Bl. Alphonsus Pacheco and Anthony Francisco, SJ (Feast Day July 25) 

1549 – July 25, 1583; 1550 – July 25, 1583 

Alphonsus Pacheco was born in Spain. At the age of eighteen, he entered the Jesuit novitiate. He was eventually recruited for the Far East missions. Alphonsus arrived in Goa, India in September 1574 and was ordained a priest and worked at St Paul’s college. He returned to Europe and two years later he returned to Goa with thirteen new missionaries.

Anthony Francisco was a Portuguese missionary and was among the thirteen who arrived in Goa with Fr. Pacheco in 1581. Francisco was ordained in 1582. Fr. Francisco was appointed to the mission at Orlim on the Salsette peninsula; however, his active missionary career lasted only a few months. When a new mission superior arrived in Salsette, Fr. Pacheco served as his guide in the visitation of all the villages in Salsette. Fr. Francisco and others were among the group. In the village of Cuncolim, there was a revolt against Portuguese colonization and the Jesuits were killed in the incident. When Fr. Pacheco saw the hostile Hindu villagers massacring his three companions, he boldly faced the assailants and immediately a lance pierced his breast. Extending his arm in the form of a cross, he prayed,” Lord, you were pierced with a lance for me. I ask you to pardon those who have wounded me and to send them to other missionaries to lead them to heaven.” Fr. Pacheco died saying the name “Jesus.” The last to fall was Fr. Francisco. All five Jesuits were between thirty and thirty-five years of age. Their bodies were recovered from a well and taken back to the mission in Goa. They were beatified by Pope Leo XIII on April 2, 1893. 

·    Jesus wanted his apostles to rest after they ministered to the people. Why is it important to rest?

·    Jesus also wanted to spend some quiet time with his disciples. Jesus wants to spend quiet time with you too. What are some ways you can spend quiet time with Jesus?

·    Why were there so many people following Jesus? Why was he so popular?
If you could go anywhere in the world to proclaim the Gospel, where would you go?

Foot Race

We hear today of people who “hastened there on foot” to see Jesus. Set up some races on foot today as a family.

Create some fun races on foot to complete as a family. Here are some to consider or create your own.

·    Sidewalk Race—See how quickly each family member can run across a section of sidewalk.

·    3-Legged Race—Race in pairs across the lawn. If you don’t have enough pairs to race, consider timing yourselves to see if you can improve on your time. 

·       Line Hops—Take turns hopping over lines on the sidewalk or that you draw with sidewalk chalk. Consider putting many lines close together or adding more distance between lines for increased difficulty.  

Watermelon Sorbet

While you take some time to rest today, enjoy this easy-to-make treat!

5 to 6 cups frozen watermelon, cubed (cut and freeze on a tray or in a Ziploc bag overnight)

Juice of ½ a lemon or a lime

Put watermelon in a blender. Add lemon or lime juice. Blend and enjoy.

Be Still Meditation

Meditate on these words from Psalm 46:10 today. Have one person read the line, wait a minute or two, and then read the next line. As they are reading, those listening can close their eyes, carefully breathing in and out while focusing on the words. If you want, you can play soft, instrumental or reflective music in the background.

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

In today’s Gospel, we hear that great crowds followed Jesus. How many people do you think can fit in your church? About how many people do you think were there for Mass this weekend?

Jesus taught the crowds many things. Resolve to learn one thing new about the Catholic faith this week. Share what you learned with your family members.

July is National Hot Dog Month and National Picnic Month.