R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord;
and my father will love him and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
“Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
‘He is One and there is no other than he.’
And ‘to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself’
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

The Iron Man and the Iron Woman are a married couple!

Mark Allen is a six-time Ironman triathlon winner, and he is also husband to Julie Allen. Athlete and wife, Julie has also won this gruelingly-proportioned triathlon consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bicycling epic, and a full marathon (26.2 miles) of running.

Mark actually wrote a book on the Ironman which is about a 16-week program to give anyone the ultimate fitness to begin competing in the Iron Man discipline dedicating only 5 hours a week to the development of the athlete.

It includes four essential components: cardio training for endurance of heart, mental training for right attitude, nutritional training to support the body’s need of food and drink to thrive, and finally strength training for muscular endurance.

Ring a bell? The Shema of our Lord, or the two great commandments, are just as comprehensive: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Face it: It takes a certain amount of brute strength leveled across our whole persons just to get through each day.  Our Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect example of the Shema — loving his heavenly Father with fullness of heart, mind, soul and strength.  Our Blessed Mother committed herself completely as well, in the very same ways to Her Son.  May they both coach us as we train in godliness: loving God and neighbor with all our heart, mind, soul and strength — and in a special way at the close of this month of the rosary, this month dedicated to the respect of life from conception, throughout its many tests of strength, to natural death.

Yes, we can feel rather acutely our frail humanity, fragile vessels that we may be born as.  But through God’s grace, and with all the effort we can muster if we really try, may each of us enjoy the strength God will surely bestow: Iron men, Iron women, each one and all.

Monsignor Michael J. Cariglio, Jr., Rector, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilica and Saint Anthony Parish

Moses spoke to the people, saying:
“Fear the LORD, your God,
and keep, throughout the days of your lives,
all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you,
and thus have long life.
Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them,
that you may grow and prosper the more,
in keeping with the promise of the LORD, the God of your fathers,
to give you a land flowing with milk and honey.

“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today.”

Brothers and sisters:
The levitical priests were many
because they were prevented by death from remaining in office,
but Jesus, because he remains forever,
has a priesthood that does not pass away.
Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him,
since he lives forever to make intercession for them.

It was fitting that we should have such a high priest:
holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,
higher than the heavens.
He has no need, as did the high priests,
to offer sacrifice day after day,
first for his own sins and then for those of the people;
he did that once for all when he offered himself.
For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests,
but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law,
appoints a son,
who has been made perfect forever.

It has long been a Catholic understanding that when circumstances prevent one from receiving Holy Communion, it is possible to make an Act of Spiritual Communion, which is a source of grace. Spiritual Communion is an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and lovingly embrace him at a time or in circumstances when one cannot receive Him in sacramental Communion. The most common reason for making an Act of Spiritual Communion is when a person cannot attend Mass. Acts of Spiritual Communion increase our desire to receive sacramental Communion and help us avoid the sins that would make us unable to receive Holy Communion worthily.

Spiritual Communion Prayer

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,

Come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace you as if you were already there

And unite myself wholly to you.

Never permit me to be separated from you.

Amen.