St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Feast Day November 13)

July 15, 1850-December 22, 1917

Born Maria Francesca Cabrini in Italy, Maria was two months premature,

and she lived her life in a weakened state of health. After becoming a

teacher, she wanted to join a religious order but wasn't admitted due to

her health. Instead, she was asked by a priest to teach at an orphanage.

When the orphanage was closed, she and five other women founded the

Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. She took the name Frances Xavier

and became the prioress of her religious order. Their mission was to

care for poor children in hospitals and schools. They created a free

school, a nursery, and many homes in their first few years.

Mother Cabrini had always dreamed of working as a missionary in China,

but at the urging of Pope Leo XIII to go "not to the East, but to the

West," she and some of the sisters arrived in New York in 1889 and set

to work helping the Italian immigrants. In 35 years, Mother Cabrini

founded 67 institutions, including hospitals, orphanages, and schools,

all over the United States. They focused on caring for the abandoned,

the poor, the sick, and the uneducated. She became a citizen of the

United States in 1909. She became ill and passed away at one of the

hospitals she founded in 1917. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini became the

first United States citizen to be canonized and is known as the

Patroness of Immigrants.

• If someone asked you about who Jesus is, what would you say?

• What did Jesus mean when He said He would build His church on this rock?

• What are the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" that Jesus mentioned?

• St. Frances Xavier Cabrini listened to the words of Pope Leo XIII to go to the United States. Who do you turn to for insights and opinions for big decisions in your life? Why?

Fourth of July Fun

Take some time today to celebrate the blessings and freedom we have as a nation.

Gather with friends and family and have a Fourth of July party. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Wear something that is red, white, and blue.
• Make red, white, and blue decorations for your dinner table.
• Play some yard games such as corn hole or a red, white, and blue water balloon toss.
• Make an outdoor water park using sprinklers.
• Prepare some festive Fourth of July recipes. See the Recipe of the Week.
• Have a campfire and a sing-along with patriotic songs.
• Stock up on sparklers and have a patriotic light show.

Best-Ever BBQ Chicken and Grilled Corn

This crowd-pleasing recipe is perfect for a Fourth of July party.

Bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 cups barbeque sauce
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp hot sauce
Fresh corn on the cob, shucked
Butter, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss chicken in olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place on a cookie sheet. Bake chicken for about 20 minutes. Combine barbeque sauce, lime juice, honey, and hot sauce in a saucepan and heat until bubbly. Place chicken on the grill and baste with the sauce. Grill until no longer pink inside and slightly charred on the outside. Remove chicken and keep warm. Clean grill grates. Turn grill to high heat and place corn directly on the grates. Grill for about 10 minutes, turning frequently to char on all sides. Enjoy!

Prayer for Our Country

Almighty God, bless our nation
and make it true to the ideas of freedom and justice
and brotherhood for all who make it great.

Guard us from war,
from compromise of what is true and good,
and from fear and confusion.

Be close to our president and our leaders;
give them vision and courage,
as they ponder decisions affecting peace and the common good.

Make us more deeply aware of our heritage;
realizing not only our rights but also our duties and responsibilities
as citizens.

Make this great land and all its people
know clearly your will, that they may fulfill the destiny ordained for us
in the salvation of the nations,
and the restoring of all things in Christ. Amen.

Adapted from https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=1119

During the intercessions offered during Mass, Prayers are offered for the Church, the Pope, the local bishop, the clergy, and all the faithful, living and deceased. What are some of the names of these people mentioned during today's Mass?

The Pope is the Successor of St. Peter and leads the Church today. Pray for our Pope each day this week. You can ask St. Peter to intercede--or pray--this intention as well.

The first fireworks were used as early as 200 BC. The tradition of setting off fireworks on the Fourth of July began in Philadelphia on July 4, 1777, during the first organized celebration of Independence Day.