a missionary, facing illness, hardship and hunger to bring Catholicism to the Native Americans. She opened the first free school for girls west of the Mississippi river, as well as the first Catholic school for Native Americans. She was known among the Pottawatomie Indians as the “Woman Who Prays Always.”
Novena of Confidence
Lord Jesus,
through the intercession of
St. Rose Phillippine Duchesne,
to your Sacred Heart I confide
(this intention)
Only look. Then do what your heart inspires.
Let your Heart decide.
I count on it. I trust in it.
I throw myself on Its mercy.
Lord Jesus, You will not fail me!
Practices for the Year of Faith
Vatican II Documents
Dei Verbum
Chapter 1: Revelation Itself
Chapter 2: Handing on Divine Revelation
“Dei Verbum”, or “Word of God”, is an authentic doctrine from the Second Vatican Council which addresses divine revelation and how it is handed on from God to the Church.
Revelation Itself
The first chapter, parts 2-6, describes how God has revealed himself to mankind throughout history, including inspiring the Biblical prophets and finally in sending His Son, Jesus Christ. God also makes himself known through innate human reason, and in those things that cannot be arrived at through personal reflection, He uses instruments such as the words of Christ and the teachings of the Church.
Handing on Divine Revelation
The second chapter, parts 7-10, takes a look at the relationship between Scripture and tradition. In order to ensure that His words would be properly handed on and interpreted throughout the ages, God, through Christ, established the Church. Christ then named the Apostles as his successors, and in the Popes and leadership of the Church, we see a sacred Tradition that both protects and interprets God’s revelations to mankind.
From ignatiusinsight.com:
“Vatican II sums up the purpose of the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum, ‘On Divine Revelation,’ in the prologue as follows:
‘Following then in the steps of the Councils of Trent and Vatican I, this Synod wishes to set forth the true doctrine on divine Revelation and its transmission. For it wants the whole world to hear the summons to salvation, so that through hearing it may believe, through belief it may hope, through hope it may come to love.’
Thus the goal of the document is to encourage the flourishing in Christians of the “theological virtues” of faith, hope, and love that St. Paul (1 Cor 13:13) declares to be the summit of Christian living to which all morality is directed.”
These two chapters together are succinct, and can be read in only a few minutes, although they are worth devoting time to study. The next installment of the Year of Faith inserts will cover chapters 3 and 4 of this document.
To find the whole of Dei Verbum online, visit vatican.va or ewtn.com.
From the Catechism
Pillar II: Celebration of the Christian Mystery | Section II: The Seven Sacraments
This second section of the second pillar of the Catechism covers the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, which are: Baptism, Reconciliation, the Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Matrimony, and Anointing. “The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life:1 they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian’s life of faith. (CCC 1210)”
These seven are divided into three categories: the sacraments of Christian initiation, which include Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist; the Sacraments of Healing, which include reconciliation and anointing of the sick; and the Sacraments at the service of communion, which include Holy Orders and Matrimony.
Sacraments of Initiation
“The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity. (CCC 1212)”
Sacraments of Healing
“The Lord Jesus Christ, physician of our souls and bodies, who forgave the sins of the paralytic and restored him to bodily health,3 has willed that his Church continue, in the power of the Holy Spirit, his work of healing and salvation, even among her own members. This is the purpose of the two sacraments of healing: the sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. (CCC 1421)”
Sacraments at the Service of Communion
“Two other sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are directed towards the salvation of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God. (CCC 1534)”
You can find the entirety of the Catechism online for free at usccb.org.
A great website exists that will send daily excerpts of the Catechism to your email inbox, and can be found online at
www.flocknote.com/catechism.
Sites for Visitation
Monastery of Our Lady of the Desert
10258 US Highway 64
Blanco, NM
505.212.0159
For Overnight stays, please call ahead
“The Monastery of Our Lady of the Desert is a monastic community of women in the Benedictine tradition. We profess vows of stability, conversion of life and obedience. Our primary mission is to seek God through a life of prayer, silence and solitude. Our way of life frees us to give glory and praise to God, intercede through prayer for the needs of the world, and also offer hospitality.”
In honor of St. Rose Phillippine Duchesne, a nun who dedicated her life to work and prayer, this month’s designated visitation site is the Monastery of Our Lady of the Desert. The Benedictine nuns who live there have a chapel, lots of beautiful desert land perfect for reflection and walking, and a newly-completed guest house. Their community is located about 30 miles east of Blanco, NM. For visits and overnight stays, please call 505-419-2938. Visit the community online at ourladyofthedesert.org