Saturday, January 30, 2010

The Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist

With the Real Presence, Jesus is in our tabernacles. The same Jesus who was sheltered by Mary Immaculate within Her virginal womb, is, as it were, enclosed in the little cavity formed by the species of a consecrated white Host. The same Jesus who was whipped, crowned with thorns, and crucified as a Victim for the sins of the world, remains in the ciborium as the Host immolated for our salvation. The same Jesus who rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven, where He is now gloriously reigning at the right hand of the Father, resides on our altars, surrounded by a multitude of countless adoring angels—a sight that Bl. Angela of Foligno beheld in a vision.

~ Fr. Stephano Manelli, F.I., Jesus Our Eucharistic Love ~

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Bishop Athanasius Schneider on Communion in the Hand

~

Dominus Est ~ It is the Lord!
By Most Rev. Athanasius Schneider, ORC


Based on his experience of Eucharistic devotion under Communist persecution, Bishop Schneider, auxiliary Bishop of Karaganda, Kazakhstan and member of the Order of the Holy Cross, bears witness to the loss of reverence for the Real Presence in the Western world and makes concrete suggestions for the renewal of Eucharistic faith and devotion in our times.

"I have read the whole book with delight. It is excellent." ~ Francis Cardinal Arinze, Prefect, Congregation for Divine Worship

"Now more than ever, it is necessary to help the faithful renew a living faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharistic species in order to strengthen the life of the Church herself." ~ from the preface by Most Rev. Malcolm Ranjith, Secretary for the Congregation for Divine Worship

~ For more information on Bishop Schneider go to Te Deum Laudamus ~

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

An Ex-Feminist's Belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist

"The Eucharist was also the center for me. And I kept wondering why belief in the Real Presence was not omnipresent among Christians. After all, if people were willing to embrace the miracle of God humbling Himself to become a human being, and a tiny baby at that, then why couldn't they see echoes of that same miracle in bread and wine mysteriously becoming Christ's Body and Blood? A symbol did not die on the Cross but a real Person, and that Person had left a real sacrament, not a symbol, to show His love."

~ From Confessions of an Ex-Feminist by Lorraine V. Murray, Ignatius Press ~

Monday, January 25, 2010

When You Miss One Holy Communion

It is well for you to consider what you lose every time that you pass up Holy Communion.

1. You miss a personal visit with Jesus, Author of all spiritual energy and of all holiness;

2. You lose a special increase of sanctifying grace, which makes your soul more pleasing to God;

3. You lose a quota of sacramental grace which entitles you to special help in times of temptation and in the discharge of your daily duties;

4. You lose a precious opportunity of having all of your venial sins wiped away;

5. You miss the special preserving influence which each Holy Communion confers against the fires of passion;

6. You miss the opportunity of having remitted a part, or all, of the temporal punishments due to your sins;

7. You lose the spiritual joy, the sweetness and particular comfort that come from a fervent Holy Communion;

8. You lose a part of the glory that your body might enjoy at its resurrection on the Last Day;

9. You lose the greater degree of glory you would possess in Heaven for all eternity;

10. You may lose:
a) complete victory over some fault or passion;
b) some particular grace long prayed for;
c) the conversion or salvation of some soul;
d) deliverance of a relative or friend from Purgatory;
e) many graces for others, both the living and the dead.

Will a few extra minutes of sleep repay you for all these losses?

What riches hundreds of thousands of Catholics deprive themselves daily by neglecting Mass. It in itself is the best preparation for Holy Communion. At the hour of death our greatest consolation will be the Masses we have heard and the Holy Communions received.

With Ecclesiastical Approval
Chicago, December 6, 1940

Friday, January 22, 2010

Jesus Waits for Us in the Most Blessed Sacrament

"Did you ever consider well, dear Christian soul, that, when the Sacred Host is publicly exposed, Jesus is not on His Eucharistic throne to receive the adorations of the angels and to enjoy the company of the blessed? These He finds in heaven. But He is on His Eucharistic throne to receive your adorations, to listen to your confidences, and to console and alleviate your sorrows and trials.

Come, then, and adore that Holy Host. When Jesus is offended everywhere, when His royal dignity is mocked and His sovereignty denied, it behooves noble souls to come and acknowledge publicly that He is our beloved Sovereign and divine King, and that to Him all praise, honor, and glory are due.

Come and adore that Host of mercy and peace. Show Him your wounds, tell Him your faults, expose to Him your miseries. You do not insult Him who shed His blood for all the sins of the world, when you tell Him your sins to obtain forgiveness. Whatever their number and grievousness, in proportion to His infinite mercy they are less than a grain of sand lost in the immensity of an ocean.

Come close to that loving Host and pour out your heart's bitterness into His heart. Let your tears flow freely in His presence as if you were upon His breast. The sorrows of your exile, the faithlessness of your friends, the loneliness of your heart, and the disillusions of your life, all find an echo in that heart, which has known from experience what it means to suffer.

There you will find peace in your worries, light in your difficulties, and firmness in the execution of your good resolutions. There your thirst for affection will be satisfied. You will learn the science of hidden sacrifice, of constant abnegation, of tireless meekness, and of perfect joy.

Do not say that you have no time. Rather, acknowledge that you do not love Him enough. If you did, you would leave everything, in order to visit Him.

Do not say that you do not know what to tell Him. Rather, admit that you do not love Him. If you loved Him, your lips would speak out of His heart's abundance; and, if your lips stayed silent, it would be because hearts that understand each other need not words: silence is enough.

Do not look for other excuses. Try it, and find out by your own experience. Do not wait until tomorrow. Today, go and spend a few moments with Jesus, whether He is within the tabernacle or exposed in the monstrance. Let your weary and wounded heart be penetrated by the peaceful atmosphere of the sanctuary and your soul be bathed in the light streaming forth from the Eucharistic Sun. And, tomorrow, I am sure, you will return."


~ From The Holy Eucharist by Jose Guadalupe Trevino ~

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Pope Benedict XVI: Beware of Formal and Empty Eucharistic Worship

Faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist cannot be taken for granted. This was Benedict XVIs admonition during his homily of the Mass for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, which he celebrated in front of the Basilica of St. John Lateran on Thursday evening, June 11th.Benedict XVI: Today there arises the risk of a serpentine secularization even within the Church, which can convert into a formal and empty Eucharistic worship, in celebrations lacking this participation from the heart that is expressed in veneration and respect for the liturgy. The temptation is always strong to reduce prayer to superficial and hurried moments, letting oneself be carried away by earthly activities and worries ...

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

St. Katharine Drexel: Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament

St. Katharine Drexel's devotion to the Blessed Sacrament was demonstrated early on. She wanted to make her First Holy Communion before the customary age of 12, and fulfilled her wish at the age of 11. The Religious community she founded, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, also points to the importance of the Eucharist in her life. Following is a prayer of St. Katharine Drexel's that speaks much to her Eucharistic devotion:

"O memorial of the wonders of God's love! Take our cold hearts prisoner, draw them to Yourself, for a heart is not worthy to beat that does not beat for you alone!"

In fact, St. Katharine Drexel donated her personal monstrance to the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters for its continued use in adoration after her death. In fact, her monstrance can often be seen as the central monstrance on the Savior.org site.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Burning Thirst of Jesus

" I have a burning thirst to be honoured by men in the Blessed Sacrament."
~ Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque ~


Monday, January 18, 2010

St. Alphonsus Liguori: Value of Daily Eucharistic Adoration

"One thing is certain,
that next to Holy Communion,
no act of worship is so pleasing to God,
and none is so useful,
as the daily visit to our Lord Jesus Christ
in the Blessed Sacrament dwelling upon our altars.
Know that in one-quarter of an hour
which you spend before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
you attain more than in all the good works of the rest of the day."

~ St. Alphonsus Liguori ~

Sunday, January 17, 2010

St. Padre Pio: Reverence for the Blessed Sacrament

Padre Pio told this story to Padre Anastasio. “One evening, while I was alone in choir to pray, I heard the rustle of a suit and I saw a young monk that stirred next to the High altar. It seemed that the young monk was dusting the candelabra and straightening the flower vases. I thought he was Padre Leone rearranging the altar, and, since it was supper time, I went to him and I told him: “Padre Leone, go to dine, this is not the time to dust and to straighten the altar”. But a voice, that was not Father Leone’s answered me”: “I am not Padre Leone”, “and who are you? “, I asked him. “I am a brother of yours that made the noviciate here. I was ordered to clean the altar during the year of the noviciate. Unfortunately many times I didn’t reverence Jesus while passing in front of the altar, thus causing the Holy Sacrament that was preserved in the tabernacle to be disrespected. For this serious carelessness, I am still in Purgatory. Now, God, with his endless goodness, sent me here so that you may quicken the time I will enjoy Paradise. Take care of me.” I believed to be generous to that suffering soul, so I exclaimed: “you will be in Paradise tomorrow morning, when I will celebrate Holy Mass”. That soul cried: “Cruel!” Then he wept and disappeared. That complaint produced in me a wound to the heart that I have felt and I will feel my whole life. In fact I would have been able to immediately send that soul to Heaven but I condemned him to remain another night in the flames of Purgatory.”

Letter to Father Agostino, of (March 12, 1913), “... my father, listen to our sweet Jesus’ complaints: “My love for men is repaid with so much ingratitude! Those people would have offended me less if I had loved them less. My father doesn’t want to tolerate them anymore. I would like to stop loving them, but... (And here Jesus kept silent and, afterward taken aback) but my heart is made for loving! The tired men don’t try to overcome the temptations. Rather these men enjoy their iniquities. The souls I love more than the other’s when they suffer a temptation, when they don’t succeed in withstanding. The weak souls are dismayed and desperate. The strong souls trust Jesus. They leave me alone at night and in the morning in Church. They don’t take care of the sacrament of the altar; they don’t speak of this sacrament of love anymore; also, the people who do speak of the sacrament do it with so much indifference and coldness. My Heart has been forgotten; nobody cares for my love; I am always saddened. My house has become a theatre of plays for a lot of people; even my priests that I have always protected carefully, that I have loved as the apple of my eye; they should comfort my sorrowful heart; they should help me in the redemption of the souls, instead.... Who would believe it? I receive ingratitude from them. I see, my Son, a lot of them that... (Here he stopped, sobs tightened his throat, he wept) that under false semblance they betray me with sacrilegious communions, stamping on the light and the strength that I continually give them... “.

Epistolary I (1910-1922) PADRE PIO DA PIETRELCINA: a cura di Melchiorre da Pobladura e Alessandro da Ripabottoni - Edizioni "Padre Pio da Pietrelcina" Convento S.Maria delle Grazie San Giovanni Rotondo - FG
~ All information about St. Padre Pio from here. ~

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Pope John Paul II Prayer for the Spread Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration

Heavenly Father,
increase our faith in the Real Presence of Your Son Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
We are obliged to adore Him, to give Him thanks and to make reparation for sins.
We need Your peace in our hearts and among nations.
We need conversion from our sins and the mercy of Your forgiveness.
May we obtain this through prayer and our union with the Eucharistic Lord.
Please send down the Holy Spirit upon all peoples
to give them the love, courage, strength and willingness
to respond to the invitation to Eucharistic Adoration.
We beseech You to spread Perpetual Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament
in parishes around the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen
Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament,
help us to spread the glory of Your Son through Perpetual Adoration.

~ Pope John Paul II ~

Friday, January 15, 2010

Feast of Corpus Christi

For more information on the Feast of Corpus Christi, click here.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

A Bishop Answers a Mohammedan's Questions About the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist

“How is it possible,” an educated Mohammedan asked a missionary bishop, “that bread and wine should become the Flesh and Blood of Christ?”

The bishop answered, “You were small when you were born. You grew big because your body changed the food you took into flesh and blood. If a man's body is able to transform bread and wine into flesh and blood, then God can do it far more easily.”

The Mohammedan then asked: “How is it possible for Jesus to be wholly and entirely present in a little Host?”

The bishop answered, “Look at the landscape before you and consider how much smaller your eye is in comparison to it. Now within your little eye there is an image of this vast countryside. Can God not do in reality, in His Person, what is done in us by way of a likeness or image?”

Then the Mohammedan asked, “How is it possible for the same Body to be present at the same time in all your churches and in all the consecrated Hosts?”

The bishop said, “Nothing is impossible with God — and this answer ought to be enough. But nature also answers this question. Let us take a mirror, throw it down on the floor and let it break into pieces. Every piece can carry the same image that the whole mirror formerly reproduced. Likewise, the self-same Jesus reproduces Himself, not as a mere likeness, but as a reality, in every consecrated Host. He is truly present in each One of Them.”

~ Father Stefano Manelli, O.F.M. Conv., S.T.D ~
From Jesus Our Eucharistic Love

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Fr. John Hardon: The Eucharist Contains the Author of Grace

"We should never again use the expression,
'When Jesus was on earth'
or think of Him as being only in heaven,
Jesus is still on earth."

"While all the sacraments confer grace,
the Eucharist contains the Author of grace,
Jesus Christ Himself."

~ Fr. John Hardon, S.J. ~

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI: Love and Devotion for Jesus in the Eucharist

"I ask everyone in the coming months
to intensify love and devotion for Jesus in the Eucharist
and to express courageously and clearly
faith in the Real Presence of the Lord..."

~ Pope Benedict XVI ~

Monday, January 11, 2010

St. Thomas Aquinas: Tantum Ergo Sacramentum


English translation
A translation over a hundred years old and still used in Catholic churches liturgically renders the hymn thus, in a form which can be sung to the same music as the Latin:

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail,
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.
To the everlasting Father,
And the Son Who reigns on high
With the Holy Ghost proceeding
Forth from Each eternally,
Be salvation, honor, blessing,
Might and endless majesty.
Amen.
V. Thou hast given them bread from heaven.
R. Having within it all sweetness.

V. Let us pray: O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament left us a memorial of Thy Passion: grant, we implore Thee, that we may so venerate the sacred mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, as always to be conscious of the fruit of Thy Redemption. Thou who livest and reignest forever and ever.

R. Amen.

(Translation from here.)

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Eucharistic Adoration for Transformation of the World

"Let us beseech the Lord to reawaken in us the joy at His Presence,
and that we may once more adore him.
Without adoration, there is no transformation of the world."

~ Pope Benedict XVI ~

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Venerable Pauline Marie Jaricot: Eucharistic Prayer of Homage

"It is before Your holy tabernacles that my heart dried up by cruel trials has constantly found the necessary strength to bear them; there my struggles have become victories, my weakness courage, my lukewarmness fervour, my perplexities have been changed into light, my sadness into joy, obstacles into success, my desires into the will to accomplish them, my antipathies, jealousies, resentments into burning charity. All I know I have learned at Your feet, O Lord; receive therefore the homage of all I am and all that I have, of all I can ever think, say or do that is good."

~ Venerable Pauline Jaricot ~
Foundress of the Society for the Propagation of Faith

Friday, January 8, 2010

Pope John Paul II: Church and World Need Eucharistic Adoration

“The Church and the world have a great need of Eucharistic adoration.
Jesus waits for us in this Sacrament of Love.
Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Him
in adoration and in contemplation that is full of faith
and ready to make reparation for the great faults and crimes of the world.
May our adoration never cease.”

~ Pope John Paul II, Dominicae Cenae, February 1980 ~

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Pope John Paul II: Power of Eucharistic Adoration to Obtain World Peace

"The best, the surest, and the most effective way of establishing everlasting peace on the face of the earth is through the great power of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament."

~ Pope John Paul II ~
on beginning Perpetual Adoration,
December 8, 1982 at St. Peter's in Rome ~

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Blessed Dina Belanger: Eucharistic Wisdom

“If souls but understood the Treasure they possess in the Divine Eucharist,
it would be necessary to encircle the Tabernacles with the strongest of ramparts for,
in the delirium of a devouring and holy hunger,
they would press forward themselves to feed on the Bread of Angels;
 the churches would overflow with adorers consumed with love for the Divine Prisoner,
no less by night than by day.”

~ Blessed Dina Belanger ~

Monday, January 4, 2010

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: Eucharistic Quotes

"God is everywhere, in the very air I breathe, yes everywhere, but in His Sacrament of the Altar He is as present actually and really as my soul within my body; in His Sacrifice daily offered as really as once offered on the Cross,"

“The heart preparing to receive the Holy Eucharist should be like a crystal vase.”

"How sweet, the presence of Jesus to the longing, harassed soul! It is instant peace, and balm to every wound."

~ St. Elizabeth Ann Seton ~

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Pope John Paul II: Eucharistic Adoration Necessary

"To live the Eucharist, it is necessary, as well,
to spend much time in adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament,
something which I myself experience every day,
drawing from it strength, consolation and assistance."

~ Venerable Pope John Paul II ~

Saturday, January 2, 2010

The God of the Eucharist

"The God of the Eucharist is on His throne of love
to be the sole center of our adoration and of our hearts."

~ St. Peter Julian Eymard ~

Friday, January 1, 2010

St. Peter Julian Eymard: Prayer to Mary, Mother of Eucharistic Adorers

"Eucharistic adorers share Mary’s life and mission of prayer at the foot of the Most Blessed Sacrament. It is the most beautiful of all missions, and it holds no perils. It is the most holy, for in it all the virtues are practiced. It is, moreover, the most necessary to the Church, which has even more need of prayerful souls than of powerful preachers; of men of penance rather than men of eloquence. Today more than ever have we need of men who, by their self—immolation, disarm the anger of God inflamed by the ever increasing crimes of nations. We must have souls who by their importunity reopen the treasures of grace which the indifference of the multitude has closed. We must have true adorers; that is to say, men of fervor and of sacrifice. When there are many such souls around their Divine Chief, God will be glorified, Jesus will be loved, and society will once more become Christian, conquered for Jesus Christ by the apostolate of Eucharistic prayer."

"O Mary! teach us the life of adoration! Teach us to see, as thou didst, all the mysteries and all the graces in the Eucharist; to live over again the Gospel story and to read it in the light of the Eucharistic Life of Jesus. Remember, O our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, that thou art the Mother of all adorers of the Holy Eucharist,"
~ St. Peter Julian Eymard ~