Morning Star Newsletter Monthly Reflection 

June 2026

Subscribe below!

Alive with His Grace 

Author: Peggy Sue Mutchler, Ministry Events Program Coordinator 

There is something about June that feels alive with grace; His grace. 

Perhaps grace is alive in our children’s laughter echoing throughout the house, or in the shouts of glee we hear from the bouncing youth on the outdoor trampoline. Perhaps it is the joyful chatter of the returning college student coming home for the summer, or a grandchild’s delightful giggle as their eyes meet yours…maybe, just maybe, this supernatural life of Christ is found in all ordinary moments. God’s gift of grace, hidden, quietly slipping by, just waiting for us to notice His quiet presence, waiting for us to respond. Grace is in the stillness of life. Little moments like these are like little invitations from the Lord, moments when God gently draws us closer to Him. God is inviting us in to grow deeper in the life of grace and closer to the Heart of Jesus. 

“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) 

We live in a world filled with noise, schedules, notifications, and endless distractions. Yet, it is often in the quiet moments that God reminds us of who He is—and who we are. 

Do you acknowledge that you are a child of God? 

Do you know that you are loved by Him? 

Does the realization that God loves you as His child overwhelm you? 

His love for you is personal. His love is complete. And His love is deep. 

The Church, in her wisdom, places before us the Sacred Heart of Jesus during the month of June, as a reminder of that profound truth. Christ points us not to success or power, but to His Heart. 

A Heart burning with love. 

A Heart wounded for our sake. 

A Heart poured out completely for us. 

In the seventeenth century, Jesus revealed His Sacred Heart to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, a humble Visitation nun in France. She endured suffering, misunderstanding, and hidden service with great faith. During times of deep prayer, she became so absorbed in contemplation that she appeared almost statue-like and unaware of her surroundings, requiring her fellow sisters to gently carry her back to her duties. 

In a series of revelations, Jesus revealed His Sacred Heart to her as a sign of His burning love and mercy for humanity, asking that devotion to His Sacred Heart be spread throughout the Church through frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist, Holy Hours, and the observance of the First Fridays. From these revelations came the Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart, offering special graces to those who honor His Sacred Heart and for those who seek to live in faithful friendship with Him. 

Through Saint Margaret Mary’s faithfulness, devotion to the Sacred Heart spread throughout the Church, calling the faithful to trust in Christ’s love, to make reparation for sin, and to draw near to Him in the Eucharist. In fact, the United States Bishops will come together on June 12th of this year and consecrate America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus! 

Saint Margaret Mary’s life reminds us that God’s greatest works are often accomplished through humble hearts surrendered entirely to Him. 

Many years ago, our family was blessed with the fruits of Saint Margaret Mary’s openness to Christ…how? Through a Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

We had an opportunity to have our house blessed for the very first time. It was not an ordinary house blessing; it was an ‘Enthronement of the Sacred Heart’. It remains one of the most beautiful house blessings I have ever witnessed. 

The priest arrived fully vested. My children were able to help proclaim the sacred readings. Holy water was sprinkled in every room using a pine bough. Windows and doors were marked with the Sign of the Cross. Sacred images and statues were blessed, and a beautiful image of the Sacred Heart was placed prominently in our home to remind us that we are claimed by Christ. Then, as darkness settled over the evening, the priest stepped outside to bless the land itself. No corner was forgotten. No space was overlooked. Even the cat received a holy sprinkling… 

As I reflect on that evening, I realize that Jesus loves us very much in the same way; He leaves no corner of our lives untouched. 

No wound unseen. 

No burden unnoticed. 

No soul forgotten. 

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.” (Psalm 145:18) 

The Sacred Heart of Jesus burns for each of us. It burns for the weary mother, the discouraged father, the lonely teenager, the struggling priest, and the searching soul. It burns for the one who feels forgotten in the pew and for the one who has wandered far from anything that resembles faith. 

The Sacred Heart burns for you, for me, for everyone. We must be open in mind and heart to receive His grace. 

Perhaps one of the greatest tragedies of our time is not that God has stopped speaking, but that we have stopped listening. 

Yet, His Heart continues to call us. He never forsakes us.  

Do you have that desire to be still and to listen for God to speak? 

Do you desire to be holy? 

Do you desire to abide in His love? 

Have you asked God for these graces? 

This summer, just know that our individual desires to share in the very life of God may not look dramatic, nor do they need to. Grace may be found in offering forgiveness, choosing patience, or simply noticing the Lord’s presence hidden within an ordinary day. It may be found in a quiet visit to Adoration, or it may look like praying a decade of the Rosary while simply folding laundry. And that is okay; you only need to be attentive to the openness of God’s Will and desire it. Ask for this desire.  

Our deep desire for God’s grace is rarely built on extraordinary moments. More often, it is shaped by our daily response to His love in the ordinary things. 

“Remain in My love.” (John 15:9) 

Perhaps that is what it means to be alive with His grace—not that life becomes easier, but that amid the noise we learn to remain. To remain in His presence. To remain in His love. To remain close to the Heart that has never stopped beating for us. 

As June unfolds and the Church turns her gaze toward the Sacred Heart of Jesus, may we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed—not by schedules, worries, or fears—but by the astonishing reality that we are loved beyond measure. 

For when we truly encounter the Heart of Christ, we cannot help but become alive with His grace.