The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS – Page 18

Our Morning Offering – 14 July – Prayer before Holy Communion

Posted on July 14, 2019July 13, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 14 July – Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Prayer before Holy Communion
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

O my God, holiness becomes Your House,
and yet You make Your abode in my breast.
My Lord, my Saviour, to me You come,
hidden under the semblance of earthly things,
yet in that very flesh and blood
which You took from Mary,
You, who did first inhabit Mary’s breast,
come to me.
My God, You see me;
I cannot see myself…
You see how unworthy, so great a sinner is,
to receive the One Holy God,
whom the Seraphim adore with trembling…
My God, enable me to bear You,
for You alone can.
Cleanse my heart and mind from all that is past…
give me a true perception of things unseen,
and make me truly, practically,
and in the details of life,
prefer You to anything on earth,
and the future world,
to the present.
Amen prayer-before-holy-communion-by-john-henry-newman-8-july-2018

CATHOLIC Quotes, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, PAPAL MESSAGES, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Thought for the Day – 8 July – ‘Listen to Him, learn from Him’

Posted on July 8, 2019July 8, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 8 July – Monday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of Blessed Peter Vigne (1670-1740), Apostle of Eucharistic Adoration and Founder of the Sisters Of The Blessed Sacrament

“The first thing for a disciple
is to be with the Master,
to listen to Him and to learn from Him.
This is always true and it is true
at every moment of our lives.
If the warmth of God,
of His love, of His tenderness
is not in our own hearts,
then how can we,
who are poor sinners,
warm the heart of others.
This is a life-long journey,
as in the humility of prayer
the Holy Spirit convinces us of
the Lordship of Christ within us.
The Lord calls us to follow Him
with courage and fidelity,
he has made us the great gift
of choosing us as His disciples;
He invites us to proclaim Him
with joy as the Risen one,
but He asks us
to do so by word and by
the witness of our lives, in daily life.
The Lord is the only God of our lives,
and He invites us to strip ourselves
of our many idols
and to worship Him alone.”

Pope Francis

Letter for the Year for Consecrated Life

the first thing for a disciple is to be with the master - pope francis - adoration - 8 july 2019.jpg

Blessed Peter Vigne, Pray for Us!

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 8 July – May we never forget Your Presence.

Posted on July 8, 2019July 8, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 8 July – The Memorial of Blessed Peter Vigne (1670-1740)

“Jesus, so ardently loved,
would that You were known everywhere,
so that the world would glorify You,
who wish to remain hidden
under the appearance of bread and wine
until the end of time.”

“Lord, give me a love
which is ever eager to live
as You would have me live.
May I always wish to glorify You
and never forget Your Presence.”

Blessed Peter Vigne (1670-1740)

Apostle of Eucharistic Adoration

“Contemplating Christ present in the Eucharist and the saving Passion,
Fr Peter Vigne was led to be a true disciple and a faithful missionary
of the Church.
May his example give the faithful,
the desire to draw daring for the mission
from the love of the Eucharist
and from the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament!”

St Pope John Paul II (1920-2005)

Homily on the Beatification of Blessed Peter Vigne,
Sunday, 3 October 2004

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 July – “Faith is …”

Posted on July 8, 2019July 8, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 8 July – Monday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 9:18–26 and the Memorial of Blessed Peter Vigne (1670-1740)

“Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.”...Matthew 9:22

REFLECTION – “Faith is that which makes us believe from the depths of our souls… all the truths that our religion teaches us, all that the Gospel holds and all that the Church sets before us. The just man lives truly by this faith (Rom 1:17), for it replaces for him, the greater part of his natural senses. It so transforms all things, that the senses are of little use to the soul, which through them is only deceived, whilst faith shews it realities.
Where the eye sees but a poor man, faith sees Jesus (Mt 25:40). Where the ear hears curses and persecution, faith sings: “Rejoice and be glad” (cf Mt 5:12). The touch feels only blows and stonings but faith says: “Be glad you are deemed worthy to suffer for the name of Christ” (cf. Acts 5:41)… The smell perceives only incense, faith tells us that the true incense is “the prayers of the saints” (Rv 8,4).
The senses lead us astray to created beauty, faith thinks of the eternal beauty and despises all created things, for they are as nothing and as dust beside that beauty. The senses hold pain in horror, faith blesses it as a marriage crown that unites it to its Beloved, like a walk with her Bridegroom hand in divine hand. The senses rebel against injuries but faith blesses them: “Bless those that curse you” (Lk 6:28)… she finds them sweet, for in them she shares the lot of Jesus. The senses are full of curiosity, faith is content to know nothing, she thirsts to bury herself and longs to pass her life motionless before the Tabernacle.”… Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916) Hermit and Missionary in the Sahara (Retreat at Nazareth 1897) matthew 9 22 take heart daughter your faith has - faith is - bl charles de foucauld 8 july 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Almighty Lord and God, protect and strengthen us by Your power throughout this day, even as You have enabled us to begin it. By Your grace, may the our faith be our guide and let our every thought, word and deed aim at doing Your will and what is pleasing in Your sight. Grant that by the prayers of Blessed Peter Vigne, we may ever turn our eyes and hearts to the summit of our faith in the Holy Eucharist. Through Your divine Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen. bl peter vigne pray for us 8 july 2019.jpg

DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Sunday Reflection – 7 July – “I Will Give You Rest”

Posted on July 7, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Sunday Reflection – 7 July – Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

“I Will Give You Rest”

“I will give you rest.
This is what Jesus did during His mortal life and this is what He still does in His continuing life in His Church.
How strongly and gently He received, corrected and raised up Mary of Magdala, Matthew, Peter and Paul!
With what humility and love He continues to receive countless millions of souls in the Eucharistic Communion which marks the highest point of union between the human and the divine!”

St Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

i will give you rest - st john XXIII - sun reflection 7 july 2019.jpg

Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, Thomas a Kempis

Our Morning Offering – 7 July – May I be Worthy to Approach

Posted on July 7, 2019July 6, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 7 July – Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

O Lord, my God,
May I be Worthy to Approach
Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

O Lord, my God,
grant Your servant the blessing of Your kindness,
that I may be worthy to approach
Your sublime Sacrament with true devotion.
Rouse me from the sloth
and idleness, which have gripped me,
that my heart may more readily be lifted up to You.
Come to me with Your saving Presence
and let me, in spirit, taste Your sweetness,
which lies hidden,
in the most Blessed Sacrament
as in a plentiful fountain.
Give light to my eyes too,
that I may gaze upon this great mystery
and strengthen me to believe it
with persevering faith.
It is You Who effect this work,
no human being has such power.
It is Your holy institution and not human invention.
No human beings are able to grasp and understand
these things of themselves,
for they are far above
even the keen intelligence of the Angels.
And shall I, a wretched sinner,
mere dust and ashes,
be able to probe and grasp
so sacred and incomprehensible a mystery?
Amen

Book 4, Chapter 4

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Thought for the Day – 5 July – St Anthony Mary Zaccaria and the 40 Hours Devotion

Posted on July 5, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 5 July – Friday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year Cand the Memorial of St Anthony Mary Zaccaria CRSP (1502-1539)

The main devotion and teachings of the orders founded by Saint Anthony were those of Saint Paul, with an emphasis on love for the Eucharist and the suffering of Christ crucified. Dedicated to reformation of the clergy, Saint Anthony earned himself enemies within the church and was twice accused of heresy (both times acquitted). So humble, he refused to serve as superior of his orders, instead travelling, reforming convents and monasteries and extending the membership of the laity.

St Anthony is also known for popularising and renewing, the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, known as the Forty-hour devotion. He also is said to have originated the ringing of church bells at 3:00 p.m. on Fridays, in recognition of the hour of the crucifixion of Christ.

What is the Forty Hours Devotion?
Forty Hours’ Devotion, in Italian called Quarant’ore or Quarantore, is an exercise of devotion in which continuous prayer is made for forty hours before the Blessed Sacrament in solemn exposition and to which Indulgences are attached. A celebration of such a devotion is begun by a Solemn Mass or “Mass of Exposition” and ended by a “Mass of Deposition”. Each of these masses includes a procession and the litany of the saints being chanted.

Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman (1802-1865), first Archbishop of Westminster, England, observed of the Forty Hours:

“In no other time or place, is the sublimity of our religion so touchingly felt. No ceremony is going forward in the sanctuary, no sound of song is issuing from the choir, no voice of exhortation proceeds from the pulpit, no prayer is uttered aloud at the altar. There are hundreds there and yet they are engaged in no congregational act of worship. Each heart and soul is alone in the midst of a multitude; each uttering its own thoughts, each feeling its own grace. Yet you are overpowered, subdued, quelled, into a reverential mood, softened into a devotional spirit, forced to mediate, to feel, to pray. The little children who come in, led by a mother’s hand, kneel down by her in silence, as she simply points toward the altar, overawed by the still splendour before them – the very babe seems hushed to quiet reverence in her bosom.” — From “The Sacramentals of the Holy Catholic Church,” by Andrew A. Lambing

forty-hours-devotion 5 july 20179 each heart and soul - mem of st anthony mary zaccaria.jpg

St Anthony died peacefully at age 36 and was buried in the convent of the Angelics of Saint Paul in Milan. His incorrupt body was translated to the Church of Saint Barnabas in Milan. He is survived by the legacy of the orders he founded, as well as several letters, sermons and other writings in service of the Lord. san-zaccaria-tomb - st anthony mary zaccaria.jpg

Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Pray for US!

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 5 July – St Anthony Mary Zaccaria

Posted on July 5, 2019July 5, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 5 July – Friday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year Cand the Memorial of St Anthony Mary Zaccaria CRSP (1502-1539)

In His mercy God has chosen us,
unworthy as we are, out of the world,
to serve Him and thus to advance in goodness
and to bear the greatest possible fruit of love in patience……
We should keep running steadily in the race we have started,
not losing sight of Jesus,
who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection.”

“If you want to obtain what you pray for,
adapt yourself to it, that is,
if you want humility,
do not avoid humiliations.”

“Let them keep in mind, therefore,
that there can be no humility
without reproaches and mockery
and anyone who feels ashamed of them …
may as well abandon all hope,
of being able to achieve perfection.”

“What good thing could God deny us
when He is the one who invites us to ask?”

“That which God commands
seems difficult and a burden.
The way is rough,
you draw back,
you have no desire to follow it.
Yet DO SO – and you will attain glory.”

“The centre and the source
from which everything begins
and to which everything returns.”

“The Eucharist is
the living Crucifix!”

St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 4 July – Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

Posted on July 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 4 July – Thursday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati OP (1901-1925)

If someone who has worldly means
sees a brother in need
and refuses him compassion,
how can the love of God remain in him?
Children, let us love, not in word or speech
but in deed and truth…

1 John 3:17-18

“Everyone of you knows,
that the foundation of our religion is charity.
Without it, all our religion would crumble,
because we would not truly be Catholics,
as long as we did not carry out,
or rather shape our whole lives,
by the two commandments
in which the essence of the Catholic Faith lies –
to love God with all our strength
and to love our neighbour as ourselves.”

“I urge you,
with all the strength of my soul,
to approach the Eucharistic Table
as often as possible.
Feed on this Bread of the Angels,
from which you will draw,
the strength, to fight inner struggles.”

“Verso l’alto,”

“To the Heights”

Blessed Pier Giorgio’s famous motto, “Verso l’alto,” Italian for “To the heights,” meant reaching for God as well as the mountain peaks. His regular habit was to attend Mass before heading to the mountains and of visiting the Blessed Sacrament upon his return.
He loved the Eucharist.
He would often spend whole nights in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

“Jesus comes to me every morning
in Holy Communion, I repay Him,
in my very small way, by visiting the poor.
The house may be sordid
but I am going to Christ.”

“The end for which we are created
invites us, to walk a road.
that is surely sown with a lot of thorns
but it is not sad,
through even the sorrow,
it is illuminated by joy.”

“Jesus is with me.
I have nothing to fear.”

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925)

DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 30 June – My beloved Jesus, do not Refuse to Come to me

Posted on June 30, 2019June 29, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 30 June – Thirteenth Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year C

My beloved Jesus,
do not Refuse to Come to me
By St Alphonsus Maria Liguori C.Ss.R. (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

O my dear Jesus,
what can You do to make me love You?
Make me understand what an excess of love
You have shown me by reducing Yourself to food,
in order to unite Yourself to poor sinners!
You, my dear Redeemer, have so much affection for me,
that You have not refused to give Yourself again and again
entirely to me in Holy Communion.
And yet, I have had the courage
to drive You away from my soul on so many occasions!
You do not despise a humble and contrite heart.
You became human for my sake.
You died for me.
You even went so far as to become my food.
What more can there remain
for You to do in order to gain my love?
Oh, that I could die with grief
every time that I remember
that I have despised Your grace.
I repent, O my love,
with my whole heart for having offended you.
I love You, O infinite goodness!
I love You, O infinite love!
I desire nothing but to love You
and I fear nothing but to live without Your love.
My beloved Jesus, do not refuse to come to me.
Come, because I would rather die a thousand times
than drive You away again.
I will do all that I can to please You.
Come and inflame my whole soul with Your love.
Grant that I may forget everything,
to think only of You
and to desire You alone,
my sovereign and my only good.
Amen my beloved Jesus do not refuse to come to me st alphonsus liguori prayer before Mass - 30 june 2019

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on MARRIAGE, MARRIED LOVE, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY GHOST

Quote/s of the Day – 27 June – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor

Posted on June 27, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 27 June – Thursday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and The Memorial of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor

“He who receives Communion
is made holy and divinised in soul and body
in the same way that water, set over a fire, becomes boiling…
Communion works like yeast that has been mixed into dough
so that it leavens the whole mass;
…Just as by melting two candles together,
you get one piece of wax,
so, I think, one who receives the Flesh and Blood of Jesus
is fused together with Him by this Communion
and the soul finds that he is in Christ and Christ is in him.”

“We have passed over the waves of this present life like a sea,
with its commotion and insane bustle.
We have eaten spiritual manna,
the bread that came down from heaven giving life to the world.”

“If the touch alone of His sacred flesh,
restores life to a corrupting body,
what profit shall we not discover,
in His life-giving Eucharist,
when we make of it our food?
It will wholly transform into its own property,
which is immortality, those who participate in it.”

“Our Saviour went to the wedding feast
to make holy the origins of human life.”

“From Christ and in Christ,
we have been reborn through the Spirit,
in order to bear the fruit of life,
not the fruit of our old, sinful life
but the fruit of a new life founded upon
our faith in Him and our love for Him.
Like branches growing from a vine,
we now draw our life from Christ
and we cling to His holy commandment,
in order to preserve this life.”

“That anyone could doubt, the right
of the holy Virgin to be called the Mother of God,
fills me with astonishment.
Surely, she must be the Mother of God,
if our Lord Jesus Christ is God
and she gave birth to Him!”

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 26 June – Blessed Jacques Ghazir Haddad OFM Cap (1875-1954) “The Apostle of Lebanon” “The Apostle of the Cross”

Posted on June 26, 2019June 26, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 26 June – Wednesday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of Blessed Jacques Ghazir Haddad OFM Cap (1875-1954) “The Apostle of Lebanon” “The Apostle of the Cross”

“How I would prefer to take You
in procession throughout the streets,
rather than closing You up
n the tabernacle!”

“One ounce of a Cross
is much better
than a ton of books
of prayer.”

“Anyone who seeks heaven
but without suffering,
is like someone
who wants to buy goods,
without paying.”

“Prayer without trust,
is like a letter in one’s pocket.
It never reaches its destination!”

“Honouring Mary,
no matter how sacred,
is only the door
leading to Jesus.
Mary is the means,
Jesus is the end.
Mary is the road,
Jesus is the destination.”

Blessed Jacques Ghazir Haddad (1875-1954)

honouring mary - bl jacques ghazir haddid 26 june 2019

mary is the road jesus is the destination - 26 june 2019

CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, POETRY, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Thought for the Day – 23 June – Through Our Gazing in Adoration

Posted on June 23, 2019June 23, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 23 June – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Through Our Gazing in Adoration

Pope Benedict XVI General Audience, 17 November 2010

Dear friends, fidelity to the encounter with the Eucharistic Christ in Sunday’s Holy Mass is essential for the journey of faith but let us try as well to frequently go to visit the Lord present in the Tabernacle! Gazing in adoration at the consecrated Host, we discover the gift of the love of God, we discover the passion and the cross of Jesus and also His Resurrection. Precisely through our gazing in adoration, the Lord draws us to Himself, into His mystery, to transform us as He transforms the bread and wine.

The saints always found strength, consolation and joy in the Eucharistic encounter. With the words of the Eucharistic hymn “Adoro te devote,” let us repeat before the Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament: “Make me believe ever more in You, that in You I may have hope, that I may love You!”

Thank you.

Adoro te Devote
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor of the Church
Trans. Fr Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)

Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore,
Masked by these bare shadows,
shape and nothing more,
See, Lord, at Thy service low lies here a heart
Lost, all lost in wonder at the God Thou art.

Seeing, touching, tasting are in Thee deceived –
How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed,
What God’s Son has told me, take for truth I do,
Truth Himself speaks truly or there’s nothing true.

On the cross Thy godhead made no sign to men,
Here Thy very manhood steals from human ken –
Both are my confession, both are my belief,
And I pray the prayer of the dying thief.

I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see,
But can plainly call Thee Lord and God as he,
Let me to a deeper faith daily nearer move,
Daily make me harder hope and dearer love.

O Thou our reminder of Christ crucified,
Living Bread, the life of us for whom He died,
Lend this life to me then – feed and feast my mind,
There be Thou the sweetness man was meant to find.

Bring the tender tale true of the Pelican,
Bathe me, Jesu Lord, in what Thy bosom ran—
Blood whereof a single drop has power to win
All the world forgiveness of its world of sin.

Jesu, whom I look at shrouded here below,
I beseech Thee send me what I thirst for so,
Some day to gaze on Thee face to face in light
And be blest forever with Thy glory’s sight.
Amen adoro te devote - copus christi 23 june 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote of the Day – 23 June – May our actions give proof of His Presence.

Posted on June 23, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 23 June – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

“When you have received Him,
stir up your heart to do Him homage,
speak to Him about your spiritual life,
gazing upon Him in your soul
where He is present
for your happiness.
Welcome Him as warmly as possible,
and behave outwardly in such a way,
that your actions
may give proof to all,
of His Presence.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 June – The Truine Love present in the Eucharist

Posted on June 23, 2019June 23, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 23 June – The Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ 2019, Gospel: Luke 9:11–17

“…he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke them and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.”…Luke 9:16

REFLECTION – “The mystery of today’s feast has three aspects, as is the case with all the great feasts after Pentecost and Trinity Sunday.
First, the Gospel portrays it through the image of the multiplication of the loaves. This is no bit of magic on Jesus’ part – to accomplish it He looks toward heaven, toward His Father, with both petition and thanksgiving (eucharistia): “Father, I thank you for hearing me.” (Jn 11:42) His lavish giving away of Himself in the loaves, will be a sign of the way the Father’s love utterly lavishes His Son on the world.
Then He blesses the bread, for the Father has left everything to the Son, including the bestowal of heaven’s blessing.
He breaks it, which points both to His own brokenness in the Passion and to the way His gifts will be limitlessly multiplied by the work of the Holy Spirit in every Eucharistic celebration. Thus, through this visible image, we realise that truine Love itself, becomes present in the Eucharistic self-giving of Jesus.”… Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988)

PRAYER – Lord Jesus Christ, You gave Your Church an admirable Sacrament as the abiding memorial of Your Passion. Teach us so to worship the sacred Mystery of Your Body and Blood, that it’s redeeming power, may sanctify us always. Who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God forever and every, amen. corpus christi 23 june 2019 mark 14 22 this is my body

DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SACRAMENTS, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Sunday Reflection – 23 June – O precious and wonderful banquet!

Posted on June 23, 2019June 23, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Sunday Reflection – 23 June – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

O precious and wonderful banquet!

Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Priest and Doctor of the Church

An excerpt from On the Feast of the Body of Christ

Since it was the will of God’s only-begotten Son that men should share in His divinity, He assumed our nature, in order that by becoming man He might make men gods. Moreover, when He took our flesh He dedicated the whole of its substance to our salvation. He offered His body to God the Father, on the altar of the cross, as a sacrifice for our reconciliation. He shed His blood for our ransom and purification, so that we, might be redeemed, from our wretched state of bondage and cleansed from all sin. But to ensure that the memory of so great a gift would abide with us forever, He left His body as food and His blood as drink, for the faithful to consume, in the form of bread and wine.

O precious and wonderful banquet that brings us salvation and contains all sweetness! Could anything be of more intrinsic value? Under the old law it was the flesh of calves and goats that was offered but here Christ Himself, the true God, is set before us as our food. What could be more wonderful than this? No other sacrament has greater healing power, through it, sins are purged away, virtues are increased and the soul is enriched with an abundance of every spiritual gift. It is offered in the Church for the living and the dead, so that what was instituted for the salvation of all, may be for the benefit of all. Yet, in the end, no one can fully express the sweetness of this sacrament, in which spiritual delight is tasted at its very source and in which we renew the memory of that surpassing love for us, which Christ revealed in His passion.

It was to impress the vastness of this love more firmly upon the hearts of the faithful, that our Lord instituted this sacrament at the Last Supper. As He was on the point of leaving the world to go to the Father, after celebrating the Passover with His disciples, He left it as a perpetual memorial of His passion. It was the fulfilment of ancient figures and the greatest of all His miracles, while for those who were to experience the sorrow of His departure, it was destined to be a unique and abiding consolation. o precious and wonderful banquet - st thomas aquinas sun reflec corpus christi 23 june 2019.jpg

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 23 June – “May We All be Living Monstrances”

Posted on June 23, 2019June 23, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 23 June – The Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ 2019

“MAY WE ALL BE LIVING MONSTRANCES.”
By St Josemaria Escrivá (1902-1975)

May we be monstrances
wrought of pure gold,
free from all worldly influence,
studded with rubies,
which are like the stains of blood
from our sorrow and our sacrifice;
monstrances adorned with emeralds,
which signify,
our unshakeable hope
and embedded with
many other small stones –
that are barely noticed
but that You behold always,
delighting in their brilliance—
and which are our small mortifications,
our self-denial at every moment.

May these living monstrances
illumine those around them
by their apostolic charity.
Deign, my God,
living in each one of them,
to vivify with the rays of Your Love
all those who come
into contact with us.

Mother of ours,
Mother of Eucharistic Love:
this is our petition today.
Present it, we beseech you,
at your Son’s feet.
Obtain for us a life
imbued with a Eucharistic spirit,
so that love for the Holy Eucharist
fills our heart.
Amen may we all be living monstrances - st josemaria - 23 june 2019 corpus christi.jpg

CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Corpus Christi, The Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ – 23 June

Posted on June 23, 2019June 23, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Blessed Solemnity of Corpus Christi to you all!

The Feast of Corpus Christi also known in Liturgical Latin as Dies Sanctissimi Corporis et Sanguinis Domini Iesu Christi – Latin for “Day of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ the Lord” and as Solemnity of the Corpus Christi “Body of Christ” is a Christian liturgical solemnity celebrating the Real Presence of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the elements of the Eucharist. Two months earlier, the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper is observed on Maundy Thursday in a sombre atmosphere leading to Good Friday. The liturgy on that day also commemorates Christ’s washing of the disciples’ feet, the institution of the priesthood.

The feast of Corpus Christi was proposed by St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) , Doctor of the Church to Pope Urban IV, in order to create a feast focused solely on the Holy Eucharist emphasising the joy of the Eucharist being the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Recognised the authenticity of the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena on input of St Thomas, in 1264 the pontiff, established the feast of Corpus Christi as a Solemnity and extended it to the universal Catholic Church. corpus-christi-1

The feast is liturgically celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday or, “where the Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is not a holy day of obligation, it is assigned to the Sunday after the Most Holy Trinity as its proper day”, which is now the case in most countries. In the liturgical reforms of 1969, under Pope Paul VI, the bishops of each nation have the option to transfer it to the following Sunday.

At the end of Holy Mass, there is a procession of the Blessed Sacrament, generally displayed in a monstrance. A notable Eucharistic procession is that presided over by the Pope each year in Rome, where it begins at the Archbasilica of St John Lateran and passes to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where it concludes with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

The feast of Corpus Christi is one of five occasions in the year on which a diocesan bishop is not to be away from his diocese unless for a grave and urgent reason. Corpus_Christi_Procession_with_Pope_Gregory_XVI_in_the_Vatican

By tradition, Catholics hear Mass then go in procession through the streets of their parish church’s neighbourhood, all whilst praying and singing. The Eucharist, known as the Blessed Sacrament, is placed in a monstrance and is held aloft by a member of the clergy during the procession. Usually, there are anything from 3 – 5 stops, where altars have been erected and Benediction takes place. The final Benediction usually takes place back in the Church.

Let us be transported to the same climate of expectation and joyful hope as we feel in the Adoro Te Devote with these last words of the Lauda Sion, the Eucharistic hymn/sequence also written by St Thomas Aquinas. (Fr Raneiro Cantalamessa O.F.M. “This is My Body”)

Source of all we have or know,
feed and lead us here below.
Grant that with Your saints above,
Sitting at the feast of love,
We may see You face to face.

Amen Alleluia!

Lord Jesus Christ,

in the Most Blessed Sacrament,

we Adore and Love You!

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

The Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ and Memorials of the Saints – 23 June

Posted on June 23, 2019June 23, 2019 by AnaStpaul

The Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ *23 June 2019
Last Year’s Corpus Christi Post: https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/03/the-solemnity-of-the-body-and-blood-of-christ-corpus-christi-3-june/

St Agrippina of Rome
St Bilio of Vannes
St Etheldreda (c 636-679)
Bl Félix of Cîteaux
St Felix of Sutri
Bl Frances Martel
Bl Francis O’Sullivan
St Hidulphus of Hainault
St James of Toul
St John of Rome
St Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860)
St Joseph Cafasso’s Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/23/saint-of-the-day-23-june-st-joseph-cafasso-1811-1860-priest-of-the-gallows/

https://youtu.be/rkBG3J8bipk

Bl Lanfranco Beccari
St Lietbert
Bl Lupo de Paredes
Bl Mary of Oignies
St Moeliai of Nendrum
Bl Peter of Juilly
Bl Thomas Corsini of Orvieto
St Thomas Garnet
Bl Walhere of Dinant
St Zenas of Philadelphia
St Zeno of Philadelphia
—
Martyrs of Ancyra: A family of converts who were arrested, tortured and sent in chains to Ancyra, Galatia (modern Ankara, Turkey) where he was tortured more by order of governor Agrippinus during the persecutions of Diocletian. Martyr. They were – Eustochius, Gaius, Lollia, Probus, Urban. They were roasted over a fire and finally beheaded c 300 in Ancyra, Galatia (modern Ankara, Turkey).

Martyrs of Nicomedia: During the persecutions of Diocletian, many Christians fled their homes to live in caves in the area of Nicomedia. In 303 troops descended on the area, systematically hunted them down and murdered all they could find.

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, NOVENAS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, Ven Servant of God John A Hardon

Announcing the NOVENA to the SACRED HEART BEGINS Wednesday, 19 June

Posted on June 17, 2019June 17, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Announcing the NOVENA to the SACRED HEART
BEGINS Wednesday, 19 June

Devotion to the Sacred Heart
By Ven Servant of God John A Hardon SJ (1914-2000)

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is as old as Christianity. When the side of Christ was pierced on Calvary, there immediately flowed out blood and water. The Church has interpreted this to mean, the outpouring of grace through the Church, which began the moment that Christ expired on the Cross.
Over the centuries, the gratitude of the faithful for this manifestation of divine love has centred on the physical Heart of Jesus as the symbol of God’s love for man. We may, therefore, say, that devotion to the Sacred Heart is really devotion to the love of God as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.
When God became man, it was God – who is love – who became man. In the languages of all nations, the heart is identified with love. Consequently, our devotion to the Heart of Jesus is directed to the love of Jesus in different ways.
We love Him as our God, who has loved us from all eternity and out of selfless love brought us into existence and destined us to possess Him for all eternity.
We love Him as our God Incarnate, who loved us so much that He assumed our human nature and by His bodily death redeemed us from the eternal death we deserved for our sins.
We love Him as our Redeemer who rose from the dead and ascended into heaven where He is preparing a place for us. Where He is, our God united with His human body and soul, we hope to be in His blessed company.
We love Him as our Eucharistic Lord who is on earth in His humanity, in the Blessed Sacrament. He offers Himself in the Mass through which He now communicates the graces He won for us on the Cross. By His Real Presence, He invites us to offer Him our adoring love and ask Him to work the miracles He performed during His visible stay in Palestine.
To be emphasised is the unique character of devotion to the Sacred Heart. It is nothing less than a synthesis of Catholic Christianity in its loving response to the unspeakable love of God for the sons and daughters of the human family.

For the sake of convenience, we may divide the terms “Sacred Heart” and “Devotion” into two parts:
Sacred Heart stands for the love of God, which means the love that is God, the love that God has shown for us from the dawn of creation until now and the love that God will continue to pour out on us into the endless reaches of eternity.
Devotion stands for our grateful return of love for love, which is shown in loving sacrifice by the total surrender of our wills to the mysterious and demanding will of God, in loving imitation of Jesus Christ, whose virtues as man, are so many manifestations of His divine attributes as God, in loving worship of Mary’s Son, who is present with His living, pulsating human Heart in the Blessed Sacrament, in loving petition for the graces that we and others, need to serve Him faithfully, here on earth and enjoy Him in the life that will never end.
A simple but very effective way of growing in devotion to the Sacred Heart, is to recite daily the very old morning offering, used for centuries within the Catholic heart:

O Jesus,
through the Most Pure Heart of Mary
and in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
throughout the world today,
I offer You all my prayers,
works, joys and sufferings of this day,
for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart,
I offer them for
the salvation of souls,
the reparation of sins,
the intentions of all our bishops, priests,
apostles of prayer
and our Holy Father, the Pope.
Amen

Among the promises made by our Lord to St Margaret Mary, was the assurance that, “Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart, never to be blotted out.”

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Thought for the Day – 17 June – Love the Holy Eucharist

Posted on June 17, 2019June 17, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 17 June – The Memorial of Blessed Joseph-Marie Cassant OCSO (1878-1903)

Fr Joseph-Marie always put his trust in God, in contemplation of the mystery of the Passion and in communion with Christ present in the Eucharist.

Thus, he was imbued with love for God and abandoned himself to Him, “the only true happiness on earth”, detaching himself from worldly goods in the silence of the Trappist monastery. In the midst of trials, his eyes fixed on Christ, he offered up his sufferings for the Lord and for the Church.

May our contemporaries, especially contemplatives and the sick, discover, following his example, the mystery of prayer, which raises the world to God and gives strength in trial!”…St John Paul II (1920-2005) Beatification Homily, Sunday, 3 October 2004

‘The Eucharist is the Saviour Himself, wholly giving Himself to men, His Heart is pierced on the Cross and then tenderly gathers in all those who trust in Him.’

Blessed Joseph-Marie Cassant, Pray for Us!

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Marian Thoughts –24 May – Pope Francis – The Fifth Luminous Mystery: The Institution of the Eucharist

Posted on May 24, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Marian Thoughts – 24 May – ‘Mary’s Month’ – Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter, C

Mini Series – Pope Francis and the Holy Rosary

“Throughout her life, Mary did everything that the Church is asked to do in perennial memory of Christ. In her faith, we learn to open our hearts to obey God, in her self-denial, we see the importance of tending to the needs of others, in her tears, we find the strength to console those experiencing pain. In each of these moments, Mary expresses the wealth of divine mercy that reaches out to all in their daily needs.”
Pope Francis – 9 October 2016

The Fifth Luminous Mystery: The Institution of the Eucharist

“It is in the Lord, who gave His life for us on the cross, that we will always find that unconditional love which sees our lives as something good and always gives us the chance to start again.
In the Eucharist, Divine Mercy reveals itself in a special way. Celebrating the greatest mysteries of our faith, we touch the source of mercy.
The Eucharist is flavoured with Jesus’ words and deeds, the taste of His Passion, the fragrance of His Spirit. When we receive it, our hearts are overcome with the certainty of Jesus’ love. (18 June 2017)
Let us pray that frequent participation in the Holy Mass would expand our hearts, enrich our strength and enable us to give ourselves to our neighbours.”

Pope Francis
WYD 2016

pope francis the 5th luminous mystry - the institution of the eucharist 24 may 2019.jpg

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MARIAN QUOTES, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 21 May – St Eugene de Mazenod

Posted on May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 21 May – Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter, C and The Memorial of St Eugene de Mazenod OMI (1782-1861)

“I wish I could pass my life
at the foot of the Holy Tabernacles
in which our adorable Saviour dwells.”

“To love the Church
is to love Jesus Christ
and vice versa.”

“What more glorious occupation than to act
in everything and for everything only for God,
to love Him above all else,
to love Him all the more,
as one who has loved Him too late.”

“Practice well among yourselves:
charity, charity, charity
and outside,
zeal for the salvation of souls”

“We glorify God in the masterpiece
of His power and love…
it is the Son whom we honour
in the person of His Mother.”

St Eugene de Mazenod (1782-1861)

MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY NAME

Quote/s of the Day – 20 May – St Bernadine of Siena (1380-1444)

Posted on May 20, 2019May 20, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 20 May – Monday of the fifth Week of Easter, C and the Memorial of St Bernadine of Siena OFM (1380-1444)

“The name of Jesus, is in fact,
the great foundation of the faith
that turns people into children of God.
The Catholic Faith indeed,
consists in the news of Jesus Christ,
as light of the soul,
gate of life
and foundation
of eternal salvation.”

“The Name of Jesus is the glory of preachers
because the shining splendour of that Name
causes His word to be proclaimed and heard.
And how do you think such an immense,
sudden and dazzling light of faith came into the world,
if not because Jesus was preached?
Was it not through the brilliance
and sweet savour of this Name
that God called us into His marvellous light?”

“The last degree of love
is when He gave Himself to us
to be our Food;
because He gave Himself to be
united with us in every way.”

“Let Mary never be far from your lips
and from your heart.
Following her, you will never lose your way.
Praying to her, you will never sink into despair.
Contemplating her, you will never go wrong.”

“The power of the priest,
is the power of the divine person,
for the transubstantiation of the bread,
requires as much power,
as the creation of the world.”

St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SIN, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Sunday Reflection – 19 May – ”Lord, I am not worthy”

Posted on May 19, 2019May 19, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Sunday Reflection – 19 May – The Fifth Sunday of Easter, C

Holy Communion

Bl John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

O my God, holiness becomes Your House and yet You make Your abode in my breast. My Lord, my Saviour, to me You come, hidden under the semblance of earthly things, yet in that very flesh and blood which You took from Mary. You, who did first inhabit Mary’s breast, come to me.

My God, You see me; I cannot see myself. Were I ever so good a judge about myself, ever so unbiased and with ever so correct a rule of judging, still, from my very nature, I cannot look at myself and view myself truly and wholly. But You, as You come to me, contemplate me.

When I say, Domine, non sum dignus—”Lord, I am not worthy”—You whom I am addressing, alone understands in their fullness the words which I use. You see how unworthy so great a sinner is to receive the One Holy God, whom the Seraphim adore with trembling. You see, not only the stains and scars of past sins but the mutilations, the deep cavities, the chronic disorders which they have left in my soul. You see the innumerable living sins, though they be not mortal, living in their power and presence, their guilt and their penalties, which clothe me. You see all my bad habits, all my mean principles, all wayward lawless thoughts, my multitude of infirmities and miseries, yet You come. You see most perfectly how little I really feel what I am now saying, yet You come.

O my God, left to myself should I not perish under the awful splendour and the consuming fire of Your Majesty. Enable me to bear You, lest I have to say with Peter, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 19 May – Holy Gospel & the Eucharist

Posted on May 19, 2019May 19, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 19 May – The Fifth Sunday of Easter, C and the Memorial of St Maria Bernarda Bütler (1848-1924)

“The Holy Spirit taught me to adore,
praise, bless and give thanks
to Jesus in the tabernacle at all times,
even at work and in real life.”

“My guide,
my star,
is the Gospel.”

St Maria Bernarda Bütler (1848-1924)

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 19 May – O Mary, Give us a Heart like Yours

Posted on May 19, 2019May 18, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 19 May “Mary’s Month” The Fifth Sunday of Easter, C

O Mary, Give us a Heart like Yours
By St Mother Teresa (1910-1997)

O Mary, give us a heart
as beautiful, pure
and spotless as yours.
A heart like yours,
so full of love and humility.
May we be able to receive Jesus
as the Bread of Life,
to love Him
as you loved Him,
to serve Him
under the mistreated face of the poor.
We ask this through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen o-mary-give-us-a-heart-like-yours-st-mother-teresa-18-may-2018.jpg

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 17 May – from the “Seraph of the Eucharist”

Posted on May 17, 2019September 17, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 17 May – Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter, C and the Memorial of St Paschal Baylon OFM. (1540-1592) “Seraph of the Eucharist” – Patron of Eucharistic Congresses

“God is as really present
in the consecrated Host
as He is, in the glory of Heaven.”

“There is no more efficacious means than this
(Eucharistic Adoration)
for nourishing and increasing the piety of the people
toward this admirable pledge of love
which is a bond of peace and of unity.”

“O Father Eternal God,
Grant me faith and courage.
Son, wisdom of the Father,
grant me light and make me wise.
Holy Spirit, beloved of Father and Son,
inflame my heart and purify my soul,
that I may approach
this majestic Sacrament,
with faith and love.”

St Paschal Baylon (1540-1592)
“Seraph of the Eucharist”

FATHERS of the Church, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Thought for the Day – 12 May – The Celebration of the Eucharist

Posted on May 12, 2019May 11, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 12 May – The Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year C

The Celebration of the Eucharist

Saint Justin Martyr (100-165)
Father of the Church, Apologist and Martyr

An excerpt from his First Apology in the Defence of Christians

No one may share the Eucharist with us, unless he believes that what we teach is true, unless he is washed in the regenerating waters of baptism for the remission of his sins, and unless he lives in accordance with the principles given us by Christ.

We do not consume the Eucharistic bread and wine as if it were ordinary food and drink, for we have been taught, that as Jesus Christ our Saviour became a man of flesh and blood by the power of the Word of God, so also the food, that our flesh and blood assimilates for its nourishment, becomes the flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus, by the power of His own words, contained in the prayer of thanksgiving.

The apostles, in their recollections, which are called gospels, handed down to us what Jesus commanded them to do. They tell us that He took bread, gave thanks and said – Do this in memory of me. This is my body. In the same way He took the cup, He gave thanks and said – This is my blood. The Lord gave this command to them alone. Ever since then, we have constantly reminded one another of these things. The rich among us help the poor and we are always united. For all that we receive, we praise the Creator of the universe through His Son Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.

On Sunday, we have a common assembly of all our members, whether they live in the city or the outlying districts. The recollections of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as there is time. When the reader has finished, the president of the assembly speaks to us, he urges everyone to imitate the examples of virtue we have heard in the readings. Then we all stand up together and pray.

On the conclusion of our prayer, bread and wine and water are brought forward. The president offers prayers and gives thanks to the best of his ability and the people give assent by saying, “Amen.” The Eucharist is distributed, everyone present communicates and the deacons take it to those who are absent.

The wealthy, if they wish, may make a contribution and they themselves decide the amount. The collection is placed in the custody of the president, who uses it to help the orphans and widows and all who for any reason are in distress, whether because they are sick, in prison, or away from home. In a word, he takes care of all who are in need.

We hold our common assembly on Sunday because it is the first day of the week, the day on which God put darkness and chaos to flight and created the world and because on that same day, our savioUr Jesus Christ rose from the dead. For He was crucified on Friday and on Sunday He appeared to His apostles and disciples and taught them the things, that we have passed on for your consideration.

CARMELITES, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Sunday Reflection – 12 May – ‘Why doubt?’

Posted on May 12, 2019May 11, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Sunday Reflection – 12 May – The Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year C

Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Doctor of the Church

The Way of Perfection §34

As for ourselves, let us ask the Eternal Father, that we might merit to receive our heavenly bread in such a way, that the Lord may reveal Himself to the eyes of our soul and make Himself thereby known, since our bodily eyes cannot delight in beholding Him, because He is so hidden. Such a knowledge is another kind of satisfying and delightful sustenance that maintains life…

I know a person, to whom the Lord had given such living faith, that when she heard some persons saying, they would have liked to have lived at the time Christ our Good walked in the world, she used to laugh to herself. She wondered what more they wanted, since in the Blessed Sacrament, they had Him just as truly present as He was then… She considered she was at His feet and wept with the Magdalene, no more, nor less, than if she were seeing Him with her bodily eyes in the house of the Pharisee. And even though she didn’t feel devotion, faith told her that He was indeed there.

If we don’t want to be fools and blind the intellect, there’s no reason for doubt. Receiving communion is not like picturing with the imagination, as when we reflect upon the cross or in other episodes of the Passion, when we picture within ourselves how things happened to Him in the past. In communion, the event is happening now and it is entirely true. There’s no reason to go looking for Him in some other place farther away. Since we know that Jesus is with us, as long as the natural heat doesn’t consume the accidents of bread, we should approach Him. Now, then, if, when He went about in the world, the mere touch of His robes cured the sick, why doubt, if we have faith, that miracles will be worked while He is within us and that He will give what we ask of Him, since He is in our house? now then if when he went about in the world - st teresa of avila - 12 may 2019.jpg

“Consequently, every time we approach
the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharistic liturgy,
we also turn to her who, by her complete fidelity,
received Christ’s sacrifice for the whole Church.
The Synod Fathers rightly declared that
“Mary inaugurates the Church’s participation
in the sacrifice of the Redeemer.”
She is the Immaculata, who receives God’s gift
unconditionally and is thus associated with His work of salvation.
Mary of Nazareth, icon of the nascent Church,
is the model for each of us, called to receive the gift
that Jesus makes of Himself in the Eucharist.”

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Pope Francis

Blessed Peter Vigne, Pray for Us!

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Blessed Peter Vigne (1670-1740)

Apostle of Eucharistic Adoration

St Pope John Paul II (1920-2005)

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“I Will Give You Rest”

St Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

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Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Pray for US!

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St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

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1 John 3:17-18

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925)

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St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor

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Blessed Jacques Ghazir Haddad (1875-1954)

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Through Our Gazing in Adoration

Pope Benedict XVI General Audience, 17 November 2010

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St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church

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O precious and wonderful banquet!

Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Priest and Doctor of the Church

An excerpt from On the Feast of the Body of Christ

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Blessed Solemnity of Corpus Christi to you all!

Lord Jesus Christ,

in the Most Blessed Sacrament,

we Adore and Love You!

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Devotion to the Sacred Heart By Ven Servant of God John A Hardon SJ (1914-2000)

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Blessed Joseph-Marie Cassant, Pray for Us!

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Mini Series – Pope Francis and the Holy Rosary

The Fifth Luminous Mystery: The Institution of the Eucharist

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St Eugene de Mazenod (1782-1861)

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St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

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Holy Communion

Bl John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

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St Maria Bernarda Bütler (1848-1924)

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St Paschal Baylon (1540-1592) “Seraph of the Eucharist”

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The Celebration of the Eucharist

Saint Justin Martyr (100-165) Father of the Church, Apologist and Martyr

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Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) Doctor of the Church

Sacramentum Caritatis 33 Pope Benedict XVI

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St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Priest and Doctor of the Church

Devotion to the Sacred Heart
By Ven Servant of God John A Hardon SJ (1914-2000)

St Paschal Baylon (1540-1592)
“Seraph of the Eucharist”

Saint Justin Martyr (100-165)
Father of the Church, Apologist and Martyr

Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Doctor of the Church

Sacramentum Caritatis 33
Pope Benedict XVI