Devotion for the Month of April – The Blessed Sacrament
Holy Thursday, the day on which Catholics celebrate the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion at the Last Supper, falls most often in April and so it is no surprise that the Catholic Church dedicates this month to devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.
In these very sad times when we cannot attend the Passion week ceremonies, we need to focus our hearts and minds, much, much more on the Passion of Our Lord, on the Holy Eucharist and on our Communion with our Lord and Saviour.
Neither are we able to attend Eucharistic Adoration, live, though there are many ‘live’ opportunities online for both Holy Mass and Adoration.
This beautiful prayer by St John Damascene, with a slight adaptation, may be used as our Spiritual Communion.
God, my God, inextinguishable and invisible fire,
You make Your angels flaming fire.
Out of Your inexpressible love,
You have given me Your divine Flesh as food
and through this communion
of Your immaculate Body and precious Blood,
You receive me as a partaker of Your divinity.
Permeate all my body and soul, all my bones and sinews.
Consume my sins in fire.
Enlighten my soul and illumine my mind.
Sanctify my body and make Your abode in me,
together with Your blessed Father and all-holy Spirit,
that I may always abide in You,
through the intercession of Your immaculate Mother and all Your saints.
Amen
Prayer of St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church
Now, at least, in this great depredation we suffer, we might truly understand and agree with the words of St Claude:
If we only knew the treasure we hold in our hands!
St Claude de la Colombiere SJ (1641-1682)
“God is more honoured by a single Mass
than He could be by all the actions of angels and men together,
however fervent and heroic they might be.
Yet, how FEW, hear Mass
with the intention of giving God
this sublime honour!
How FEW think,
with joy on the glory, a Mass gives to God.
How FEW rejoice,
to possess the means of honouring Him
as He deserves! . . .
If we only knew the treasure we hold in our hands!”
AnaStpaul,
I am a member of the Secular Franciscan Order [OFS] in Omaha, NE and would like to know if I could use one of your pics, the one with the Dove depicting the Holy Spirit and the Monstrance with the Eucharist in it with a quote from St John Damascene for my fraternities newsletter. I am leery of violating anyone’s copy rights. Thank you in advance. Pax et Bonum!
LikeLiked by 1 person
With pleasure Luis at any time. Please go ahead. The images made by me belong to our Master. You could mention the site and the need for assistance to keep going if you have the opportunity.
As we mourn today, soon we will rejoice!
Blessings in Christ. Ana
LikeLike