Blessed Benedetta Bianchi Porro (Feast Day January 23)

August 8, 1936-January 23, 1964

Benedetta was born the second of six children in Italy. At only three months old, she contracted polio and suffered from repeated bronchitis. Benedetta grew up wearing a leg brace and orthopedics to prevent her spine from deforming. When she was thirteen, she began to lose her hearing. Still, Benedetta persevered and traveled to Milan, where she first studied physics but later discerned that she was called to study medicine. Benedetta wanted to become a doctor so she could help those who needed medical care most. She studied diligently despite her hearing loss. It was later discovered that Benedetta had a condition called neurofibromatosis, or Von Recklinghausen disease. The disease would eventually force her to leave medical school and leave her blind and deaf.

Benedetta was confined to her home with her illness. She began to write letters to others, in which she shared her faith and her love for God. Multiple operations left her paralyzed, and she slowly lost her five senses. In 1962, Benedetta went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, praying for a miracle. While she was there, she met a young woman, sobbing beside her. Benedetta held her hand and encouraged her to pray, asking for the Blessed Virgin's intercession. The young woman was healed. When Benedetta returned home, people started traveling to see her, as her reputation for being a kind and holy woman grew. Many came wanting to comfort Benedetta and left feeling they had been comforted by her presence as well.

Near the end of her life, Benedetta was completely immobile except for some movement in one hand. She once said, "I want to say to those who are suffering, to the sick, that if we are humble and docile, the Lord will do great things in us." Her love for the Lord and for others never wavered as she endured a lifetime of illness. She succumbed to her illness in 1964.

• In the first part of today's Gospel, Jesus is teaching us that you can tell what a person really loves by what he/she treasures the most. Jesus wants us to treasure the kingdom of God more than anything else. Why?

• In the second part of today's Gospel, Jesus wants us to be alert for his return. What can we do to be ready for Jesus?

• Jesus wants us to always behave as his faithful disciples. What can we do to be better disciples of Jesus?

• Blessed Benedetta Bianchi Porro suffered greatly in her life, yet through her suffering, she brought people to Jesus. How can we use our times of suffering to bring people to Jesus?

Luminaries Two Ways

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us to light our lamps so that we are always prepared. Make these lanterns to remind you of the importance of being prepared. Display them in a prominent place in your home.

Option 1

Baking paper or wax paper
Oil pastels
Battery-operated tea light candles

Cut strips of wax paper 5 inches wide. Fold the wax paper strip in half, then into quarters. Open up the wax paper and draw crosses or other Christian symbols using the oil pastels. Smudge the drawings with your fingers for a more translucent artwork effect when lit up. Shape the wax paper into a square and tape the 2 outermost sides together where they meet. Place it on your dinner table, and then put a battery-operated tea light in the middle.

Option 2

Empty Jars (baby jars or larger ones), cleaned and dried
Glue
Scissors
Tissue Paper (cut into crosses or Christian symbols)
Glue Spreader/Paintbrush
Battery-operated tea lights

Glue the tissue crosses and symbols to the outside of the jar. Place a tea light inside the jar.

Sweet Teriyaki Beef Skewers

You can prepare this recipe in advance and then quickly cook it when you are ready!

1 ½ cups light brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
½ cup pineapple juice (optional)
½ cup water
¼ cup vegetable oil
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
4 pounds boneless round steak, cut into ¼-inch slices
bamboo skewers, soaked in water

Whisk first six ingredients together in a large bowl; drop beef slices into the mixture and stir to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Marinate beef in refrigerator for 24 hours. Remove beef from the marinade, shaking to remove any excess liquid. Discard marinade. Thread beef slices in a zigzag onto the skewers. Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Cook skewers on preheated grill until the beef is cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with rice.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/231664/sweet-teriyaki-beef-skewers/

Stewardship Prayer

In today's Gospel, Jesus talks about a good and faithful steward. Spend time praying to be good stewards.

Loving God,
you alone are the source of every good gift,
of the vast array of our universe,
and the mystery of each human life.
We praise you and thank you for
your tender, faithful love.

Everything we are and everything we have is your gift.
After having created us,
you have given us into the keeping of
your Son, Jesus Christ.

Fill our minds with his truth and
our hearts with his love,
that in his spirit we may be bonded together
as a family and
in a community of faith
a parish family, a caring people.

In the name and Spirit of Jesus,
we commit ourselves to be good stewards of the gifts entrusted to us,
to share our time, our talents, and our material gifts
as an outward sign of the treasure we hold in Jesus.

Amen.

(Adapted from Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers.)

The Preparation of Gifts starts the Liturgy of the Eucharist. 

Watch for the presentation of the bread and wine at Mass today.

Jesus tells us not to be afraid. List the top three things that cause you fear or anxiety. 

Each day this week, bring these things to God in prayer.

On August 15th, we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary being assumed - body and soul - into heaven at the end of her earthly life. Pope Pius XII defined the Dogma of the Assumption in 1950, although the belief that Mary was assumed into heaven has been around for much longer than that.